Determining
Student Residency
Upper Division and UTB
University Plan
Under the state statutes and regulations, an upper-division
student, UTB University Plan student, or prospective student
is classified as a resident of Texas, a non-resident, or a
foreign student.
A resident
is an individual who is either a U.S. citizen, national
naturalized citizen or permanent resident alien or an
alien who has been permitted by Congress to adopt the
United States as his or her domicile while in the United
States and who has otherwise met the state requirements
for establishing residency for tuition purposes.
A non-resident is a citizen, national naturalized citizen or
permanent resident of the U.S. or an alien who has been
permitted by Congress to adopt the U.S. as his or her
domicile while in this country and who has not met the
State’s requirement for establishing residency for
tuition purposes. While these state requirements for
establishing residency are complex and should be referred
to in each particular circumstance, they generally require
a minimum of 12 months residence in Texas prior to
enrollment.
A foreign
student is an alien who is not a permanent resident of the
U.S. or has not been permitted by Congress to adopt the
U.S. as his or her domicile. An individual classified as a
foreign student may qualify, under certain exemptions
specified in rules set forth by the Texas Higher Education
Coordinating Board, for resident tuition rates and other
charges while continuing to be classified as a nonresident
or a foreign student. Information on residency,
reclassification, tuition exceptions and waivers is
available at the Office of Admissions and/or the Financial Aid
office.
Lower Division
An
In-District resident is an individual of the taxing district of Texas Southmost
College, which includes Brownsville, Port Isabel, South
Padre Island, Laguna Vista, Bayview, Los Fresnos, Olmito,
Rancho Viejo, and routes 3, 5,6, 7, 8 and 9 in San Benito
pay in-district tuition rates. Individuals who are
domiciled in the United States and own property in the
district subject to ad valorem taxation, and their
dependents, are also charged the in-district rate.
An
Out-of-District resident is an individual who does not reside in the taxing district
described above.
Evidence of
ownership of such property shall be a current certificate of
payment provided by the Cameron County, Texas, Tax-Assessor
Collector. It must be submitted with the application for
admission and will be retained. This evidence must be
resubmitted annually.
Dependents of
property owners must submit a copy of the prior year’s
income tax form listing the student as a dependent.
An
international student, for example a student on a F-1 or J-1
visa, who is not permitted to establish domicile in the U.S.
does not qualify for the in-district tuition rate. This
provision only extends to students who enroll in lower
division courses and does not extend to upper division or
graduate level courses. For more information, contact the
Office of Admissions.
The following
visa holders are eligible to establish a domicile in the
United States and have the same privilege of qualifying for
Texas residency as U.S. citizens:
