5.21 – Resident Classification

A.    Purpose

To establish student residency classification requirements for determination of the appropriate tuition rate.

B.    Policy

The college will maintain a process to establish residency classification for each student applicant.

C.    Procedures

The college determines residency status at the time of application for admission based on the information provided by the applicant. 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 and adopted by OTC.

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 OTC district as described in Missouri state statute 178.890. For that reason, the presence of an OTC 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 OTC 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 OTC application for admission is found to be incorrect, OTC reserves the right to correct the residency status. Students will be notified via their OTC 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 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.

D.    Definitions

In-district students can demonstrate that they have lived in the state of Missouri for at least one year and in one of the designated Missouri school districts for the past three months.

Out-of-district students do not live within the taxed districts but have lived within Missouri or the Arkansas counties of Boone, Carroll or Marion for the past year.

Out-of-state students maintain permanent residency outside of the state of Missouri or the Arkansas counties of Boone, Carroll or Marion.

E.    Authority

This policy is maintained under the authority of the vice chancellor for student affairs.

F.    Related Policies

5.01 Admissions

5.15 Standards of Student Conduct

6.18 Tuition and Fees

G.    Implementation

Purpose, procedures, and definitions approved and adopted by the Cabinet on 03/13/2006, 09/06/2023.

Set for review 2026-2027.