Tuition Classification

The University System of Georgia allows students who have been admitted to the University of West Georgia as out-of-state for tuition purposes, to apply for in-state status by filing a petition for reclassification or gain temporary in-state status through various tuition differential waivers. 

Applications for a petition or waiver should not be completed until the student has been fully admitted to the university, and all Tuition Differential Waivers are due in the Registrar’s Office at least 2 weeks prior to the posted fee payment deadline of the term in which the waiver is requested. Fee payment deadlines are available from the Bursar’s Office or from the current SCOOP. Waivers received after this date run the risk of not being processed in time for fee payment.

Petition for In-State Tuition Status

University of West Georgia students are responsible for registering under the proper tuition classification. Students who have been classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes and believe they are entitled to be classified in-state for tuition purposes may petition the institution for a change of status. For more information about the classification of students for tuition purposes, See Board of Regents Policy Manual, section 403.02 on the USG web site.

Students should download and complete the Petition and return it with all applicable supporting documents to the Registrar’s Office by posted deadline. Incomplete petitions will be returned to the student. Petition for In-State Tuition Form

Tuition Differential Waivers:

The University of West Georgia awards out-of-state tuition differential waivers and assess in-state tuition for certain nonresidents of Georgia under the following conditions: For more information about tuition differential waivers, see Board of Regents Policy Manual, section 704.041 on the USG web site.

• University System Employees and Dependents

  Full-time employees of the University System, their spouses, and their dependent children.
  Full-Time USG Employee Waiver
  

• Full-Time School Employees

  Full-time employees in the public schools of Georgia or 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.
  Full-Time Public School and TCSG Employee Waiver 
  Full-Time Teachers on Military Bases Waiver

• Career Consular Officials

  Career consular officers, their spouses, and their dependent children who are citizens of the foreign nation that their consular office represents and who are stationed and living in Georgia under orders of their respective governments. Career Consular Waiver

• Military Personnel

  Active duty military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children who meet one of the following:

  1. The military sponsor is currently stationed in or assigned to Georgia; or,
  2. The military sponsor previously stationed in or assigned to Georgia is reassigned outside of Georgia, and the student(s) remain (s) continuously enrolled in a Georgia high school, Technical College System of Georgia institution, and/or a University System of Georgia institution; or,
  3. The military sponsor is reassigned outside of Georgia and the spouse and/or dependent children remain in Georgia; or,
  4. The military sponsor is stationed in a state contiguous to the Georgia border and resides in Georgia; or,
  5. Dependent children of a military sponsor, previously stationed in or assigned to Georgia within the previous five years, and/or the child completed at least one year of high school in Georgia; or,
  6. Any student utilizing VA educational benefits transferred from a currently serving military member is also eligible.

   Military Personnel Form

• Border County Residents

  Students domiciled in an out-of-state county bordering Georgia, enrolling in a program offered at a location approved by the Board of Regents and for which the offering institution has been granted permission to award Border County waivers. The University of West Georgia has permission to grant Border Waivers to Residents of Cleburne or Randolph counties in Alabama. Border County Waiver.

• 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 dependent children. Georgia National Guard and US Reservists Waiver

• Economic Advantage

  As of the first day of classes for the term, an Economic Advantage waiver may be granted under the following conditions:

  U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Eligible Non-Citizens

  A. Dependent Students

  Dependent students providing clear and convincing evidence that the student’s parent or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian relocated to the state of Georgia
  to accept full-time, self-sustaining employment. The relocation must be for reasons other than enrolling in an institution of higher education and appropriate
  steps to establish domicile in the state must be taken. The employment upon which the relocation was based must be held at the time the waiver is awarded.

  B. Independent Students

  Independent students providing clear and convincing evidence that they, or their spouse, relocated to the state of Georgia to accept full-time, self-sustaining
  employment. The relocation to the state must be for reasons other than enrolling in an institution of higher education and appropriate steps to establish
  domicile in the state must be taken. The employment upon which the relocation was based must be held at the time the waiver is awarded.

  C. U.S. refugees, asylees, and other eligible noncitizens as defined by the federal Title IV regulations may be extended the same consideration for the   
  Economic Advantage waiver as citizens and lawful permanent residents of the Waiver eligibility for the above qualifying students expires twelve (12) months
  from the date the waiver is awarded.
  
  Economic Advantage Waiver
  

  
  Non-Citizens (those who are not considered Eligible Non-Citizens by the U.S. Department of Education)

  A. Dependent Students

  Non-citizen dependent students providing clear and convincing evidence that the student’s parent or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian relocated to the
  state of Georgia to accept full-time, self-sustaining employment and entered the state in a valid, employment-authorized status. The relocation must be for
  reasons other than enrolling in an institution of higher education and appropriate steps to establish domicile in the state must be taken. The employment upon
  which the relocation was based must be held at the time the waiver is awarded. Additionally, the non-citizen dependent student must provide clear evidence
  that the parent, or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian, is taking legally permissible steps to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States.

  B. Independent Students

  Non-citizen independent students must provide clear and convincing evidence that they, or their spouse, relocated to the state of Georgia to accept full-time,
  self-sustaining employment and entered the state in a valid, employment authorized status. The relocation must be for reasons other than enrolling in an
  institution of higher education and appropriate steps to establish domicile in the state must be taken. The employment upon which the relocation was based
  must be held at the time the waiver is awarded. Additionally, non-citizen independent students must provide clear evidence that they, or their spouse, are
  taking legally permissible steps to obtain lawful permanent resident status in the United States.
  
  Waiver eligibility for the above qualifying students may continue provided full-time, self-sustaining employment in Georgia and the employment-authorized
  status are maintained. Furthermore, there must be continued evidence of Georgia domicile and efforts to pursue an adjustment to United States lawful
  permanent resident status.

• Recently Separated Military Personnel

  Separated military members from a uniformed military service of the United States who meet one of the following:

  1. Individuals who within thirty-six (36) months of separation from such service, enroll in an academic program and demonstrate intent to become domiciled in Georgia. This waiver may also be granted to their spouses and dependent children.
  2. Any separated service member or any student utilizing transferred VA educational benefits, and physically residing in the state, who enrolls within one hundred-twenty (120) months of separation is also eligible.

    Recently Separated Waiver

• Non-Resident Student Waiver

  As of the first day of classes for the term, a nonresident student can be considered for this waiver under the following conditions:
  
  Student under 24. If the parent, or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian has maintained domicile in Georgia for at least 12 consecutive months and the student can provide clear and legal evidence showing the relationship to the parent or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian has existed for at least 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 (BR Minutes, October 2008). Non-Resident Students Waiver
  
  Student 24 or Older. If the student can provide clear and legal evidence showing relations to the spouse and the spouse has maintained domicile in Georgia for at least 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. Non-Resident Students Waiver

  If the parent, spouse, or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian of a continuously enrolled nonresident student establishes domicile in another state after having maintained domicile in the State of Georgia for the required period, the nonresident student may continue to receive this waiver as long as the student remains continuously enrolled in a public postsecondary educational institution in the state, regardless of the domicile of the parent, spouse or U.S. court-appointed legal guardian.

• Vocational Rehabilitation Waiver

  Students enrolled in a University System of Georgia institution based on a referral by the Vocational Rehabilitation Program of the Georgia Department of Labor. (Submit copy of referral)