Residency Information - San Jacinto College

These are the rules to qualify for each residency status. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board sets a number of criteria to qualify.

In-district

To be considered an in-district student:

You must physically reside within the boundaries of the San Jac taxing district. This generally includes Channelview, Deer Park, Galena Park, La Porte, Pasadena, and Sheldon school districts. You also must meet the state’s residency requirement, as defined in Section 54.052 of the Education Code, OR
If you reside outside of the district, you must either own property subject to ad valorem taxation by the district or be a dependent of someone who does.

Out-of-District

Out-of-state

International

To be considered an in-district student:

You must physically reside within the boundaries of the San Jac taxing district. This generally includes Channelview, Deer Park, Galena Park, La Porte, Pasadena, and Sheldon school districts. You also must meet the state’s residency requirement, as defined in Section 54.052 of the Education Code, OR
If you reside outside of the district, you must either own property subject to ad valorem taxation by the district or be a dependent of someone who does.

To be considered an out-of-district student, you must:

Be a Texas resident, AND
Physically reside outside of the geographic boundaries of the district when your registration is complete.

To be considered an out-of-state student, you must:

Be at least 18 years old, live out of state, and have not been a Texas resident during the 12 months before your registration date, OR
Be either younger than 18 years old or a dependent, as defined by Section 54.052 of the Education Code, and live away from your family if your family resides in another state, or you must not have resided in Texas during the 12 months leading up to your registration.

To be considered an international (out-of-country) student, you must:

Not be a permanent U.S. resident, as defined in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations, OR
Not have not been permitted by Congress to adopt the U.S. as your domicile while in this country.

International students may qualify as Texas residents and be eligible for in-state tuition. To do so, you’ll need proof that you’ve lived in Texas for at least one year before your date of registration. Here’s some more information that will help you learn if you qualify as a Texas resident.

Are you a citizen of another country outside of the U.S.?

If you aren’t a U.S. citizen, you may be eligible to qualify as a Texas resident if:

You are a permanent U.S. resident and you can show your permanent resident (green) card or I-551 passport approval stamp, OR
You've applied for residency and can provide the receipt for your application or petition, Form I-130, I-140, or I-485.

Are you eligible to establish a domicile in the U.S.?

If you maintain a permanent home in the U.S., you may be eligible to establish a domicile. If so, you may be eligible to qualify as a Texas resident if either of these applies to you:

You hold an unexpired visa with A-1, A-2, A-3, E-1, E-2, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, G-5, H-1B, H-4 (dependent of H-1B only), I, K-1, K-2, L-1a, L-1b, L-2, O-1, O-3 (dependent of O-1 only), R-1, R-2, V and NATO 6, 7 classifications, OR
You are classified by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as an asylee, parolee, refugee, permanent resident, conditional permanent resident, or you are a temporary resident with a I-688, I-688A, or I-688B Temporary Resident card that has not expired.

Are you an undocumented immigrant?

If you meet our admission requirements, you may enroll. Normally, you will qualify for the out-of-state tuition rate. However, you may qualify for the Texas resident rate if you meet all four of these qualifications:

You graduated from high school or got your GED in Texas.
You've resided in Texas with a parent or court-appointed guardian for at least three years before the date you graduated high school or received your GED.
You registered as an entering student no earlier than the fall 2001 term.
You can provide an affidavit stating that you will file an application to become a permanent resident as soon as you're eligible.

Learn about our tuition rates, as well as the aid and scholarship programs that can help you pay for college.