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Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes

Florida International University's Residency for Tuition Purposes is governed under Florida Statute 1009.21, Board of Governors Regulation 7.005, and FIU Regulation 1302.

A Florida resident for tuition purposes refers to whether you qualify as an in-state Florida resident or an out-of-state resident. This classification determines your cost of tuition. Residency for tuition purposes, for newly admitted or readmitted students, known as initial classification, is determined by the Office of Admissions when you apply to the university. 

A currently enrolled student that was classified as an out-of-state resident, and wishes to be considered for reclassification as a Florida resident, can do so via our residency reclassification process. Please note, residency reclassification are reviewed by the Office of the Registrar.

How is Residency Information Collected?

Initial Residency Classification

When applying for admission into the university, you will be prompted to complete a residency classification section. All applicants to the university are required to complete this section. Upon a residency review, additional documentation may be required to support your claim of residency for tuition purposes. Additional documents may be requested via an email to the address listed on your admission application. In addition, a hold will be placed on your enrollment until your residency status is established.

To update your initial residency classification you may complete the residency form.

For a list of your outstanding documents please visit yourMyFIU, then navigate to your 'To Do List' items. Failure to provide required documentation may result in a delayed enrollment. Please note, a hold will be placed on your enrollment until your residency status is established. Students attending Orientation on campus must submit residency documents before the event in order to be able to register for classes.

Residency Reclassification

Students who were initially classified as non-Florida residents (out-of-state) for tuition purposes during the admissions process may become eligible for residency reclassification after completing their first term of enrollment at FIU. The reclassification process is managed by the Office of the Registrar.

To qualify for reclassification, the claimant (the student, or the parent/legal guardian of a dependent student) must provide clear and convincing documentation demonstrating that they have established and maintained permanent legal residency in Florida for at least 12 consecutive months. Residency established solely for educational purposes does not qualify.

Important Notes 

  • Residency reclassification cannot be applied retroactively to previous terms. Any approved change in residency status will apply only to future semesters.

  • Living in Florida or attending school in Florida, by itself, does not establish legal residency for tuition purposes.

  • Submission of a Residency Reclassification Application does not guarantee approval.

How to Apply

Students who have completed at least one term of enrollment at FIU as a non-Florida resident and wish to be considered for in-state tuition rates must submit a Residency Reclassification Application.

Applications must be submitted no later than the first day of classes for the term in which Florida residency is being requested. Applicable deadlines are published on the Academic Calendar. Applications received after the deadline will be considered for the following term.

All sections of the application must be completed and signed by the applicant/claimant. Required supporting documentation must be submitted with the application. Failure to provide all required documentation may delay the review process and could result in denial of the request.

Applicants will receive updates regarding the status of their reclassification request through their FIU email account within 10 business days of submission.

How Do I Qualify for Florida Resident Tuition?

  • Basic Qualifications

    To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, a student or, if that student is a dependent child, his or her parent or parents must have established legal residence in this state and must have maintained legal residence in this state for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is being sought.

    Each admitted student seeking classification as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, or, if the student is a dependent, the student’s parent or legal guardian, must submit a residency declaration accompanied by clear and convincing documentation. Such documentation must be credible, precise, and compelling, sufficient to establish legal residency in the State of Florida. The intent of residency must not be solely for educational purposes, except as otherwise provided by section 1009.21, Florida Statutes.

    Individuals who do not meet the following requirements may be classified as a Florida resident only if they qualify within one of the Florida Residency Exceptions as noted in Section 1009.21, Florida Statutes.

  • Florida Residency Exceptions

    There are some classifications that allow for residency for tuition purposes exception as provided in the Florida College system residency provisions. If you qualify for residency based on permitted exception documentation will be required. The following exceptions are applicable to both initial and residency reclassification.

    • I am a qualified beneficiary under the terms of the Florida Prepaid College Program (s. 1009.98, Florida Statutes.) (Required: Copy of Florida Prepaid Recipient card.)
    • I was previously enrolled at a Florida state postsecondary institution and classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes. I am transferring to another Florida state postsecondary institution within 12 months of the previous enrollment.
    • I was previously enrolled at a Florida state postsecondary institution and classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes. I abandoned my Florida domicile less than 12 months ago and am now re-establishing Florida legal residence.
    • Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States residing in this state and their spouses and dependent children, and active drilling members of the Florida National Guard. (Required: Copy of military orders or DD2058 showing home of record.)
    • Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States and their spouses and dependents attending a Florida College System institution or state university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed, if such military establishment is within a county contiguous to Florida. (Required: Copy of military orders.)
    • 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 Florida College System institution or state university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed. (Required: proof of active duty membership for specified purpose.)
    • 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 Florida College System or state university within 50 miles of the military establishment where the foreign liaison officer is stationed. (Required: proof of active duty membership for specified purpose.)
    • 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. (Required: Copy of marriage certificate or proof of dependency.)
    • Full-time instructional and administrative personnel employed by state public schools and institutions of higher education and their spouses and dependent children.
    • Students from Latin America and the Caribbean who receive scholarships from the federal or state government. Any student classified pursuant to this paragraph shall attend, on a full-time basis, a Florida institution of higher education. (Required: proof of scholarship and Latin America or Caribbean residency.)
    • Southern Regional Education Board’s Academic Common Market graduate students attending Florida’s state universities. (Required: Certification letter from State Academic Common Market Coordinator.)
    • 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. (Required: Verification from graduate studies.)
    • 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.

Who is My Residency Claimant?

A claimant is the person who is providing evidence of the establishment of permanent legal residence in Florida.

“Dependent student” has the same meaning as “dependent child” as defined in section 1009.21, Florida Statutes. “Dependent child” means any person, whether or not living with his or her parent, who is eligible to be claimed by his or her parent as a dependent under the federal income tax code.

However, with respect to a dependent child living with an adult relative other than the child’s parent, such child may qualify as a resident for tuition purposes if the adult relative is a legal resident who has maintained legal residence in this state for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before the child’s initial enrollment in an institution of higher education, provided the child has resided continuously with such relative for the 3 years immediately before the child’s initial enrollment in an institution of higher education, during which time the adult relative has exercised day-to-day care, supervision, and control of the child. A dependent student's claimant may be one of the following:

  • Students parent(s)
  • Legal guardian: A legal guardian is appointed by a legal court system. If the claimant is the court-appointed legal guardian, the student must submit a copy of the court decree naming the claimant as their guardian. A person other than a parent/guardian who claims the student as a dependent on federal income taxes for three (3) years consecutively can be considered as a claimant on behalf of a student.  Please note that notarized letters and Power of Attorney documents are not considered proofs of legal guardianship.
  • Spouse (Required: marriage certificate )

Acceptable Residency Documents

Florida residency for tuition purposes is governed by Florida Statute. Evidence of legal residency and its duration shall include clear and convincing documentation that residency in the state of Florida for a minimum of 12 consecutive months prior to a student’s initial or reclassification request. If student or claimant resides in a state outside of Florida then, proof of ties in former state have been severed. It is recommended that you submit as many acceptable documents as possible to justify your claim of Florida residency for tuition purposes. No single piece of evidence shall be conclusive. FIU reserves the right to request additional documents beyond the minimum number of (per F.S. 1009.21) proofs to ensure clear and convincing evidence of Florida residency.

Florida International University cannot make exceptions to the Florida Statute 1009.21, Board of Governors Regulation 7.005, and FIU Regulation 1302. Documentation must include two or more of the documents identified below, unless the document provided is the proof of a Florida homestead exemption, which is considered a single, conclusive piece of evidence proving residency for tuition purposes. Documents must be dated 12 months prior to the first day of class of the semester that the residency classification or reclassification is sought.

 

Documents showing legal ties to Florida (at least 1 document 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 a homestead exemption in Florida (Required: document from the county tax collector demonstrating the application of a homestead exemption to the claimant’s primary residence.)
  • Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years if the Florida high school diploma or high school equivalency diploma was earned within the last 12 months (Required: Transcript with dates of attendance and graduation date.)
  • Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week for a 12-month period. (Required: employment verification from employer and most recent copy of W-2 form) 

Additional documents proving physical presence in Florida may include 1 or more of the following:

  • A declaration of domicile in Florida (pursuant to Section 222.17, F.S., the date that an applicant shall be deemed as establishing residency for 12 months is the date that the Clerk of Circuit Court notes the declaration was sworn and subscribed to the Clerk). 
  • 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
  • Utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments (electric or water ONLY)
  • A lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
  • An official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida

Deadlines

The deadline(s) to submit COMPLETED residency documents (for initial and re-classifications) for each academic term are indicated below. Students are responsible for reviewing and adhering to these deadlines. No exceptions to the deadlines will be granted; failure to meet the deadline will result in residency status changes effective in the subsequent term.

 

Fall 2026

Monday, August 24, 2026

Spring 2027

Monday, January 11, 2027

Summer A/C 2027 *

Monday, May 10, 2027

Summer B 2027 *

Monday June 21, 2027


*Students enrolled in Summer A/C and B semesters must have their residency documents submitted by the Summer A/C deadline. Students enrolled in only Summer B must submit their residency documents by the Summer B deadline.

 

How to Submit Documents

Initial Residency Classification Submissions

Web Upload (preferred method - Undergraduate Applicants only): You may upload through your FIU student portal via https://my.fiu.edu. Log in using your Panther ID and Password (for information, click here)

  1. Follow instructions to Submit Forms Online
  2. Choose department: Admissions 
  3. Choose form name: Residency Docs Florida (Initial) 
  4. Upload your documents and save 

Contact: Contact OneStop

Residency Reclassification Submissions

Web Upload (preferred method): You may upload through your FIU student portal via https://my.fiu.edu. Log in using your Panther ID and Password (for information, click here)

  1. Follow instructions to Submit Forms Online
  2. Choose department: Registration
  3. Choose form name: Residency Reclassification Application
  4. Upload your documents and save

Contact: Contact OneStop

Appealing Your Residency Classification

In accordance with section 1009.21 of the Florida Statutes and Florida Board of Governors Regulation 7.005, FIU has an established Florida Residency Appeal Committee.  The Residency Appeal Committee provides a mechanism for students to appeal their out-of-state tuition decisions and strives to provide fairness and equity to all students.  The Residency Appeal Committee’s decision on behalf of the institution is final and may not be appealed further.

A student may appeal the denial of a request to be classified or reclassified from out-of-state to in-state status for tuition purposes only once. Students must submit the request in writing to residency@fiu.edu with accompanying documentation to support reconsideration of the original decision.

The committee meets once a month and will review the submitted appeal(s) and the accompanying documentation.  The committee may request additional information from the student to make its decision. Not submitting supporting documentation will delay the review and the petition may be denied.  After review, the committee will inform the student of the decision in writing.

Additional information regarding classification and reclassification of Florida residency for tuition purposes may be found at the Residency website.