Residency Determination Service

A Step-By-Step Guide to Complete NC Residency Determination Service (RDS)

To begin, you will need:

• Your social security number

• Your parent’s social security number (or ITIN if they don't have a SSN)

• Your parent(s) date of birth

• A copy of your parent’s 2020 tax returns (e.g. 1040 form)

• Your parent’s driver’s license numbers (if applicable)

Take care to ensure all information is accurate before clicking “Confirm” on any of the below steps. Once you click “Confirm,” you cannot go back to change that information!

1. 1. Go to ncresidency.cfnc.org and click “LOGIN”

   2. Log in with your CFNC username and password. Do not create a new account if you already have a CFNC account! If you don’t know your CFNC login information, contact your College Advisor or Counselor

   3. Click “I understand the helpful hints” and “I agree.”

   4. On the window that pops up, click “Edit Profile,” then “Edit” on each of the 4 sections:

      1. Account Info

         1. Update your email to your permanent personal email

      2. Address Info

         1. Update your mailing address; capitalize the street, city, and state

      3. General Info

         1. Make sure your legal name is correct. Your NC Student Number is your Lunch Number or Student ID Number at the high school

      4. Identification Number Info

         1. Fill in your social security number if you are a US Citizen and leave everything else blank

         2. If you do not have a social security number or have Permanent Residency through a VISA, see your College Advisor for more information

** Once all information is correct, click “Return to Residency,” click “I understand the helpful hints” and “I agree,” then “Click here to start request” again. Then check the “I agree” and click continue.

5. Enter your cell phone number to receive updates about your application status, click the “Text Alerts” box, and then Yes, Save.

6. Do you claim to be a North Carolina resident? Yes

7. Do you already have a degree from a NC College or University? No

8. Are you currently enrolled in NC College or University? No

1. Do you know when you plan to enroll? Yes

2. Planned year? 2022

3. When do you plan to start classes? Fall (Aug-Dec)

4. Confirm

9. Are you currently experiencing homelessness and/or do any of the following housing situations apply to you, your parent(s) or legal guardian(s)?

1. Answer No unless one of the options applies to you or your parents/guardians

10. Are you currently a drilling member of the NC National Guard? No

1. Is anyone in your immediate family in the military (active duty, discharged, retired)? Yes or No

1. If yes, answer the questions that follow.

11. Did you or will you graduate high school or obtain a GED (high school equivalency) in NC? Yes

12. Do any of the following apply? (Read the listed options)… Yes or No

13. Are one or both of your parents/legal guardians alive? Yes / No

14. Do your parents/legal guardians currently live in NC?

15. Do your parent(s)/legal guardian(s) do any of the following? (Read the listed options)… Yes or No

1. Confirm

16. Do both parents live at the same address? Yes or No

17. Complete the parent information section including social security numbers, dates of birth, and address. If your parent does not have a social security number, click “Your Parent/Legal Guardian does not have a SSN or will need to provide a different identification number.” Fill in the alternative identification number that they have.

1. Confirm

18. What year did your parents begin living in NC? yyyy

1. Confirm

19. NC Tax Filing (you will have to complete a separate page for each parent:

1. Did your parents file a tax return in North Carolina? Yes or No

2. Select the most recent tax filing year: tax year 2020 or tax year 2019

3. What was their filing method? Mailed or Electronic

4. Residency category? Full year, partial or nonresident

5. Did anyone claim you as a dependent? Yes or No

6. Confirm

20. Complete the section by adding any vehicles registered under your parent(s)’s name in North Carolina. You will also have to provide each parent’s license number.

21. You should be classified as “In-State (Pending).” It supplies you with an “RCN” number in green—you put this on your college applications to prove that you are an in-state student. If you were not labeled “in-state,” notify your College Adviser immediately. Your status will be verified over the following days and you will be notified by email and text if something has changed. Monitor your email and log back in after a few days to verify your status as in-state.