5.21 – Resident Classification

C. Procedures

The college determines residency status at the time of application for admission based on the information provided by the applicant on the Application for Admission. Procedures for the determination of residency status and appeal will be maintained on the Office of Admissions residency information website.

Criteria for Determining Residency Status

Residency status is determined based on the criteria set forth by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development rules 6CSR 10-3.010(6)(D)1 and (D)2 and adopted by Ozarks Tech.

The college will utilize the following to determine in-state (In-District or Out-of-District) residency status: (a) presence in Missouri for a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive months coupled with proof of intent to make Missouri a permanent home; or (b) presence in Missouri for the purpose of retirement, full-time employment, full time professional practice, or to conduct a business full-time coupled with proof of intent to make Missouri a permanent home.

In determining whether an adult or independent student, or the legal custodian(s) of an unemancipated minor or dependent student intends to make Missouri a permanent home for an indefinite period, the following factors will be considered:

Heavily weighted factors (students must meet at least one):(a) Continuous presence in Missouri during those periods not enrolled as a student; (b) Marriage to a Missouri resident and sharing a home with the resident spouse in Missouri; (c) Substantial reliance on sources in Missouri for financial support; (d) Former domicile in Missouri and maintenance of significant connections while absent and (e) Ownership of a home in Missouri.

Lightly weighted factors (students must meet at least two):  (a) Registration for voting; (b) part-time employment; (c) Lease of living quarters; (d) a written statement of intent to establish domicile in Missouri; (e) Automobile registration or driver’s license obtained in Missouri; or (f) Payment of income, personal, or property taxes in Missouri.

The college may request additional documentation to verify a student’s residency as per 6 CSR 10 – 3.010.  Failure to provide appropriate documentation may result in disciplinary action and correction of residency status.

The residency status determines which board approved tuition rate will be charged. Further details, including current rates, can be found on the Tuition and Fees website.

The college classifies residency status into four classification rates: in-district, out-of-district, out-of-state, and international. A community is designated as in-district upon voters approving annexation into the Ozarks Tech district as described in Missouri state statute 178.890. For that reason, the presence of an Ozarks Tech campus or center in a community does not in itself designate that community as in-district. A list of in-district school districts is located on the Office of Admissions residency information website.

Different tuition rates may apply to certain populations at Ozarks Tech regardless of taxing districts. These rates include but are not limited to active military, international, high school programs, and VIP students.

Correcting Residency

If the criteria to establish residency on the Ozarks Tech application for admission is found to be incorrect, Ozarks Tech reserves the right to correct the residency status. Students will be notified via their Ozarks Tech email address that corrections have been made.

Intentionally falsifying residency status information on the application for admission may lead to disciplinary action per policy 5.15 Standards of Student Conduct.

Identifying Current Residency Status

Students can view their current residency status in the myOTC student portal.

Updating Residency Status

Residency status is established at the time of application and is only updated at the request of the student by completing the Residency Change Form located on the Office of Admissions residency information website. Address updates made by a student in their myOTC portal do not initiate a change of residency status.

• Requests for change in residency status must be received prior to the end of the 100% refund period for the current term. Requests received and approved after that date will go into effect the following semester.
• Changes effective the following semester will be reflected in the student portal after final grades are posted for the current term.
• Change of residency status is not retroactive to prior terms.
• Students will receive a copy of the final determination to their OTC email address.

Residency Status Appeal

If a student’s request for residency change is denied, they may appeal to the associate vice chancellor of student affairs. If dissatisfaction persists, an appeal may be made to the vice chancellor of student affairs. The vice chancellor’s determination is final.

Additional Residency Information

For out-of-state students or their dependents who pay Missouri income tax, the out-of-state tuition differential shall be credited in an amount equal to the actual Missouri income tax paid for the previous calendar year except that the remaining obligation shall not be less than the amount of the out-of-district tuition. Students who may be eligible for this tax credit should contact OTC’s Ozark Tech’s Finance Office for additional information:

Finance Office
Ozarks Technical Community College
1001 East Chestnut Expressway
Springfield, MO 65802-3625
(417) 447-4827

The waiver or forgiveness of an out-of-state tuition differential, in full or in part, shall have no bearing on the resident status of a student and shall not be a basis for classification of a non-resident student as a resident.