Residency Information for Lower In-State Tuition Rate

To receive the lower Florida resident tuition rate, you must be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes before the first day of the term you are planning to attend Seminole State.

Every applicant for admission to Seminole State College is required to make a statement as to his or her length of residence in Florida. The student must establish his or her presence, or the presence of his or her parent or parents, in the state for at least the previous 12 months. The student's resident status must be for the purpose of maintaining a bona fide domicile and not merely a temporary residence or abode prior to enrollment at Seminole State College.

To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, the student and claimant must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent Foreign National or a legal Foreign National authorized by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), who has maintained legal residence in Florida for at least 12 consecutive months. Legal residence in Florida is established when certain legal ties to the state are made. Therefore, the student must provide evidence that satisfactorily proves he or she (or his or her claimant) meets the legal requirements to qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.

Living or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish residency. Students who depend upon out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents. The Florida Statute on residency, FS 240.1201, classifies a student as a dependent or independent student based on United States Internal Revenue Service Income Tax Codes.

Are You A Dependent? 

A student, whether living with his or her parents, who is eligible to be claimed by his or her parents under the Federal Income Tax Code shall be classified as a dependent student. In general, the IRS requires that a “qualifying child” meet six tests: 

1. The child must be your son, daughter, or stepchild
2. The child must be:
   1. under age 19 at the end of the year and younger than you (or your spouse, if filing jointly),
   2. under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student and younger than you (or your spouse, if filing jointly), OR
   3. any age if permanently and totally disabled.
3. The child must have lived with you for more than half of the year subject to IRS exceptions.
4. The child must not have provided more than half of his/her own support for the year.
5. The child is not filing a joint return for the year (unless that joint return is filed only as a claim for refund).
6. If the child meets the rules to be a qualifying child of more than one person, you must be the person entitled to claim the child as a qualifying child.

Note: If your last name is not the same as your parent’s, you must provide one of the following documents:

• Your birth certificate with your parent’s current/former last name.
• A copy of the claimant’s marriage or divorce papers to show the progression of name change that differs from yours.
• A legal document that shows the relationship to the qualifying child. 

Are You An Independent?

A student who meets any one of the following criteria shall be classified as independent for the determination of residency for tuition purposes.

1. The student is 24 years of age or older by the first day of classes of the term for which residency status is sought.
2. The student is married (must provide a clear copy of their marriage certificate/license).
3. The student has children who receive more than half of their support from the student.
4. The student has other dependents who live with and receive more than half of his/her support from the student.
5. The student is a veteran of the United States Armed Forces or is currently serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces for purposes other than training.
6. Both of the student’s parents are deceased or the student is or was (until the age of 18) one of the following: a ward/dependent of the court or in foster care.
7. The student is determined an unaccompanied homeless by a school district homeless liaison, emergency shelter or transitional housing program.

Documents supporting the establishment of legal residence must be dated, issued or filed 12 months before the first day of the term for which a Florida resident classification is sought.

The following is a list of acceptable documents to prove Florida residency. Please note that no single document shall be conclusive; a minimum of two documents is required with at least one document provided from the "first tier." Faxed documents are not acceptable.

If you submitted a paper Application for Admission (you did not apply online), please complete the Affidavit for Florida Residency and submit it to the Admissions Office with the requested documentation. If the student is dependent, he or she must have the person (claimant) who provides his or her support complete the affidavit and provide the required documentation. Return this affidavit to: Seminole State College Admissions Office, 100 Weldon Blvd., Sanford, FL 32773 or email it to residency@seminolestate.edu . Be sure to always include your full name, student ID (if you have one) and date of birth in your email so we can better assist you.