Definition of a Legal Resident

According to the policies of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, an applicant is a legal resident of the State under the following circumstances:

1. (a) If a person is 18 years of age or older, he or she may register as an in-state student only by showing that he or she has been a legal resident of Georgia for a period of at least twelve months immediately preceding the date of registration.
(b) No emancipated minor or other person 18 years of age or older shall be deemed to have gained or acquired in-state status for tuition purposes while attending any educational institution in this State, in the absence of a clear demonstration that he or she has in fact established legal residence in this State.

2. If a person is under 18 years of age, he or she may register as an in-state student only upon showing that his or her supporting parent or guardian has been a legal resident of Georgia for a period of at least twelve months immediately preceding the date of registration.

3. If a parent or legal guardian of a minor changes his or her legal residence to another state following a period of legal residence in Georgia, the minor may continue to take courses for a period of twelve consecutive months on the payment of in-state tuition. After the expiration of the twelve-month period, the student may continue his or her registration only upon the payment of fees at the out-of-state rate.

4. In the event that a legal resident of Georgia is appointed as guardian of a nonresident minor, such minor will not be permitted to register as an in-state student until the expiration of one year from the date of court appointment, and then only by properly showing that such appointment was not made to avoid payment of the out-of-state fees.

5. Aliens shall be classified as nonresident students provided, however, that an alien who is living in this country under an immigration document permitting indefinite or permanent residence shall have the same privilege of qualifying for in-state tuition as a citizen of the United States.

6. Waivers: An institution may waive out-of-state tuition for:
(a) nonresident students who are financially dependent upon a parent, parents, or spouse who has been a legal resident of Georgia for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the date of registration provided, however, that such financial dependence shall have existed for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the date of registration;
(b) international students, selected by the institution president or her/his authorized representative, provided, however, that the number of such waivers in effect at any time does not exceed one percent of the equivalent full-time students enrolled at the institution in the fall term immediately preceding the term for which the out-of-state tuition is to be waived, provided (1) institutions are allowed one percent of waivers for special cases, such as superior out-of-state students in selected programs and/or international students; (2) the maximum fee waiver for any institution is two percent.
(c) full-time employees of the University System, their spouses, and their dependent children;
(d) medical and dental residents and medical and dental intems at the Medical College of Georgia;
(e) full-time teachers in the public schools of Georgia or in the programs of the State Board of Technical and Adult Education and their dependent children. Teachers employed full-time on military bases in Georgia shall also qualify for this waiver;
(f) career consular officers and their dependents who are citizens of the foreign nation which their consular office represents and who are stationed and living in Georgia under orders of their respective governments. This waiver shall apply only to those consular officers whose nations operate with educational reciprocity toward the United States;
(g) military personnel and their dependents stationed in Georgia and on active duty unless such military personnel are assigned as students to System institutions for educational purposes.
(h) students who are legal residents of out-of-state counties bordering on Georgia counties in which an institution of the University System is located and who are enrolled in said institution.

Right of Appeal of Residence Classification

A student is responsible for registering under the proper residency classification. A student classified as a nonresident who believes that he/she is entitled to be reclassified as a legal resident may petition the Director of Admissions for a change in status. The petition must be filed with the Director of Admissions prior to the semester in which the student is to be considered for reclassification. If the petition is granted, reclassifica- tion will not be retroactive to prior terms.