Cost

It is the student’s responsibility to accurately answer all questions on the application. New students who believe their residency status is incorrect must contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 903.886.5922 or email [email protected].

Current undergraduate students who believe their residency status has changed must report this change to the undergraduate admissions office by completing the Core Residency Questionnaire. Additional documentation may be required to establish Texas residency. The burden of proof is on the student to show they’ve established domicile in Texas for 12 months preceding the student’s enrollment.

36-month Provision

An individual who has resided in Texas for the 36 consecutive months leading up to his or her graduation from a Texas high school or receipt of a GED, and continued to maintain a residence in Texas for the 12 months leading up to his or her enrollment in an institution of higher education, may be classified as a resident for tuition purposes, regardless of dependency or immigration status. Any individual wishing to qualify under this provision who is not a U.S. citizen or Permanent Resident of the United States must complete and submit an Affidavit of Intent to Become a Permanent Resident to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in addition to their application for admissions.

Independent Students

Independent students are those who provide more than half of their own financial support and are not eligible to be claimed as a dependent for income tax purposes. In order to qualify for residency for tuition purposes, an independent student must reside AND maintain a domicile in Texas for the twelve months preceding the student’s enrollment.

The following factors, if maintained for twelve consecutive months while residing in Texas, may lend support to a claim of domicile in Texas:

1. Gainful employment that is sufficient to provide at least one-half of the individual’s expenses or that represents an average of at least twenty hours of employment per week. Employment conditioned on student statuses, such as work study, the receipt of stipends, fellowships or research or teaching assistantships, does not constitute gainful employment.
2. Ownership of residential real property in Texas.
3. Ownership and customary management of a business in Texas which is regularly operated without the intention of liquidation for the foreseeable future.
4. Marriage to a person who has resided and maintained domicile (items 1-3 above) in Texas.

Dependent Students

The residency for tuition purposes of a student who is not independent is based upon that of the parent or court-appointed legal guardian who claims that student as a dependent for federal income tax purposes (or provides more than half that student’s financial support for those not subject to U.S. federal income taxes), regardless of the length of time the student has resided in Texas. If the parent or court-appointed legal guardian of a dependent student meets the criteria of having established residency for tuition purposes, the dependent student is eligible to pay resident tuition. Parents and legal guardians qualify for residency following the same criteria as independent students.

International Students

International Students who are eligible to establish domicile in Texas may also qualify as Texas residents for tuition purposes. Students must submit documentation for themselves and their parent if they are a dependent. Students with special circumstances related to their claim of residency may submit additional documentation for consideration. Students with F-1 Visas do not qualify.

Residency Reclassification

A student classified as a non-resident at the time of admission retains that classification until he or she requests reclassification and provides proof of residence to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The student must complete a Core Residency Questionnaire form and provide documentation to support the claim to reclassification as mentioned in the Independent Students section above.

Deadlines

Students who wish to apply for eligibility to pay resident tuition must do so by the 12^th class day of the fall or spring semester or the fourth class day of the summer semester in which they wish to pay resident tuition. Any applications received by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions after this time will be considered for the next term.

Military Personnel and Their Dependents

A member of the United States Armed Services who claims Texas as the Home of Record with the military is presumed to be a Texas resident, along with his or her spouse and dependent children. A member whose Home of Record is not Texas but who provides the institution Leave and Earnings Statements that show the member has claimed Texas as his or her place of residence for the 12 consecutive months prior to enrollment is presumed to be a Texas resident, along with his or her spouse and dependent children.

Military spouses and dependents who do not meet any of the above criteria for establishing residency for tuition purposes may still be eligible to pay the resident tuition rate. Please contact the Veterans & Military Service Office at 903.886.5123 or [email protected] for assistance.