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Residency Requirements

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DMACC
Admissions Office
admissions@dmacc.edu
515-965-7337

Residency

Requirements for proof of Iowa residency are established for community colleges by the Iowa Department of Education.

Please note that a student cannot be a resident of two states at the same time. If your home is in another state and you are living in Iowa for the purpose of attending school, you are a resident of your home state and not a resident of Iowa.

You will be considered a resident of Iowa for DMACC tuition and fee purposes if you are:

  1. Permanently domiciled in Iowa (not living in Iowa primarily for educational purposes); and
  2. Have resided here for a period of not less than ninety (90) days prior to the first day of the semester in which you will be attending; and
  3. You provide supporting documentation issued/dated on or before the appropriate date on the timeline below to prove your Iowa residency. (See list of acceptable documents under Application Process below.)

If you are classified as an out-of-state student, it is your responsibility to submit the appropriate documents needed to prove Iowa residency. In-state residency status is not automatically changed after a certain period of time. If you seek to be reclassified after the term begins, your new classification will be effective beginning with your next term of enrollment. In no case will the reclassification to residency status be made retroactive for tuition and fee purposes; even if you could have previously qualified for residency status had you applied.

Residency Contact: Jill McGinn, jlmcginn@dmacc.edu or 515-964-6320

Residency Application Timelines

To meet the 90-day requirement, you must provide documentation proving that you began residing in Iowa on or before the following dates:

Semester Date
Summer 2024 (May 21, 2024) On or before February 21, 2024
Fall 2024 (August 21, 2024) On or before May 23, 2024
Spring 2025 (January 13, 2025) On or before October 15, 2024
Summer 2025 (May 20, 2025) On or before February 19, 2025
Fall 2025 (August 20, 2025) On or before May 22, 2025

Residency status cannot be re-classified once the semester begins.

Minors

Students enrolling at Des Moines Area Community College will be considered minors until the legal age of 18. Proof of parents’ residency will be required for these students.

Students Age 18 and Over

Students age 18 and older must provide proof of their residency, rather than that of their parents.

Veterans, Federal Personnel and Their Dependents

A veteran of U.S. military service or National Guard, or his/her spouse or dependent child shall be classified as a resident if the veteran is domiciled in Iowa and provides DMACC documentation that one of the following conditions is met:

  1. The veteran has separated from a U.S. military force with an honorable discharge or a general discharge, is eligible for benefits, or has exhausted benefits, under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Assistance Act of 2008 or any other federal authorizing veteran educational benefits program.
  2. The individual is an active duty military person, or activated or temporarily mobilized National Guard member.

To be eligible for the exemption, a dependent child must be claimed as a dependent on an eligible veteran’s internal revenue service tax filing for the previous year.

A person, or his/her spouse or dependent child, who has moved into the state of Iowa as the result of military or civil orders from the U.S. Government, and the minor children of such persons, are entitled to immediate Iowa residency status.

For more information, visit our Veteran's site.

International Students

International students who are in the United States on any type of student visa (e.g. an F-1 or F-2 visa) cannot establish in-state residency while studying in this country. Students who come to Des Moines Area Community College from one of our “sister states” will have a special residency status allowing them to pay in-state tuition

Application Process for U.S. Citizens

To apply for reclassification from nonresident to resident status, follow these steps:

  1. Complete the DMACC Request for Residency Status form. (requires Adobe Acrobat)
  2. Submit supporting, dated documentation demonstrating residency in Iowa to any DMACC campus prior to the first day of the semester for which you are registering. To show that your purpose for living in Iowa is for more than attending school and to show that you have been a resident of Iowa for 90 days or more, you must provide one of the items listed in A through E below as evidence. The second document you provide may be from A through G.
    1. Iowa driver's license
    2. Iowa vehicle registration form
    3. Iowa state income tax return, signed and dated
    4. Iowa voter registration card
    5. Proof of Iowa Homestead credit on property taxes
    6. Written and notarized documentation from an employer that you have been employed in Iowa for a minimum of 90 days prior to the start of the semester or a signed and notarized statement from you describing employment and sources of support.
    7. Other indicators of Iowa residency, such as apartment lease dated and signed by both you and the manager, utility bills, bank statements, etc., dated and showing your Iowa address.

Application Process for Non-U.S. Citizens

If you are a lawful permanent resident (LPR) of the United States or an approved refugee, you may apply for residency status. International students who are in the United States on any type of student visa (e.g. an F-1 or F-2 visa) cannot establish in-state residency while studying in this country.

  1. Complete the DMACC Request for Residency Status form. (requires Adobe Acrobat)
  2. Submit proof of your legal immigration status in the form of:
    1. a copy of your U.S. Permanent Resident Card. If you have applied for but have not yet received a Permanent Resident Card, you have not been approved to permanently reside in the U.S. and may not apply for residency status regardless of how long you have lived in Iowa.
    2. Submit supporting, dated documentation demonstrating residency in Iowa to any DMACC campus prior to the first day of the semester for which you are registering. To show that your purpose for living in Iowa is for more than attending school and to show that you have been a resident of Iowa for 90 days or more, you must provide one of the items listed in A through D below as evidence. The second document you provide may be from A through F.
      1. Iowa driver's license
      2. Iowa vehicle registration form
      3. Iowa state income tax return, signed and dated
      4. Proof of Iowa Homestead credit on property taxes
      5. Written and notarized documentation from an employer that you have been employed in Iowa for a minimum of 90 days prior to the start of the semester
      6. Other indicators of Iowa residency, such as apartment lease dated and signed by both you and the manager, utility bills, bank statements, etc., dated and showing your Iowa address.

Appeal of a Residency Decision

Students wishing to appeal a DMACC residency decision complete and file a General Complaint Appeal Form (ES4640) with the Registrar.

For more information - visit our International Students site.

General Admissions Information

Questions on DMACC admissions? Contact the Admissions Office by email or call 515-965-7337 or 1-800-362-2127.