To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the student must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or a legal alien granted indefinite stay by U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, and must have established physical and legal residence in Florida for at least the last 12 consecutive months. Students who do not meet these basic criteria cannot be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes. Questions regarding residency status upon application and readmission to UWF should be directed to the Graduate School. Questions regarding a change of residency status for currently enrolled students should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
Determination of Dependent or Independent Status
Students enrolled in a graduate program (master’s, specialist, or doctoral) are considered independent for residency purposes. Graduate students wishing to claim dependent status should contact the Graduate School (new graduate students) or the Office of the Registrar (change of residency status) for required information to prove dependent status.
Residency Documentation
In addition to being a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or legal alien granted indefinite stay by INS, a student must provide the following documentation one week prior to the first day of classes for any given semester:
Status
- Students enrolled in a graduate program are considered independent for residency purposes (petitioners are not required to evidence their independent status), OR
- If basing residency classification on spouse's residency status: documentation of being the spouse of someone who has resided in the state of Florida for the previous 12 months with the intent of establishing a permanent home (requires the marriage certificate, the residency statement and supporting documentation of the spouse, plus a photo copy of the student’s Florida driver’s license, voter registration, or vehicle registration), OR
- If claiming dependent status: documentation of dependent status and documentation that your parent, legal guardian, or adult relative (resided with for 5 years), has resided in the state of Florida for the previous 12 months with the intent of establishing a permanent home (requires copy of current IRS return from parent, legal guardian or adult relative and the residency statement and supporting documentation submitted will be that of the parent, etc.); AND
Residence
Documentation establishing legal residence in Florida by one of two means (must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which resident status is sought):
- Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida in which the student has resided for at least one year prior to the first day of classes, OR
- Proof that the student has maintained residence in Florida for the preceding year (e.g., rent receipts, canceled checks or notarized statement from a landlord); AND
Establishment of Domicile
Documentation establishing bona fide domicile in Florida which is not temporary or merely incidental to enrollment in a Florida institution of higher education must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which resident status is sought. The following documents will be considered evidence of domicile even though no single criterion will be considered as conclusive evidence of domicile:
- Florida voter's registration card
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida identification card
- Florida vehicle registration
- Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the individual or by the individual's parent if the individual is a dependent child (e.g., deed, tax receipts)
- Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida
- Florida professional or occupational license
- Florida incorporation
- Declaration of Domicile in Florida
- Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week for the 12 consecutive months before classes begin (e.g., letter on company letterhead from an employer verifying permanent employment)
- Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization
- A document evidencing family ties in Florida
- Any other documentation that supports the student's request for resident status, including, but not limited to, utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; a lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; or an official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida
No Contrary Evidence
No contrary evidence establishing or maintaining residence elsewhere.
Special Categories for Temporary Florida Residency
- Active duty members of the Armed Services of the U.S. stationed in Florida and their spouses and dependents
- Full-time instructional or administrative employees of Florida public schools, community colleges, or institutions of higher education and their spouse and dependents
- Students a part of the Latin American/Caribbean Scholarship Program
- U.S. citizens living on the Isthmus of Panama and have completed 12 consecutive months of college work at the FSU Panama Canal Branch, and their spouses or dependent children
- Participants of Southern Regional Education Board’s Academic Common Market
- Full-time employees of state agencies or political subdivisions of the state when the student fees are paid by the state agency or political subdivision for the purpose of job-related law enforcement or corrections training
- McKnight Fellowship recipients who are U.S. citizens
- Active drilling members of the Florida National Guard who qualify under Florida statute for the tuition assistance program
- Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States and their spouses/dependent children attending a public college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed, if such a military establishment is within a county contiguous to Florida
- Active duty members of the Canadian military residing or stationed in Florida under the North American Air Defense (NORAD) Agreement, and their spouses and dependent children, attending a public community college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed
- U.S. citizens living outside the U.S. who are teaching at a Department of Defense Dependent School or in an American International School and who enroll in a graduate level education program which leads to a Florida teaching certificate
- Active duty members of a foreign nation's military who are serving as liaison officers and are residing or stationed in Florida, and their spouses and dependent children, attending a community college or state university within 50 miles of the military establishment where the foreign liaison officer is stationed
Alabama Differential Out-of-State Tuition
Residents of Alabama are eligible for the Alabama Differential Tuition Plan, a reduced out-of-state tuition rate. For more information, new students should contact the Graduate School and currently enrolled students should contact the Office of the Registrar.
Alabama residents must be U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens, or legal aliens granted indefinite stay by INS, and meet one of the following requirements to qualify for differential tuition:
- Be an independent person, according to the Federal Income Tax Code, who has established and maintained legal ties within the state of Alabama as evident by a combination of driver’s license, vehicle registration, voter registration, Declaration of Domicile, etc. for the previous 12 months. If qualifying as a spouse of a legal resident of Alabama, a copy of the marriage certificate is also required.
- Be a dependent person, according to the Federal Income Tax Code, whose parent or legal guardian has established and maintained legal ties within the state of Alabama as evident by a combination of parent/guardian's most recent IRS tax return (section listing dependents) and parent/legal guardian's driver's license, vehicle registration, voter registration, Declaration of Domicile, etc. for the previous 12 months.
- Be a member of the Armed Services of the United States, on active military duty pursuant to military orders, who is stationed within the state of Alabama or whose state of legal residence, as evident by the HOR or LES, is Alabama. If qualifying as a spouse of a qualified armed services member, a copy of the marriage certificate is also required. The most recent IRS tax return (section listing dependents) may be required for a dependent child.
Change of Residency Status
Change of Residency or reclassification procedures apply to any student who attended UWF within the last three semesters and is requesting a change to his or her residency status. A student who has been enrolled, while classified as a “non-Florida resident for tuition purposes” and wishes to be considered for reclassification as a “Florida resident for tuition purposes,” should file with the Office of the Registrar a “Request for Change of Residency Status” form, with copies of supporting documentation attached. The request and documentation must be submitted one week (7 days) prior to the first day of classes for any given semester.
This request for reclassification is also required for students who are active duty or discharged members of the Armed Forces who wish to change from non-Florida or temporary Florida resident to Florida resident status.
Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence. An individual must be able to demonstrate that his/her activities in Florida during the qualifying period are not primarily student related. Residency in Florida must be for the purpose of establishing a permanent home and not merely incidental to enrollment at an institution of higher education. A period of non-enrollment during the 12 month qualifying period may be required. In addition, university residence halls, fraternities, sororities, scholarship houses, and other UWF campus addresses are not permanent addresses for residency purposes. The burden of proof of permanent residence lies with the student. Requirements for residency for tuition purposes may be found in the Admissions section of this Catalog.
