Determining Residency

Your residency is defined by Madison College as your official location of permanent residence. Your residency can have an effect on your admission into a program of study as well as your tuition. Residency is declared when you complete your initial admission application or when you create your student account.

Residency is determined by at least one of the following criteria:

  • Filing a Wisconsin income tax return. If you are under 25 and claimed as a dependent by either parent, the residency information on your parents' state tax return applies to you
  • Eligibility to vote in the state
  • Motor vehicle registration
  • Issuing state and address on your driver's license
  • Location of employment

Residency requirements are described in detail on the state's Administrative Code Chapter TCS 10 website.

View Map of Wisconsin Technical College Districts

To determine how residency impacts program admissions, see the sorting criteria for programs that use a Petition Process.

Changing Residency

If you have established a different residency and plan to maintain it, you must complete the official Residency Re-Determination process. This process should only be completed in the following scenarios: 1) You wish to apply to a program that follows the petition process or has a limited capacity, and your residency status is different; or 2) Your in-state or out-of-state residency status has changed and your tuition is being charged incorrectly.

Residency for temporary, non-immigrant visa holders is out-of-state and cannot be changed (for example, F, J, B, and H visa types).

If you believe your residency status is not accurate or has changed, you may complete the Residency Re-Determination Form (PDF). Required documentation and submission instructions are included on the form. Any approved residency changes will be made effective for the current term and cannot be retroactively applied.

Types of Residency Statuses:

  • District

    You are considered a district resident if, through the criteria above, your permanent residence exists within the Madison College district borders. However, if you enter and remain in the district only to obtain an education, state law says we cannot consider you a district resident.

    TUITION: In-district residents pay in-state tuition rates for credit classes.

    VETERAN STUDENTS: Signed into law on January 5, 2021, the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (P.L.116-315) provides for the improvement and/or expansion of various GI Bill® programs for veteran students. This includes Provision 1005, Requirements for In-State Tuition:

    • Effective August 1, 2021, provision 1005 removes the requirement for covered individuals to enroll in a course at a public institution of higher learning within three years of being discharged to receive in-state tuition.

  • Non-district State

    You are considered a non-district state resident if, through the criteria above, your permanent residence is within state boundaries but outside the Madison College district.

    TUITION: State residents pay in-state tuition rates for credit classes.

  • Out-of-State

    You are considered an out-of-state resident if, through the criteria above, your permanent residence is outside Wisconsin state boundaries.

    TUITION: Out-of-state residents pay out-of-state tuition rates for credit classes.

  • Minnesota Reciprocity

    Your permanent residence must be in the state of Minnesota to qualify for reciprocity.

    TUITION: The reciprocity agreement allows Minnesota residents to pay in-state tuition rates for credit classes.