Under Florida law, being a legal Florida resident does not automatically qualify you for in-state tuition.
A "Florida resident for tuition purposes" is a person who has, or a dependent person whose parent, legal guardian, or spouse has established and maintained legal residence in Florida for at least twelve months prior to the first day of the term. Please Note: Students, who depend on out-of-state parents for support, are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.
All claimants for Florida residency for tuition purposes must submit a residency declaration for tuition purposes form. New and readmission applicants should complete the residency declaration at the time of application for admission/readmission.
Currently enrolled students who were initially classified as nonresidents for tuition purposes and now wish to seek reclassification to Florida Resident for Tuition Purposes must submit a Residency Reclassification Form.
Students who are not Florida residents for tuition purposes will be assessed an out of state fee. This fee will make the tuition bill for an undergraduate out of state student approximately 3 1/2 times higher than the tuition bill for an undergraduate Florida resident. The graduate tuition bill for an out of state student is approximately 2 1/2 times higher than the graduate tuition bill for a Florida resident.
The determination of dependent or independent student status is important because it is the basis for whether the student has to submit his/her own documentation for residency (as an independent) or his/her parent's or guardian's documentation of residency (as a dependent).
Independent Student. A student who meets any of the following criteria shall be classified as an independent student for the determination of residency for tuition purposes:
A student who does not meet any of the criteria outlined above may be classified as an independent student only if he or she submits documentation that he or she provides fifty (50) percent or more of the cost of attendance for independent, in-state students as defined by the Office of Financial Aid at Florida State University (exclusive of federal, state, and institutional aid or scholarships).
Dependent Student.
All other students who do not meet the above definition of an independent student shall be classified as dependent students for the determination of residency for tuition purposes.
No, however, you may be eligible for a waiver of the out of state fee. Eligibility for the waiver is determined based upon evidence of attendance at a Florida secondary school for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation and application for admission to an institution of higher education within 24 months of high school graduation.
Home ownership does not automatically qualify you for Florida residency for tuition purposes. Residence in Florida must be as a bona fide domicile rather than for the purpose of maintaining a residence incident to enrollment at an institution of higher education. Owning property in Florida, while residing in another state, will not of its own merit meet residency requirements.
To be considered a "Florida Resident for Tuition Purposes" you must prove through official and/or legal documents that you or the claimant have established bona fide domicile in the state of Florida for at least 12 months preceding the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought. You do not receive credit for any time that you spent in the state in prior years.
No. Living near the state of Florida does not grant the student residency for tuition purposes. However, active duty military personnel and their dependents stationed within 50 miles of the Florida border may claim residency based on the official military orders. Official documentation is subject to evaluation and verification.
Just graduating from a Florida high school is not sufficient proof of Florida residency for tuition purposes. As examples, you might live in another state and be attending a Florida school as a boarding student in a private school; or you may have moved from another state during your senior year and have less than the requisite 12 months required for residency for tuition purposes. You must still submit the appropriate documentation to prove your bona fide domicile in the state of Florida for at least 12 months preceding the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought.
If your documentation was recently renewed in accordance with state policy/regulation, you may submit the original date of issue on the residency declaration. However, you may be asked to provide additional documentation to verify the dates you report.
