Residency Reclassification

The offices of Undergraduate Admissions and Graduate Studies determine first term at UCF residency for tuition purposes for all newly admitted students. Thereafter, the Registrar's Office will review student requests for changes in residency. The Registrar’s Office cannot review student requests for residency reclassification to be effective with the student’s first term of enrollment.

To request a residency review, the student must submit a completed Residency Reclassification Application and Affidavit and supporting documents to the Registrar's Office (MH 161). This form is available either at the Registrar's Office or online at http://registrar.sdes.ucf.edu. This form must be accompanied by all documents that support the student's Florida residency claim. Residency reclassification requests are subject to Florida Statute 1009.21, Florida State Board of Education Administrative Code 6A-10.044, and State Board of Education rule 6C-7.005. In addition, University policy requires students requesting residency reclassification to provide documentation establishing that they have income or personal sources to meet financial obligations of attendance and living expenses. Contact the Registrar's Office at 407 823 3100 for additional information regarding all residency reclassification requirements.

When building a case for Florida residency for tuition purposes, the student must submit documents from a variety of categories. Students may consult the Registrar's Office before submitting the reclassification request and supporting documents. The submission of documents in itself does not qualify the student for Florida residency for tuition purposes. The Registrar's Office will evaluate the submitted documents and available information and will render an eligibility determination. UCF is authorized to make discretionary judgments as to residency within the bounds of the law and in reaching this professional judgment will evaluate all documents submitted and information available. No single document shall be conclusive.

Students seeking residency reclassification should understand that living in or attending college in Florida does not automatically establish residency in Florida for tuition purposes. The student who comes to Florida to enroll in a Florida post-secondary educational institution as an out-of-state resident and continuously enrolls in a Florida institution normally will not meet the Florida residency requirement for instate tuition regardless of the length of time enrolled. Living or attending school in Florida merely evidences physical presence. The student must provide documentation verifying that he or she has formed significant legal ties to the State of Florida. This documentation must establish that the Florida residence constitutes a bona fide domicile rather than serving the purpose of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education. Evidence establishing legal ties to states other than Florida may disqualify the student from Florida residency for tuition purposes. All determinative documents must be dated at least 12 months before the first day of class for the term in which residency is sought.

Students entering the second term of enrollment at UCF or later who believe that they qualify for Florida residency must submit the Residency Reclassification Application and Affidavit and all documents to the Registrar’s Office (MH 161) prior to the close of Late Registration and Add/Drop for the term in which Florida residency is requested. Documentation received after the last day of Late Registration and Add/Drop will not be used to determine residency for the current term. Approved residency reclassification will not be applied retroactively to previous terms.

The Registrar’s Office may require additional documentation beyond that initially submitted by the student or the claimant before it can render a reclassification eligibility determination and it will not complete its review of the residency reclassification application until both the student and the claimant have submitted all requested documents.