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Residency Classification
The Office of Residency Classification assists graduate and undergraduate students with application for entitlement to pay in-state rates on tuition and fees.
Why Might Your Residency Be in Question?
Initial residency classifications are based on answers provided on the admission application.
- You indicated you were not an S.C. resident or left the question blank. Even if this was in error, you will have to go through the full residency process.
- You indicated you are an S.C. resident, but you did not include a date for which you became a resident of the state. You would have to request a review of your admissions file for the Office of Residency Classification to determine if a full application is required.
- You indicated you are an S.C. resident, but you have been in S.C. for three years or less. Anyone who has been in S.C. for less than four years must go through the residency process.
- You indicated you are an S.C. resident, but you list either an out-of-state address, out-of-state high school or out-of-state college. You will have to go through the full residency application process.
- You indicated you are not a U.S. citizen. You must go through the full residency process and provide copies of the Permanent Resident cards or valid visas.
Office of Residency Classification
G-01 Sikes Hall
Clemson, SC 29634-5123
Phone: 864-656-2280
Fax: 864-656-1831
Email: finaid@clemson.edu
Residency Application
The residency application should be completed by independent, dependent and military applicants as defined below.
Students must initiate the application. If a parent’s information is required, they will be prompted later in the application process to complete their sections.
First-year students must be accepted to Clemson and receive login information before applying for in-state tuition and fees.
Independent: Students who are financially independent and S.C. residents in their own right.
Dependent: Students who are a dependent of or are married to an S.C. resident.
Military: Students who believe they should qualify under the military regulations for in-state tuition and fees.
Residency Application Deadlines
| Fall | July 1 |
|---|---|
| March 1 priority deadline for new first-year students to receive a decision by May 1 | |
| Spring | December 1 |
| Summer | Day before Summer I classes begin |
Residency applications take several weeks to review once all documentation has been received. To have your file reviewed for a semester, you must submit your application by the deadlines listed above. If these dates fall on a weekend, the deadline will be the following Monday.
Special Cases
State Employees
Non-South Carolina residents who are full-time faculty and administrative employees of South Carolina state-supported colleges and universities and their dependents are eligible to pay in-state tuition and fees.
Fire and Police
Tuition is not charged to children of firemen, law enforcement officers and government employees totally disabled or killed in the line of duty. Legal citation can be found in the SC Code of Laws (see Article 3).
Residency Decisions
Clemson University has final authority on residency decisions following state legislation, regulations and guidance. The checklist is for informational purposes; submission of all items does not guarantee that your appeal will be granted. Decisions are based on a holistic review, can be different from school to school and cannot be appealed to the S.C. Commission on Higher Education.
SC Regulation 62-605.
A. Resident status may not be acquired by an applicant or student while residing in South Carolina for the primary purpose of enrollment in an institution or for access to state-supported programs designed to serve South Carolina residents. An applicant or student from another state who comes to South Carolina usually does so for the purpose of attending school. Therefore, an applicant or student who enrolls as a nonresident in an institution is presumed to remain a nonresident throughout his or her attendance and does not qualify under any of the residency provisions.
