Overview
Florida residency for tuition purposes is different from establishing Florida residency for many other reasons, such as registration in the K-12 school system.
Your residence in Florida must be for establishing a permanent home and not incidental to college enrollment. Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes. Students who depend on out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.
A Florida resident for tuition purposes is:
- An independent person who has established and maintained legal residency in Florida at least 12 consecutive months before the first day of the term, or
- A dependent person whose parent has established and maintained legal residency in Florida at least 12 consecutive months before the first day of the term. A parent is either one of the parents of the student, any guardian of the student, or any person who has been in a parental relationship to the student.
Do you qualify?
To qualify for Florida residency for tuition purposes, you must be one of the following:
- A U.S. citizen
- A Permanent resident alien (possess a Green Card)
- A legal alien granted indefinite stay by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
Non U.S. Citizens
Certain non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, temporary permanent residents, asylees, parolees and refugees who have applied for and been approved for such status, and who otherwise meet the 12-month legal residence requirements, are eligible to establish Florida residency for tuition purposes. It is not necessary to wait 12 months from the date he/she becomes an eligible alien (e.g., the date the resident alien card [I-551] is issued).
Required: Proof of permanent immigration status
Non-U.S. Citizens With Certain Visa Categories
Students who are non-U.S. citizens in the following visa categories are eligible to petition for Florida's discounted tuition rates:
- A - Government official
- E - Treaty trader or investor
- G - Representative of international organization
- H1B - Temporary worker performing professional services or in a specialty occupation
- I ——外国信息媒体的代表
- K - Fiancé of U.S. citizen
- L - Intra-company transferee (including spouse or child)
- N - Parent or child of alien accorded special immigrant status
- 0-1 - Workers of “extraordinary” ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics
- R - Religious workers
- NATO I-7 - Representatives and employees of NATO and their families
- S - Alien witnesses and informants, including spouse and Children
- T - Victims of trafficking (and spouse and children) who cooperate with federal authorities in prosecutions of traffickers
- U - Victims of certain crimes, including spouse and children
- V - Spouse and children of lawful permanent residents
Other Non-U.S. Citizen Categories
Non-U.S. citizens who fall within the following categories shall also be considered eligible to establish residency for tuition purposes:
- Citizens of Micronesia
- Citizens of the Marshall Islands
- Individuals granted Withholding of Removal status
- Individuals granted Suspension of Deportation status or Cancellation of Removal.
- Individuals granted Asylum
- Applicants for Adjustment of Status
- Individuals granted Refugee status
- Individuals granted Parolee status
- Applicants for Asylum
- Individuals defined as Cuban or Haitian entrants under the Refugee Education Assistance Act All students who are unable to provide proof of Florida residency by the first day of classes for their first term and attend classes as out-of-state students must petition for reclassification through the Office of the Registrar in order to obtain Florida residency for tuition purposes.
Santa Fe College will notify students through their SantaFe account (My Status) if they are required to submit proof of citizenship.
Exceptions
Certain circumstances may excuse students from needing to prove the 12-month legal residency requirement. Documentation is still required, however, to prove that they qualify for any exception. The persons listed below shall be classified as residents for tuition purposes.
For purposes of this booklet, an Institution of Higher Education (IHE) means any charter technical career center as defined in s. 1002.34, career center operated by a school district as defined in s. 1001.44, Florida College System institution as defined in s. 1000.21(3), or state university as defined in s. 1000.21(6).
- Persons who were enrolled as Florida residents for tuition purposes at a Florida public IHE, but who abandoned Florida domicile and then re-enrolled in Florida within 12 months of the abandonment– provided that he/she continuously maintained the re-established domicile during the period of enrollment. (This benefit only applies one time.)
- Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States residing or stationed in Florida (and spouse/dependent children) and; active drilling members of the Florida National Guard [s. 1009.21(10)(a), F.S.]; or military personnel not stationed in Florida whose home of record or state of legal residence certificate, DD Form 2058, is Florida (and spouse/dependent children).
- Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States and their spouses/dependent children attending a public college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed, if such military establishment is within a county contiguous to Florida.
- United States citizens living on the Isthmus of Panama, who have completed 12 consecutive months of college work at the Florida State University Panama Canal Branch, and their spouses and dependent children.
- Full-time instructional and administrative personnel employed by the public school system and IHEs (and spouse/dependent children).
- Students from Latin America and the Caribbean who receive scholarships from the federal or state government. The student must attend, on a full-time basis, an IHE.
- Southern Regional Education Board’s Academic Common Market graduate students attending Florida’s state universities.
- Full-time employees of state agencies or political subdivisions of the state when the student fees are paid by the state agency or political subdivision for the purpose of job-related law enforcement or corrections training.
- McKnight Doctoral Fellows and Finalists who are United States citizens.
- United States citizens living outside the United States who are teaching at a Department of Defense Dependent School or in an American International School and who enroll in a graduate level education program which leads to a Florida teaching certificate.
- Active duty members of the Canadian military residing or stationed in this state under the North American Air Defense (NORAD) agreement, and their spouses and dependent children, attending a public community college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed.
- Active duty members of a foreign nation’s military who are serving as liaison officers and are residing or stationed in this state, and their spouses and dependent children, attending a community college or state university within 50 miles of the military establishment where the foreign liaison officer is stationed.
- Qualified beneficiaries under the Stanley G. Tate Florida Pre-Paid College Program per s. 1009.98, F.S. (Pre-Paid ID Card Required).
- Linkage Institute participants receiving partial or full exemptions from s. 1009.21, F.S., based on criteria approved by the Florida Department of Education per s. 288.8175(5), F.S., which establishes linkage institutes between postsecondary institutions in this state and foreign countries.
Waivers
There are certain provisions within Florida Statute that allow for the out-of-state portion of fees to be waived, if the student cannot be classified as a Florida resident. A student who qualifies for these waivers will still be responsible for the in-state portion of fees. All attempts to be classified as a Florida resident should be made prior to exploring these options.
- Any student, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students, who meets all of the following criteria qualifies for a waiver of out-of-state fees:
- Attended a Florida high school for at least three years immediately prior to graduation from a public or private school.
- Graduated from a Florida high school.
- Applied to a Florida state college or university within 24 months of high school graduation.
An official high school transcript and verification of an application to a Florida state college or university are required to prove eligibility for this waiver. A student who uses this provision to waive out-of-state fees is not eligible for state or federal financial aid.
- Any veteran of the United States Armed Forces with an equivalent of an honorable discharge on record is qualified for a waiver of out-of-state fees if he/ she is currently residing in Florida. A copy of the student’s DD-214 and a valid Florida ID proving that the veteran resides in Florida must be provided for this waiver. The student must apply for this waiver each semester.
- Any active duty member of the United States Armed Forces is qualified for a waiver of out-of-state fees if he/she is residing or stationed past 50 miles outside of the state of Florida. A copy of the student’s current Military Orders showing proof that Active Duty Member is residing past 50 miles outside of Florida or a copy of his/her most recent Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) must be provided for this waiver. The student must apply for this waiver each semester.
In accordance with Florida House Bill 851, these waivers are applicable to no more than 110 percent of the required credit hours for the degree or certificate program in which the student enrolls. Courses that are outside the required curriculum for the student’s program of study will be billed at the out-of-state tuition rate. Changing the program of study or the courses in which the student enrolls may affect his or her tuition rate and the total cost of the degree or certificate program.
Tuition Exemptions
Florida Statutes provide some tuition and fee exemptions for students who fall under the categories below (appropriate documentation required):
- Students who are homeless. (Required: Unaccompanied Youth form, which is available from the student's high school.)
- Students who are or were in foster care or adopted from the Department of Children and Families (DCF) after May 5, 1997.
- Students who have been placed in the custody of a relative or non-relative by DCF.
- Students who are dependents of Deceased Teachers or School Administrators.
- Students who are the spouse and/or dependents of Public Safety Officers killed in the line of duty.
- Students who have been wrongfully incarcerated.
- Students who are in foster care.
- Students who are in the Welfare Transition Program. Students who are eligible to receive an exemption based on one of the circumstances above should speak with an admissions advisor in Room R-101 at the Northwest Campus.
How does it work?
The tuition you pay is determined by your residency classification, which means that Florida residents pay a much lower (discounted) tuition rate than out-of-state residents.
In accordance with Florida Department of Education Rule 6A-10.044, in order to receive discounted tuition (Florida residency for tuition purposes), residency documentation must meet the following requirement:
- For documentation to be "clear and convincing," it must be credible, trustworthy, and sufficient to persuade the institution that the student, or if that student is a dependent, his or her parent, has established legal residency in Florida that is not solely for the purpose of pursuing an education AND has relinquished residency in any other state for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to classification.
Florida law specifies requirements for determining the person responsible for proving Florida residency. This person is known as the claimant.
Students and/or claimants, therefore, who have chosen not to surrender their previous driver's licenses from other states and obtain a Florida driver's license within 30 days of establishing residency in Florida will not be eligible for discounted tuition until 12 months from the date of issuance of the driver's license. Learn more at dmvflorida.org/moving-to-florida.shtml. You have the right to appeal a denied decision to the Residency Appeal Committee. Your notice of appeal must be received by the Office of the Admissions within 10 business days of denial. The appeal must include any new documentation you want to be considered.
Why is it important?
Any student who applies for admission will automatically admitted as non-Florida resident until the required documents and forms are submitted to prove that Florida residency. You will be charged out-of-state tuition if you do not supply this information by the first day of classes. In order to pay the reduced Florida tuition rate for subsequent terms, students must go through the residency reclassification process.
Step 1: Determine Dependent or Independent Status
A dependent student means that the student is not the claimant.
A student who is under the age of 24 by the first day of the term is automatically considered dependent on at least one parent. In this case, one of the student’s parents is the claimant. If the student’s birth parent is the claimant, there is no need to prove guardianship unless the student has a different last name from his/her parent. If the student’s last name is different from his/her parent’s last name, the student must provide a birth certificate showing that the claimant is his/her parent. If the parent’s name is currently different than what it was on the student’s birth certificate, the student must provide legal proof of the parent’s name change either through a marriage certificate or official court documents. An official tax transcript from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the most recent tax year that shows the parent claimed the student as a dependent may also be used.
A student who is under the age of 24 by the first day of the term for the first term of attendance and who is dependent on someone other than a birth parent needs to provide proof of dependence upon that person. This proof may be either official tax transcripts from the IRS for the previous three years showing the guardian has claimed the student as dependent or legal guardianship documentation from a U.S. Court. Guardians who do not meet these requirements but who have maintained a parental relationship with the student for the previous consecutive 12 months prior to the first day of class will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
A student who is married to a Florida resident and is unable to establish Florida residency on his/her own may use a spouse as the claimant. The student must provide a marriage certificate, plus required documentation proving the spouse’s Florida residency. In addition, the student must provide documentation to verify that Florida is his/her place of residence.
A dependent student means that the student is the claimant.
A student who is 24 years old or older by the first day of classes is automatically classified as independent and does not need to provide proof of independence.
A student under the age of 24 upon the first day of the term who wishes to be the claimant must provide documentation of one of the following:
- A student who is married must provide a marriage certificate.
- A student who provides more than 50% of the cost of attendance must provide tax transcripts from the most recent tax year from the IRS to reflect that this amount was earned and that the student claimed a personal exemption for themselves on the return. The cost of attendance varies each year based on the Financial Aid cost of attendance calculation. If the tax transcript does not show that the minimum amount was earned, the student may also prove income for the most recent 12 months with an earnings verification statement from their employer(s) or with pay stubs. If the student does not have a tax transcript from the most recent tax year, parent's tax transcripts showing that the student was not claimed as a dependent may be used in addition to the proof of earnings.
- A student who is classified as independent by the Santa Fe College Office of Financial Aid must provide a written request to the Office of Admissions for independence verification.
- A student who claims a child or other person as a dependent on federal income taxes must provide a tax transcript from the most recent tax year from the IRS to reflect that the student claimed an individual as his/her dependent, or provide a letter from day care indicating student's and dependent's names, amount paid by the student and dates paid, or provide food assistance documents, or Medicaid forms showing student is head of household.
- A student who is a veteran or is currently serving the United States Armed Forces on active duty, or a student who is currently serving the National Guard or Reserves in active duty under Title 10 orders must provide his/her current orders or separation documents (DD214) from the military or Title 10 orders.
- A student whose parents are deceased must provide the death certificate(s) for both parents and student's birth certificate.
- A student who was a ward of the court or in foster care and has now been released must provide court papers showing release from foster care.
- A student who is determined to be an unaccompanied homeless person (McKinney-Vento Act) by a school district homeless liaison must provide documentation from the school district regarding his/her status or provide a letter from a certified homeless agency.
- A student who is working on a master's or doctoral degree at a Florida institution during the term for which Florida residency status is sought must provide an enrollment verification document.
2. Provide documents to prove residency
Once determining a dependent or independent status, the claimant will need to provide two of the documents below. Both documents must show that the claimant has lived in Florida for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of classes.
The statute classifies the possible documents into two categories: First Tier and Second Tier. At least one document must come from the First Tier, and the second document may come from either tier.
- A Florida voter’s registration card
- A valid Florida driver’s license or a state of Florida identification card
- A Florida vehicle registration
- Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the claimant (One of the following: warranty deed, title insurance policy, homeowner's insurance policy and proof of payment for the
previous 12 months, evidence of property tax payment on the primary residence for the most recent year, or a lease of multiple year's duration where claimant has lived more than 12 months prior to the first day of class of the term). - Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida
- Student's transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (2 or more years) if the Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within the last 12 months
- Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week
- A declaration of domicile in Florida dated 12 months previous to the first day of class(es).
- A Florida professional or occupational license.
- Documents providing proof of membership in a Florida corporation.
- Utility bills with proof of 12 consecutive months of payments.
- A lease agreement with proof of 12 consecutive months of payments.
- A Declaration Evidencing Family Ties in Florida, along with supporting documents.
- Any other documentation that supports the student's request for resident status, including official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida.
The following documents cannot be submitted to claim residency:
- Birth certificate
- Library card
- Shopping Club/Rental Card
- Auto insurance
- Bank statements
- Passport
- Hunting/Fishing license
- Social Security card
- Standard mail
- Cell phone statements
Residency Declaration
Submit the Florida Residency Declaration form and required documents to the via fax or email.
Residency Status
Log into eSantaFe to view the status of your residency application under "My Status."
Check Residency Status