Tuition and Fees

Residency for Tuition Purposes

New Mexico Residency

The rules and regulations for establishing residency for tuition purposes are defined by the New Mexico Higher Education Department, which is authorized by the Constitution of the State of New Mexico and state statutes (Chapter 235, IE, NMSA 1971 and Section 21-1-4E NMSA 1978) to provide classification for a tuition differential between resident and nonresident students. These regulations for residency apply to all public postsecondary institutions in New Mexico, including university branches and independent community colleges.

An individual must establish legal residency in New Mexico before they are entitled to pay in-state tuition rates. The requirements to establish residency for tuition purposes are independent from those of other types of residency such as voting or holding public office. A legal resident for tuition purposes is someone who meets the requirements set forth in the policy.

The full policy for establishing residency for tuition purposes is available at the Welcome and Advising Center and at www.hed.state.nm.us. The following are the three basic requirements that must be met at the time of application (additional requirements may apply):

1. The 12-Month Consecutive Residence Requirement. A person must physically reside in New Mexico for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the term for which the petition is submitted. Note: A student cannot begin to complete the 12-month requirement until their 18th birthday.
2. The Written Declaration of Intent Requirement: The student must sign a written declaration of intent to relinquish residency in any other state and to establish residency in New Mexico.
3. The Overt Act Requirement: New Mexico requires the completion of overt acts, which support the student’s written declaration of intent to become a permanent resident of New Mexico. Information on the number and type of required overt acts is available at the Welcome and Advising Center.

NOTE: All residency requirements must be met before the first day of the term. Any act considered inconsistent with being a New Mexico resident such as voting, securing and/or maintaining a driver’s license and any vehicle registration in another state will cause in-state residency status to be denied or revoked. Nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out the Admission Form is grounds for denial of admission, cancellation of registration or suspension.

Additional Residency Information

• In New Mexico, for most purposes, the age of majority is 18. Persons under the age of 18 are considered minors under the law. A minor’s residence is presumed to be the same as their parents’ or legal guardian’s. The residence decision for students under 18 is based upon the legal residence of the parents or legal guardian. In the event that a non-custodial parent is a legal resident of New Mexico, the minor student will be classified as a resident.
• All persons, regardless of immigration status, who have attended a secondary educational institution (e.g., high school) in New Mexico for at least one year and who have either graduated from a New Mexico high school or received a high school equivalency in New Mexico will be assessed in-state tuition rates.
• An individual married to a legal resident of New Mexico and who can provide appropriate evidence shall not be required to complete the 12-month durational requirement but must satisfy all other requirements.
• Any person, their spouse and dependents who move to New Mexico or who now live in New Mexico and who provide appropriate evidence that they work in a permanent full-time position or practice a profession or conduct a business full time in New Mexico, shall not be required to complete the 12-month durational requirement but must satisfy all other requirements.
• Any person, their spouse and dependents, who move to New Mexico for retirement purposes and who provide appropriate evidence of retirement, shall not be required to complete the 12-month durational requirement but must satisfy all other requirements.
• All out-of-state members of an American Indian nation, tribe and pueblo, located wholly or partially in New Mexico, regardless of the residence of the member prior to acceptance at a postsecondary educational institution, shall be eligible to pay the in-state tuition rate. Appropriate evidence must be provided. These include members of the following tribes or pueblos: Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache, Taos Pueblo, Picuris Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh, Santa Clara Pueblo, Nambe Pueblo, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Pojoaque Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, Cochiti Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo, Kewa (formerly Santo Domingo) Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, Zia Pueblo, Santa Ana Pueblo, Sandia Pueblo, Isleta Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo, Acoma Pueblo, Zuni Pueblo and the Ute Mountain Tribe.
• All out-of-state members of the Navajo Nation who reside on the Navajo reservation, as certified by the Navajo Department of Higher Education, will be assessed in-state tuition rates upon providing appropriate evidence.
• Any person entering the active military service of the United States while a resident of New Mexico and who enters a state institution of postsecondary education in New Mexico after separation from such service may be classified as having been a legal resident in New Mexico during the time spent in the service, provided they:
  • Have not done anything (such as voting in another state) while in the service to show abandonment of their New Mexico residency;
  • Have not established residence in some other state subsequent to being separated from service;
  • Return to New Mexico within one year after separation from service with the intention of maintaining this state as their legal residence;
  • Are not a dependent minor with parent(s) or guardian(s) whose place of residence classifies them as a nonresident of New Mexico.
• Any person, their spouse or dependent child, not otherwise entitled to claim residence, who is a member of the armed forces of the United States or armed forces of a foreign country assigned to active duty in the state of New Mexico will be assessed in-state tuition rates.
  • Assignment to active duty within New Mexico must be certified by the military person’s commanding officer upon the student’s initial enrollment. Such students may continue paying resident rates for as long as they attend consecutive semesters at the same institution.
  • A spouse or child of an active member of the armed forces who dies or is killed becomes a resident of New Mexico within 60 days of the date of death.
  • If an active member of the armed forces is stationed outside New Mexico following assignment to duty in New Mexico and the member’s spouse or child established residence in New Mexico and registers a letter of intent to establish and continue residing in New Mexico, the spouse or child shall be assessed in-state tuition rates.
  • An active member of the National Guard’s spouse and children shall be deemed in-state residents for purposes of determining tuition and fees.

Petitions for New Mexico Residency for Tuition Purposes

A nonresident student who feels they have satisfied the residency requirements may obtain a Petition for In-State Tuition Classification from the Welcome and Advising Center or online at www.sfcc.edu. A student should complete the form in detail and return it to the Welcome and Advising Center prior to the deadline, along with a copy of their parents’ or guardian’s 1040 or 1040A U.S. income tax form, if the student is under 23 years old. A change in residency classification is never automatic and it is always the student’s responsibility to initiate and complete the petition.

All residency requirements must be met before the first day of the term in which the student petitions. Petitions must be submitted no later than the tenth day of the term for which the petition is being filed. A petition received after that date will not be considered. A student may be asked to supply additional information or to explain apparent inconsistencies before a final decision is reached. Until officially classified as a resident, the student must proceed as a nonresident. Tuition and fees must be paid on time at the nonresident rates. The student is notified of the decision and, if denied, may amend their petition with additional information. Amended petitions are reviewed by the same standards as original petitions. If the amended petition is denied, the student may appeal to SFCC’s Residency Appeals Committee. If a student has reason to believe that they have satisfied the residency requirements at some later time, they may reapply for residency.

Tuition and Fee Charges

Tuition is charged according to a student’s residency status and the number of credit hours enrolled. The following explains the types of residency classification at SFCC:

• Out-of-state residents taking more than six credits per semester
  All credit hours taken are subject to out-of-state tuition rates for students who have not established New Mexico residency.
• In-state/out-of-district residents
  Students are eligible for in-state/out-of-district tuition rates if they have established New Mexico residency for tuition purposes and reside outside the college’s district.*
• In-state/in-district residents
  Students are eligible for in-state/in-district tuition rates if they are residents of New Mexico for tuition purposes and reside within the college’s district.*

*The college’s district is identical to the Santa Fe Public School District and includes the towns of Cerrillos, Galisteo, Glorieta, La Cienega, Lamy, Madrid, Santa Fe and Tesuque. To view a map of the college’s district, visit www.sfcc.edu/about.

Senior Citizens

According to state law, qualified senior citizens are eligible to receive a senior citizen discounted rate of $5 per credit hour. This applies on a space-available basis only to students 65 or older at the beginning of the term for which they are enrolling. They must have established New Mexico residency for tuition purposes and be enrolled for 10 or fewer credits. State law requires that qualified senior citizens taking more than 10 credits be charged the full rate for all credits, based on in-district or out-of-district residency.

The total cost of a class is determined by adding tuition, service fee, Student Government Association fee, technology fee and applicable additional course/program fees.

Payment Deadlines

Check our website www.sfcc.edu under Dates and Deadlines for payment deadline information.

Payment Methods

• In person at the Cashier’s Office
• By mail (make sure to meet payment deadlines)
• By phone (credit or debit card only)
• Online (credit or debit card, checking or savings bank account) Log in to my.sfcc.edu, click on the Registration Tools, then click on Pay Online and follow the prompts.

Payment Options

• Cash
• Check and money orders
• Credit/debit card (Visa, Master Card, Discover)
• Financial aid (must be authorized in Banner by the Financial Aid Office). Check with the Cashier’s or Financial Aid Office on the status of your award.
• College’s payment plan available through census date (set up payment plans online through your my.sfcc.edu account: click on the Registration Tools, click on Payment Plans and follow the prompts).
• Third-party sponsorship (see Third-Party Sponsorship details).

Cashier’s Office hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional charges incurred due to changes made during the add/drop period are due the day the changes are made unless other payment arrangements have been made through the Financial Aid Office, or the student has submitted a third-party authorization that covers the changes.

All debts to SFCC must be paid in full before a student’s degree will be awarded.

All debts must be paid in full by the end of the semester or the account will be sent to collections. Students will also be liable for any fees incurred while in collections.

Payment Refunds

To receive a refund of tuition or related charges, students must first drop a course or all courses by notifying the Welcome and Advising Center in person or by written notice. Class drop requests cannot be processed by phone. Be sure to include your student ID number and the classes with the CRN (Course Reference Number) you wish to drop. A refund after the deadline may be approved for extenuating circumstances such as a death in the family, accident or illness. Submit a billing appeal form to the Cashier’s Office including documentation to support your request.

Refunds for courses paid online will be credited to the same credit card used to make the payment. For all forms of payment (credit/debit card, cash or check) whether in person or on the phone, a refund check will be mailed to the address on record. New online services offer an e-refund. Get it deposited automatically into your bank account by creating an e-refund profile on my.sfcc.edu. Eligible refunds for amounts paid by a third party will be refunded to that party. Allow three to four weeks for processing. If you are receiving financial aid and drop a class after it has started, you will be required to repay federal funds. Check with the Financial Aid Office.

NOTE: Students registered for both summer and fall and have credits in the summer term, those credits will be applied to any outstanding charges for the fall term.

Students are refunded tuition and charges according to the following schedule, based upon the date that the student’s notice is received in the Welcome and Advising Center.

Employer or Third-Party Sponsor

You may authorize a third party (an employer, government agency, etc.) to make payments on your behalf online at www.sfcc.edu/cashiers; follow the instructions at the bottom of the page. A purchase order or letter of intent from the employer should be submitted to the Accounts Receivable Office and received before tuition payment deadlines. Students may purchase books if indicated on the purchase order or letter of intent. Books will be available two weeks before classes begin through the third week of classes. Mail to SFCC Accounts Receivable Office, 6401 Richards Ave., Santa Fe, NM 87508-4887. For information call 505-428-1871.

Returned Check or Returned Electronic Payments

Any checks or electronic payments that are returned will result in a $20 fee that will be assessed to your account. After one returned electronic item, you will no longer be able to make electronic payments from that account. For information about your account, call 505-428-1211.

Avoid Delinquent Accounts

A delinquent account will cause denial of privileges and services offered by the college and its affiliates, including but not limited to the New Mexico Educational Assistance Foundation. They also will be subject in the future to the withholding of:

• Registration
• Readmission
• Transcripts
• Deferred payment plan participation
• Child care services
• Student Accessibility services (tutoring, ADA assistance, etc.)
• Locker rentals
• Other services offered by the college.

All account balances must be paid in full before students are allowed to graduate.  Any balances owed at the end of the semester will be sent to collections.

Payment Process

The Cashier’s Office is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed on campus holidays. Online payment services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through the my.sfcc.edu portal.