Residency Requirement

General Information 

As a public community college within the State of Illinois, Illinois Central College adheres to current residency requirements set forth by the Illinois Community College Board and the State Board of Education. With this in mind, students who are legal residents within District 514 are afforded a reduced tuition rate compared to other non-residents. 
 
Residency is defined as the place where a student lives and is intended as a permanent home. To be eligible for in-district tuition a student must have lived at a residence located inside a community college district at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester. Students that are not establishing permanent residence and move into the district for the purpose of attending a community college or other post-secondary institution in the district, do not meet the in-district residency policy.

In-District

A student who is a legal resident of Community College District 514 at the time of application to Illinois Central College or is a dependent of a person who has legal permanent residence within District 514 at the time of the student’s application to ICC will be classified as In-District. Students who are 24 years of age or older and can prove independent status may also be classified as In-District. Residence within Community College District 514 must be secured 30 days prior to the beginning of the semester for which the change is being requested. See the Verifying Residency section for a list of required forms for residency verification. 

Students shall not be classified as resident of the district even though they may have met the general 30-day residency provision if they are: 

• Federal job corps workers stationed in the district 
• Inmates of State or federal correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in the district 
• Full-time students attending a postsecondary educational institution in the district who have not demonstrated through documentation a verifiable interest in establishing permanent residency 
• Students attending under a chargeback or contractual agreement with another community college 

Out-of-District

A Student who is a legal resident of any Illinois Community College District outside of District 514 will be classified as Out-of-District. Additionally, students who are classified as dependent upon a person whose permanent residence is outside of Illinois Community College District 514 but within the State of Illinois are considered to be Out-of-District.  Students shall be classified as residents of the State without meeting the general 30-day residency provision if they are:  

• Federal job corps workers stationed in Illinois 
• Members of the armed services stationed in Illinois 
• Inmates of State or federal correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in the Illinois 
• Employed full time in Illinois 

Out-of-State

A student who is a legal resident of any State outside of Illinois at the time of application to Illinois Central College will be classified as Out-of-State. Additionally, students who are dependent upon a person whose permanent residence is outside of Illinois will be classified as Out-of-State. 

Out-of-Country

A student who is not a legal permanent resident of the United States as defined by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) will be classified as Out-of-Country. Students who are coming to Illinois Central College or any other post-secondary institution for the sole purpose of study will be classified as Out-of-Country. Proof of U.S. citizenship is required when claiming permanent residence within the United States. Dependents of foreign employees working with Community College District 514 will be classified as Out-of-Country. However, the Out-of-Country tuition rate may be adjusted based on the employment status of the person who is claiming the student.** 

International Student

A student who has obtained permission from their home country to study at a college or university within the United States. These students will hold either an F-1 visa (for degree-seeking students) or an M-1 visa (for certificate-seeking students). Proof of the ability to pay the Out-of-Country tuition rate and all additional fees and costs related to studying in the United States must be provided before a student is accepted as an international student. International students do not have access to any additional waiver scenarios that have been identified previously. 

Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Dependents 

Students who are currently under the legal guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or have been recently emancipated from the Department and had a placement change into a new community college district shall be exempt from the 30-day requirement if they demonstrate proof of current in-district residency.  Proof of current in-district residency from the student, caseworker, other personnel of the department, student’s attorney, or guardian ad litem appointed under the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 is required.  Please contact Enrollment Services at studentrecords@icc.edu or visit Room L211 on the East Peoria Campus to discuss your situation. 

Homeless Student

If you are a homeless student, please provide us with documentation from the homeless shelter in which you are residing. New documentation will be required each semester until the residency questionnaire is completed and you can provide the necessary documentation to establish permanent in-district residency status.  Please contact Enrollment Services at studentrecords@icc.edu or stop in Room L211 on the East Peoria Campus to discuss your situation. 

Employed Full-Time (35+ Hours) in District

Students whose legal residence is outside Community College District 514, but are employed for a minimum of 35 scheduled hours per week within District 514 or are the dependent of someone 35 hours or more per week in District 514, may be entitled to receive the in-district tuition rate.  Written proof from the employer is required each semester.  For more information, contact Student Financial Services at studentfinancials@icc.edu.  

Verifying Residency 

To verify that you are able to be classified as an In-District student, you will be asked to provide one (1) document showing your College District 514 address from each of the categories listed below. Each category must be represented for the residency appeal to be approved. The documents must be dated 30 days prior to the start of the semester and must match your in-district address on your student record at Illinois Central College.