Residency Information and Application

Petition for Residency Re-Classification

Residency Determination

No student may be admitted to any institution of higher learning as a resident of Mississippi unless their bona fide residence has been in the State of Mississippi preceding their admission.

A person who has entered the State of Mississippi from another state and enters an educational institution is considered a non-resident, unless they can demonstrate by clear and convincing evidence that they have become a bona fide resident of Mississippi. A student is only considered a bona fide resident of the State of Mississippi if it is the place where they (or their parent(s) or guardian for a minor) actually physically reside with the intention of remaining indefinitely or of returning permanently when temporarily absent.

Admitted non-resident students can petition the University of Mississippi for a change of residency and present evidence for consideration by submitting a completed signed and notarized Petition for Residency Re-Classification form, a written statement, and documentation/evidence to support their written statement. Each case shall be determined based on the totality of the circumstances, with no one factor being determinative. The standard for granting residency is whether the student (or their parent(s) or guardian for a minor) has presented clear and convincing evidence that Mississippi is the place they actually physically reside with the intention of remaining indefinitely or of returning permanently when temporarily absent.

Evidence the admitted non-resident student rented or purchased property in the state, worked in the state, paid taxes in the state, registered to vote in the state, and/or obtained a driver’s license in the state shall not necessarily be indicia that the student intends to remain in the state after graduation if they are of the nature that could similarly be done by students who have no intention of remaining in the state after graduation.

Any initial determination denying a change of residency shall be appealable to the Residency Appeals Committee. The decision of the Residency Appeals Committee shall be final.

Residence of a Minor

For purposes of determining residency of a minor student for attendance and tuition at the University of Mississippi, the residence of a student less than 21 years of age is that of the father, the mother, or a general guardian duly appointed by a proper court in Mississippi. If a court has granted custody of the minor to one parent, the residence of the minor is that of the parent who was granted physical custody by the court and is where the student resides.

If both parents are deceased, the residence of the minor is that of the last surviving parent at the time of that parent’s death, unless the minor lives with a general guardian duly appointed by a proper court of Mississippi, in which case his/her residence becomes that of the guardian provided the guardianship was not established for the purpose of obtaining instate tuition.

A minor student who has been emancipated, shall be considered an adult for the purpose of determining residency. A minor student who, upon registration at the University of Mississippi, presents a transcript demonstrating graduation from a Mississippi secondary school and who has been a secondary school student in Mississippi for not less than the final four years of secondary school attendance shall not be required to pay out-of-state tuition.

Residence of an Adult

The residence of an adult is that place where he/she is domiciled, that is the place where he/she actually physically resides with the intention of remaining there indefinitely or of returning there permanently when temporarily absent.

Legal Residence of a Married Person

A married person may claim the residence status of his or her spouse, or he or she may claim independent residence status as any other adult.

Children of Employees

Children of parents who are employees of any institution under the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning may be classified as residents for the purpose of attendance at the institution where their parents are employees.

Moving Out of Mississippi

If the parent(s)/guardian of a minor who is enrolled as a student, or an adult student in an institution of higher learning moves their legal residence from the State of Mississippi, the student shall immediately be re-classified as a nonresident student; such a change in classification shall not affect the tuition to be charged upon completion of the semester in which the move takes place.

Military Personnel

Active Duty Station in Mississippi

If you are a member of the United States Armed Forces on extended active duty and stationed within the State of Mississippi or a member of the Mississippi National Guard you may be classified as a resident, for the purpose of attendance at the University of Mississippi. Your resident status, as defined in Section 37-103-13, shall terminate upon the reassignment of your duty, in the continental United States, to outside the State of Mississippi.

Spouse or Child of Military Personnel

The resident status of a spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on extended active duty shall be that of the military spouse or pared for the purpose of attending the University of Mississippi during the time that their military spouse or parent is stationed within the State of Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments enroute from Mississippi. Resident status of a minor child terminates upon reassignment under Permanent Change of Station Orders of the military parent for duty in the continental United States outside the State of Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments enroute from Mississippi, and except that children of members of the Armed Forces who attain Mississippi residency in accordance with the above provisions, who begin and complete their senior year of high school in Mississippi, and who enroll full time in the University of Mississippi to begin studies in the fall after their graduation from high school, maintain their residency status so long as they remail enrolled as a student in good standing at the University of Mississippi. Enrollment during summer is not required to maintain such resident status.

The spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who dies or is killed is entitled to pay the resident tuition fee if the spouse or child becomes a resident of Mississippi.

If a member of the Armed Forces of the United States is stationed outside Mississippi and the member’s spouse or child established residence in Mississippi and registers with the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi shall permit the spouse or child to pay the tuition, fees, and other charges provided for Mississippi residents without regard to length of time the spouse or child has resided in Mississippi.

A member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the child or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents under another provision of section 611, of the IHL Policies and Bylaws, while enrolled in a degree or certificate program is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents in any subsequent term or semester while the person is continuously enrolled in the same degree or certificate program. A student may withdraw or may choose not to re-enroll for no more than one (1) semester or term while pursuing a degree or certificate without losing resident status only if that student provides sufficient documentation by a physician that the student has a medical condition that requires withdrawal or non-enrollment. For purposes of subsection 611-B, of the IHL Policies and Bylaws, a person is not required to enroll in a summer term to remain continuously enrolled in a degree or certificate program. The person’s eligibility to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents under subsection 611-B, of the IHL Policies and Bylaws, does not terminate because the person is no longer a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the child or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.

Certification of Residence of Military Personnel

A military person on active duty stationed in Mississippi who wishes to avail themselves or their dependents of the provisions of §§ 37-103-17 or the Mississippi Code of 1972 as amended must submit a certificate from their military organization showing the name of the military member; the name of the dependent, if for a dependent; the name of the organization of assignment and its address (may be in the letterhead); that the military member will be on active duty stationed in Mississippi on the date of registration at the University of Mississippi; that the military member is not on transfer orders; and the signature of the commanding officer, the adjutant, or the personnel officer of the unit of assignment with signer’s rank and title. A military certificate must be presented to the Registrar of the University of Mississippi each semester within 10 days prior to registration each semester for the provisions of §§ 37-103-17 of the Mississippi Code of 1972 as amended to be effective.