North Carolina Residency

The Residency Determination Service (RDS) is the centralized system in North Carolina for determining residency for students. The state of North Carolina substantially subsidizes the cost of tuition for all students whose domicile, or permanent legal residence, is in North Carolina.

• You may qualify as a resident for tuition purposes if:
  • you and/or your parent(s) / legal guardian have established and maintained legal residence (or domicile) in North Carolina for at least 12 consecutive months before you claimed residency,
  • ​your intent is to make North Carolina your home indefinitely, and
  • you came to North Carolina for reasons other than to attend college

Application Deadlines

When you apply for residency through RDS, you will have an “Effective Decision Date” for your residency decision.

For a residency determination to be applied to the current term, the “Effective Decision Date” on the validated RCN must be on or before 45 days after the first day of the term for Fall and Spring terms and 5 days for summer terms listed on the University Academic Calendar.

• If you receive a “validated” in-state decision with an Effective Decision Date on or before the cut-off date/deadline, you will be considered in-state for the current semester.
• If you receive a “validated” in-state decision with an Effective Decision Date after the cut-off date/deadline, you will be considered in-state the next semester. If you are enrolled in classes for the current semester, you will remain out-of-state for the current semester.
• Residency decisions take time. We encourage you to start your application process as soon as possible before the beginning of the term. It may take several days for the validation process to be completed.
• Once you’re admitted as a resident and receive in-state tuition, your status is typically set. However, if your situation changes, we’re here to help. Please reach out to [email protected], and we’ll be happy to review your status.

• Spring 2025 – February 22
• Summer I/Maymester 2024 – May 20
• Summer II 2024 – June 29
• Fall 2024 – October 3

Reconsiderations/Appeals

Currently enrolled students who have completed the Reconsideration or Appeal process on the RDS website and have an updated NC Resident status can update their status at UNC Chapel Hill by following these steps:

1. Log into ConnectCarolina.
2. Click the Student Center tile.
3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and on the right side you will see a box labeled NC Residency Status.
4. Verify that your RCN is correct in the box. Click the box “I have an updated RDS residency determination” and click the Submit and Return button to process the request.

Exceptions

Certain students may be entitled to exceptions and tuition waivers which are handled at the campus level.

You must have completed your residency application and received a decision through RDS before being considered for an exception.

Some students and dependents may qualify for tuition adjustments.

If you identify with any of the classification below please click on the links for more information about consideration as an exception.

You must submit supporting documentation with your application. Please include any and all documentation that may illustrate how you have established residency in North Carolina.

Tuition Waivers

Some categories of students are entitled to a waiver of tuition charges for attendance at public institutions

• Survivors of Deceased Law Enforcement/Emergency Workers
• Families of Disabled Law Enforcement/Emergency Workers
• Wards of the State of North Carolina
• University of North Carolina Employees
• High School Students (Career and College Promise; Apprenticeship NC)

If you have a question about whether you may or may not qualify for an exception, please email [email protected].

The North Carolina State Residence Classification Manual is a comprehensive resource guide for policy and provisions related to residency questions.