TUITION CLASSIFICATION
Because Georgia State University is a state-funded institution, students must show documented proof of residency to qualify for in-state tuition. Students who are legal residents of Georgia are entitled to pay in-state tuition as a benefit of paying taxes in the State. Our office has a responsibility to protect the interests of the taxpayers of the State of Georgia. Therefore, it is the student who has the burden of proof for documenting their residency for tuition payment purposes.
Please note: establishing domicile for in-state tuition payment purposes is different than establishing residency for other purposes, such as to obtain a driver’s license. Once a student has been accepted to Georgia State and has enrolled in classes, he/she may apply for a waiver of in-state tuition and fees, or petition for full residency status for tuition purposes.
This app is designed to provide an introduction to the Tuition Classification process and to give students an idea of whether they may be classified as an in-state or out-of-state resident for tuition payment purposes as outlined by the Board of Regents University System of Georgia.
Tuition classification petitions are for students wishing to contest their current non-resident tuition classification status.
Deadlines
| Petition Deadline | Priority | Final |
| Fall Semester | June 1 | August 1 |
| Spring Semester | November 1 | December 1 |
| Summer Semester | March 1 | May 1 |
Who Might Qualify?
The Petition for Tuition Reclassification is primarily for students who have been attending Georgia State and believe that they now qualify for in-state. However, if you have been admitted to Georgia State University and are classified as a non-resident for tuition classification, and you think further information could alter that decision, you may submit a Petition for Tuition Reclassification.
Please be aware that simply living in the state of Georgia for 12 months does not qualify a student for in-state. Students who begin taking classes within the first 12 months of moving to Georgia must be able to demonstrate that their primary reason for living in Georgia is not to attend school.
“No student shall gain or acquire in-state classification while attending any postsecondary educational institution in this state without clear evidence of having established domicile in Georgia for purposes other than attending a postsecondary educational institution in this state.”
University System of Georgia – Board of Regents Policy Manual
Submitting A Petition
You can submit the petition online using the submission form below. You will need to make sure that you have all the required documents scanned and ready for submission before you begin the process. Submissions cannot be saved and completed at a different time.
All communications regarding your petition will be sent to your Georgia State email account.
Petitions filed after the final deadlines listed above will be considered for the following semester. If a petition is approved, it will not be retroactive to prior semesters. Notification of the petition decision will be sent to the student’s Georgia State email.
| Required documents* | |
| Under 24 | 24 or Older |
| Statement of Why You Moved to Georgia | Statement of Why You Moved to Georgia |
| Copy of Current Lease | Copy of Current Lease |
| Certified Copy of Your Georgia 500 Tax Return | Certified Copy of Your Georgia 500 Tax Return |
| Copy of Your IRS Tax Transcript | Copy of Your IRS Tax Transcript |
| Copy of Your W-2 | Copy of Your W-2 |
| Certified Copy of Your Parents’ GA 500 | Copy of Your Georgia Driver’s License |
| Copy of Your Parents’ IRS Tax Transcript | Vehicle Registration |
| Copy of Your Parents’ W-2 | Voter Registration |
| Copy of Your Georgia Driver’s License | |
| Copy of Your Parents’ GA Driver’s License | |
| A Copy of Your Birth Certificate | |
| Vehicle Registration | |
| Voter Registration | |
*Additional documentation may be required.
Employment –Related Visa holders: To have your tuition classification status reviewed, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. You may instead qualify for a waiver of non-resident fees.
Click here to submit your petition through the online petition form.
Waivers are for students who do not meet the qualifications for a Georgia-resident status. However, the Board of Regents has defined situations whereby a student may qualify for an out of state tuition waiver. Eligible students are still classified as out of state but pay the same rates as in-state students.
These waivers cover the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition and fees for 12 months. A student's eligibility for a waiver must be reviewed annually, and some waivers require that the student reapply for the waiver after 12 months. Employment-related Visa holder students must present valid immigration documents with their application. Students who wish to be classified as in-state must submit a Petition for Georgia Tuition Classification for their residency status to be reviewed.
The following waivers are granted by Georgia State University and reviewed by the Tuition Classification Section of the Registrar’s Office:
- Career Consular Waiver
- Economic Advantage Waiver (for U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents moving to Georgia to accept full-time employment)
- Economic Advantage Waiver (for Non-citizens moving to Georgia to accept full-time employment)
- Non-Resident Student Waiver (Note: The ISSS Non-Resident Waiver is separate from this one and may have different deadlines.)
- Military Personnel Waiver
- Recently Separated Military Waiver
- Georgia National Guard and U.S. Reservist Waiver
- Full-time School Employee and University System Employee Waiver
Review the Board of Regents Policies & Definitions below for more about the different types of waivers.
Superior/International Waivers and other merit-based waivers are not reviewed by the tuition classification group. Please see your individual school for more information on merit-based waivers.
DEADLINES
| Petition Deadline | Priority | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | June 1 | August 1 |
| Spring Semester | November 1 | December 1 |
| Summer Semester | March 1 | May 1 |
Petitions filed after the final deadlines listed above will be considered for the following semester. If a petition is approved, it will not be retroactive to prior semesters. Notification of the petition decision will be sent to the student’s Georgia State email. Submit your form with all supporting documentationat one time.
Mail or deliver the petition and supporting documents to:
The Office of the Registrar
225 Sparks Hall
P.O. Box 4017
Atlanta, Georgia 30302-4017
-or-
Submit via email in PDF format (petition and supporting documents) to: [email protected]
Faxed documents are not permitted.
Board of Regents Policies & Definitions
An institution may award out-of-state tuition differential waivers and assess in-state tuition for certain nonresidents of Georgia for the following reasons (under the following conditions):
Academic Common Market
Students selected to participate in a program offered through the Academic Common Market.
University System Employees and Dependents
Full-time employees of the University System, their spouses, and their dependent children.
Full-time School Employees
Full-time employees in the public schools of Georgia or the Technical College System of Georgia, their spouses, and their dependent children. Teachers employed full-time on military bases in Georgia shall also qualify for this waiver (BR Minutes, 1988-89, p.43)
Career Consular Officials
Career consular officers, their spouses, and their dependent children who are citizens of the foreign nation that their Consulate office represents and who are stationed and living in Georgia under orders of their respective governments.
Military Personnel
Military Personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children stationed in or assigned to Georgia and on active duty. The waiver can be retained by the military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children if:
The military sponsor is reassigned outside of Georgia, and the student(s) remain(s) continuously enrolled and the military sponsor remains on active military status;
The military sponsor is reassigned out-of-state and the spouse and dependent children remain in Georgia and the sponsor remains on active military duty; or,
The active military personnel and their spouse and dependent children are stationed in a state contiguous to the Georgia border and live in Georgia. (BoR Minutes, February 2009)
Research University Graduate Students
Graduate students attending the University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and the Medical College of Georgia, which shall be authorized to waive the out-of-state tuition differential for a limited number of graduate students each year, with the understanding that the number of students at each of these institutions to whom such waivers are granted, shall not exceed the number assigned below at any one point in time:
- University of Georgia 80
- Georgia Institute of Technology 60
- Georgia State University 80
- Medical College of Georgia 20
Georgia National Guard and U.S. Military Reservists
Active members of the Georgia National Guard, stationed or assigned to Georgia or active members of a unit of the U.S. Military Reserves based in Georgia, and their spouses and their dependent children.
Economic Advantage
As of the first day of classes for the term, an economic advantage waiver may be granted to a U.S. citizen or U.S. legal permanent resident who can provide clear evidence that the student or the student's parent, spouse, or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian has relocated to the State of Georgia to accept full-time, self-sustaining employment and has established domicile in the State of Georgia. Relocation to the state must be for reasons other than enrolling in an institution of higher education. This waiver will expire 12 months from the date the waiver was granted. An independent non-citizen may be granted this waiver if they possess a valid employment-related visa status, and can provide clear evidence of having taken all legally permissible steps toward establishing legal permanent residence in the United States This is in addition to the requirements set above. Independent non-citizen students may continue to receive this waiver as long as they maintain a valid employment-related visa status and can demonstrate continued efforts to establish U.S. legal permanent residence.
A dependent non-citizen student who can provide clear evidence that the student's parent, spouse, or legal guardian possesses a valid employment-related visa status and can provide clear evidence of having relocated to the State of Georgia to accept full-time, self-sustaining employment is also eligible to receive this waiver. Relocation to the state must be for employment reasons and not for the purpose of enrolling in an institution of higher education. These individuals must be able to show clear evidence of having taken legally permissible steps toward establishing legal permanent residence in the United States and the establishment of legal domicile in the State of Georgia. Students may continue to receive this waiver as long as they can demonstrate that their parent, spouse, or legal guardian is maintaining full-time, self-sustaining employment in Georgia and is continuing efforts to pursue an adjustment of status to U.S. legal permanent resident and the establishment of legal domicile in the State of Georgia. (BR Minutes, October 2008.)
Recently Separated Military Service Personnel
Members of a uniformed military service of the United States who, within 12 months of separation from such service, enroll in an academic program and demonstrate intent to become a permanent resident of Georgia. This waiver may also be granted to their spouses and dependent children. This waiver may be granted for not more than one year. (BR Minutes, October 2008)
Non-Resident Students
As of the first day of classes for the term, a non-resident student can be considered for this waiver under the following conditions:
Students under 24
If the parent, or United States court-appointed legal guardian has maintained domicile in Georgia for at least twelve (12) consecutive months and the student can provide clear and legal evidence showing the relationship to the parent legal guardian has existed for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the term. Under Georgia code, legal guardianship must be established prior to the student’s 18th birthday (BoR Minutes, October 2008, title amended February 2010); or
If the student can provide clear and legal evidence showing a familial relationship to the spouse and the spouse has maintained domicile in Georgia for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the term (BoR Minutes, February 2010).
Students 24 and Older
If the student can provide clear and legal evidence showing a familial relationship to the spouse and the spouse has maintained domicile in Georgia for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the term.
This waiver can remain in effect as long as the student remains continuously enrolled (BoR Minutes, October 2008).
Students who come to Georgia State from another state and work for companies in Georgia remain ineligible for in-state tuition in the absence of compelling evidence of intent to remain in Georgia permanently. Having Georgia voter registration, having employment in any position normally filled by a student (such as co-op, graduate research assistant, or graduate teaching assistant), having a lease of living quarters, having a Georgia automobile registration, and having Georgia driver's license do not constitute sufficient evidence of domicile to affect classification as an in-state student under the Board of Regents' policy.
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