An Undergraduate student’s residency is based on information submitted from their admissions application. It is the student’s responsibility to accurately answer all questions on the application. New students, who believe their residency status is incorrect, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 903.886.5000.
Current undergraduate students who believe their residency status has changed; it is your responsibility to 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.
An individual who resided in Texas for the 36 consecutive months leading up to his or her graduation from a Texas high school or a recipient 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 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:
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 US 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.
A member of the United States Armed Services who’s Home of Record with the military is Texas is presumed to be a Texas resident, as are 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, as are his or her spouse and dependent children.
Military, spouse 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 veteransservice@tamuc.edu for assistance.
International Students who are eligible to establish domicile in Texas may also qualify for Texas resident for tuition purposes status. Students must submit documentation and that of 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 Visa do not qualify.
A student classified as a non-resident at the time of their admissions retains that classification until they request reclassification and provides proof of residence to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. 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.
Students who wish to apply for eligibility to pay resident tuition must do so by the twelfth 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.
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