TJC receives funding through student tuition, state tax appropriations, and local property taxes within the TJC district. Students who live outside the TJC district are charged a surcharge per credit hour. Students who live outside of the state of Texas are charged increased tuition as well as a per-credit-hour surcharge. These rates are set by the TJC Board of Trustees.
In-District student: A Texas resident (or dependent) who physically resides (permanent residence) on property subject to ad valorem taxation by the TJC District the required length of time (12 months).
Out-of-District student: A Texas resident who does not physically reside within the geographic boundaries of the TJC District. (For tuition and fee calculations, students classified as Out-of State residents will be charged out-of-state tuition and the out-of-district surcharge.)
SB 1528 (Non-Residents)
State law (SB 1528) allows undocumented students to be classified as
Texas residents if they meet the following conditions:
- Graduated from a public or an accredited private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma (GED) from the State of Texas.
- Resided in Texas for at least three years as of the date the person graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma (GED).
- Resided in Texas for the 12 months preceding the 12th class day of the academic semester in which the person enrolls in an institution.
- Provided the institution with an affidavit stating intent to apply for permanent residency. Affidavit forms are available in the Admissions office. Permanent residents/US Citizens can also claim in-state residency if they meet the following conditions:
- Graduated from a public or an accredited private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma (GED) from the State of Texas.
- Resided in Texas for at least three years as of the date the person graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma (GED).
- Resided in Texas for the 12 months preceding the 12th class day of the academic semester in which the person enrolls in an institution.
Reclassification
Reclassification as a non-resident: Persons who have been classified as residents of Texas shall be classified as non-resident students whenever they shall report, or there is found to exist, circumstances indicating a change in residence to another state. If students who have been classified as residents of Texas are found to have been erroneously classified, those students shall be reclassified as non-residents and be charged the non-resident tuition beginning with the semester following the date that the institution discovers the error.
Reclassification as a resident: If students have been erroneously classified as non-resident students and subsequently prove to the satisfaction of the appropriate officials of an institution of higher education that they should have been classified as a resident student, they shall be reclassified as residents of Texas and may be refunded the difference between the resident and non-resident tuition for each semester in which the student was erroneously classified and paid the non-resident tuition rate.
Students must complete any reclassification of residency prior to the certification day of that term (12th class day - 16-week session; 4th class day - summer session) in order to pay the new tuition and fees for that semester. It is the responsibility of the student to verify their residency status each semester and review their statement of charges for accuracy. Requests for residency changes must be completed in the Admissions office by the census date.
Refunds due to residency changes will be processed for the current semester only if all requirements are completed by the census date. No refunds for prior semesters will be given for errors in residency status.
Minimum Requirements:
In order for a student to reclassify their residency, the student must be able to provide documents for each section. Documents must contain the name of the student or dependent’s parent, their current address, and be dated at least 12 months preceding the census date of the academic term. Please note the lists are not intended to be an exhaustive and individual situations may require additional documentation.
Step 1: Change of Permanent Address:
- Change of Address form submitted to TJC Admissions Office.
Step 2: Proof of Tax Independence/Dependence (if student is under 25 years of age):
- Form 1040 Tax Return (1st page only) for Independent Student
- Parent’s Form 1040 Tax Return (1st page only) for Dependent Student
Step 3: Documentation for Texas Residency Status:
- Texas Driver’s License or Texas State ID Card.
- Texas high school transcript for full senior year immediately preceding the census date or a transcripts from a Texas institution of higher education showing designation as a Texas resident.
- Paycheck stubs for 12 consecutive months.
- Written statements from the office of one or more social service agencies located in Texas that attest to the provision of services to the person for 12 consecutive months preceding the census date.
- Proof of title/deed of real property acquisition.
- Documents showing ownership of a business in Texas.
- Texas Marriage Certificate or Declaration of Registration of Informal Marriage with documentation to support that spouse has established and maintained domicile in Texas for 12 consecutive months preceding the census date.
Step 4: Documentation for In-District Residency Status:
- Utility bills for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date.
- Texas voter registration card.
- A current lease agreement which lists student as either the lease holder or occupant.
- Current deed and/or property tax statement.
In-district, in-state and out-of-state residency is determined by using the guidelines published by the Coordinating Board in "Rules and Regulations—Residence Status." Twelve months after giving up previous domicile is the minimum length of time required to establish new residency for tuition purposes.
"Residence" means "domicile."
"Resided in" means "domiciled in."
"Legal place of residence" is defined as the place where you, your parents or guardian live for the required length of time at the time of enrollment, and used for federal income purposes.
"Dependent" means an individual who is claimed as a dependent for federal income tax purposes by the individual’s parent or guardian at the time of registration and for the tax year preceding the year in which the individual registers.