Proof of Residency for Tuition Purposes

Students will be admitted to HCC as non-Florida residents until documentation to prove Florida Residency is submitted. A Florida Resident Tuition Discount is available for students classified as in-state Florida residents.

Steps to Prove Florida Residency

1. Determine if You Qualify

An In-State Florida Resident is:

"An independent person who or a dependent person whose parent or legal guardian has maintained legal residency in Florida for at least 12 months preceding the first day of the semester."

To qualify as a Florida resident for tuition purposes, you must be one of the following:

• A U.S. citizen
• A permanent resident alien
• A legal alien granted indefinite stay by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)
• Qualifying nonimmigrant visa classification that grants the legal ability to establish residency in the United States (a foreign national in a nonimmigrant visa classification that grants you the legal ability to establish a bona fide domicile in the United States).

For additional situations that may classify you as a Florida Resident see our FAQ. For qualification exceptions please use this link.

Please Note: Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence. Students who depend upon out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.

2. Are you considered an Independent or Dependent student?

To qualify for the Florida Residency Discount, you must submit supporting documentation. Independent students are required to submit their documents. Dependent students will be asked to submit the documents of their parent or guardian.

Independent Student

You must be able to answer 'Yes' to at least one of these questions to qualify as an independent student.

• Are you at least 24 years old?
• Are you employed with income that is equal to or exceeds 50% of the yearly cost of attendance provided by financial aid each year
• Are you married?
• Are you a ward of the court?
• Are you a veteran or member of the armed forces?
• Do you have legal dependents other than a spouse?

Dependent Student

If you were unable to answer 'Yes' to any of the Independent Student questions, you are considered Dependent, which means you meet one of the following criteria:

• Defined as a dependent student by s. 1009.21(1)(a).
• Under age 24
• Eligible to be claimed as a dependent under the federal tax income code.
• Claimant is the "student's" parent as defined by s. 1009.21(1)(f) Florida Statutes. A copy of the parent’s previous year's tax return or a legal guardian's previous three year's tax return may be requested to establish dependence.

3: Identify Documents and Submit the Residency Form

You must complete the Residency Form and upload two documents to prove residency. At least one of the two documents submitted must be from Tier 1. The second document can be from Tier 1 OR Tier 2.

• Florida driver's license.
• Florida state identification card.
• Florida vehicle registration.
• Florida voter's registration card.
• Proof of permanent home in Florida occupied as primary residence for 12 consecutive months prior to the student’s enrollment. (Required: document such as a deed or other evidence of title to property used as primary residence, a homeowner’s policy, a title insurance policy, evidence of a property tax payment on the primary residence.)
• Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida. (Required: document from the county tax collector demonstrating the application of a homestead exemption to the claimant’s primary residence.)
• Official transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (2 or more years), if the 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. (Required: pay stubs and/or verification from employers, and/or an IRS 1099 with verification of employment for the past 12 consecutive months from an employer.)

• Declaration of domicile in Florida in accordance with s. 222.17, Florida Statutes.
• Florida professional or occupational license.
• Florida incorporation.
• Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization.
• Any other documentation that supports your request for resident status, including, but not limited to, utility bills with the proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; a lease agreement with the proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; or an official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida.