Establishing Texas Residency

A U. S. Citizen, national or permanent resident of the United States (holder of a permanent residency card) or a non U. S. citizen who has been permitted by Congress to adopt the United States as his or her domicile while in this country and who has otherwise met the state requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes as prescribed by the state, Chapter 21, Student Services, rules and regulations regarding residency for the State of Texas.

The residence of a minor (is less than 18 years old) or a dependent child is usually that of the parent or court-appointed legal guardian with whom the individual resides. The residence of a dependent, 18 years of age or older, is that of the parent who claims the individual as a dependent for federal income tax purposes for the current and preceding year. If the parent is a resident of another state (other than Texas) then the student's residence status is the same as the parents' residence and will pay out of state tuition.

Acceptable documents can be found in Chapter II, Documentation to Support Establishing and Maintaining Domicile in Texas, Part A, and B & C.

Independent individuals who are no longer claimed on their parents' income tax return for the current and preceding year can file their residence information on their own. Claiming residence status as an independent student, you will provide proof of gainful employment for a year and supporting documentation. Gainful employment other than work-study can also be a basis for establishing a domicile.

Acceptable documents can be found in Chapter II, Documentation to Support Establishing and Maintaining Domicile in Texas, Part A, and B & C.

Persons in the military and their families are presumed to maintain the same legal residence which was in effect at the time of entering the military service during their entire period of active service. Persons stationed in Texas are presumed not to establish a legal residence in Texas because their presence is not voluntary but under military orders. If you have maintained your legal residence in Texas throughout your military service, you will need to provide a copy of your LES (leave and earning statement) from a year ago and a current LES. If you are a dependent of a parent or a spouse who is active duty stationed in Texas, you may qualify for the military waiver for tuition purposes but will need to fill out the Military Duty Statement and submit the form to the Office of the Registrar.

Active duty military servicemen

• Military duty statement

Veterans' benefits option

Veterans who qualify under the Post 9/11 GI Bill who have applied for their VA benefits through the Veterans Affairs office must meet the following criteria to qualify:

• Have completed their veterans Certificate of Eligibility (COE).

• You may be eligible to Transfer your Post 9/11 GI Bill Benefits to Dependents (TEB) on your VA benefits to your spouse and /or dependent children to allow them to continue their education. Read more for eligibility qualifications.

• You should consult with the UTSA Veterans Certification Office to identify if you do qualify for veterans' benefits.

• Complete and sign the form, Intent to establish residency in Texas for military families and their dependents, located at this website.

Graduating high school students from an accredited Texas high school and living in Texas for 36 consecutive months prior to enrollment at UTSA

This option is available to non U.S. citizens or permanent residents. To establish your residency based on this option, you must fulfill these requirements listed below:

• Graduate from a Texas high school or receive a GED in Texas; and

• Live in Texas for 36 consecutive months immediately before high school graduation; and

• Live in Texas for the 12 months immediately before the census date (usually 12th class date) of the semester in which you enroll at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

• In addition, if you are an international student seeking the in state tuition based on this option, you must submit a signed and notarized I-485 Affidavit. The Affidavit is required only when the individual applies for change of resident status and shall be in the form provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

• Submit an official high school transcript with the final graduation date posted on the transcript or Texas GED certificate along with the Core Residence questionnaire.

Individuals who enter the state under a visa (immigration status) which does not allow establishment of a domicile such as an F-1 student visa, J-1 visa or tourist visa; but later obtain their permanent residency card, may be eligible for consideration based on the current Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (the CB) rules while in Texas. These students must meet the same criteria as U.S citizens to establish their residence in the State of Texas in order to be considered for in state tuition. Please submit a copy of your passport or permanent residency card along with your Core Residency Questionnaire form to the Registrar's office to have your status reviewed and updated based on your supporting documentation.

Visa types (PDF) that are eligible to domicile in the United States

If you hold a visa type (immigration status) that is now eligible to domicile in the United States, you will need to submit a copy of that passport to the Registrar's office along with your supporting documents for proof of having established your residence in Texas the same as other U S citizens in order to be considered with the waiver for in state tuition.

• Answer the Core Residency Questions (form)

• Submit supporting documents for proof of residence /website:

• Include a copy of your passport with the visa type that is eligible to domicile in the U. S.

• Submit supporting documents for proof of residence.