Georgia Residency

About Residency

Students are first classified as in-state or out-of-state based on their application for admission to the University of West Georgia. Any information indicating ties to another state (out-of-state address, out-of-state school, out-of-state driver’s license, etc.) will result in an out-of-state classification.

The following guidelines are not all-inclusive and do not encompass every residency situation but do outline the University System of Georgia policy around determining initial residency classification.

Below is a brief summary of the in-state residency requirements for incoming students:

  • Be a legal citizen of the U.S
  • Be able to provide documentation that demonstrates that you or your parents have lived in Georgia for at least 12 months prior to the start of classes. This may include State tax documents, GA driver’s license, vehicle registration, and voter’s registration card.
  • For students 24 years and older:
    • You must have lived in Georgia for at least 12 months prior to the start of classes and cut ties with any other state.
    • You must also be living in Georgia for purposes other than attending a postsecondary institution in this state.
  • For students under the age of 24:
    • Your parent(s) or guardian(s) must have lived in Georgia for at least 12 months prior to the start of classes and cut ties with any other state.
    • In the case of divorce, the tax-dependent or majority support parent, so the parent(s) must show proof of domicile.

Already Admitted?

Once you have been admitted to the University of West Georgia, please log in to your account to review your current residency status.

If you believe you made a mistake while filling out the application, we can permit an applicant to submit a notarized statement to correct an error in answering a tuition classification question.

If you indicated that you did not wish to apply for in-state tuition on your application, you can correct that error by submitting the form below and having it notarized.

Tuition Mistake Form (PDF)

If you indicated ties to other states on your application, you may be asked to provide the following supporting document:

  • A copy of the most recent state income tax return (GA 500). Dependent students will be required to provide their parent or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian’s GA 500; Independent students will be required to provide their own GA 500.

Some students, not eligible to be classified as in-state for tuition purposes, may be eligible for an out-of-state tuition waiver. For more information on the available out-of-state tuition waivers, students should review Section 7.3.4.1, Out-of-State Tuition Waivers, found online here.

Current Student Residency Concerns

If you are a current student at the University of West Georgia and believe your tuition should be reviewed for reclassification, the Petition for In-State Tuition Status is reviewed by our Registrar’s Office and available here (PDF).

Certain non-residents may also apply for a Tuition Differential Waiver through the Registrar’s Office. A list of available Tuition Differential Waivers is available here.

The University System of Georgia has policies in place that allow a student from a homeless situation to be eligible for in-state tuition. Learn more about these policies here.