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Tuition Classification

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TUITION CLASSIFICATION

Residency Classification for Tuition Purposes

Your residency classification for tuition purposes is based on the information you provide on your admissions application in accordance with Title 23, Article 7, Colorado Revised Statues, as amended. You have the right to challenge your tuition classification by the census date of each semester. To do so, obtain a Petition for In-State Tuition Classification from the Registrar and complete and return the petition with the required documentation. The Registrar will use the documents supplied by you, along with the answers to the residency questions on the petition, to make a final residency decision. Students who are under the age of 23 and unmarried are classified according to their parents’ residency status. Contact Admissions for additional information.

The Trinidad State College Registrar is the College Tuition Classification Officer and can answer questions about residency classification. Contact the Registrar at (719) 846-5550 or email Registrar Email .

Colorado Resident

Resident state tuition classification is governed by state law (Colorado Revised Statutes §23-7-101, et seq., 1998) and by judicial decisions that apply to all public institutions of higher education in Colorado. The complete tuition classification guidelines can be located on the Colorado Department of Higher Education website: https://cdhe.colorado.gov/students/preparing-for-college/residency-requirements .

Non-Resident

Non-resident tuition refers to the tuition rate that students coming from outside Colorado, including international students, pay to attend Trinidad State College.

Reciprocity

The States of Colorado and New Mexico have maintained a Tuition Reciprocity Agreement since 1985.  The purpose of the agreement is to allow eligible students from New Mexico to enroll at designated Colorado institutions of higher education at in-state tuition rates and an equal number of eligible students from Colorado to do the same at New Mexico institutions.

WICHE/WUE

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a program of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE).  Through WUE, students in many western states may enroll in many two-year and four-year college programs at a reduced tuition level – 150 percent of the institution’s regular resident tuition.  WUE’s tuition is considerably less than non-resident tuition.  Only students from the following states may qualify Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands. For more information, please contact the Registrar’s Office. 

ANY STUDENT WHO WILLFULLY GIVES WRONG INFORMATION TO AVOID PAYING NON-RESIDENT TUITION IS SUBJECTED TO DISCIPLINARY AND LEGAL ACTION.

Tuition Classification Appeal Process

When a tuition classification decision is rendered and the student is not in agreement with the decision, the student may appeal the decision.  Contact the Vice President of Student Affairs or the Registrar to understand and then to begin the appeals process. The student will be required to present supporting documentation for review and resolution. The student will be notified of the decision made and the reasons behind the decision. The decision of the appeals panel is final.

Deadline:
Students have until the first Friday of each semester to submit a petition for a change in Tuition Classification.  Once the petition is submitted, the College will make a determination by the census date.