Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes

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

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. For a detailed 'how to' guide of the Florida Residency Declaration for Tuition Purposes form click here.

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 detailed 'how to' guide of the Florida Residency Declaration for Tuition Purposes form click here.

For a list of your outstanding documents please visit your MyFIU, then navigate to your 'To Do List' items. Failure to provide required documentation may result in a delayed enrollment.

Residency Reclassification

All applicants should submit the Residency Reclassification Application no later than the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought. These dates can be found on our Academic Calendar. Requests submitted after the published deadline will be considered for the following term.

Submission of the application does not guarantee reclassification. Approved residency reclassification applications will not be applied retroactively to previous terms. Changes in residency classification are approved for future semesters only. All sections of the application must be completed and signed by the applicant/claimant. Supporting documentation is requested and should be attached to the application.

Applicants will receive notification by FIU email regarding the decision for reclassification.

How Do I Qualify for Florida Resident Tuition?

To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the student (if over 24 years of age) OR claimant (younger than 24 years of age) must have established and maintained legal residence and physical presence in Florida for at least 12 months prior to the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is being sought. The law allows U.S. citizens, permanent resident aliens, or legal aliens granted indefinite stay by the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services to be classified as a Florida resident if the applicant, or the claimant in cases where the student is dependent, has met the requirement of residency in the state for at least 12 months preceding the first day of classes. 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.

• 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 am married to a person who has maintained legal residence in Florida for at least the past 12 consecutive months. I now have established legal residence and intend to make Florida my permanent home. (Required: copy of marriage certificate and/or other documents required to establish residency.)
• 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
• Independent Student

A dependent student for the determination of residency for tuition purposes is a person for whom 50 percent or more of his/her support is provided by another as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Dependent students that are younger than 24 years of age and/or are claimed by their parent or legal guardian as a dependent on the most recent Federal Income Tax Form. With very few exceptions, a dependent student is considered to be a legal resident of the same state as the student’s parents. 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: Notarized letters and Power of Attorney documents are not considered proofs of legal guardianship.

  An independent student for the determination of residency for tuition purposes is a person whom provides more than 50 percent of his/her support (i.e. cost of attendance). A person may also be considered an independent person if he/she answers “yes” to one or more of the following questions. For the determination of residency for tuition purposes (Please note: documentation proving independent status will be required):

  • Will you be 24 years old or older by the first day of classes for the term for which you wish to enroll at FIU?
  • Are you under 24 years of age and are applying to a master's or doctorate program (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc.)?
  • Are you married? (Answer "yes" if you are separated but not divorced.)
  • Do you have dependent children who receive more than half of their support from you?
  • Do you have dependents (other than children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you on your federal income taxes?
  • Are both of your parents deceased, or are you (or were you until age 18) a ward or dependent of the court or state?
  • Are you declared homeless?
  • Are you currently serving on active duty (deployment and/or placement in Florida) in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
  • Do you provide a minimum of 51% of your own financial support? (Required: most recent federal tax return(s), W-2 forms, pay stubs, and/or employer earning verification)
  • Are you classified as an "independent" by the Office of Financial Aid?

  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 guidelines set forth by the state. This includes exceptions based on financial hardship or other extenuating circumstances. A minimum of 2 documents for initial classification and 3 documents for residency reclassification from the list below are required.

  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 each academic term are indicated below.

  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.

  Fall 2024

  Monday, August 26, 2024

  Spring 2025

  Monday, January 6, 2025

  Summer A/C 2025

  Monday, May 5, 2025*

  Summer B 2025

  Monday, June 16, 2025

  *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.

  Any incomplete documents submitted after the first day of classes will be considered for Residency Reclassification Application for the next semester.

  How to Submit Documents

  Initial Residency Classification Submissions

  • Undergraduate Applicants
  • Graduate Applicants

  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

  Drop Off: Visit the OneStop Lobby at Modesto A. Maidique or Biscayne Bay campuses.

  Mail: FIU Admissions Operations , P.O. Box 659003, Miami, FL 33265-9003

  Web Upload (preferred method - Graduate Applicants only): You may upload documents through your original Graduate application for admissions . Note: the log in information is not your FIU Panther ID, but the username you created prior to submitting your application.

  1. Go to Graduate Application for Admissions
  2. Log in using User ID/Password (if unsure, click Forget User ID/Password)
  3. Find your current Graduate Application (Do not create a new App)
  4. Go to Florida Residency
  5. Then Upload Document Section
  6. 'Attach File' (you may attach several documents)
  7. Save

  Drop Off: Visit the OneStop Lobby at Modesto A. Maidique or Biscayne Bay campuses.

  Mail: FIU Admissions Operations , P.O. Box 659003, Miami, FL 33265-9003

  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

  Drop Off: Visit the OneStop Lobby at Modesto A. Maidique or Biscayne Bay campuses.

  Contact OneStop

  Our Mission

  OneStop provides assistance with transcripts, enrollment verifications, adding and dropping courses, establishing residency, general financial aid questions, student case resolution and any other enrollment related questions.