Residency Information
The UofM's residency policy can be summarized as follows:
- If a student’s primary source of support is the parents, then at least one of the parents must be a resident of the state of Tennessee for the student to count as in-state.
NOTE: If a student has begun his or her studies as an in-state student, the student stays in-state as long as he or she remains continuously enrolled even if the parent subsequently moves to another state. - If the student is “emancipated,” i.e. not supported primarily through the parents, a student must have their “domicile” in the state of Tennessee.
- Normally, a student establishes domicile by residing in Tennessee for at least two regular (fall or spring) semesters before enrolling full-time at a college or university in Tennessee.
- Students who have been residents of Tennessee for less than the normal period must clearly establish that they moved to Tennessee for reasons other than educational purposes before enrolling at a college or university in Tennessee. Some examples of documentation could be copies of a lease or mortgage information, TN driver’s license, utility bill, TN voter’s registration, etc.
- As long as an out-of-state student is continuously enrolled full-time at an institution of higher-education in Tennessee, the assumption is that they are here primarily for educational purposes.
- The spouse of a student classified as in-state shall also be classified as in-state. (Note: the spouse must be a student. A copy of the marriage certificate should be provided)
- An out-of-state student attending the University of Memphis on a part-time basis (11 hrs max for undergraduate students and 8 hrs max for graduate students) may pay fees at an in-state rate in a given semester if they can establish, prior to the beginning of the semester, that he or she is employed full-time in the state of Tennessee. A letter of employment must be provided by the employer each semester. Information should be included verifying that the student is employed full-time (minimum of 37.5 hours per week.)
- An active duty military personnel whose ‘Home of Record’ is Tennessee but who is stationed elsewhere is considered an in-state student for fee paying purposes.
- Applicants who provide evidence that they have been transferred by their employer to Tennessee will be considered in-state. A letter from the employer is required prior to the beginning of the semester for documentation.
- In addition to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, certain non-immigrants who hold visas from particular categories are eligible to establish domicile in the U.S. and in Tennessee, and thus become eligible for in-state tuition rates. Such persons are eligible for in-state tuition upon proof that they have initiated proceedings to become a permanent resident or become naturalized, thus establishing the intent to remain permanently in the U.S., coupled with standard evidence of "domicile". Contact the Admissions Office for more information.
- Non-immigrant visa holders who have been approved for Permanent Residency status must provide one the following as documentation to be considered an in-state student for fee paying purposes; congratulatory letter from Homeland Security, stamped passport, or copy of green card. Asylum and refugee classifications are considered to be Permanent Residents. A copy of the I-94 card is required.
Admissions/non-resident Fee Waivers
1. Academic Common Market
2. Border County fee waivers
3. Employed full-time in Tennessee/Enrolled part-time
4. Military – Active duty military and their dependents stationed in Tennessee regardless of their ‘Home of Record’ will be eligible to pay in-state fees.
Bursar Fee Discounts/Waivers
https://www.memphis.edu/usbs/fees/discounts-waivers.php
Please refer to the policies posted on the site for a precise and detailed description. The Office of Admissions is also available to answer any questions you might have. Feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 901-678-2111.