Residency determination for tuition purposes is governed by rules and regulations adopted by the North Idaho College Board of Trustees and Idaho Codes 33-3717B, § 33-2110, § 33-2110A and § 33-2110B.
Based on the information provided by the applicant in the NIC Application for Admission, an initial determination is made concerning the student’s residency status for tuition purposes (e.g., in-state/out-of-state, in-district/out-of-district). If residency information is missing or incomplete the student status will default to non-resident and the tuition will default to out-of-state.
Your residency status remains unchanged unless you submit a Residency Determination Worksheet with the required documentation to Cardinal Central. A redetermination is made based on the documentation provided. Qualifications for residency must be met prior to the first day of the term for which redetermination is sought.
Requirements to Establish Idaho Residency
There are two components to establish Idaho residency for tuition purposes: Pathway and Domicile.
To qualify as an Idaho resident for tuition purposes, applicants first must meet all conditions for the selected pathway and then must meet all domicile requirements, if specified by the selected pathway.
You are not eligible for Idaho residency for tuition purposes when:
- You are attending an Idaho institution with financial assistance provided by another state or governmental entity thereof within the last 12 months. WUE is such financial assistance program and disqualifies you from establishing residency as an independent.
- A non-Idaho resident claims you as a dependent.
- You are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, or not otherwise lawfully present in the U.S.
Pathways
You are a dependent of a parent/legal guardian who has been domiciled in Kootenai County for at least 12 months prior to the term you are applying for residency. Your parent/guardian must demonstrate maintenance of a bona fide domicile in Kootenai County for at least 12 months and provide evidence of supporting you over 50%.
You are not a dependent of a parent/legal guardian and have continuously resided in and can demonstrate maintenance of a bona fide domicile in Kootenai County for purposes other than education for at least 12 months prior to the term applying for residency.
You are married to a person who is classified, or eligible for classification, as an Idaho resident for the purposes of attending an Idaho public institution. Your spouse must demonstrate maintenance of a bona fide domicile in Kootenai County for at least 12 months prior to the term applying for residency.
Any independent student, spouse or parent/guardian of a dependent student who meets one of the following criteria. Armed Forces include the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and the reserve forces of those groups; it does not include related civilian employees.
- Member of Armed Forces who entered service as an Idaho resident and has maintained Idaho resident status, but is stationed outside of Idaho on military orders.
- Member of Armed Forces stationed in Idaho on military orders.
- Officer or enlisted member of the Idaho National Guard.
- Member who has separated under honorable conditions after at least two years of service and enters an Idaho public institution within three years of separation date:
- Who, at the time of separation, designated Idaho as the intended domicile;
- Who listed Idaho as the home of record in service; or
- Who moves to Idaho for purpose of establishing domicile; provided, however, to maintain status as a resident student, the member must actively establish domicile within one year of registration at an Idaho public institution.
A student who is a member of one of the following tribes: Coeur d’Alene, Colville Confederated, Eastern Shoshone, Flathead, Kalispel, Kootenai, Nez Perce, Northwestern Shoshone, Pend Oreille, Shoshone-Bannock, Shoshone-Paiute, Spokane, Umatilla or Yakama.
Domicile
Domicile is your true, fixed and permanent home and place of habitation. The establishment of domicile is supported by demonstrating the following criteria have been maintained for a minimum of 12 months prior to the start of the term.
Parent/guardian, spouse or independent student must prove these minimum requirements:
- Permanent full-time (30+ hours/week or 120+ hours/month) employment in Idaho
- Holding an Idaho driver's license or ID card
- Filing of an Idaho state resident tax return for the prior year
Alternatively, parent/guardian, spouse or independent student who holds an Idaho driver's license or ID card can establish at least five of the following factors:
- Ownership or leasing of residence in Idaho
- Filing of an Idaho state resident tax return for the prior year
- Registration and payment of Idaho taxes or fees (vehicle), other than income tax
- Registration to vote in Idaho
- Evidence of abandonment of the previous domicile
- Establishment of accounts with Idaho financial institutions
- Other similar factors such as 1) enrollment of dependent children in Idaho primary or secondary schools; 2) acceptance of permanent employment in Idaho; 3) documentation of need to care for relative in Idaho; 4) utility statements; or 5) employment documentation.
Applying for Idaho Residency
Residents of the state of Idaho pay either the district or non-district tuition rate per Idaho State Code 33-2110A. Since North Idaho College receives funding from Kootenai County, Kootenai County residents pay the in-district (Resident) tuition rate.
- To change your residency status to In-State/Non-District (Idaho state resident but not Ada, Bonneville, Canyon, Jerome, Kootenai or Twin Falls counties), submit a Certificate of Residency to your county clerk. Visit the Non-District Residency page for additional information.
- To change your residency status to District (residents of Ada, Bonneville, Canyon, Jerome, Kootenai and Twin Falls counties) you will need to submit a Residency Determination Worksheet and supporting documents.
The deadline to submit the Residency Determination Worksheet and supporting documentation is the 10th business day of the Fall or Spring Semester and the 5th business day of the Summer Session. However, all qualifications must have been met for a minimum of 12 months before the first day of the semester/term.
How to Apply
- Thoroughly review the requirements to ensure qualifications are met and can be documented.
- Complete the Residency Determination Worksheet. Read and follow the instructions carefully.
- Collect copies of the required documentation, noted on the right side of the Residency Determination Worksheet for each section and associated question. All documents must be in the name of the person on whom residency is being based (student, spouse or parent/guardian). Applicants may be asked to supply additional documentation, if needed, after an initial review of their application.
- Submit signed and completed worksheet with copies of required documentation by email, postal mail or in person.
Worksheet and documentation can be emailed to cardinalcentral@nic.edu, delivered to Lee-Kildow Hall Room 116 or mailed to North Idaho College, Cardinal Central, 1000 W. Garden Ave., Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814.