New Mexico Administrative Code
Title 5 - POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Chapter 7 - TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
Part 18 - RESIDENCY FOR TUITION PURPOSES
Section 5.7.18.7 - DEFINITIONS

A. "Armed forces" means the United States army, navy, air force, marine corps or coast guard.

B. "Department" means state of New Mexico higher education department.

C. "Dependent minor" means a person determined to be financially dependent upon a parent or guardian and who has not reached the age of majority (eighteen years of age) or is not an emancipated minor. The legal residence of a dependent minor is that of their parent(s) or custodial parents; or, if both parents are dead, of their legally appointed guardian(s) or of the adult person with whom he or she lives with for more than one-half of the preceding consecutive twelve months. In the event a non-custodial parent is a legal resident of New Mexico as determined in 5.7.18.9 NMAC the dependent minor shall be accorded resident status.

D. "Emancipated minor" means any person sixteen years of age or older shall be regarded as an adult for the purposes of determining residency status for tuition charges, provided they:

E. "Enrollment" means the first day of the term or semester for the student.

F. "Financially dependent" means that dependency will be determined according to Section 152 of the 1954 Internal Revenue Code. This includes any person for whom the parent, guardian, or spouse provides at least one-half of their support.

G. "General fees" means a fixed sum charged to students for items not covered by tuition and required of such a proportion of all students that the student who does not pay the charge is an exception. General fees include fees for matriculation, library services, student activities, student union services, student health services, debt service and athletics. An institution may charge fees in addition to general fees that are course-specific or that pertain to a smaller proportion of students.

H."New Mexico resident for tuition purposes" means a person who is a United States citizen or has established permanent residence in the United States and has satisfied the requirement(s) and regulations of 5.7.18.9 NMAC.

I."Nonresident" means a student who enters and remains in this state principally to enroll in postsecondary education, is presumed to continue to reside outside this state, and such presumption continues in effect until rebutted by clear and convincing evidence of bona fide residence.

J."Tuition" means the amount of money charged to students for instructional services, which may be charged per term, per course or per credit.

K."Tuition reciprocity participants" mean any nonresident, undergraduate student participating in a tuition reciprocity agreement. Pursuant to Section 21-1-6 NMSA 1978, these participants are ineligible for residency. Furthermore, students may not begin to establish residency (i.e., twelve 12-month durational requirement) until discontinuing from such a program. Refer to department negotiated reciprocity agreements for additional detail.

L."Veteran" means any person meeting the definition of veteran as used in the Veterans' Service Department Act and provided in 9-22-3 NMSA.