Residency Policy

Determination of residency for purposes of tuition will be made according to the following definitions. Applicants to the nursing program must satisfy in-district residency requirements as outlined in the nursing program application packet.

In District

In-district: An individual who, for one full year prior to beginning taking credit classes has either: a) owned property (or if under the age of 24, whose parent/guardian owns property); or b) maintained a permanent and continuous residence in the district will be classified as an in-district resident. The COCC District consists of all of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties, the northern portion of Klamath county, and the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Jefferson and Wasco counties. View COCC district map.

Out of District (in state)

Out-of-district (in-state): An individual who, for one full year prior to beginning taking credit classes has either: a) owned property (or if under the age of 24, whose parent/guardian owns property); or b) maintained a permanent and continuous residence in the state of Oregon (but outside the COCC District) will be classified as an out-of-district resident. The student will remain an out-of-district student for two calendar years after the term in which the student began courses; at that time, the student will convert to in-district residency.

Border State

Per Oregon Administrative Rules, residents of California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington will be charged in-state (out-of-district) tuition.

Out of State

An individual who has not maintained a permanent and continuous residence in the state of Oregon during the year prior to the beginning of the first term of enrollment will be classified as an out-of-state resident. The student will remain an out-of-state student for two calendar years after the term in which the student began courses; at that time, the student will convert to in-district residency.

International Students

Central Oregon Community College is not authorized to offer admission to international students with F, M, and J visas however, we are exploring this possibility in the future. If you are interested in studying in the Central Oregon area, Oregon State University Cascades offers admission to international students.

Native American Students

Students who are enrolled members of federally recognized tribes of Oregon or of a Native American tribe which had traditional and customary tribal boundaries that included part of Oregon or which had ceded or reserved lands within the state of Oregon shall be charged in-state, out-of-district tuition regardless of their state of residence. Residents of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs are automatically charged in-district tuition. See a listing of eligible tribes. Note that out-of- state students must provide a copy of tribal enrollment documents prior to receiving in-state/out-of-district tuition.

Military Personnel

Military veterans who have been discharged from service under honorable conditions (and/or their qualifying dependents) will be assessed tuition as follows:

  • Students who were in-district residents prior to military service will be charged the in-district tuition rate.
  • Students who were in-state/out-of-district/border state residents prior to military service will be charged the non-resident veteran tuition rate.
  • Students who were not Oregon residents prior to military service will be charged the non-resident veteran tuition rate. The non-resident veteran tuition rate is calculated as the in-district tuition rate plus 50 percent of the difference between COCC’s in-district rate and out-of-district/border state rate.

In order to receive the non-resident veteran tuition rate, a student must submit a certificate of eligibility or DD214 to the COCC Veteran Certifying Official. Per the College’s standard residency policy, a non-resident veteran student will be classified as an in-district resident after two years of enrollment.

Are you a dependent of a veteran? Please contact our Veteran Certifying Official at 541-383-7264 to determine your residency.

Transferring to another Oregon Institution?

In-state residency classifications are different at Oregon community colleges than at Oregon public universities and can affect the tuition rates you pay. Educate yourself before you begin your education in Oregon to avoid surprises later.

Oregon public universities often classify people who move to Oregon to go to school as non-residents even if they have resided in the state for a year, attended a community college as an in-state resident, have registered to vote and own property in this state.

If you moved to Oregon to attend college, with plans to start at a community college and then transfer to an Oregon public university, read the residency policy of the university you plan your transfer.