Florida law allows U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents to be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes if the applicant or the dependent applicant’s parent/legal guardian has been a legal resident of the State for at least 12 consecutive months preceding the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought.
For more information regarding the qualifications that determine if a student may qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, please read the Residency Application and Affidavit.
Physical Presence
It is important to note that living or attending school in Florida is not tantamount to establishing a legal residence for tuition purposes. Maintaining a legal residence in Florida requires substantial physical presence as a condition. However, absolute physical presence is not required. For example, a person may take vacations out-of-state without altering his/her residency status. Additionally, a person may go out of the country and remain eligible so long as legal ties and requisite intent with Florida are maintained. Finally, in some circumstances, a person may leave Florida to work or attend school temporarily in another state and still remain eligible for residency. Eligibility in these circumstances depends on the extent to which the absentee Florida resident maintains Florida legal ties and does not establish ties with another state.
Requisite Intent
As provided by Section 1009.21(2)(a)2, F.S., it is imperative that the required 12-month qualifying period be for the purpose of maintaining 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.
A student who enrolls in a Florida postsecondary educational institution as an out-of-state resident and continuously enrolls in a Florida institution will not normally meet the Florida residency requirement for in-state tuition regardless of the length of time enrolled.
For the purposes of determining residency for tuition purposes, continuous enrollment shall be defined as enrollment in at least two terms each 12-month period beginning with the student’s first enrollment in an institution of higher education.
Florida Residency for graduate students is determined by the College of Medicine when you apply to the university. Failure to provide all relevant information and required documentation in the residency section of the admission application will result in a non-Florida or “out-of-state” resident classification for tuition purposes.
However, state statute specifies additional requirements for a student to be classified as an in-state resident for tuition purposes. Most importantly: Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes.
Your initial residency classification is determined by the Office of Admissions when you apply to the university. Failure to provide all relevant information and required documentation in the residency section of the admission application could result in a non-Florida or out-of-state resident classification for tuition purposes.