Residency Application Guidelines

Laws and regulations governing the residency requirements for tuition and fee purposes for the State of South Carolina are maintained by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education.

Application Deadline 

All applicants, including dual enrollment and re-admit applicants, have until 1 week prior to their start term of enrollment to verify their resident status for tuition and fee purposes. Applicants that miss this deadline will incur a delay in processing and may benefit from moving their start term of enrollment to the next start term to allow for completion of the residency process.

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Application Timeline 

• Students must first submit an Admission’s Application to initiate the residency review process.
  
• Students selected for residency verification will receive notification with a link to complete the Residency Certification Application.

• When accessing the Residency Certification Application, students will use their login credentials received during the admissions process to access the form.
• Once all portions of the Residency Certification Application have been submitted, all documents will be routed to the Residency Coordinator for review.
• The residency application review process can take up to 2 weeks once all requested documentation has been submitted.
• After the review is completed, if additional documentation is needed, students will receive an email notification with additional instructions.
• Once a final decision has been rendered, the student will receive an email notification of their residency classification status.  
  
  

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Application Results 

If a residency application is approved, students should allow 24 hours for their academic record and billing charges to be adjusted. Students should also follow up with the Financial Aid office to determine if they are eligible for any state financial aid and/or state scholarships.

If a residency application is denied, students can appeal the decision if they have additional information that would warrant overturning the decision rendered. It is the student’s responsibility to supply any evidence that he or she wishes to be considered in their appeal. When applying for an appeal, students should submit a written letter detailing the reason(s) for the appeal to the Dean for Student Engagement as outlined in the denial letter within 30 days of receiving their denial notification. Students that fail to submit an appeal within 30 instructional days could lose their ability to appeal.

Download the Guidelines