Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is on this page
- If I am not lawfully present in the U.S. can I still attend college?
- What will the College report if I am not lawfully in the U.S.?
- Will documentation be kept in my student file?
- How does Proposition 300 affect courses and financial aid?
- What forms and documentation are needed?
- What are my privacy and other rights?
- What are the consequences for knowingly giving false information?
- Can I be billed for classes or benefits I've already received?
- What financial assistance includes state monies?
- How can I make my story known?
- I'm a parent. Why is my information needed to determine my son's or daughter's status?
- What does this law say about potential discrimination?
- What if I have questions or concerns about Proposition 300?
- If I return to school after an absence, do I need to provide documentation again?
- Who do I contact if I need help?
- Can the College verify my lawful status without my bringing in documentation?
- I'm a concurrent student (taking college courses while in high school). Am I affected?
- I'm a U.S. citizen. Why do I have to provide documentation?
1. If I am not lawfully present in the U.S. can I still attend college?
Yes, you can take credit courses. However, (a) you will be classified as a non-resident for tuition, (b) you cannot receive financial assistance that includes state monies, and (c) you cannot take Adult Education classes.
2. What will the College report if I am not lawfully in the U.S.?
As required under Proposition 300, the College will report only the number of affected students, not specific students. No personally identifiable information is included in the reports. The reports go to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee by June 30 and December 31 of each year.
We also report on implementation steps that we are taking when asked to do so by the legislature. Those reports cover administrative details. They do not include personally identifiable student information.
Our College reports go to a legislative body known as the Joint Legislative Budget Committee via the Arizona Community College Association.
3. Will documentation be kept in my student file?
Yes. The College must be able to show that it is complying with Proposition 300 as with any law.
4. How does Proposition 300 affect courses and financial aid?
- Adult Education: Students unlawfully present in the U.S. cannot take Adult Education courses.
- Adult Education students do not need to be residents of Arizona, and they do not need to be in the U.S. in an immigrant status. They just must be lawfully present in the U.S.
- Students must complete an intake form, a statement of lawful presence in the U.S., and provide documentation that they are lawfully present in the U.S.
- Community Enrichment Center non-credit courses: There is no effect on these courses.
- Non-credit courses do not have tuition and they are self-supporting. Everyone is welcome to enroll.
- Students taking non-credit courses do not need to be admitted to the College, and do not need to complete a Domicile Affidavit. They may complete these forms if they want to (for example, if they may take credit courses later).
- Concurrent enrollment: Same as for credit courses (see below).
- Contract training courses: There is no effect.
- Credit courses: Students not lawfully present in the U.S. cannot receive in-state tuition but may still attend credit classes by paying non-resident rates.
- Dual enrollment (College courses taken during high school): Students unlawfully present in the U.S. cannot receive in-state tuition rates and are not eligible for high school payment of their tuition, and the College cannot waive tuition for such students. Students who are in this situation may find another source of payment that does not include state monies or may petition to drop the College credit portion of the class.
- Financial assistance: Students not lawfully present in the U.S. cannot receive aid or waivers that involve state monies. (Note: Title IV / federal financial aid also requires the student to be a U.S. citizen or national, or to be in a lawful, eligible immigrant status. Those restrictions come from federal regulations, not Proposition 300.) Click here to see the list of financial assistance that involves state monies.
- Professional development courses: There is no effect.
- Tech Prep: If the course is a high school course that is later transferred to the College, there is no effect. If the course is transcripted as a Coconino Community College class at the time of registration, it would be like credit courses (see above).
5. What forms and documentation are needed?
It depends on what the student is requesting. See detailed information on the acceptable documents page.
For the great majority of students, one of the following will usually serve to show lawful presence in the U.S.
- Arizona driver's license or ID card issued after 1996
- Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S. or U.S. territories along with picture ID
- A U.S. passport
- Certificate of Indian Blood
- Alien resident (permanent resident card)
- Many other forms of documentation are on the acceptable documents page
6. What are my privacy rights and other rights?
FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) defines your rights. FERPA is included in College Policy and Procedures. Documentation you provide is private information that cannot be disclosed except as provided by FERPA.
Disclosure on use of your Social Security Number
Your Social Security Number is collected for specific uses. One use (to comply with Proposition 300) may be to document your lawful presence in the U.S. by matching your information with that on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), federal or state databases, or high school records.
Appeals and due process
If you believe you are incorrectly classified as non-resident for tuition purposes, or that you are incorrectly categorized as not lawfully present in the U.S. you should use the contact information to identify which staff person to talk to. You always have a right of appeal and due process.
7. What are the consequences for knowingly giving false information?
Consequences could range from Student Conduct Code violations within the College to criminal charges.
8. Can I be billed for classes or benefits I've already received?
If a student received a benefit for which he or she was ineligible, the College may legally be required to bill the student to recover the costs that should have been paid. Under state law, students are responsible for not registering in a tuition status for which they are not eligible.
The College will do all it can to lessen the impact on students. We will take College errors into account where that might matter. And students will normally be provided with installment payment options.
9. What financial assistance includes state monies?
See the financial aid page on financial assistance.
10. How can I make my story known?
See our overview page or contact information.
11. I am a parent. Why is my information being requested to determine my son's or daughter's status?
State law requires that someone must be a legal resident of Arizona for a year before receiving in-state tuition. But a student cannot normally establish his or her legal domicile until age 18. Therefore anyone under 19 must usually satisfy part of the required year of residency by using their parents' (or legal guardians') status.
12. What does Proposition 300 say about potential discrimination?
The law stipulates that it must be enforced "without regard to race, religion, gender, ethnicity, or national origin."
The College also has our own non-discrimination policy that we follow. It includes the preceding things and some additional ones.
13. What if I have questions or concerns about Proposition 300?
See the contact information for questions the College can help with. Other questions may be referred to your elected representatives.
14. If I return to school after an absence, do I need to provide documentation again?
Yes. How often you will need to do this is one of the details we are working out. At minimum, students are required to provide documentation each time they return after an absence from enrollment of one or more terms. It is also possible that some students may need to show documentation more frequently if they are in a temporary status.
15. Who do I contact if I need help?
See the Contacts page.
16. Can the College verify my lawful status without my bringing in documentation?
Yes, in some cases. Here are three examples:
- If you have been approved for federal (Title IV) financial aid, you have already been verified by federal processes as being a citizen, national, or eligible (lawful) immigrant.
- We check your files to see if you have already provided sufficient documentation in the past.
- We check Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) or Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) records to see if you have a valid, current Arizona driver's license or ID card issued after 1996.
Our goal is to minimize the impact on students when we can by doing the documentation for you.
17. I'm a concurrent student (taking college courses while in high school). Am I affected?
Yes, concurrent courses are credit courses which charge tuition. Therefore we must determine your residency status (your eligibility for in-state tuition)--and before we can do that, we must determine your lawful presence in the U.S.
18. I'm a U.S. citizen. Why do I have to provide documentation?
Proposition 300 requires that we confirm the status of all students.