Regulations for determining Nevada residency for tuition charges and the policy for reclassification of a nonresident to Nevada resident status are outlined in the Board of Regents handbook, Title 4, Chapter 15. One of the following categories must apply in order for an individual to be deemed a Nevada resident:
- A dependent person whose spouse, family or legal guardian is a bona fide resident of the state of Nevada for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the student's date of matriculation.
- A financially independent person who is a bona fide resident of the state of Nevada for at least twelve consecutive months immediately prior to the date of matriculation.
Bona Fide Nevada Resident
A bona fide Nevada resident is defined as an independent person who has continuous physical presence in the state of Nevada for a minimum of twelve consecutive months prior to matriculation, who has no ties to any other state and who has the intent to permanently reside in the state of Nevada. In general, an individual is expected to obtain a Nevada driverŐs license or ID card within 30 days of moving to Nevada to be considered a bona fide resident. For a dependent person, the family, spouse or legal guardian must have physical presence in the state of Nevada for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the student's matriculation, with no ties to any other state, with the intent to permanently reside in Nevada.
Dependent and Family
A dependent is defined as a person who is not financially independent and is claimed as an exemption for federal income tax purposes under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code by another person for the most recent year. Family is defined as natural or legal adoptive parent(s) of a dependent person, or if one parent has legal custody of a dependent person, that parent.
Date of Matriculation
Date of matriculation is the first day of instruction in the semester or term in which enrollment of a student first occurs (excluding community service courses which are not state funded). This is applicable regardless of the actual start date of a course a student enrolls in. A student has matriculated if he/she enrolls for a course and does not withdraw before the 100% refund period or has a record of previous enrollment at Western Nevada College.
Nonresident
A student who is not a bona fide Nevada resident and/or who is not a United States citizen or a Permanent Resident Alien is considered a nonresident and must pay nonresident fees.
Exceptions
There are exceptions to the above categories to be deemed a Nevada resident. Some of the exceptions include:
- Active duty resident military
- Public school teacher employed full-time or NSHE employee employed at least half-time
- Spouse or dependent of above
- Nevada high school graduate
- Native American residing in Nevada tribal lands
- Student relocated to Nevada for the primary purpose of permanent full-time employment
- Other exceptions as outlined in the Board of Regents policy - contact Admissions and Records or refer to the Board of Regents handbook.
A student who has been classified as a non-resident who matriculates to WNC shall continue to be classified as a nonresident student throughout the student's enrollment, unless and until the student demonstrates that his or her previous residence has been abandoned and that the student is a Nevada resident. A student must fill out a WNC Residency Reclassification Application and provide documentation of:
- continuous physical presence as a Nevada resident for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the application for reclassification, and
- evidence of intent to remain a Nevada resident, and
- proof of independent/dependent status. If the student is under 24 and a dependent, documentation of Nevada residency for the student's family, spouse or legal guardian must be provided. If the family, spouse or legal guardian of a dependent student does is not a bona fide Nevada resident, the student will continue to be classified as a nonresident student.
Any person who is classified as an our-of-state student, but who, under these regulations, is eligible for reclassification as an in-state student, shall, upon application and approval, become eligible for such classification at the time of the next registration period. No reclassification under these regulations shall give rise to any claim for refund of tuition already paid to the NSHE.
Students who do not qualify for Nevada residency, regardless of time spent in the state of Nevada include dependent students whose family are not residents of Nevada or non-U.S. citizens who do not have a resident alien card. Students who have enrolled as a Good Neighbor, Children of Alumni or WICHE/WUE may not be reclassified as a resident until the student disenrolls from the applicable program and pays full nonresident tuition for at least 12 months for reclassification to resident status.
All residency regulations are subject to change by the Board of Regents. Changes become effective for the next semester for all affected students who are not currently classified as in-state residents.
If you are a new student who has not yet matriculated and believe your residency status has been classified incorrectly, you may submit the Initial Residency Review Application (.pdf) with appropriate documentation to WNC Admissions and Records.
If you would like to be considered for reclassification from a nonresident to a resident, submit the Nevada Residency Reclassification Application (.pdf) to Admissions and Records.
If you have any questions about residency, please call Admissions and Records at 445-3277.
