General Qualifications

• Resident status requires domicile in Colorado for one year immediately prior to the first day of class. Domicile is defined as a true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation. Domicile is a legal characteristic that everyone has, and students can have only one domicile at any one time. A student's domicile is a legal, primary residence.
• During the one-year domicile period, the student should comply with all legal obligations of a Colorado resident such as demonstrating proof of voter registration, Colorado income tax payment, Colorado motor vehicle registration, Colorado issued driver's license or ID card, and/or proof of employment.
• Students under the age of 23 (unemancipated minors) may be eligible for in-state tuition if a parent or court-appointed legal guardian has been domiciled and complied with legal obligations in Colorado for one year.
• Students whose parents are not domiciled in Colorado may also qualify to begin the one-year domiciliary period if the student is either: at least 23 years old, or married, or emancipated. Emancipation requires that the student's parents do not provide financial support of any nature or purpose. Parental support includes funds previously set aside for current support even if those funds are in the student's name. Parents may provide reasonable incidental gifts, but may not provide significant funds in order to be considered emancipated. A student who is claimed as a dependent on parent taxes is not emancipated.
• There are several amendments to the Tuition Classification Law for certain populations of students including Olympic Athletes, Military Personnel, Inmates, recent Colorado High School graduates and GED recipients, etc. Contact the MCC Director of Admissions to determine who may be in an eligible population.