Residency
Independent vs. Dependent
DEPENDENT STUDENT
A dependent student is under the age of 24 and a legal resident of the same state
as their parent/legal guardian. To qualify for in-state status, the student's parent/legal
guardian must complete the Request for Reclassification on behalf of the student.
The parent/legal guardian is responsible for providing legal ties to the state of
Florida and demonstrating an absence of legal ties with any other state.
Independent student
A student is considered independent if they meet any of the following requirements:
- 24 years of age prior to the start of the term OR
- A graduate student OR
- Under the age of 24 and married OR
- Under the age of 24 and has a dependent that receives more than half their support from the student OR
- A legally emancipated person OR
- Unaccompanied homeless youth determined by a school district or homeless liaison OR
- Under the age of 24 AND provides a minimum of 51% of their own support.
If the student is under 24 years old, the student must document the source of the financial support and clearly demonstrate that the parent/legal guardian is no longer eligible to claim the student as a dependent for federal income tax purposes.