Forms & Information

Residency

Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes, Florida School Code (SB 20-E) Section 1009.21 Florida Statutes requires that a U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident Alien student or a dependent student's parent/legal guardian establish and maintain a legal Florida residence for at least 12 months before the first day of the semester for which in-state status is sought.

You can only establish in-state status if you intend to reside in the state permanently and establish "domicile" in Florida. Your evidence of intent to be a resident of Florida is demonstrated by the absence of ties to your former state of residence. It is important that you change your permanent address on all pertinent records.

The University of South Florida is required to obtain documentation of 12 months of legal residence before reclassifying you as a resident for tuition purposes. Your intent to establish a residence is evaluated for the domicile year associated with the term for which you are seeking reclassification. Please note, in most cases you may be required to submit a copy of a federal income tax return to substantiate either dependent or independent status, NOTE: There is an automatic presumption that you are "dependent" if you are under 24.

You have until the last day of classes in your first term to request a re-evaluation of your initial residency status by providing sufficient documentation. However, if your residency status is listed as non-Florida at the time that classes begin, you will be assessed out-of-state tuition charges.

Once you have completed your first term at USF, you can request a reclassification of your residency status from the Office of the Registrar.