Prove Florida Residency

How New/Returning Students Prove Florida Residency

New Students

If you are a Florida resident, you can easily prove residency when you submit your Residency form online to Valencia College by providing valid ID numbers for two of the following documents, issued at least 12 consecutive months before the first day of your classes:

Submit Your Florida Residency Form

In order to quality for in-state tuition, you must submit your Florida Residency Form and upload the necessary documentation.

Submit Florida Residency Form

First Tier

At least one of the two documents submitted must be from this list:

  • A Florida voter's registration card.
  • A Florida driver's license or Florida identification card.
  • A Florida vehicle registration.
  • Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the individual or by the individual's parent if the individual is a dependent child.
  • Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida.
  • Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (if Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within last 12 months).*
  • Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week for the most recent and consecutive 12-month period.

*GED must be accompanied by official high school transcripts showing multiple years of attendance in a Florida high school.

Second Tier

Documents from this list may be used in conjunction with documents from First Tier and only if there is a valid document from the First Tier category.

  • A Declaration of Domicile in Florida (12 months from the date the document was sworn and subscribed as noted by the Clerk of Court).
  • A Florida professional or occupational license.
  • A Florida corporation as evidenced by Department of State filings.
  • Proof of membership in Florida-based charitable or professional organization that requires that the member reside in Florida as a condition of membership.
  • Benefit histories from Florida agencies or public assistance programs.
  • Any other documentation that supports the student's request for resident status (may include utility bills in the name of the claimant and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; a lease agreement in the name of the claimant and proof of 12 consecutive months of payments; or an official state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida for the 12 consecutive months prior to enrollment.

Unacceptable Documents

The following items are not acceptable forms of documentation to establish that one has been living in Florida for 12 months:

  • Birth certificate
  • Social Security card
  • Passport
  • Shopping club/rental cards
  • Tax return
  • Bank statements
  • Cell phone bills
  • Hunting/fishing permit
  • Concealed weapons permit
  • Credit card bills
  • Vessel, Boat, Dune buggy or other recreational vehicles
  • Medical bills or doctor's notes

 

Returning Students

An individual who was initially classified as a non-resident for tuition purposes may become eligible for reclassification as a resident for tuition purposes. Reclassification requires an individual, or the parent or guardian of a dependent person, to present clear and convincing documentation that supports permanent legal residence in Florida for at least 12 consecutive months rather than temporary residence for the purpose of pursuing an education. A parent is either one of the parents of the student, any guardian of the student, or any person in a parental relationship to the student.

A total of three documents will be required when submitting your Residency Reclassification Form.  One of the three must come from Tier 1 while the remaining two may come from either Tier 1 or Tier 2.  Please refer to the form itself, or the New Students tab above, to review the list of acceptable documents.

Please note: Students who depend on out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.