Residency

Your residency status determines whether you pay in-county, out-of-county, or out-of-state tuition, so it's worth understanding how it's classified before you register. This page walks you through how residency works, what counts as proof, and how specific situations such as military service, disability, or international status may affect your rate.

Establishing Your Residency

To qualify for in-county or in-state tuition, you will sign a statement certifying that you have lived at your current address for at least the last three consecutive months. You may be required to provide proof of residence. Adjustments to tuition are not made once the semester starts, even if you move, and only your permanent residence can be used to determine your residency status.

Proof of Residency

In accordance with Maryland state and federal law, any of the following can serve as proof of legal residency:

  • Substantially uninterrupted physical presence, including months when you are not attending FCC, as evidenced by ownership or rental of living quarters where you reside (a 12-month lease or mortgage)
  • Payment of Maryland state and local income taxes (MD 502 tax form)
  • Registration to vote in Frederick County and/or the state (voter registration card)
  • Registration of a motor vehicle in the state with a local address specified, if you own one (motor vehicle registration card)
  • Possession of a valid Maryland driver's license with a local address specified, or a valid Maryland MVA-issued ID (driver's license or MVA-issued ID card)
  • Active duty military personnel, honorably discharged veterans, spouses, and dependents who reside, are stationed, or are domiciled in Maryland are exempt from the three-month requirement and are considered in-county once proof is shown (military orders, a letter from an education officer, DD214, or any of the residency factors listed above)

If you have questions or would like to review your residency status, contact Registration and Records at 301.846.2431.

Special Residency Situations

Some students qualify for a different tuition rate based on their employer, military service, disability status, citizenship, or age. Select the situation that applies to you to learn more.

FCC offers an agreement that allows employees of Frederick County businesses to be charged the lower, in-county tuition rate, even if they do not live in Frederick County. For details, contact Student Accounts at 301.846.2456.

FCC is approved by the Maryland Higher Education Commission for the training of eligible veterans, dependents, and active duty personnel. If you are not sure what type of VA benefits you qualify for, contact the VA Regional Office toll-free at 1.888.442.4551 or visit www.gibill.va.gov.

For GI Bill questions, contact Amy Coldren, Director of Veteran and Military Services and VA Certifying Official.

For tuition assistance, National Guard waivers, or MyCAA, contact Student Accounts.

Any Maryland resident who is out of the workforce due to total and permanent disability may qualify for a tuition exemption when enrolling in a class with at least 10 regularly enrolled students, as defined in Section 16-106, Education Article, Annotated Code of Maryland.

You can take up to 12 credits per semester if enrolled in classes as part of a degree or certificate program designed to lead to employment. If you are not enrolled in a degree or certificate program, you are limited to 6 credits per semester.

To receive this tuition waiver, you must:

  1. Provide FCC with certification of your total and permanent disability from the Social Security Administration, the Railroad Retirement Board, or, for former federal employees, the Office of Personnel Management.
  2. Apply for any state or federal student financial aid if you are enrolled in a degree or certificate program. Payment for all course fees is required in order to hold your classes.

Please refer to the payment chart in the Financial Aid section for additional details.

  1. Any student financial aid you receive, other than a student loan, will be applied first to pay your tuition.
  2. The waiver applies to the difference, if any, between the tuition charge and your financial aid award, not including any student loan you receive.

A foreign national lawfully admitted for residence in the United States may be considered a resident for tuition purposes if the domicile requirements of this policy have been satisfied. In-county residency is based on the same three-month status and proof of residency documents required of all other students. For methods of proof, refer to the current catalog.

Once domicile has been established, your visa type determines your residency classification:

Visa Description Residency
A Diplomats, family, staff In-County
B Temporary visitor Out-of-State
C Aliens in transit Out-of-State
E Treaty trader, Taiwan only In-County
F Student and dependents Out-of-State
G Representative of a world organization In-County
H1 or H4 Temporary worker and dependents In-County
H2 or H3 Other specialty workers Out-of-State
I Foreign media/journalist In-County
J Exchange visitor, au pair, scholar Out-of-State
K Fiancé of U.S. citizen/Frederick County resident In-County
L Intracompany transferee In-County
M Foreign vocational student, dependents Out-of-State
R Religious worker In-County
TN Professional under NAFTA agreement Out-of-State
V Spouse or child of permanent resident In-County

Students with permanent residency, a green card, or refugee or asylee status are considered in-county for tuition purposes.

Maryland residents age 60 and over may take FCC classes tuition-free. Fees still apply, and no exceptions or fee waivers are available.

Contact Us

Student Financial Aid Office
Jefferson Hall (3rd Floor)
 financialaid@frederick.edu
 301.846.2620

Student Accounts Center
Jefferson Hall (3rd Floor)
 studentaccounts@frederick.edu
 301.846.2456

FCC Foundation Office
Annapolis Hall (2nd Floor)
 foundation@frederick.edu
 301.846.2438