Residency Information

The UofM's residency policy can be summarized as follows:

1. 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.
2. If the student is “emancipated,” i.e. not supported primarily through the parents, a student must have their “domicile” in the state of Tennessee.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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)
5. 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.)
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.