Document evidencing family ties in Florida broward college

To be eligible for in-state tuition, the student or parent must have been a Florida resident, as defined by state law for tuition purposes, for at least 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of the term.

Dependent and Independent Students

If the student qualifies as a dependent on a parent’s federal income taxes, the student is considered a dependent student and one of the parents must provide proof of their residency.

If the student is 24-years-old or older, they are considered an independent student and the student - not the parents - must provide proof of residency. If the student is under 24-years-old and married, active military personnel, a veteran, orphan, previously a ward of the state, in foster care, or provide more than 50% of their own financial support, the student may also be considered an independent student.

The Guidelines on Florida Residency for Tuition Purposes (PDF) provides additional information about the laws and rules for in-state tuition.

Documentation

To prove residency for tuition purposes, students will need to present at least two pieces of documentation with dates that prove the student or their parents were a Florida resident for at least 365 days before the first day of class. Colleges and universities may require additional documentation, especially if there appears to be some inconsistency between the documentation and the admissions application.

Documentation must include at least one item from the list below. If the student is a dependent student, the document must be in the name of one of their parents. If the student is an independent student, the document must be in the student’s name.

Florida driver’s license
Florida vehicle registration
State of Florida identification card
Florida voter’s registration card
Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is a primary resident of the student or student’s parents if the student is a dependent.
Proof of homestead exemption in Florida.
Transcripts from Florida high school for two or more years if a diploma was earned within the last 12 months.
Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida (30 hours a week for 12 consecutive months).

If the student only has one document from the list above, they may use one or more of the additional documents listed below:

Shorter days, leafless trees, and frost on the ground are all signs that it's time for "snowbirds" to head south for the winter. And if you're one of the thousands of retirees heading to the Sunshine State for the winter, you may be wondering how to establish residency in Florida so that you can take advantage of the state's tax benefits.

It's well-known that Florida is one of only a handful of states without an income tax. So, if your summer home is in one of those high-tax states up north — New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, Connecticut, Wisconsin and the like — you can potentially save thousands of dollars each year if you can satisfy the Florida residency requirements.

But how do you establish residency in Florida for tax purposes? You can't just say "I'm a Florida resident" and have the income tax bill from your summer state magically disappear. You need to show that Florida is your primary and permanent home — and it's your actions, not your words, that count the most. That means cutting as many ties to your warm-weather home as possible and putting down roots in Florida.

Unfortunately, though, no matter how rooted in Florida you become, don't be surprised if your summer state still wants you to pay taxes as a resident on all your income (instead of paying tax only on in-state income as a nonresident). The tax agencies in many high-tax northern states have well-earned reputations for fighting wealthier snowbirds who suddenly claim to be Florida residents. So, if you're going to make that claim, be sure you can back it up. Here are a few things you can do to show that you are, in fact, a Florida resident if your warm-weather state challenges your residency status.