Residency

RESIDENCY POLICY

For tuition purposes, proof of residence must be submitted by all students enrolling at Morton College each semester.

The student must meet the following criteria to be considered a resident of the district:

One must have occupied and/or owned a dwelling in the district for 30 days immediately prior to the start of classes and must demonstrate district residency by providing one of the following documents: Illinois driver’s license, current voters’ registration card, current bank statement, utility bill, State of Illinois photo ID card, or a Morton High School East or West transcript that proves the student attended an in-district high school within the last two calendar years. (Must be issued to the student’s in-district permanent address provided on the admission application). A student who is homeless may present a signed letter on letterhead from an in-district homeless shelter confirming residency in the shelter.

District residency does not apply to international students on visas.

Students changing their residence during a semester are required to report their new address to the Office of Admissions and Records. Students may update their residency at any time; however, a change in residency less than 30 days prior to the start of the term and once the term has begun will not be reflected in the current terms tuition rate. Classification for admission and tuition will be made according to the regulations listed on the following pages.

IN-DISTRICT STUDENTS

Morton College District 527 includes the suburbs of Berwyn, Cicero, Forest View, Lyons, McCook and Stickney. The college is located west of Chicago and south of Oak Park, which is six miles from Chicago’s Loop.

To be eligible for the in-district tuition rate, one of the following criteria must be met:

• Applicants who are 18 years of age or older and have established legal permanent residence in District 527 for a minimum of 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who are under 18 years of age and live at home must demonstrate that their parents or legal guardians have legal residence within District 527 for at least 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who are under 18 years of age and emancipated (a minor who is legally independent from parental or guardian supervision), or married must demonstrate that they have established legal residence in District 527 for at least 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who will be attending Morton College through the Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment Programs.

Students shall be classified as residents of the Morton College District 527 without meeting the 30-day residency requirement of the district if they are currently residing in the district and are students:

• who are currently under the legal guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCSF) or have been recently emancipated from the Department and had a placement change into a new community college district. The student, caseworker, other personnel of DCFS, attorney, or guardian ad litem shall provide the district with proof of current in-district residency.
• who are utilizing benefits under the federal All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program or the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any subsequent variations of that Act.
• who move from outside the state, obtain residency for other than going to college, and demonstrate a verifiable interest in permanent residency.
• who are considered members of the armed services stationed in Illinois.

OUT-OF-DISTRICT STUDENTS

Any person whose legal place of residence lies outside Morton College District 527 but within the boundaries of the State of Illinois.  This includes full-time students attending a post-secondary educational institution who have not demonstrated, through documentation, a verifiable interest in establishing permanent residency.

Students shall be classified as residents of the State without meeting the general 30-day residency provision if they are:

• federal job corps workers stationed in Illinois;
• inmates of State correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in Illinois; or
• employed full time in Illinois.

OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS

Any student who is a resident of another state will be considered an out-of-state student and will be charged the rate established by the Board of Trustees.

OUT-OF-COUNTRY (INTERNATIONAL) STUDENTS

Any student who is a resident of a foreign country will be considered an out-of-country student and will be charged the rate established by the Board of Trustees.

IN-District Employee Tuition Rate

Employees of profit and nonprofit businesses or agencies located within the College district may enroll in Morton College courses at the in-district tuition rate with written approval of their employer. Verification of employment must be on company letter-head and indicate employee works at least 35 hours per week. The verification must also include supervisor name, title of supervisor, contact phone number of super-visor, and student’s position. To be eligible for this special tuition rate, employment verification must be presented at the time of initial registration for the semester. Verifications must be presented each semester and cannot be duplicates from previous semesters.

IN-District Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver

Morton College is committed to the principle of life-long learning and, therefore, waives tuition and the registration fee for its senior citizens (age 62 or older at time of registration) for credit and non-credit courses. Laboratory and other fees will be assessed where applicable. Additionally, the cost of books and personal supplies for classes are not covered by this waiver.