Residency Requirements
To be eligible for in-state tuition rates, students must meet Virginia residency requirements.
A student must have been legally domiciled in Virginia for a period of at least one full year prior to the first day of classes of the planned semester of enrollment at the college. Domicile is a legal concept that means more than simple residency in Virginia.
A student must demonstrate that he/she has been in Virginia for the required 12 months and that he/she plans to remain in the state indefinitely. Documentation generally required to establish domicile may include, but is not limited to:
- a valid Virginia driver's license,
- voter registration card,
- a copy of the student's Virginia income tax return.
Special Conditions
If the student is under the age of 24, is on active military duty, has a spouse, parent or legal guardian that is on active military duty, or has been discharged from the military within the last 12 months, additional documentation will be required to verify residency. If an active-duty service member is assigned to a permanent duty station in Virginia, and that active-duty service member’s spouse or dependent children reside in Virginia, the family qualifies for in-state tuition rates at Brightpoint Community College.
To qualify, military spouses and dependent children must present the following:
- proof (e.g., military orders) of spouse’s active-duty status and permanent duty assignment in Virginia,
- verification of military member and dependent’s residence in Virginia (e.g., driver’s license, or any number of ways of demonstrating residency in Virginia, such as a copy of a utility bill, a lease, etc.), and
- dependent military ID card.
The above documentation must be presented to the Admissions and Records Office on either campus. All documentation must be presented on/before the first day of classes for the semester in which you plan to enroll. Virginia State Law HB695 provides guidance for obtaining in-state tuition for military dependents.
Understand, apply for and activate your Military & Veterans Educational Benefits.
Students in the categories listed above are subject to domicile review. Individuals who are classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes and who wish to appeal their classifications, will have to pay the out-of-state tuition rate in order to enroll pending the review of their appeals. Tuition adjustments will be authorized for those whose appeals are upheld. To be eligible for in-state tuition rates, a student must have been legally domiciled in Virginia for a period of at least one full year prior to the first day of classes of the planned semester of attendance. Students who request a change of domicile and present documentation beyond the first day of class will be considered for the subsequent semester.