Board of Trustees Non-Resident Policy

Non-Resident Tuition Policy

The following policy was approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama as Board Rule 202 on December 5, 1997. For information regarding the implementation of this policy at UAB, see the UAB Non-Resident Tuition Policy Statement.

I. Non-Resident Tuition Fee

1. All students registering at the University of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, or the University of Alabama in Huntsville who do not establish that they are "resident students" shall pay a "non-resident student" tuition which shall be at least twice that of "resident student" tuition.

    

2. Classification of students as "non-resident students" or "resident students" shall be made at the time of their initial registration and shall continue unchanged through all subsequent registrations at that institution until satisfactory evidence to the contrary is submitted at the time of any subsequent registration.

    

3. A "resident student" is one who, at the time of registration:
   Is not a "minor" and is a resident of the state of Alabama and has been a resident of the state for at least one year immediately preceding the date of registration;
   OR

    

4. Is a "minor" and whose "supporting person(s)" is a resident of the state of Alabama and has been a resident of the state for at least one year immediately preceding the date of registration.

II. Definitions

1. Minor
   An individual who, because of age, lacks the capacity to contract under Alabama law. Under current law, this means a single individual under nineteen (19) and a married individual under eighteen (18), but excludes an individual whose disabilities of non-age have been removed by a court of competent jurisdiction for a reason other than establishing a legal residence in Alabama.

    

2. Supporting person
   Either or both of the parents of the student (if they are living together) or if they are divorced or living separately, then either the parent having legal custody or, if different, the parent providing the greater amount of financial support of the two. If both parents are deceased or if neither had legal custody, then supporting person shall mean, in the following order: legal custodian of the student, and, if none, the guardian, and, if none, the conservator.

    

3. Resident
   One whose residence is in the state of Alabama. Residence means the single location at which a person resides with the intent of remaining there indefinitely as evidenced by more substantial connections with that place than with any other place.
   Individuals carrying resident status under this policy shall certify under penalty for perjury that a specific address or location within the state of Alabama is their residence, that they intend to remain there indefinitely, and that they have more substantial connections with the state of Alabama than with any other state.
   Though certification of an address and an intent to remain in the state indefinitely are prerequisites to establishing status as a resident, ultimate determination of that status shall be made by the institution by its evaluation of the presence or absence of connections with the state of Alabama including the following:
   • Payment of Alabama state income taxes as a resident
   • Ownership of a residence or other real property in the state and payment of state ad valorem taxes thereon
   • Full-time employment (not temporary) in the state
   • Residence in the state of a spouse, parents, or children
   • Previous periods of residency in the state continuing for one year or more
   • Voter registration and voting in the state; more significantly, continuing voter registration in the state that initially occurred at least one year prior to the initial registration of the student in Alabama at a public institution of higher education
   • Possession of state or local licenses to do business or practice a profession in the state
   • Ownership of personal property in the state and payment of state taxes thereon (e.g., automobile, boat, etc.) and possession of state license plates
   • Continuous physical presence in the state for a purpose other than attending school and except for temporary absences for travel, military service, temporary employment, etc.
   • Membership in religious, professional, business, civic, or social organizations in the state
   • Maintenance in the state of checking and savings accounts, safe deposit boxes, or investment accounts
   • In-state address shown on selective service registration, driver's license, automobile title registration, hunting and fishing license, insurance policies, stock and bond registrations, last will and testament, annuities, or retirement plans
   • Location within the state of the high school from which the individual graduated

III. Authority to expand the Definition of "Resident Student"

The President of each campus may recommend to the Chancellor for consideration by the Board of Trustees that the term "resident student" may include any one or more of the following categories, at that campus:

1. One who, at the time of registration, is not a "minor" and:
   • Is a full-time employee (not temporary) of the institution at which the student is registering or is the spouse of such an employee;
   • Is able to verify full-time permanent employment within the state of Alabama and shall commence said employment not more than ninety (90) days after registration with the institution, or is the spouse of such an employee;
   • Is a member or the spouse of a member of the United States military on full-time active duty stationed in Alabama under orders for duties other than attending school;
   • Is employed as a graduate assistant or fellow by the institution at which the student is registering; or
   • Is a resident of any county within fifty (50) miles of the campus of the institution at which the student is registering, and had been a resident of that county for at least one year immediately preceding the date of registration. "Resident" shall have the same meaning, as to the relevant county, which it has as to the state of Alabama in the definitions section of this policy statement.

    

2. One who, at the time of registration, is a "minor" and whose "supporting person(s)":
   • Is a full-time employee (not temporary) of the institution at which the student is registering;
   • Is able to verify full-time permanent employment within the state of Alabama and shall commence said employment not more than ninety (90) days after registration with the institution;
   • Is a member of the United States military on full-time active duty stationed in Alabama under orders for duties other than attending school; or
   • Is a resident of any county within fifty (50) miles of the campus of the institution at which the student is registering, and has been a resident of that county for at least one year immediately preceding the date of registration. "Resident" shall have the same meaning, as to the relevant county, which it has as to the state of Alabama in the definitions section of this policy statement.

IV. Authority to implement policy

1. The Presidents are authorized (and authorized to delegate to admissions officers and others) and directed to implement this policy by appropriate written policies, guidelines, and procedures.

    

2. Such policy shall provide that classification as a "resident student" shall be based upon the required certificate and other written evidence to be filed in the admissions office and that any decision by an admissions officer may be appealed by the student to a review committee which shall be constituted, appointed, and operated as provided in such policy.

    

3. The decision of the review committee may be appealed to the President, whose action thereon shall be final.