The State of Texas requires that each student sign an oath of residency certifying his/her legal residence at the time of applying through ApplyTexas. The responsibility for registering under the proper residence classification belongs with the student, and any question concerning the right to classification as a resident of Texas or the College of the Mainland District must be clarified before enrolling.
Students must live in Texas at least 12 months prior to registration to be classified as state residents. If applying for in-district or in-state residency, the State Auditor requires additional documentation to support the Oath of Residency. The following documents are acceptable:
- Driver’s License (12 months prior)
- Voter Registration Card
- Property Purchase
- Rental Agreement
- Utility Bills
Residents
To be a legal resident of the College of the Mainland District, a person must reside in the Dickinson, Hitchcock, Santa Fe or Texas City school districts.
Non-residents
A non-resident is defined as a person who is a resident of the State of Texas but is not a resident of the College of the Mainland District.
Non-residents of Texas
A non-resident student of Texas is a U.S. citizen younger than 18 years of age who lives away from his/her family and whose family has not resided in Texas 12 months preceding the date of registration; or a student 18 years of age or older who resides out of state; or who has not been a resident of the state 12 months subsequent to his/her eighteenth birthday; or for the 12 months immediately preceding the date of registration.
International Students
An international student is defined as a non-citizen who cannot be classified as a resident of Texas or the United States.
Residency Status
Residency status is determined in accordance with Rules and Regulations for Determining Residency Status, published by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and pursuant to Title 3, Texas Education Code.
Any questions concerning residency should be referred to the Admissions and Records Office at 409-933-8264 or admissions@com.edu.
Military-Affiliated Students
COM will charge in-state tuition and fee amounts to the following “covered individuals,” as defined by the Veterans Choice Act, 38 U.S.C. Sec. 3679(c):
- A Veteran who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school after being discharged or released from a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more, or any active duty servicemember officially stationed in the state.
- A spouse or child using transferred benefits who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and
- enrolls after the transferor’s discharge from a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more OR
- is currently living in the state because the servicemember is stationed in the state OR
- graduated from high school or received a high school equivalency certificate in Texas and maintained a domicile in Texas for at least one year before the member was assigned duty outside of the state.
- A spouse or child using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state in which the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school after Servicemember’s death in the line of duty following a period of active-duty service of 90 days or more.