Residency Information

Western Nevada College allows any adult who can benefit from instruction to enroll, regardless of residency status. Although the tuition and fees will vary depending on residency status, all adults are welcome to attend Western Nevada College.

Admissions and Records staff is available to assist students with residency regulations and to answer any residency questions. Please call 775-445-3277 for assistance.

A students residency status for fee/tuition purposes is determined at the time of initial application to the college. An initial determination of non-resident status does not change unless or until the student applies for and is approved for in state residency.  The Residency Application can be found on our Admissions & Records Forms & Downloads page.

There are a number of factors used to determine residency. In most cases, an individual who is financially independent must reside in Nevada as a bona fide resident (definition below) for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to the date of matriculation (the beginning date of the first semester of enrollment) to be considered a Nevada resident for tuition purposes. The individual must also be a U.S. citizen or hold a Permanent Resident card or a visa which is approved for NSHE residency consideration. For a financially dependent student, the students spouse, family, or legal guardian must be a bona fide legal resident of the state of Nevada for at least twelve consecutive months prior to the date of matriculation and must be a U.S. citizen or hold a Permanent Resident card or approved visa.

There are exceptions which allow some individuals who do not meet the 12 month requirement to obtain residency. Some of the exceptions include:

• Currently attending or a graduate of a Nevada high school or a student who successfully completed the high school equivalency assessment selected by the State Board of Education, if the assessment was administered in Nevada.
• Currently attending or previously attended a Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institution (i.e., UNLV, UNR, NSU, CSN, GBC, TMCC, WNC) as a Nevada resident for tuition purposes.
• NSHE Employees: A professional employee, classified employee, postdoctoral fellow, resident physician, or resident dentist currently employed at least half time, or the spouse or dependent child of such an employee.
• A graduate student enrolled in the NSHE and employed by the System in support of its instructional or research programs or a Graduate Fellow.
• A financially dependent person whose spouse, family, or legal guardian has relocated to Nevada for the primary purpose of permanent full-time employment in Nevada or to establish a business in and living in Nevada.
• A financially independent person who has relocated to Nevada for the primary purpose of permanent full-time employment in Nevada or to establish a business in and living in Nevada.
• Licensed educational personnel employed full-time by a public school district in Nevada, or the spouse or dependent child of such an employee.
• A teacher who is currently employed full-time by a private elementary, secondary or postsecondary educational institution or the spouse of dependent child of such an employee.
• Member of a federally recognized Native American tribe or nation who currently resides on tribal lands located wholly or partially within the boundaries of the State of Nevada.
• A member of the Armed Forces of the United States on active duty, stationed in Nevada as a result of a permanent change of duty station pursuant to military orders, or a person whose spouse, parent or legal guardian is such a person.
• A U.S. Marine stationed at Pickel Meadows, California as a result of a permanent change of duty station pursuant to military orders, or the spouse, or dependent of such a person.

For the above exceptions please fill out the Residency Application which can be found on our Admissions & Records Forms & Downloads page and choose Option 1.

Some other exceptions include:

• A former member of the Armed Forces of the United States* who was relocated from Nevada as a result of a permanent change of duty station pursuant to military orders. In addition, I was a resident of Nevada prior to leaving the state as a member of the Armed Forces, maintained Nevada residency while a member of the Armed Forces; and returned to the State of Nevada within one year of leaving the Armed Forces.
• A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States* who was honorably discharged while stationed in Nevada or Pickel Meadows.
• A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States* who was honorably discharged.
• A veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who has been awarded the Purple Heart. 
• Veterans, spouses, dependents and others using veteran benefits may qualify for an exception.

* Pursuant to Title 4, Chapter 15, Section 2 (Definitions), “Armed Forces of the United States” means the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, on active duty and does not include the National Guard or other reserve force, with the exception of active members of the Nevada National Guard. 

For the above exceptions please fill out the Veterans, Spouses and Dependents: Information Request Form for Determination of Tuition Charges which can be found under Student Affairs Forms in the Additional Forms section on the NSHE Forms page.

Bona Fide Nevada Resident

"Bona fide residence" is defined as an established lawful resident in the state of Nevada for least twelve (12) months immediately preceding the date of matriculation with the intent of making Nevada the person's true, fixed and permanent home and place of habitation, having clearly abandoned any former residence and having no intent to make any other location outside of Nevada the person's home and habitation. 

In general, an individual is expected to surrender their drivers license or state ID card from their previous state and obtain a Nevada drivers license (as required by Nevada law) or state 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 students 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 legally 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 continuing education courses). This is applicable regardless of the actual start date of a course a student enrolls in. A student has matriculated if they enrolled for a course and did not withdraw before the 100% refund period or have a record of previous enrollment at Western Nevada College.

Nonresident

A student who does not meet the criteria for Nevada bona fide residency or a residency exception is considered a nonresident and must pay nonresident fees.

Residency Audit

The Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) requires WNC to randomly select 10% of all newly admitted students who were initially classified as Nevada residents to ensure that their residency determinations are accurate. Students selected for an audit will be notified by email and required to submit a Residency application with required documentation.

Reclassification

A student who has been classified as a non-resident who matriculated to WNC shall continue to be classified as a nonresident student throughout the students enrollment, unless and until the student demonstrates that their previous residence has been abandoned and that the student is a bona fide Nevada resident. A student must fill out a Residency Application using option 3 and provide documentation of:

1. Continuous physical presence as a Nevada resident for at least 12 months immediately prior to the date of the application for reclassification, and
2. Evidence of intent to remain a Nevada resident, and
3. Proof of independent/dependent status. For a dependent student, documentation of Nevada residency for the students family, spouse, or legal guardian must be provided. If the family, spouse or legal guardian of a dependent student is not a bona fide Nevada resident, the student will continue to be classified as a nonresident student.

When a student has been reclassified to resident student status, the reclassification shall become effective at the registration immediately following the reclassification decision. No reclassification under these regulations shall give rise to any claim for refund of tuition already paid or owed from a previous semester.

The Residency Application can be found on our Admissions & Records Forms & Downloads page.

WUE Students

WUE is the Western Undergraduate Exchange, a program coordinated by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). Through WUE, students from participating western states may apply to enroll in college programs at a reduced tuition level of 150 percent of the institutions regular resident tuition. The following states participate in WUE: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands.

New students who have not matriculated to WNC may apply for WUE status. To qualify a student must have maintained a legal bona fide resident status in an approved WUE state for at least twelve months prior to the first day of the semester of application. An applicant must also be a U.S. citizen or Resident Alien.

Students who have initially attended an NSHE institution under the WICHE WUE program shall not be reclassified as an in-state resident student until the student disenrolls from the WICHE WUE program and pays full nonresident tuition for at least 12 months.  A Residency application using category 3 must be submitted.

The WUE Application can be found on our Admissions & Records Forms & Downloads page.

Additional Information

All residency regulations are subject to change by the Board of Regents. Changes become effective immediately upon such approval for all students. Regulations for determining Nevada residency for tuition charges are outlined in the Board of Regents handbook, Title 4, Chapter 15.

If you are a new student who has not yet matriculated and believe your residency status has been classified incorrectly, you may submit the Residency Application using category 1 or 2 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 Residency Application using category 3 to Admissions and Records.

If you are a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States or a spouse or dependent of a veteran and wish to have your residency status changed, review the Veterans, Spouses and Dependents: Information Request Form for Determination of Tuition Charges and submit with documentation if applicable.

If you have any questions about residency please call Admissions and Records at 775-445-3277.