• Residency Verification

  • Verifying Florida Residency for Tuition Classification

    A Florida resident is any person who resides within the limits of the State of Florida, has a Florida address, and a Florida ID or driver's license for at least one year.

    Students who are admitted to a public-supported post-secondary institution in Florida must complete an affidavit and provide proof of "Florida residency for tuition purposes" in accordance with state law. All students, including independent as well as dependent students and the dependent student's parents are required to submit the Florida residency affidavit and at least two of the below-specified documents with dates that evidence the consecutive 12-month qualifying period.

    Note: On March 31, 2014, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law the "Congressman C.W. Bill Young Tuition Waiver Program," also referred to the "Florida GI Bill," an initiative that waives out-of-state tuition fees for honorably discharged veterans of the united States Armed Forces, allowing enrollment at the in-state tuition rate, regardless of residency status.

    At least one of the two documents submitted must be from the first group.

    First Group:

    • Florida driver's license (licenses from other state must be relinquished)
    • Florida identification card (if no evidence of ties to another state exists)
    • Florida voter's registration card
    • Florida vehicle registration
    • Proof of purchase of a permanent home in Florida that is occupied as a primary residence of the claimant (e.g., warranty deed)
    • Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (if Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within the last 12 months.)
    • Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week for a 12-month period. This may include paycheck stubs from the previous 12 months of employment in Florida
    • Proof of Homestead exemption in Florida

    Second Group:

    • Declaration of domicile in Florida (12 months from the date the document was sworn and subscribed as noted by the Clerk of Circuit Court)
    • A Florida professional or occupational license
    • Florida incorporation
    • Documents evidencing family ties in Florida
    • Proof of membership in Florida-based charitable or professional organizations
    • Any other documentation that supports the student's request for Florida resident status

    Examples of "other" documentation from the second group:

    • Utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
    • Lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments
    • Official Federal, State, or court documents evidencing legal ties to Florida

    Residency Appeals:

    Students seeking an appeal of the Residency for Tuition Purposes classification rendered by the Counselors' Office upon completion of a formal application review shall submit a written appeal, along with any additional supporting documentation to the GSTC Administration for review. The GSTC Residency Appeals Committee will review all the information and documentation submitted with the Appeal, as well as previously submitted documentation and related information in the student's school record. Students should review the requirements for Residency Classification prior to submitting an appeal. The GSTC Residency Appeals Committee is designated to review residency decisions - not the residency review process. These areas of the Residency Reclassification review may not be appealed.

    High School Diploma Verification Policies:

    • It is the student's responsibility to provide guidance a copy of his/her high school diploma, or a final official high school transcript.

    • High School diplomas must be from a nationally recognized, accredited institution.

    Foreign Diplomas:

    GSTC accepts foreign and international diplomas and degrees if they are translated into English and evaluated by a credential evaluation service. To be accepted, a credential evaluation report must include a statement of the diploma/degree equivalent for U.S. education. It is the student's responsibility to have his/her diploma and/or degree translated into English, evaluated, and delivered to GSTC prior to enrollment The following agencies provide this service: