The North Carolina General Assembly has enacted a detailed statutory scheme for determining who does and who does not qualify for in-state tuition. That statutory scheme is found in Article 14 of Chapter 116 of the North Carolina General Statutes which mandates that only those who can demonstrate a minimum of twelve months of uninterrupted domicile (legal residence) in North Carolina are eligible for in-state tuition.
The statute also places on applicants the burden of establishing, by a preponderance of evidence, that they are bona fide domiciliaries rather than mere residents of North Carolina.
Service Members and Families Now Eligible for In-State Tuition
Military Spouses Residency Relief Act
This Act, among other things, provides that when a service member leaves his or her home state in accord with military or naval orders, the service member's spouse may retain residency in his or her home state for voting and tax purposes, after relocating from that state to accompany the service member.
Changes to Tuition Waivers - Session Law 2009-451
115B-2(a)(1). Statute allowing legal residents of North Carolina who had attained the age of 65 to attend classes for credit or noncredit purposes without the required payment of tuition. Repealed effective July 1, 2009.
115B-2.1. Fee waiver authorized. Repealed effective July 1, 2009.
115D-5(b) has been amended to allow tuition to be waived for up to six hour s of credit per academic semester at a community college for senior citizens 65 or older who are qualified as legal residents of North Carolina.