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Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes

Daytona State's fees and tuition are based upon a student or in the case of a dependent child their parent or legal guardians’ status as a legal permanent Florida resident. Documents used for establishing residency are due in the Admissions Office by the first day of classes. Failure to submit all required documents will result in the assessment of the full cost of tuition for classes.

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. 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. There must be an absence of conflicting information. Residency determinations are made in accordance with section 1009.21 of the Florida State Statutes and State Board Rule 6A-10.044 which outlines the legal parameters for establishing residency for tuition purposes.

  • To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the student must be a U.S. citizen, a foreign national in a nonimmigrant visa classification that grants the legal ability to establish a bona fide domicile in the United States, a permanent resident alien, parolee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, legal alien granted indefinite stay by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or other qualified alien as defined under federal law. All non-U.S. citizen students seeking classification as a Florida resident for tuition purposes are required to submit documentation of their legal status in the United States as issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services office.

 • 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.   The list can be found on page 4 of the Florida Residency Declaration for Tuition Purposes. For more information contact the Admissions Office.

 

The documentation necessary to verify residency may be different for “dependent” and “independent” students. Dependent students normally use their parent/guardian’s documentation for residency, whereas, independent students use their own documentation. An independent student is generally:

  • At least 24
  • Married
  • A veteran or member of the armed forces
  • Ward of the court
  • Someone with legal dependent other than a spouse, pursuant to the United States Department of Education for the purposes of financial aid eligibility.

For dependent students, the “claimant” is the parent/guardian; for independent students, the student is the “claimant.” For more information regarding dependency, please see an Admissions Advisor.

 

Documentation:

The claimant must provide the Admissions office with a completed Residency Declaration and originals or legible copies of the documents used to document residency prior to the first day of classes. The claimant must submit at least two of the following items with dates that evidence the 12 month qualifying period. At least one of the documents must be from the tier one list. No single document is considered conclusive and there must be no conflicting evidence present. Note that while the Admissions office makes every attempt to validate residency documentation as entered on the Declaration, the ultimate responsibility to ensure residency requirements have been satisfied belongs to the student.

 

First Tier (at least one of the two documents submitted must be from this list):

  • A Florida voter’s registration card.
  • A Florida driver’s license.
  • 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 individual or by the individual’s parent if the individual is a dependent child.
  • Proof of permanent home in Florida occupied as primary residence for 12 consecutive months prior to the student’s enrollment. (Required: document such as a deed and other evidence documenting use as primary residence, or a lease of multiple years’ duration with proof of payment) or Proof of a
  • Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida.
  • 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 for a consecutive 12-month period.

 

Tier 2 (may be used in conjunction with one document from Tier 1):

  • A declaration of domicile in Florida.
  • A Florida professional or occupational license.
  • Florida incorporation.
  • A document evidencing family ties in Florida.
  • Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization.
  • Any other documentation that supports the student’s request for resident status, including, but not limited to, utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments or a lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments.
  • Examples of “other” documentation:
  • Utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
  • Lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
  • Official state, federal, or court documents evidencing legal ties to Florida
  • Unacceptable documentation includes a hunting/fishing license, a library card, a concealed weapons permit, a shopping club/rental card or a birth certificate or passport.

 

Any student who seeks reclassification as a Florida resident must complete and submit an updated Residency Declaration prior to the start date of the term in which they seek reclassification. Reclassification will require the claimant to provide at least one document from the tier 1 list and 2 other documents from either the tier 1 or 2 category that are a year old prior to the start date of classes for a total of 3 items (please see list above). Continuous full-time enrollment at Daytona State College or any college during your qualifying period may make you ineligible for reclassification for in-state tuition. Please consult with an Admissions Advisor for possible exceptions. All residency reclassification documentation must be submitted no later than the first day of classes for the term in which reclassification is sought. Any question about this procedure or filing an appeal should be directed to the Admissions Office on the Daytona Beach Campus at (386) 506-3642.

 

Residency Appeals

Residency decisions must be appealed in writing. Submit the Residency Appeal form, available from the Admissions Office, with all supporting documentation to the Admissions Office on the Daytona Beach Campus, attention to the Associate Director of Admissions. The appeal will be reviewed and a response provided to the student’s FalconMail email account.