PHOENIX - Cochise College has the highest percentage of students not entitled to in-state tuition of any community college in the state.

The figures were provided by college officials to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee to comply with Proposition 300. That measure, approved by voters in November, says only those students who are U.S. citizens or legally in this country are entitled to pay the lower tuition charged to Arizona residents.

That difference is significant: Residents pay $47 per credit, versus $68 per credit for out-of-state students taking up to six credit hours, and $232 per credit for those taking a heavier class load.

The same law denies any financial aid that is subsidized at all with state taxpayer funds. But Cochise reported no students who were ineligible applying for that aid.

Cochise College reported that 2,756 students were eligible for in-state status, and 279 students were not entitled to in-state status because they were not U.S. citizens or legal resident or were without lawful immigration status.

Of those, 885 were reported as seeking financial assistance.

Figures from community colleges around the state varied greatly, as each interpreted the new state law slightly different.

For example, Pima Community College reported 321 students not entitled to be classified as in-state students against more than 48,000 entitled to the resident tuition. But that 321 also includes students who did not seek resident status and were automatically charged the higher out-of-state fees.

And the college said 23 people who sought state-subsidized financial aid out of more than 11,800 were denied for lack of proof of legal presence.

The Maricopa Community Colleges found 874 students at all campuses combined ineligible for resident tuition versus more than 33,900 who get to pay the lower residency rate. And nearly 160 applications for financial aid were rejected out of more than 16,700 requests.

Among other community colleges, Central Arizona College and Yavapai Community College each reported it had only one student not entitled to in-state tuition. That figure was four at Coconino Community College and 19 at Arizona Western College.

The University of Arizona reported more than 870 students being denied in-state tuition because they have not proven they are in this country legally.

The statistics as of June 30 said there were 30,177 students signed up for classes in the fall semester.

That does not mean everyone else is either a citizen or legal U.S. resident. Nearly 4,600 of these did not have their status verified because they have not requested to pay the lower tuition charged to Arizona residents or sought financial aid subsidized with state taxpayer funds.

Figures for Northern Arizona University are not totally comparable. That's because it looked only at new students attending the school this past spring for the first time.

It found just 16 who claimed Arizona residency which could not be verified out of 1,745 new students for the spring semester.

These are the first of what are supposed to be semi-annual reports required under the terms of Proposition 300.

Proposition 300 also denies state-subsidized child care and adult education programs to those illegally in the United States.