Eligibility for In-State Tuition

To become eligible for in-state tuition as a Virginia resident, a student shall establish by clear and convincing evidence that for a period of at least one year immediately prior to the first day of class…

• They were domiciled in Virginia and have abandoned any previous domicile.
• Or that the person on whom the student is legally and financially dependent was domiciled in Virginia.

To apply for in-state residency and in-state tuition rates, please submit the following before tuition is due:

1. Complete the Domiciliary Reclassification Application
2. Proof of Income: recent federal 1040 and Virginia state 760 tax returns
3. Proof of one year’s Virginia residency: lease, utility bill, or mortgage statements
4. Copy of Virginia driver’s license or DMV state ID

Submit the form and supporting documents through the Secure Document Portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu . Alternatively, you may bring them to the Admissions and Enrollment office on one of our campuses.

Have questions or concerns? Contact the Domicile Department at domicile@tcc.edu or 757.822.7599.

If your application for reclassification is denied, you may appeal by completing the Domiciliary Appeal for In-State Tuition Rates form.

For more information, please visit SCHEV Summary of Provisions.

Students who meet specific criteria shall be eligible for in-state tuition regardless of their citizenship or immigration status (exception: students with currently valid F, M, J, or H-3 Visas). See HERE for more information about the Tuition Equity Provision. 

If you meet the following requirements, please complete this form below and send through our secure document portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu. Alternatively, you may bring them to the Admissions and Enrollment office on one of our campuses along with the supporting documentation.

• The student does not have a current valid student (F), trainee (H3), exchange visitor (J) or vocational (M) visa. Parent status is not considered.
• The student attended at least two years of high school in Virginia.
• The student graduated from high school or completed a GED in Virginia, on or after July 1, 2008.
• The student, or if dependent, the parents filed Virginia income taxes for at least two years; and
• The student will register for classes at Tidewater Community College.

Before your tuition is due, please provide the following:

• Final High School transcript
• Diploma if graduation date not indicated on the transcript
• Recent two years of Virginia taxes (form 760) or proof of exemption
• Tuition Equity Provision form

A student (or parent) who is not a resident of Virginia but who works full time in Virginia may be eligible for one year of in-state tuition (may be renewed). Before your classes begin, please provide the following:

• Student or parent’s proof of one year employment in Virginia (ex: paystubs, contract, etc.)
• Parent’s recent federal tax return (1040) with student claimed as a dependent (dependent’s only)
• Student or parent’s recent Virginia nonresident taxes (form 763)

Your documentation can be uploaded to the secure document portal You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu . Alternatively, you may provide in-person to the Admissions and Enrollment offices on any of the TCC’s campuses.

Students shall continue to be eligible for in-state tuition under this provision so long as they continue to meet the above criteria. It is incumbent upon the student to provide the institution with current information concerning classification under this category.

Note: Virginia has tax reciprocity agreements with select jurisdictions; this means that an individual’s income taxes earned in Virginia are returned to their home state. If the parent’s home state has entered into an agreement with Virginia, the student is not eligible under this provision. (As of May 2017, jurisdictions having tax reciprocity agreements with Virginia are the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.)

If you are active duty and living or stationed in Virginia, please provide the following documents before your classes begin to receive in-state tuition rates for one year. This in-state provision may be renewed annually.

• Copy of orders with permanent duty station in Virginia or a neighboring state
• Military ID – click here for information about photocopying military IDs
• Proof of current residency (ex: lease, utility bill, mortgage statement, housing assignment, etc.)
• Complete the Military Exception Form
• Your documentation can be uploaded to the secure document portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu. Alternatively, you may provide documentation in-person to any campus Admissions and Enrollment or Domicile office.

Note: If you are active duty and neither stationed nor living in Virginia or do not wish to provide the above information you may qualify for the military contract tuition rate based on the terms below. If you prefer to pursue this route, you can provide a copy of your orders to any TCC Campus Business Office.

In accordance with Chapter 782, 2017 Acts of Assembly, the State Board for Community Colleges approved the Military Contract Rate to apply to any out-of-state active duty military personnel stationed outside of Virginia, and not domiciled in Virginia, whether the tuition is paid by the military employer or personally by the active duty military member. This rate is already approved for those non-resident active duty military members stationed in Virginia for which those installations have contracted with the college.

If you are a veteran living in Virginia, please provide the following documents before your classes begin to receive in-state tuition rates for one year. This in-state provision may be renewed annually.

• Proof of current residency (ex: lease, utility bill, mortgage statement, etc.)
• Your DD-214 member 2 or 4
• Military Exception Form
• Your documentation can be uploaded to the secure document portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu. Alternatively, you may provide documentation in-person to any campus Admissions and Enrollment or Domicile office.

Spouse/Dependents of active duty military personnel (or activated/mobilized reservists or guard members) shall be considered domiciled in Virginia and afforded in-state tuition privileges if the military sponsor is:

• Assigned to a permanent duty station or workplace in Virginia (or a contiguous state or the District of Columbia) and resides in Virginia; OR
• Assigned unaccompanied orders and immediately prior to receiving such orders was assigned to a permanent duty station or workplace in Virginia (or a contiguous state or the District of Columbia) and resided in Virginia; OR
• Assigned unaccompanied orders with Virginia listed as the designated place to which to move

These qualifying conditions must be in place between the time of acceptance to TCC and the last day to add a class. Dependents of qualifying military members shall be deemed as domiciled for resident educational benefits, including in-state tuition, financial assistance, and any other educational benefit reserved for eligible Virginia residents enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program.

If you are a military dependent, please provide the following before your classes begin:

• Copy of orders with permanent duty station in Virginia or a neighboring state
• Military Dependent ID – click here for information about photocopying military IDs
• Proof of current residency of Military Sponsor (ex: lease, utility bill, mortgage statement, housing assignment, etc.)
• Military Exception Form

Please upload your documentation to the secure document portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu. Alternatively, you may provide documentation in-person to any Admissions and Enrollment or Domicile office.

Note: If a military sponsor does not live in Virginia, under federal guidelines, Spouse/Dependents of active duty military personnel (or activated/mobilized reservists or guard members) shall be afforded in-state tuition privileges if the military sponsor is assigned to a permanent duty station or workplace in Virginia and resides in another state.

Students who live in Virginia and are enrolled at the college and use education benefits under Chapter 33 or 35 of Title 38, United States Code are eligible for in-state tuition.

To receive the in-state tuition rate, please provide the following before your classes begin:

• Proof of student’s current residency (ex: lease, utility bill, mortgage statement, housing assignment, etc.)
• Your Eligibility of Benefits letter
• Military Exception Form
• Your documentation can be uploaded to the secure document portal. You will need your VCCS username and password to submit documents. For help, please call 757.822.1111 or email info@tcc.edu. Alternatively, you may provide documentation in-person to any campus Admissions and Enrollment or Domicile office.