Lawful Presence

Any student requesting to pay at the in-state tuition rate will be required to provide verification of their lawful presence in the United States. A student who cannot be verified as lawfully present in the United States is not eligible to be considered for in-state tuition, regardless of how long he or she has lived in Georgia. In addition to verifying lawful presence, students must meet the in-state tuition requirements as outlined in TCSG Board Policy and Procedure V.B.3 to warrant an in-state classification.

How can a student verify lawful presence?

Students should submit one of the following documents – which must not expire prior to the first day of the term for which the document is being submitted – on campus to Admissions or submit them using our document upload form:

• An unexpired Georgia or select out-of-state driver’s license or state-issued ID card. The license or ID must not contain any restrictions.
• A clear copy of an original or certified U.S. Birth Certificate showing the student was born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, a U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (DS-1350), or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240). 
• A current U.S. Passport.
• A current, valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS form I-151 or I-551). (Both front and back of the card must be submitted.)
• A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (USCIS form N-550 or N-570).
• A U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (USCIS form N-560 or N-561).

Students may also do the following to verify lawful presence:

• Notify Admissions that you have filed a FAFSA, as it may be possible to verify lawful presence based on this information.
• Present your unexpired military ID – service member only, not dependent – to Admissions. (We are not allowed to make photocopies of military IDs.)

If you have questions about verification of lawful presence, contact your Admissions Counselor.