Residence Verification

Tuition Rates Based on Residency

Because Kalamazoo Valley is a public institution supported, in part, by state and school tax dollars,tuition rates are based on your residence classification. A student’s residency classification is established when admitted to Kalamazoo Valley and may only be changed as detailed under items D and E. Students are required by law to verify residency at the time of each admission, change of address or at any time the college has reason to believe that the students residency is invalid.

A. Deadline for establishing residence for a semester:

  1. Residence status will be established on the last business day before a semester begins. Once you have registered and the semester starts, no change in your residency or tuition rate can be made until subsequent semesters. It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Admissions, Registration and Records office of any change in residence or status that would affect his/her classification. Any adjustments made in tuition due to a change in residency status shall not be retroactive nor changed after the last business day before the semester begins for the term being petitioned.

  2. For students who register for the first time after the semester begins, residency will be established at the time of payment. Once you have made payment, no change in your residency or tuition rate can be made until subsequent semesters.

  3. Kalamazoo Valley will perform ongoing verification of residency information. Students who have misrepresented information or have falsified documents may have to pay additional tuition for the periods when their classification was misrepresented, verify back records, and/or may be subject to disciplinary action by the College.

B. Residency classifications:

In-District Student

A citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States who:

  • Has resided in Michigan for a period of six consecutive months prior to the start of the semester.
  • AND
  • Has resided within the Kalamazoo Valley Community College district for a minimum of thirty days prior to the start of the semester.
  • OR
  • Has owned real taxable property, or is a documented dependent student under the age of 18 whose parents or legal guardians have owned real taxable property, in the Kalamazoo Valley district for a period of thirty days prior to the start of the semester.

The following public school districts make up the Kalamazoo Valley Community College district: Climax-Scotts, Comstock, Galesburg-Augusta, Gull Lake, Kalamazoo, Mattawan, Parchment, Portage, Schoolcraft and Vicksburg.

Out-of-District

A citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States who:

  • Has resided in Michigan for a period of six consecutive months prior to the start of the semester
  • OR
  • Has owned real taxable property, or is a documented dependent student under the age of 18 whose parents or legal guardians have owned real taxable property, in Michigan for a period of six months prior to the start of the semester.

Out-of-State

A citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States who:

  • Does not qualify for in-district or out-of-district status as defined above.

International Status

A student who is:

  • Not a United States Citizen.
  • AND
  • A student who has been admitted to the United States on a temporary, non-resident visa. (F-1, M-1, J, K, N, O, P, Q, R, S, TN and V.)

Please note: Students are considered eligible non-citizens if:

  1. The student holds a valid Permanent Resident Card, refugee, political asylum status, or is a longstanding area resident.
  2. The student holds a visa classification of A, E, G, H, I, L, T, or U.

Early College

A student participating in Early College classes will be assessed tuition based upon the residency of the location of their high school. The student will remain classified in the appropriate residence status. When appropriate, the amount owed will be adjusted on the bill sent to the school paying the tuition under the Postsecondary Enrollment Options Act.

Employees of In-District Companies

Students working for an employer that owns or operates a business, non-profit agency or governmental organization within the Kalamazoo Valley Community College district can request the in-district tuition rate when their employer is directly paying the college rather than reimbursing the employee. Students will need to present a letter of intent to pay or a company check made out to the college showing the in-district address of the company.

Veterans

Veterans and their dependents using educational assistance under either Chapter 30 (Montgomery GI Bill® - Active Duty Program), Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation), Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®), of title 38, United States Code, Chapter 35 (Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program), Chapter 1606 of Title 10 U.S.C (Montgomery GI Bill - Selected Reserve) and/or the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who have recently moved to Michigan will immediately qualify for appropriate in-state tuition rates by presenting their certificate of eligibility for education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Admission, Registration and Records office.

Veterans and their dependents who are not using education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs will not gain or lose in-state residence by reason of being employed in the service of the United States or of this state. Non-Michigan residents will need to reside within Michigan for six months before qualifying for in-state tuition rates. To retain in-state rates, Michigan residents who have been stationed outside of Michigan for more than six months will need to provide documentation that they entered the service as a Michigan resident and have been stationed elsewhere. Dependents must also provide proof of their relationship to the service member.

C. Verification Methods:

To verify residency, you will be required to show one or more of the following documents:

  • Valid driver's license in student's name (both sides must be submitted)
  • Valid state identification card in student's name (both sides must be submitted)
  • Voter registration card in student's name
  • Valid motor vehicle registration in student's name dated no more than one year prior to the date verifying residency (car insurance and car title not acceptable)
  • Utility bill (electric, gas, water) in student's name dated no more than 60 days prior to the date verifying residency
  • Valid rental or lease agreement in student’s name showing: rental address, lease dates, landlord’s name and telephone number, signatures of the student and landlord making it a legal agreement. These are often found on the first and last pages of the lease. We only need the pages containing this information.
  • Current property tax receipt in student's name

Dependents

If you are under the age of 18 the following documents are also valid to verify residency:

  • Parent's Federal Income Tax return for the last calendar year on which you are listed as a dependent
  • AND
  • Any one document listed above in your parent's name

D. Address Changes

Students must notify Kalamazoo Valley in writing when they move by completing a Personal Information Update Form . Proof of your new address as identified in the list above, must accompany the address change. A student is eligible for a change in residency status, as indicated in item A, the next semester the student registers for courses. Any adjustments made in tuition due to a change in residency status shall not be retroactive nor changed after the last business day before the semester begins for the term being petitioned.

E. Status Qualification Changes (no change in address)

Students who began attending Kalamazoo Valley under one residence classification and have now met the residence time frame to qualify for a different classification, need to bring proof of their residence to the Admissions, Registration and Records office to request a status change.

Example: Student moved to Kalamazoo from an out-of-state or out-of-district location immediately before attending so did not qualify yet for the in-district rate. Prior to the start of the next semester, even if there has been no change in address, student has lived in-district long enough to qualify for the lower tuition rate. This student must present approved documentation to the Admissions, Registration and Records office prior to the start of the next semester to request a change in status.

F. Residency Holds:

If you do not provide approved documentation to verify your residence when you apply to the College or change addresses, a hold will be placed on your record. Holds are also applied when your mail is returned to Kalamazoo Valley due to an incorrect address. The College reserves the right to audit enrolled or prospective students at any time with regard to eligibility in compliance with State residency verification requirements.

Residence verification holds will prevent you from registering and paying for classes. You will also be unable to obtain your grades until the hold is removed upon verification of your current address.

To get a residency hold removed, you must present one of the forms of documentation listed in item C to the Admissions, Registration and Records office or the Student Service Center at Anna Whitten Hall to verify your residency.

Approved by: Board of Trustees

Approval date: September 13, 2016

Effective term: Winter 2017 through Fall 2017

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.