B. TUITION AND FEES|
1. Residency Policy
B.1.01 - General Policy:
Texas residency shall be determined according to state statute and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules.
LSCS Board of Trustees is responsible for establishing a tuition and fee structure that shall apply to eligible in-District Texas residents. Students who are out-of-District Texas residents or international/out-of-state residents will be assessed an additional fee.
B.1.02 - In-District Texas Residents:
An in-District Texas resident is defined as:
a. a person younger than 18 years of age, whose parents or legal guardians have been residents of Texas for the 12 months preceding enrollment, and are physically residing within the taxing district boundaries of LSCS as of the official enrollment reporting date; or
b. a person 18 years of age or older, who has been a resident of Texas for the 12 months preceding enrollment, and is physically residing within the taxing district boundaries of LSCS as of the official enrollment reporting date.
B.1.03 - Out-of-District Texas Residents:
An out-of-District Texas resident is defined as:
a. a person younger than 18 years of age, whose parents or legal guardians have been residents of Texas for the 12 months preceding enrollment, and physically residing outside the taxing district boundaries of LSCS as of the official enrollment reporting date; or
b. a person 18 years of age or older, who has been a resident of Texas for the 12 months preceding enrollment, and physically residing outside the taxing district boundaries of LSCS as of the official enrollment reporting date.
B.1.04 - Waiver of Out-of-District Texas Resident Tuition and Fees:
a. Ad Valorem Taxpayers: Persons, or their dependents, who are not residents of the District (as defined in B.1.02), but own property which is subject to ad valorem taxation by the District, shall pay tuition and fees at the rate applicable to students who reside in the District.
Persons, or their dependents, applying for such waiver shall verify property ownership by the following:
i. an ad valorem tax statement or receipt issued by the tax office of the District; or
ii. a deed, property closing statement, or other appropriate evidence of ownership of property, which is subject to ad valorem taxation by the District.
If a sworn affidavit is accepted at the time of enrollment, verification of the student as an ad valorem taxpayer must be provided by the end of the semester of enrollment.
A foreign student is not eligible for waiver of the International/out-of-state resident fee due to payment of ad valorem taxes.
b. Employee Family Members: Immediate family members of full-time employees who reside outside the District are eligible to pay tuition and fees at the rate applicable to students who reside in the District.
B.1.05 - Economic Development and Diversification Exception:
A person who has come from outside Texas and enrolls in LSCS before having resided in Texas for 12 months preceding enrollment is entitled to pay the tuition and other fees required of Texas residents. This exception applies only if the person or an adult member of the person's family who resides in the person's household and is the primary caretaker has relocated to Texas as an employee of a business or organization that became established in this state as part of the state economic development and diversification program authorized by the laws of this state. The enrollee must file with LSCS a letter of intent to establish residency in Texas.
B.1.06 - Texas Tomorrow Fund Beneficiaries:
Beneficiaries of the Texas Tomorrow Fund shall pay resident tuition and required fees for semester hours paid under the prepaid tuition contract. If the person is not a Texas resident, all tuition and fees not paid under the contract shall be paid at the nonresident rate.
B.1.07 - Homeless Individuals:
A homeless individual, as defined by 42 U.S.C. Sec. 11302, who resides in Texas for 12 months preceding enrollment, but who does not have a permanent residence, shall be classified as a resident student only for purposes of workforce education courses.
Under this section, documentary proof of homeless status may consist of written statements from the office of one or more legitimate social service agencies located in Texas, attesting to the provision of services to the individual over the past 12 months.
B.1.08 - Texas Residents:
A Texas resident is entitled to pay resident tuition. A Texas resident is defined as:
a. a person who:
i. graduated from a public or accredited private high school in this state, home school program or, as an alternative to high school graduation, received the equivalent of a high school diploma in this state, and
ii. maintained a residence continuously in this state for:
• the thirty-six (36) months immediately preceding the date of graduation or receipt of the diploma equivalent, as applicable; and
• the twelve (12) months preceding the census date of the academic semester in which the person enrolls in an institution;
b. a person who:
i. established a domicile in this state not less than twelve (12) months before the census date of the academic semester in which the person enrolls; and
ii. maintained that domicile continuously for the twelve (12) months preceding that census date;
c. a dependent whose parent:
i. established a domicile in this state not less than twelve (12) months before the census date of the academic semester in which the dependent enrolls; and
ii. maintained that domicile continuously for the twelve (12) months preceding that census date.
B.1.09 - Visa-Holder or Petitioner for Lawful Residency:
Students who hold visas that enable them to domicile in the United States are allowed to be treated like permanent residents of Texas if:
a. They reside for twelve (12) months in Texas.
b. Students (regardless of their immigration status) for whom a Petition for Permanent Resident Status (I-130 or I-140) has been filed by a sponsor, can also be treated like permanent residents. Students who fall into this category must provide proof of eligibility by showing a copy of their CIS receipt for when the petition was filed. The document must include the student's name and the form that was filed.
A student (regardless of their immigration status) who enrolls in LSCS shall be classified a resident of Texas for tuition purposes if he or she:
a. graduated from a Texas public or accredited private high school or, as an alternative to high school graduation, received the equivalent of a high school diploma;
b. resided continuously in Texas for at least thirty-six (36) months immediately prior to graduating or receiving a diplomacy equivalent;
c. resided continuously in Texas for the twelve (12) months prior to the official day of record for the enrollment semester; and
d. provided to LSCS an affidavit indicating his or her intention to file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States at the earliest opportunity he or she is eligible to do so.
B.1.10 - Armed Forces Out-of-State Waiver - Duty Assignments in Texas:
Officers, enlisted persons, selectees, or draftees of any branch of the United States Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve (i.e., Army, Army National Guard, Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy, Marine Corps, commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, or Coast Guard), who are assigned to duty in Texas, are entitled to pay out-of-District Texas resident tuition and fees, without regard to length of time assigned to duty or resided in Texas. This waiver applies similarly to the spouses and dependent children of such service members.
However, out-of-state Army National Guard or Air National Guard members attending training with Texas Army or Air National Guard units under National Guard Bureau regulations are not entitled to the waiver merely by virtue of their training status. Also, out-of-state Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard Reserve members who are training with units in Texas under similar regulations are not entitled to the waiver merely by virtue of their training status, even if they routinely drill or train in Texas.
Members of the Army or Air National Guard, or Reserve forces, are only entitled to pay out-of-District Texas resident tuition and fees if they become members of Texas units or otherwise become Texas residents.
As long as they reside continuously in Texas, the spouses and dependent children of United States Armed Forces service members are entitled to the waiver during subsequent duty assignments of such service members.
B.1.11 - Armed Forces Dependent Waiver - Duty Assigned Not in Texas:
A spouse or dependent child of a United States Armed Forces service member who is not assigned to duty in Texas but who has previously resided in Texas for a six-month period is entitled to the pay out-of- District Texas resident tuition and fees for a semester, if the service member:
a. has executed, at least one year preceding the first day of the semester, a document with the applicable military service that is in effect on the first day of the semester and that:
i. indicates that the service member's permanent resident address is in Texas; and
ii. designates Texas as the service member's place of legal residence for income tax purposes;
b. has been registered to vote in Texas for the entire year preceding the first day of the semester; and
c. has satisfied at least one of the following requirements:
i. for the entire year preceding the first day of the semester has owned real property in Texas and in that time has not been delinquent in the payment of any taxes on the property; or
ii. has had an automobile registered in Texas for the entire year preceding the first day of the semester; or
iii. at least one year preceding the first day of the semester has executed a will that has not been revoked or superseded, indicating that the service member is a resident of this state, and has deposited the will with the county clerk of the county of the service member's residence under Section 71 of the Texas Probate Code.
B.1.12 - International/Out-of-State Residents:
An international/out-of-state resident is defined as a person less than 18 years of age who lives away from his or her family, and whose parents or legal guardians physically reside outside of the state of Texas for the twelve (12) months preceding the semester of enrollment, or a person 18 years of age or older who has not established Texas residency.
An individual who enters the state under a visa that does not allow the establishment of a domicile, and who is later granted permanent resident status while in Texas may not be reclassified for tuition purposes until he or she has resided in Texas a minimum of twelve (12) consecutive months from the date on which he or she applied for permanent resident status.
B.1.13 - Information Required to Initially Establish Resident Status:
LSCS shall require a student to complete Core Residency Questions, which shall become part of the application process. LSCS may request documentation supporting residency in order to resolve issues raised by responses to the Core Residency Questions. All registrants classified as Texas residents must affirm the correctness of that classification by signing an oath of residency as part of the admissions process. If a student's classification becomes inappropriate or incorrect for any reason, the student must inform the System's admissions office at the appropriate College location. Failure to do so will result in a violation of the oath of residency and may result in disciplinary action by the System.
B.1.14 - Errors in Residency Classification:
If LSCS erroneously classifies a person as a resident of this state, and the person is not entitled or permitted to pay resident tuition, then LSCS shall charge the nonresident tuition to the person beginning with the first semester that begins after the date the error is discovered.
Regardless of the reason for the error, if LSCS erroneously classifies a person as a nonresident of this state, then LSCS shall charge resident tuition to the person beginning with the semester in which the error is discovered. LSCS immediately shall refund the person the amount of tuition the person paid in excess of resident tuition.
B.1.15 - Dual Credit Tuition Reduction:
Students will receive a 50% tuition reduction for all approved courses taken for dual credit. All applicable fees still apply.
B.1.16 - Notice of Repeated Courses and Excessive Undergraduate Hours:
LSCS may charge a student tuition at a higher rate than would otherwise be charged for certain repeated courses or excessive hours. The rate and criteria will be published in the catalogue.
LSCS shall give written notice to each new undergraduate student of the maximum limit, set by law, on the number of credit hours or types of courses that a student claiming Texas residency may take while paying tuition at the rate provided for Texas residents and the tuition rate that will be charged to affected students.
B.1.17 - Tuition Waiver Based on Contractual Training Agreements:
Where the full cost, or a significant portion of the cost for a continuing education program or training course, including facilities, instructional salaries, equipment and other expenses, has been covered by a business, industry, or other local public or private client, whether in-cash or in-kind, tuition may be set at zero as part of a contractual training agreement. In no event will this tuition waiver apply where the cash or in-kind contribution fails to cover at least instructional salaries. The Chancellor may authorize exceptions to this policy and shall report the same to the Board on, at least, an annual basis.