NC Residency
As budget cuts continue to plague the University, it’s more important than ever for graduate/professional students and their departments to apply for Residency. Residency for UNC’s tuition purposes is NOT the same thing as North Carolina State Residency. The Graduate School explains:
“Under state law, North Carolina residents are eligible for a lower tuition rate to state universities, including The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (the University). In order to qualify as a resident for tuition purposes, a person must have established legal residence (or domicile) in North Carolina and maintained that legal residence for at least twelve (12) months prior to his or her classification as a resident for tuition purposes. Each student is classified as an in-state or out-of-state resident upon admission.”
If you are classified as out-of-state upon admission, you will need to begin building proof of Residency and then apply. It is not uncommon for a student to make multiple attempts before the Graduate School grants her Residency. See the links below for all relevant info:
The Graduate School’s page on applying for Residency can be found here.
The NC Residency Determination Service can be found here.
Students who wish to be considered for in-state tuition benefits will need to complete the Residency Determination Service (RDS) interview process (for initial requests, reconsideration requests, and appeals). Please visit your ConnectCarolina StudentCenter and click the NC Residency Reconsideration or Appeal link under the Personal Information tab. Once you complete the RDS process you must enter your Residency Certification Number (RCN) in your StudentCenter.
To access RDS directly, please visit ncresidency.org. Beginning September 5, 2018, all requests for in-state residency determinations must be submitted online via the RDS process.
Once residency is obtained, changes are made to your UNC Financial Aid status. Information on how to deal with changes to your bill, the Cashier’s Office, and the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid are in this document.