January 21, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Suzanne Ernst (702) 889-8426

Contacts Designated for Students Concerned About Residency Status

LAS VEGAS – LAS VEGAS – Nevada college students who believe they may qualify for residency in regard to their registration fees are being encouraged to contact their institutions for guidance until a decision is made by the Board of Regents late next week.

While the Nevada Revised Statutes state that individuals can gain residency after at least six months in Nevada, the Board of Regents’ adopted a policy in March of 1995 that required one-year residency before students could qualify for in-state tuition.

“I have directed our presidents to designate a point of contact on each of their campuses to work with these students,” said Dr. Jane Nichols, UCCSN chancellor. “While I appreciate the dilemma facing those students, it is important to understand that no policies can be changed until the Board of Regents makes a decision next week.”

Nichols added that students who are unsure of their residency status will not be charged late fees for the spring semester registration if the Regents take action to reduce the residency requirement from 12 months to six months.

The Regents will discuss this issue and review possible actions during its next scheduled Board meeting at the Henderson campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada on Jan. 29-30.

The Nevada Board of Regents is the elected, 13-member governing body for the University and Community College System of Nevada. Comprising two doctoral granting universities, a state college, four comprehensive community colleges and one environmental research institute, the UCCSN serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to nearly 98,000 students.

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