FLORIDA RESIDENCY FOR TUITION PURPOSES
To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the student (dependent or independent) must be a U.S. Citizen, permanent resident alien, or a legal alien granted indefinite stay by U.S. Immigration, and must have established legal residence in Florida for a least one year. Students who do not meet this basic criteria cannot be classified as residents for tuition purposes. Questions regarding residency status upon initial application to UWF should be directed to the Office of Admissions. Questions regarding a change in residency status after enrollment should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.

Change of Residency Status
A student who has been classified as a "non-Florida resident for tuition purposes" at the time of application, 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" form, with copies of full documentation attached. The request and documentation must be submitted one week 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; i.e., full-time students working part-time jobs may have difficulty in establishing residency. 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. 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.

Students who depend on out-of-state parent(s) or guardian(s) for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents or guardians. These students will not be reclassified as Florida residents for tuition purposes.

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:

1. Documentation of independent status according to the Federal Income Tax Code (petitioners under the age of 24 will be required to submit a copy of their current IRS return as well as their parents' current IRS return to establish they are not claimed as dependents), or
   
   Documentation of dependent status according to the Federal Income Tax Code and documentation that your parent, legal guardian (court appointed), 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.), or
   
   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); and
   
   
2. Documentation establishing legal residence in Florida (must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which resident status is sought):
   
   
   1. 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
      
   2. 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
      
      
3. 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 criteria will be considered as conclusive evidence of domicile:
   
   
   1. Florida voter registration,
      
      
   2. Florida driver's license,
      
      
   3. Florida vehicle registration,
      
      
   4. proof of real property ownership in Florida (e.g., deed, tax receipts),
      
      
   5. Florida occupational license,
      
      
   6. Declaration of Domicile,
      
      
   7. letter on company letterhead from an employer verifying permanent employment in Florida for the 12 consecutive months before classes begin,
      
      
   8. proof of membership in or affiliation with community or State organizations or significant connections to the State,
      
      
   9. proof of reliance upon Florida sources of support, or
      
      
   10. any other factors peculiar to the individual which tend to establish the necessary intent to make Florida a permanent home and that the individual is a bona fide Florida resident, including the age and general circumstances of the individual.
       
       
4. No contrary evidence establishing residence elsewhere.