Residency for In-State Tuition
To be eligible for in-state tuition, the student or parent must have been a Florida resident, as defined by state law for tuition purposes, for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the term.
If the student qualifies as a dependent on a parent’s federal income taxes, the student is considered a dependent student and one of the parents must provide proof of their residency.
If the student is 24-years-old or older, they are considered an independent student and the student - not the parents - must provide proof of residency. If the student is under 24-years-old and married, active military personnel, a veteran, orphan, previously a ward of the state, in foster care, or provide more than 50% of their own financial support, the student may also be considered an independent student.
The Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes (PDF) provides additional information about the laws and rules for in-state tuition.
To prove residency for tuition purposes, students will need to present at least two pieces of documentation with dates that prove the student or their parents were a Florida resident for at least 365 days before the first day of class. Colleges and universities may require additional documentation, especially if there appears to be some inconsistency between the documentation and the admissions application.
Documentation must include at least one item from the list below. If the student is a dependent student, the document must be in the name of one of their parents. If the student is an independent student, the document must be in the student’s name.
- Florida driver’s license
- Florida vehicle registration
- State of Florida identification card
- Florida voter’s registration card
- Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is a primary resident of the student or student’s parents if the student is a dependent
- Proof of homestead exemption in Florida
- Transcripts from Florida high school for two or more years if a diploma was earned within the last 12 months
- Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida (30 hours a week for 12 consecutive months).
If the student only has one document from the list above, they may use one or more of the additional documents listed below:
- Declaration of domicile in Florida
- Florida professional or occupational license
- Florida incorporation
- Evidence of verifiable family ties to a Florida resident, as defined by tuition purposes
- Evidence of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization
- Court document demonstrating legal ties to Florida
- 12 consecutive months of utility or lease payments