Under the state statutes and regulations, an upper-division student, UTB University Plan student, or prospective student is classified as a resident of Texas, a non-resident, or a foreign student.
Resident is an individual who is either a U.S. citizen, national naturalized citizen or permanent resident alien or an alien who has been permitted by Congress to adopt the United States as his or her domicile while in the United States and who has otherwise met the state requirements for establishing residency for tuition purposes.
Non-resident is a citizen, national naturalized citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. or an alien who has been permitted by Congress to adopt the U.S. as his or her domicile while in this country and who has not met the State’s requirement for establishing residency for tuition purposes. While these state requirements for establishing residency are complex and should be referred to in each particular circumstance, they generally require a minimum of 12 months residence in Texas prior to enrollment.
Foreign student is an alien who is not a permanent resident of the U.S. or has not been permitted by Congress to adopt the U.S. as his or her domicile. An individual classified as a foreign student may qualify, under certain exemptions specified in rules set forth by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, for resident tuition rates and other charges while continuing to be classified as a nonresident or a foreign student. Information on residency, reclassification, tuition exceptions and waivers is available at the Office of Admissions and/or the Financial Aid office.
Lower Division
An In-District resident is an individual of the taxing district of Texas Southmost College, which includes Brownsville, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, Laguna Vista, Bayview, Los Fresnos, Olmito, Rancho Viejo, and routes 3, 5,6, 7, 8 and 9 in San Benito pay in-district tuition rates. Individuals who are domiciled in the United States and own property in the district subject to ad valorem taxation, and their dependents, are also charged the in-district rate.
Out-of-District resident is an individual who does not reside in the taxing district described above.
Evidence of ownership of such property shall be a current certificate of payment provided by the Cameron County, Texas, Tax-Assessor Collector. It must be submitted with the application for admission and will be retained. This evidence must be resubmitted annually.
Dependents of property owners must submit a copy of the prior year’s income tax form listing the student as a dependent.
International student, for example a student on a F-1 or J-1 visa, who is not permitted to establish domicile in the U.S. does not qualify for the in-district tuition rate. This provision only extends to students who enroll in lower division courses and does not extend to upper division or graduate level courses. For more information, contact the Office of Admissions.
The following visa holders are eligible to establish a domicile in the United States and have the same privilege of qualifying for Texas residency as U.S. citizens:
(Invalid or not acceptable are I-688-A or I-688-B)