Residency Requirements

Residency requirements for California residents, nonresidents and active military duty personnel are explained here.

Students whose residency status changes during their enrollment at De Anza must complete a Residency Reclassification Request Form prior to being considered California residents.

All residency-related documents must be submitted to Admissions within the first two weeks of the quarter if the residency status change is to apply to that quarter. If the deadline is not met, the residency change will take effect in the next term in which the student enrolls. Students are required to bring copies of their documents; Admissions cannot make copies. 

If you are a nonresident California high school graduate, you may be eligible for the AB540 tuition exemption. This applies to U.S. citizens not currently eligible for California residency, and undocumented immigrants who meet the AB540 criteria.

For more information, follow the link that best describes your residency status:

• Legal California Residents
• AB 540 Nonresident California High School Graduates Eligible for Tuition Exemption
• Nonresidents (those who do not qualify for in-state fees)
• Active-Duty Military

Warning: Falsifying information about citizenship, California residency, financial aid, and/or military status could result in:

1. criminal charges for perjury and/or fraud and, if convicted, imprisonment;
2. student disciplinary action; and/or
3. accumulated monetary charges such as restitution or nonpayment of nonresident tuition fees.

Legal California Residents

Students who have established residency in California by meeting the following requirements:

1. Have been physically present in California for one year and one day prior to the term in which they wish to enroll.
2. Intend to make California the permanent home for other than a temporary purpose.
3. Have an eligible status which does not preclude them from establishing residency in the U.S. by the Immigration and Naturalization Act. This status must have been established one year and one day prior to the beginning of the term in which the student wishes to enroll.

All students must apply for a change of status (PDF form) before the beginning of the quarter in which they wish to enroll.

The burden is on the student to clearly prove both physical presence in California and intent to establish California residence. (Reference: ECS 68041; T5 54026) All residency-related documents must be submitted to Admissions within the first two weeks of the quarter if the residency status change is to apply to that quarter. If the deadline is not met, the residency change will take effect in the next term in which the student enrolls.

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Nonresident California
High School Graduates Eligible for Tuition Exemption (AB 540)

Any student, other than a nonimmigrant alien, who meets all of the following requirements; shall be exempt from paying nonresident tuition at the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California (all public colleges and universities in California).

Requirements

1. The student must have attended a high school (public or private) in California for three or more years.
2. The student must have graduated from a California high school or attained the equivalent prior to the start of the term (for example, passing the GED or California High School Proficiency exam).
3. An alien student who is without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit with the college or university stating that he or she has filed an application to legalize his or her immigration status, or will file an application as soon as he or she is eligible to do so.

Read the full requirements and procedures for requesting exemption from nonresident tuition for the California Community Colleges, the California State University and the University of California (all public colleges and universities in California).

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Nonresidents (those who do not qualify for in-state fees)

1. Students who have not established residency in California for one year and one day prior to the beginning of the term in which they wish to enroll, residents of other states or territories of the United States, and residents of foreign countries must pay nonresident tuition in order to attend De Anza. For tuition amount, see student fees.
2. Students who entered the United States with a B, C, D, F, H2, H3, J, M, O2, P, Q, TC or TD visa. (B visa holders are prohibited from attending community college classes.)
3. Other aliens may not be precluded from establishing residency solely on their status as aliens, but may be classified as residents if they meet the requirements of California Education Code Section 68062. For details, see the Residency Reclassification Request Form (PDF).

Questions? E-mail residency@deanza.edu.

For information about visa limitations for international students, contact the International Student Office 408.864.8826 or send e-mail to dainternational@fhda.edu.

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Active-Duty Military

Residency status will be granted to members of the U.S. military on active duty (except those assigned for educational purposes to state-supported institutions of higher education). This law applies only to the active military person, not to his/her spouse or dependents.

A dependent who wishes to claim the one-year resident status (military grace) must provide the college with a statement from the military person's commanding officer or personnel officer stating that the military person is:

1. on active duty in California, but not for educational purposes, prior to the beginning of the term in which the student wishes to enroll, OR
2. outside the continental United States on active duty after having been transferred immediately and directly from a California duty station, and
3. in addition, a statement that the prospective student is a dependent and an exemption on the federal taxes of the military person must be provided.

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