Residency Classification

Residency by establishing a domicile in Texas is available to citizens or permanent residents of the United States and international students who hold an eligible visa. Non-citizens and non-permanent residents may also use this option if they have an application for permanent residency on file with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service.

If you are independent for tax purposes, you may gain resident status if you establish domicile in Texas.  If your parent/court appointed legal guardian claims you as a dependent on their federal income tax return, they must establish domicile in Texas for you to claim residency.

To establish domicile, the following criteria must be met:

1. Live in Texas for 12 consecutive months; and
2. Establish and maintain domicile for 12 consecutive months through one of the following methods:
   • Significant gainful employment  (Student jobs do not qualify as gainful employment.)
   • Ownership of residential real property in Texas
   • Marriage to a person who established and maintained domicile in Texas
     Ownership of a business entity

Residency through high school graduation is available to citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and to international students. To establish residency through high school graduation, you must:

1. Graduate from a Texas high school or receive a GED in Texas; and
2. Live in Texas for the 36 months immediately before high school graduation; and
3. Live in Texas for the 12 months immediately before the census date of the semester in which you enroll at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

If a student meets the above criteria, but is not a United States citizen or Permanent Resident, they qualify for in-state tuition under Senate Bill 1528, and must submit a Residency Affidavit Form to the Office of the Registrar.

If you have submitted the Residency Core Questionnaire form and have been classified as a Non-Resident of Texas after review of the form, you have the option to appeal the determination of your residency classification.

To appeal the determination, you must write a letter stating why you should be considered a Texas resident and provide any additional information to state your case further. Your letter should be addressed to the Residency Appeals Committee. The committee will review the information you submit and make a determination; the decision of the Residency Appeals Committee is final. Request for review or reclassification of residency status must be made prior to the second census date. Please visit the Important Institutional Deadline page for second census dates related to your program. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center residency officials abide by Texas statutes and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules and regulations when making residency determinations.

Students classified as non-residents may qualify to pay resident tuition based on one of the following waiver programs.The individual remains classified as a non-resident, but a waiver of non-resident tuition is given for each semester of eligibility.

• The student or student’s non-resident spouse or parent is a member of the Armed Forces or a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service and is stationed in Texas, or the student is a veteran. Students should contact Veteran & Military Services prior to registration.
• The non-resident student or student’s non-resident spouse or parent has been transferred to Texas by an Economic Development and Diversification program established as part of the state’s Economic Development and Diversification program. 
• The student is a New Mexico resident who resides in a county bordering Texas. New Mexico bordering counties: Otero, Dona Ana, Eddy, Curry, Lea Quay, Union, Roosevelt
• The student is a Oklahoma resident who resides in a county bordering Texas. Oklahoma bordering counties: Beaver, Beckham, Bryan, Choctaw, Cimarron, Cotton, Ellis, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Love, Marshall, McCurtain, Roger Miller, and Texas Tillman.

For a complete Residency Information, visit the College for All Texans Residency Information page.

Questions regarding changing residency status, bordering county, and registration issues regarding in-state/out-of-state sections can be answered by the Office of the Registrar.

We are unable to determine your residency without a completed Oath of Residency on file. You will complete the Oath of Residency during the application process. 

Unfortunately, your residency can not be determined by the rate you paid at a previous private institution. Some examples of private institutions include, but are not limited to, Lubbock Christian University, Abilene Christian University, Dallas Baptist University, and Baylor University.

You may qualify for the Bordering County waiver. This is available for those living in the counties of Union, Quay, Curry, Roosevelt, Lea, Eddy, Otero, and Dona Ana. This waiver is dependent on the type of program you are or will be enrolled in, whether face-to-face or distance education. Once the waiver is approved and added to your account, it will carry over from the current term to the next and no further action will be required. If you have been approved for the waiver and do not see it reflected on your billing, you will need to contact Student Business Services at sbs1@ttuhsc.edu or by calling their office at 806-743-7867. Please keep in mind that not all students will qualify for this waiver.

There are a variety of documents we may request to support your claim for Texas residency. Some of the most frequently requested documents include your tax return and/or your parent/guardian’s tax return if you are a dependent and proof of living in Texas, which can be a lease agreement or mortgage statement in your name. Other documents may include, but not limited to, pay stubs, letter from your employer, utility bills (water, gas, electricity), or a marriage license. 

There are a variety of documents we may request to support your claim for Texas residency. Some of the most frequently requested documents include your tax return and/or your parent/guardian’s tax return if you are a dependent and proof of living in Texas, which can be a lease agreement or mortgage statement in your name. Other documents may include, but not limited to, pay stubs, letter from your employer, utility bills (water, gas, electricity), or a marriage license. 

If your parent or legal guardian lives in another state and claims you as a dependent, you will be classified as an out-of-state resident unless you qualify on the basis of high school domicile, or your parent is away on temporary absence. You may be eligible for Texas residency if a parent or legal guardian resides in Texas and is eligible to claim you as dependent on their federal taxes.

A temporary absence by a student or parent, with the intention to return, does not affect your ability to claim residency if the temporary absence is the result of:

• Service in the U.S. Armed Forces, Public Health Service, Department of Defense, or Department of State
• Employment assignment
• Educational purposes
• To claim a temporary absence, a student or parent must first establish Texas residency, then provide documentation of the reason for the temporary absence.

If you were classified as a Texas resident while you were enrolled at another Texas public institution of higher education for the previous academic year, you may be eligible to be classified as a Texas resident at TTUHSC in accordance with Texas Administrative Code Determination of Resident Status Rule §21.26. Please contact the Office of the Registrar for more information.

Military service members may base residency on the state they list as their legal residence, as found on their Leave and Earning Statement (LES). If you do not list Texas as your state of legal military residence, you may be eligible for a waiver to pay in-state tuition if stationed in Texas. Please contact Veteran & Military Services to discuss further.