Who is a resident?
ALABAMA HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES
If Admissions classified you as a Non-Resident and you graduated from an Alabama High School, Please review the Residency Requirements in FAQ.
In order to be considered a resident for tuition purposes at Auburn University, a student who has been coded non-resident by Admissions Processing or the Graduate School due to an out-of-state address, test score or transcript at any point in their academic career, must submit a residency appeal packet to our office. (See Petition for Residency Appeal).
Deadlines
| Term | Applications Open | Deadline to Submit | Appeals Mtg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | October 1st | December 15th | January |
| Summer | October 1st | May 1st | May |
| Fall | October 1st | July 1st | August |
Petitions will not be considered for previous terms
Applications will be accepted after student has been accepted and enrollment deposit has been paid.
For the purpose of assessing fees, applicants will be classified as Alabama or non-Alabama students. Non-Alabama students are required to pay a non-resident tuition fee.
Students who come to the state of Alabama from another state for the purpose of attending Auburn University will be considered a non-resident student for tuition purposes. Classification of students as a non-resident will be made at the time of their initial admission to the university and the non-resident status will continue unchanged through all registrations at the university until and unless satisfactory evidence is provided to qualify for residency.
A person who moves to Alabama for the primary purpose of attending college will not be considered eligible for classification as a resident student.
It is the student’s responsibility to check their residency status when accepted to Auburn University. Students should carefully examine their ebill account as this is a clear indicator of whether one is being charged resident or non-resident tuition.
An Alabama student/resident is a person who is:
- a citizen of the United States or a legal permanent resident
AND
- has lived in the State of Alabama for at least 12 months immediately preceding current registration.
A person who establishes domicile in Alabama for the purpose of avoiding non-Alabama fees will be subject to non-resident tuition.
Non-resident students who carry an academic load considered normal (10 or more hours per term for Undergraduates, and 7 hours or more for Graduate students per term) will be presumed to be in the State of Alabama primarily for the purpose of gaining an education and, thus, have not demonstrated the intent to establish a true domicile in Alabama.
Burden of proof for changing residency status rests with the student. Clear and convincing evidence to the contrary must be presented to overcome this presumption. Decisions regarding change of residency will be made by the following dates.
For additional information see the Auburn policy regarding Alabama residency, the Alabama Code and our Frequently Asked Questions.
Documentation
If you believe you qualify for residency and in-state tuition please review the following guidelines and required documents that must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar and Residency Coordinator for consideration.
The Residency Coordinator in the Office of the Registrar will determine whether a student will be classified as an Alabama or non-Alabama student. The decision of the Residency Coordinator will be subject to review by the Residency Appeals Committee upon written request of the applicant. Residency Appeals Committee recommendations are sent to the Provost for a final decision. (6 members)
Other students eligible for resident tuition:
- Students enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine professional D.V.M. program admitted under contract with the Southern Regional Education Board. Contact admiss@vetmed.auburn.edu
- Non-resident students enrolled in programs included in Common Market visit Academic Common Market
Please note – supplying all documents required for a residency appeal does NOT guarantee residency but allows us to assess each situation and apply Alabama law accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Residency for tuition purposes is governed the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy.
The Admissions office determines a student’s residency status based on the information provided on the student application and other information provided at the time of admission. Many items inform the initial residency classification, including address, high school (including boarding schools, online schools, and home schools), and transfer credit from other higher education institutions.
Please refer to the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy for instructions on the appeal process.
No. Ownership of real estate or payment of real estate taxes in Alabama does not, standing alone, qualify a student for in-state residency for tuition purposes.
No. In-state classification is determined based on domicile in the state. Therefore, owning a business, having a business franchise that also has locations in Alabama, or working in Alabama while maintaining a primary domicile outside of the state would not provide eligibility for in-state classification.
Yes. The State of Alabama is specific in granting in-state tuition to military personnel and their dependents. Active Duty military personnel who are ordered to or stationed in Alabama are eligible for reclassification to in-state tuition. Active Duty military who claim Alabama as their state of residence on their Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) for 12 months or more are eligible for reclassification to in-state tuition. Military personnel, veterans, and their dependents who are using VA Educational benefits should contact the Veterans Resource Center at 334-844-8167 or e-mail: veterans@auburn.edu for more specific information.
Yes, members of the Alabama National Guard are eligible for a waiver of out-of-state tuition and fees.
No. Only full-time, benefit-eligible employees of the University are eligible.
No. This would be a conflict of interest and is not accepted as a means of reclassification to in-state status.
Yes. Residency for tuition purposes is governed by the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy and state law. While you may meet the requirements to become a registered voter or a licensed driver in Alabama, you still may not qualify for residency for tuition purposes at Auburn University. Residency for tuition purposes is independent of other state rules or regulations governing residency for other purposes
Auburn’s Student Tuition Residency Policy outlines a list of documents to review when determining residency status for tuition purposes, consistent with state law. The documentation requested is used in the application review but is not a checklist for establishing residency.
Each application request is considered on its own, and even those applicants who submit all requested documentation may not qualify for in-state tuition.
In addition, those applicants who do not turn in the requested documentation or turn in redacted documentation may be subject to denial as there will not be sufficient evidence to support the request for reclassification.
Residency guidelines for tuition purposes are independent of other state rules or regulations governing residency for other purposes, including property tax liability, eligibility to vote, obtaining a driver's license, or registering a car. Therefore, obtaining these items does not guarantee a student would be eligible for in-state classification.
No. If one parent (or parent and family members) lives in Alabama and the other resides in another state, the applicant cannot be considered to have stronger ties to Alabama than to the other state. The applicant bears the burden of providing evidence to support their connections to Alabama.
Maybe. A copy of the divorce decree will be required to demonstrate custody agreements outlining shared support.
No. Auburn University is a public university and is funded in part by the financial support of the citizens of the State of Alabama through the payment of taxes.
Retaining legal ties to any state other than Alabama is considered evidence that can disqualify a student from being considered a resident of Alabama for tuition purposes. For example, you normally cannot be reclassified as a resident for tuition purposes if you file and pay taxes in another state for the year you are claiming domicile in Alabama as this would be considered evidence of maintaining ties to another state.
If you are an undergraduate student under the age of 19 and your parent(s) do no qualify as Alabama residents under the Auburn policy, it is unlikely that you will be able to qualify as an Alabama resident for purposes of tuition.
The applicant must show they are fully self-supported using eligible funds sourced from wages they earn. Students using earnings from employment by a parent, relative, or a business owned by a parent or a relative do not qualify for this provision.
Funds used for self-support should not be from jointly owned bank accounts, undocumented income, or gifted investment income sourced from gifted principal. Housing that is owned by a parent/relative, co-signed on by another party, or otherwise subsidized by another individual is considered outside financial support.
Any prepaid tuition plans (ex., 529 Plan, etc.), even though they are in the applicant’s name, are considered outside financial support and cannot be used to establish financial independence. Parent PLUS loans are applied for and awarded to the parents and are also considered outside financial support.
Any money saved in checking and personal savings accounts cannot be used to establish financial independence as it is not possible to document the source of the funds. Loans and gifts are considered money coming from elsewhere and do not count toward financial independence. Please refer to the website for a detailed budget sheet outlining the items that will need to be submitted to demonstrate financial independence.
If you wish to be considered an in-state student for tuition purposes, you must show that you are financially independent. If attending school, then we assume that you are here for the purposes of an education, and the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy prohibits reclassification to in-state status for students who move to the state for the purpose of attending college.
Maybe. Becoming the spouse of an Alabama resident does not alone automatically qualify an applicant for Alabama residency for tuition purposes. A joint tax return would need to be submitted, as well as other documentation listed in the application. The spouse would need to meet the requirements of the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy for in-state residency for tuition purposes.
No. The applicant would need to meet the requirements of the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy.
Any student who attended an in person or on-line, out-of-state high school or has credits from any out-of-state educational institution will be coded as a non-resident upon admission to Auburn and must file a residency petition for reclassification.
No. Receiving in-state classification at another higher educational institution in the state of Alabama does not grant in-state classification at Auburn University. Guidelines and documentation required for being granted in-state classification at Auburn are governed by the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy.
Students are responsible for the payment of tuition and fees according to the deadlines set by the Billing Office. These deadlines will not be extended while the student’s residency application or appeal is being reviewed.
Auburn does not provide waivers of out-of-state tuition to students residing in bordering states.
Auburn University participates in the Academic Common Market, which is a tuition-savings program for college students in the 15 Southern Regional Education Board states who want to pursue degrees not offered in their home state. Application information for Auburn students interested in the program can be viewed on the Academic Common Market website.
Personal circumstances not pertaining to the Auburn Student Residency Tuition Policy, such as academic merit and financial hardship will not be considered in evaluating whether you are able to qualify for Alabama residency for purposes of tuition.
Only specifically authorized personnel within the Office of the University Registrar are qualified to answer questions or make a determination about residency for tuition purposes. Other University personnel are NOT authorized to supply information relative to residency requirements for tuition purposes.
Residency Appeals Committee
The Residency Appeals Committee shall consist of the University Registrar or designee as non-voting chair; Provost’s office representative; Student Affairs’ office representative; and three faculty members. Of the three faculty members, when possible, one will be from the School of Accountancy, with expertise in accounting and taxation. The committee reviews appeals of initial decisions of residency for tuition purposes by the Office of the University Registrar based on the Board of Trustees’ Student Residency Tuition Policy. Residency Appeals Committee recommendations are sent to the Provost for a final decision. (6 members)
