Residency for Tuition Purposes

TWU defines a domestic applicant as an applicant who holds one of the following:

  1. A U.S. citizenship, permanent resident card, or naturalization document (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services); or
  2. INS form Notice of Action I-797 stating that permanent residency is approved; or
  3. Permanent resident endorsement on passport; or
  4. Undocumented immigrant status.

Permanent Residents

Applicants who are permanent residents must submit a copy of their Permanent Resident card.   Applicants who have applied for permanent residency but have not yet received the INS form Notice of Action I-797 verifying approval will be considered international students and must meet all international requirements until a permanent resident card has been issued.

Undocumented Immigrant Students – TEC 54.052 (formerly known as HB1403 – Senate Bill 1528)

Texas law allows certain students who are not U.S. citizens to qualify for Texas resident tuition rates at public universities. This law became effective with students applying for the fall 2001 semester. This statute is a tuition residency classification, not an admissions policy. Students applying under it will be evaluated under the regular freshman and transfer admissions criteria.

A special residency status may be granted if a student meets all of the following criteria:

  • Has graduated or will graduate from a Texas high school or received a GED certificate, and
  • Has resided in Texas during the three years prior to graduation or receiving a GED, and
  • Has resided or will have resided in Texas 12 months prior to the census date of the semester enrolled at a college/university, and
  • Will provide a notarized affidavit stating that the student will file an application to become a permanent resident as soon as possible.

These applicants should complete a domestic (freshman, transfer, graduate, readmit, or transient) application.

Rules and regulations for determining residence status for tuition purposes in the State of Texas are specified under Sec. 54.052 of the Texas Education Code. Persons classified as nonresident students upon first enrollment in an institution of higher education are generally presumed to be nonresidents for the period during which they continue as students.

To petition a change in residency classification, the student must complete the Core Residency Questionnaire and submit it to the Office of the Registrar with appropriate documentation prior to the beginning of the semester.