Florida Residency

All students who apply online will be admitted as non-Florida residents until providing the required supporting documentation needed to prove Florida residency before the first day of the term. Students who were not born in the United States must provide evidence of eligible legal immigration status in the U.S. before they may be considered for Florida resident fees.

Are you a Florida Resident?

YES__ Submit proof of Florida Residency

All documents supporting the establishment of Florida residency for tuition classification purposes must:

  • Be dated, issued, or filed at least twelve (12) months before the first day of the term in which the Florida residency-for-tuition-purposes classification is requested.
  • Be received no later than the 100% refund date for the term in which Florida residency is being requested; otherwise, the Florida classification for tuition purposes will be effective the following term.
  • Show that all names listed on each of the documents match.

Florida Resident Form

NO__ STOP

You do not qualify for in-state fees. Please see if you qualify for an out-of-state fee waiver at the end of this document.

Non Florida Resident Form

Are you Independent or Dependent?

Independent Student Criteria

Students age 24 and over

- OR -

Students under the age of 24 who meet one of the following criteria and provide the indicated documents:

  • Prove 50% or more of their own support, as indicated by the previous year IRS tax return transcripts defined by the amount on the institution's Cost of Attendance. Independent students cannot be claimed as a dependent by another person on their taxes; or
  • Proof of marriage, as indicated by a marriage license; or
  • United States Military Service: Active duty via current military orders or veteran as indicated on form DD214;
  • Be a ward of the court, as indicated on court documents;
  • Determined an unaccompanied homeless youth by a Florida school district homeless liaison, or by a staff member of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program

Dependent Student Criteria

Dependent student is any person, whether or not living with his or her parent or legal guardian, who is eligible to be claimed by his or her parent or legal guardian as a dependent under the federal income tax code.

  • Documentation in the form of IRS tax return transcripts, birth certificate or court documentation may be required to prove relationship

Dependent students' claimant (parent or legal guardian) must provide proof of Florida residency.

Documentary Evidence

The residency determination must be documented by the submission of written or electronic verification that includes two or more of the documents identified in this paragraph. No single piece of evidence shall be conclusive.

The documents must include at least one of the following:

  • Florida voter's registration card.
  • Florida driver’s license (licenses from any other state must be relinquished).
  • State of Florida identification card (if no evidence of ties to another state exists).
  • 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.
  • Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida.
  • Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (2 or more years) if the Florida high school diploma or Florida GED was earned within the last 12 months.
  • Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week for a consecutive 12-month period (W-2’s may be requested if documentation is inconclusive).

The documents may include one or more of the following:

  • Declaration of domicile in Florida (12 months from the date the document was sworn and subscribed as noted by the Clerk of Circuit Court).
  • Florida professional or occupational license.
  • Florida incorporation.
  • Document evidencing verifiable family ties to a Florida resident.
  • Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization.
  • 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.

Florida High School Waiver Criteria
A student, regardless of immigration status, who has attended a Florida high school for three consecutive years, graduated from a Florida high school, and enrolls in a public post-secondary institution within 24 months of graduation, is eligible to pay tuition at the in-state rate.

Veteran Out-of-State Fee Waiver Criteria
Military separation documentation, such as the most recent Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (i.e. DD Form 214) to demonstrate veteran and honorable discharge status. A current Florida driver license or Florida identification card and any other documentation to demonstrate physical residence in Florida.

A student who does not meet one of the criteria outlined may be classified as an independent student only if he or she submits documentation that more than fifty (50) percent of the Cost of Attendance for independent, in-state students as defined by the institution, has been provided.