RESIDENCY INFORMATION

Before you submit your Residency Petition, please read the following information carefully.  Incomplete Petitions cannot be reviewed and will be denied. Please note, approval begins for the current semester. It will not apply to previous semesters.

The state of Oklahoma subsidizes a portion of educational costs for residents of the state.  Residents are defined as U.S. citizens or Permanent Resident card holders. In order to satisfy Residency requirements, a student must be able to prove domicile.  Domicile is defined as the place that is a person’s permanent home. Domicile is comprised of two equally important parts:

1. A person has lived continuously in the state for at least 12 months and their domicile is Oklahoma.
2. Oklahoma is the state where they intend to remain.

Please note: a non-resident attending college more than on a part-time basis is considered to be in Oklahoma for educational purposes only, and cannot be considered a resident, regardless of how long they have been attending college in the state.

Every situation is different, and additional documentation may be necessary, but the following documents are required to begin the process of establishing Residency. If the following documents are not submitted, a petition cannot be fully reviewed.

What do I need to submit?

Independent Students:

TAXES
Federal 1040 and Oklahoma 511 tax documents from the previous year. W-2's cannot be submitted in lieu of taxes.

EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
One or more of the following:

1. Employment verification letter showing full-time work and date of employment that begins at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency. All employment verification letters or letters must be on company letterhead. W-2's cannot be submitted as verification of employment.
2. Pay stub showing full-time hours dated at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester and a current pay stub. If using pay stubs, both must be provided. W-2's cannot be submitted in lieu of pay stubs.
3. Transfer letter. If you have moved to Oklahoma due to a full-time job transfer with the same employer, please contact the Office of Admissions, Records, and Graduation and ask for the Residency Coordinator. Please note: transfer is the required relocation of an individual from a company’s physical location in another state, to the company’s physical location in the state of Oklahoma.  Moving to Oklahoma while working remotely does not qualify as transfer. All transfer letters must be on company letterhead.

HOUSING
Mortgage or lease spanning at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency.

Additional documents that will help:

A utility bill in the student's name showing the date of established service, which is at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency.

Other official documents may also be considered.

Dependent Students:

TAXES
Parents’ federal 1040 and Oklahoma 511 tax documents from the previous year.

EMPLOYMENT VERIFICATION
One or more of the following:

1. Employment verification letter showing full-time work and date of employment that begins at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency. W-2's cannot be submitted as verification of employment.
2. Pay stub showing full-time hours dated at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester and a current pay stub. If using pay stubs, both must be provided. W-2's cannot be submitted in lieu of pay stubs.
3. Transfer letter. If you/your parent has moved to Oklahoma due to a full-time job transfer with the same employer, please contact the Office of Admissions, Records, and Graduation and ask for the Residency Coordinator.

HOUSING
Parents’ mortgage or lease spanning at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency.

Additional documents that will help:

Parents’ utility bill showing the date of established service, which is at least 12 months prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student is trying to obtain Residency.

Other official documents may also be considered.

FAQ’s

1. I moved to Oklahoma to be closer to family and I intend to stay here.  I have obtained a full-time job.  Am I considered a Resident?

After you have resided in Oklahoma for 12 months, you have been working full-time, and can provide tax documents and all of the required information, Residency can be considered.

2. I own a home in Oklahoma and a home in another state.  I pay Oklahoma taxes on the Oklahoma home.  Can I get Residency based on the home purchase?

No, owning multiple homes in multiple states does not meet Residency requirements.  Residency is based on Domicile.  Domicile is your official, permanent home.  You must be able to prove that your domicile is your Oklahoma home.

3. I have lived in Oklahoma for 3 years, but my parents in another state claim me on their taxes, why am I still considered a non-resident?

If you are being claimed by a parent in another state, you cannot be considered a resident of Oklahoma because your domicile is where your parent lives.

4. I came to Oklahoma to pursue my career and I’m attending college full-time.  I am working part-time and I pay Oklahoma taxes. Why can’t I be considered a resident if I can show that I have lived here for more than a year and I’m paying taxes?

The state of Oklahoma considers students who attend college on more than a part-time basis as being in the state for educational purposes only, and do not intend to remain. Paying taxes is required by law.

5. I moved to Oklahoma to live with family and have lived here for two years. I don’t plan on moving.  I don’t currently work, but I would like to begin attending classes.  Can I be considered a resident?

The criteria that establishes resident status is heavily dependent on providing proof that you have lived in the state continuously for at least 12 months and have established domicile. Taxes, employment, mortgage/lease, utility bills are the first steps in establishing Residency. If those documents cannot be provided, other official, legally binding documents, notarized documents/statements, and/or other proof must be presented.  Situations such as these are on a case by case basis, and because Residency requires comprehensive documentation, it may be more difficult to prove, but can be possible to prove.

6. I just got married and I’m from another state, but my spouse has lived here all their life. How can I get Residency?

Please provide a copy of your marriage license and the required documents for your spouse.

7. I’m active duty military. What do I need to provide for my dependents and me to get Residency?

Please provide a copy of your military orders showing the Oklahoma base to which you are transferring, and please ensure that dependents are listed on orders.

8. Why do I have to provide so much information to get Residency?  Why can’t I provide just my taxes or a lease and why isn’t one or the other enough?

Residency is a layered process and requires a considerable amount of documentation.  Remember, there are two steps: establishing domicile and intent to remain.  The state of Oklahoma subsidizes a portion of educational costs for residents, which means that residents pay substantially less than non-residents.  The state of Oklahoma audits colleges and universities to ensure that each college is following Residency policy. Each college has to collect as much documentation as possible to justify the Residency decision.  If students don’t submit enough documentation, their Residency petition cannot be approved.

9. I have lived in Oklahoma all of my life, but I marked that I wasn’t a resident and now I am paying non-resident tuition. How do I fix this?

Please submit the Residency Petition with all required documents.

10. My Residency Petition at another Oklahoma college was approved. Why do I have to submit a Residency petition at your college?

The state of Oklahoma audits colleges and universities to ensure that each college is following Residency policy. Each college has to collect as much documentation as possible to justify the Residency decision. If another school has already approved Residency for a student, the process must still be repeated at each institution they attend.

11. My Residency Petition was approved.  Will I always get in-state tuition at OCCC?

Congratulations!  After your petition is approved, you will no longer pay out-of-state tuition at OCCC as long as you remain an Oklahoma resident. If you leave the state and establish residency elsewhere, you will lose your residency status.

12. My Residency petition was denied.  What do I do now?

Please contact the Office of Admissions, Records, and Graduation and ask for the Residency Coordinator for more information.

RESIDENCY PETITION

Students needing to petition for In-State tuition classification may submit their residency appeal form Residency Petition

PLEASE NOTE: SOME VERSIONS OF THE SAFARI WEB BROWSER MAY NOT BE SUPPORTED FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION. PLEASE USE OTHER WEB BROWSERS, SUCH AS CHROME, EDGE, MOZILLA FIREFOX, ETC., TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION.

ALL DOCUMENTS CAN BE UPLOADED AND SUBMITTED WITH THE APPEAL. NO DOCUMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED IN PERSON.

Appeal Meeting Date	Deadline to Submit Residency Appeal
Weekly	Appeals for the current semester will be taken through the end of the semester.

Your appeal will be reviewed by the Residency Committee. Please note, approval begins for the current semester. It will not apply to previous semesters.  All communication regarding your appeal will go through your OCCC e-mail address; you will be notified through your OCCC e-mail address after the committee has made a decision.  Incomplete appeals will not be reviewed by the committee.