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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 physical and 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 application and readmission to UWF should be
directed to the Office of Admissions. Questions related to new
non-degree students should contact the Office of the Registrar.
Questions regarding a change in residency status for currently enrolled
students should be directed to the Office of the Registrar.
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” 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; e.g., full-time students working part-time jobs or not
working at all may have difficulty in establishing residency. 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. 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:
- 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
- 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):
- 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
- 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:
- Florida voter registration,
- Florida driver's license,
- Florida vehicle registration,
- Proof of real property ownership in Florida
(e.g., deed, tax receipts),
- Florida occupational license,
- Declaration of Domicile,
- Letter on company letterhead from an employer verifying permanent
employment in Florida for the 12 consecutive months before classes begin,
- Proof of membership in or affiliation with community
or State organizations or significant connections to
the State,
- Proof of reliance upon Florida sources of support, or
- 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.
- No contrary evidence establishing residence elsewhere.
Special Categories for Temporary Florida Residency
- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty stationed in Florida and
their spouse and dependents.
- Full-time instructional or administrative employees of Florida public
schools, community colleges, or institutions of higher education and their
spouse and dependents.
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