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In-State Tuition for Son of FL Military Parent Posted in Another State?

Written by Sally Rubenstone | Sept. 26, 2012

Question: I am active duty military. My home of record is in the state of Florida. I am currently stationed in the state of Virginia. If my son would like to attend a school in FL, will he have to pay out of state tuition?

One of the most complex aspects of the college search and application process can be determining which students qualify for in-state status. “The Dean's" eyes have glazed over many times trying to decipher all the legalese! Thus, I contacted the Florida Department of Education before responding. I wanted to make sure that the news I gave you was not only good but also accurate.

Here's what I found out:

If you go to this Web site, http://files.flvc.org/pdfDocuments/manuals/Residency_Guidelines_October_2010.pdf#1.0-Introduction, you will see these provisions that WILL allow your son to claim residency in Florida for tuition purposes, assuming you have the documentation in bold below:

6.2 Residency Protections and Exceptions/Qualifications for Military Personnel

Active duty military personnel and their spouses/dependents are afforded some residency protections due to their unique circumstances. The following military personnel are classified as residents for tuition purposes:

- Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States residing or stationed in Florida (and spouse/dependent children) and active drilling members of the Florida National Guard. [s. 1009.21(10)(a), FS]

- Military personnel (and spouse/dependent children) not stationed in Florida whose home of record or state of legal residence certificate is Florida (as noted on an approved DD Form 2058, State of Legal Residence Certificate, or a Leave and Earning Statement, also called an LES or the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) Form 702).

An individual shall not lose his or her resident status solely by reason of his/her service or, if the individual is a dependent child, his/her parent's service in the Armed Forces outside this state. [s. 1009.21(7), FS]

-Active duty members of the Armed Services of the United States and their spouses/dependent children attending a public community college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where they are stationed, if such military establishment is within a county contiguous to Florida, shall be classified as residents. [s. 1009.21(10)(b), FS]

Thus your son can apply to Florida institutions as an in-state resident. :)

(posted 9/26/2012)

Sally Rubenstone

Sally Rubenstone knows the competitive and often convoluted college admission process inside out: From the first time the topic of college comes up at the dinner table until the last duffel bag is unloaded on a dorm room floor. She is the co-author of Panicked Parents' Guide to College Admissions; The Transfer Student's Guide to Changing Colleges and The International Student's Guide to Going to College in America. Sally has appeared on NBC's Today program and has been quoted in countless publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Weekend, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek, People and Seventeen. Sally has viewed the admissions world from many angles: As a Smith College admission counselor for 15 years, an independent college counselor serving students from a wide range of backgrounds and the author of College Confidential's "Ask the Dean" column. She also taught language arts, social studies, study skills and test preparation in 10 schools, including American international schools in London, Paris, Geneva, Athens and Tel Aviv. As senior advisor to College Confidential since 2002, Sally has helped hundreds of students and parents navigate the college admissions maze. In 2008, she co-founded College Karma, a private college consulting firm, with her College Confidential colleague Dave Berry, and she continues to serve as a College Confidential advisor. Sally and her husband, Chris Petrides, became first-time parents in 1997 at the ripe-old age of 45. So Sally was nearly an official senior citizen when her son Jack began the college selection process, and when she was finally able to practice what she had preached for more than three decades.