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Residency Reclassification

A student who is classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes may request to be reclassified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.

Residency Policies

The policy regarding residency for tuition purposes in Florida is comprised of state statutes, rules of the two higher education governing boards in Florida, and statewide guidelines developed by college and university administrators in conjunction with the Statewide Residency Committee and the Florida Department of Education. Section S1009.21 Florida Statutes, outlines the broad legal parameters for establishing residency for tuition purposes in Florida public higher education institutions.

In accordance with S1009.21 Florida Statutes and the Board of Governors Residency Regulation, the Office of the Registrar is required to adhere to specific procedures in making determinations for residency reclassification for students who were initially classified as non-Florida.‌

The burden of proof is on the applicant to present clear and convincing documentation that supports permanent legal residency in this state for at least 12 months, rather than temporary residency for the purpose of pursuing an education.

First-Semester Students

New students to UWF or former students returning to UWF after three (3) consecutive semesters of nonattendance should contact either Undergraduate Admissions or Graduate Admissions (based on the type of admission application being submitted) for assistance in determining residency status for tuition purposes.

Continuing Students

Students seeking a change in residency status for their second or subsequent semester of enrollment (after their first semester of enrollment or first semester of re-enrollment at UWF) should review the Residency Reclassification Information page for submission dates and deadlines, policies, and instructions on completing the Residency Reclassification Form.

Please contact the Office of the Registrar with any questions regarding the reclassification form.

Residency Reclassification Appeals

Students who are denied the reclassification of Florida resident for tuition purposes have the right of appeal. The appeal must be based upon new information that was not made available during the Request for Reclassification.

Students must submit the Residency Appeal form along with additional supporting documentation as soon as possible after receipt of the reclassification decision (i.e. a denial of residency reclassification) and no later than the end of the term for which Florida residency for tuition purposes is desired. The Committee will review all information and documentation submitted with the Appeal, as well as previously submitted documents and related information in the student's academic record.

Additional information regarding reclassification criteria may be found in the Residency Reclassification form. If you have not done the Request for Reclassification, please refer to that process first before submitting an appeal. The Reclassification of Appeal process implies you have been denied in the first reclassification request.

The Residency Appeals Committee is designated to review residency decisions - not the reclassification process nor associated deadlines. These areas of the Residency Reclassification review may not be appealed. All appeals will be reviewed by the Residency Appeal Committee, students will be notified of the committee decision in writing, and all Committee decisions are considered final. Per BOG regulation 7.002(11), appeals related to tuition and fees must be submitted to the University within six months of the close of the semester. Residency appeals may only be considered up to six months after the close of the semester.

The Residency Appeals Committee meets as needed, but no more than once per month during the semester.

Residency Statuses

A Florida “resident for tuition purposes” is a person who has, or a dependent person whose parent or legal guardian has, established and maintained legal residency in Florida for at least twelve (12) consecutive months preceding the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought.

  • Residence in Florida must be a bona fide domicile rather than for the purpose of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education.
  • To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, you must be a U.S. citizen, a foreign national in a non-immigrant visa classification that grants you the legal ability to establish and maintain a bona fide domicile in the United States, a permanent resident alien, parolee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, legal alien granted indefinite stay, or other qualified alien as defined under federal law. Other persons not meeting the twelve-month legal residence requirements may be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes only if they fall within one of the limited special categories authorized by the Florida Legislature pursuant to section 1009.21, Florida Statutes (see Exceptions). All other persons are ineligible for classification as a Florida “resident for tuition purposes."
  • Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence. Students who depend upon out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.
  • Residency for tuition purposes requires the establishment of legal ties to the state of Florida. A student must verify that the student has broken ties to other states if the student or, in the case of a dependent student, his or her parent has moved from another state.

Residents of Alabama are eligible for the Alabama Differential Tuition Plan, a reduced out-of-state tuition rate. Please see our Alabama Residency Information page for more information and a link to the Alabama Differential Out of State Tuition Plan Request.

Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes, permits certain applicants who do not meet the 12-month legal residence requirement to be classified as Florida residents or “temporary residents” for tuition purposes. The institution will require documentation in support of the exceptions; however, the student may not have to show 12 months of residence in Florida prior to qualifying. See the exceptions and qualifications categories below.

Exceptions

Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes, permits certain applicants who do not meet the 12-month legal residence requirement to be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes. The institution will require documentation in support of the exceptions; however, the student may not have to show 12 months of residence in Florida prior to qualifying. See the exceptions and qualifications categories below.

  • Dependent children residing continuously with a legal resident adult relative other than the parent for at least five years immediately prior to the first day of classes of the term which Florida residency is sought.
  • Persons married to legal Florida residents and who intend to make Florida their permanent home, and who relinquish their legal ties to any other state.
  • Persons who were enrolled as Florida residents for tuition purposes at a Florida public institution of higher education, but who abandon Florida residency and then re-enroll in Florida within 12 months of the abandonment – provided that he/she continuously maintains 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); active duty members of the Florida National Guard (and spouse/dependent children) who qualify under 250.10(7) and (8); 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 community 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.
  • U.S. 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 State public school system, community colleges and institutions of higher education (and spouse/dependent children).
  • 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 Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Expense Program per s. 1009.988(2). (Prepaid ID Card Required.)*
  • Linkage Institute participants receiving partial or full exemptions from S. 1009.21, FS, based on criteria approved by the Florida Department of Education per S. 288.8175, FS, which establishes linkage institutes between postsecondary institutions in this state and foreign countries. See Section 7.0, Immigration and International Student Issues, for more information on Linkage Institutes.*

*Qualifying participants should contact The Cashier's Office (cashier@uwf.edu; 850.474.3110) for assistance.