Residency

To be considered in-state (in-district or out-of-district) for admissions and tuition, status is granted to those students who have demonstrated over a period of time that their permanent residence is Montana, a state which they have supported through the payment of appropriate taxes.

To be considered, a student must meet the requirements listed below to qualify for in-state status. Students can request a change in residency status with the Residency Change Request Form and Residency Questionnaire may obtain more information from the Admission and Registration Office in the Learning Resource Center - LRC 129, or call 406.756.3848.

There are five types of residency:

FVCC classifies in-state students as those who are either in-district (Flathead or Lincoln County residents) or out-of-district (Montana residents outside of Flathead or Lincoln County).

To be considered to have in-state residency (in-district or out-of-district) for admissions and tuition, a student must be physically present in Montana for twelve or more consecutive months without an absence in excess of a total of thirty days. One must demonstrate by appropriate actions during the twelve month period the intent to make Montana one’s permanent home.

Specific actions to become a Montana resident include:

During the 12-month period of establishing Montana residency, a student must remain enrolled in seven or fewer credits/semester.

In addition to the in-state Montana residency requirements in-district students must also fulfill one of the following criteria to be considered in-district for tuition purposes:

In-State, Out-of-District students are those who are Montana residents and are able to complete the proof of Montana residency requirements listed above (under In-State Residency) but reside outside of Flathead or Lincoln Counties.

Out-of-state students are individuals who are not Montana residents nor dependents of Montana residents, or are real property taxpayers in Montana but not Montana residents.

Out-of-state students living in specific western states may also qualify for the Western Undergraduate Exchange.

The Western Undergraduate Exchange or WUE, as it is known, is a program through which students can attend participating institutions in other states for reduced tuition. Instead of paying full out-of-state tuition, a WUE participant pays the regular in-state tuition plus 50 percent of that amount. The participating states are Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

It is presumed that an individual who was formerly eligible for in-state fee status who has been absent from Montana for a period of 12 months or more, has abandoned in-state status. This presumption does not apply to individuals who can demonstrate that Montana residence was maintained during the absence, and no actions were taken in contradiction of the claim of Montana residence. Examples of such evidence would be: maintaining legal ties with Montana, i.e. driver’s license, voter registration/voting absentee ballot, vehicle registration, and the filing of full-year resident Montana income tax returns on all income earned. This presumption of non-residence does not apply to individuals who left the state solely for educational purposes or for military service, provided the individual did nothing to contradict Montana resident status.

Students can request a change in residency status with the Residency Change Request Form and Residency Questionnaire may obtain more information from the Admission and Registration Office in the Learning Resource Center - LRC 129, or call 406.756.3848.

Although closely aligned with the Montana University Systems (MUS) residency policy, FVCC residency policy is separate from the Montana University System. Any student establishing Montana residency with the intent to transfer to another Montana university or college should contact the transfer institution for their residency requirements.

For tuition and fee purposes, a student requesting a change in residency status is required to abide by the following process and submit the required form and documentation by the 15th class day of the semester in which the student requests the change in residency:

Residency Change Request Form

Submit required form and documentation to the admissions and registration office:

Flathead Valley Community College
Admissions & Registration Office – LRC 129
777 Grandview Drive
Kalispell, MT 59901

The residency committee will review all requests within ten business days of receipt. Students will be notified via email and phone of the decision. Any appeals to the residency decision will be reviewed by the FVCC administration.

If you have additional questions or need assistance please contact the admission & registration office in the Learning Resource Center Building, Room 129, call (406) 756-3848, or email admissionsinfo@fvcc.edu.