Office of Legal Residency

The College of Charleston is mandated by South Carolina state law to verify a student’s residency before the student can be granted in-state status and tuition. The initial residency classification is determined at the time of admission.

In addition, a student’s residency classification is determined if a student is readmitted to the college or changes academic level (undergraduate to graduate).

Applying for Residency Classification

There my be instances where your situation has changed since your initial residency classification.

Per South Carolina Code Section 59-112-100, College of Charleston students who are currently classified as non-resident for tuition and fee purposes who wish to be classified as a resident for tuition and fee purposes should complete an Application for Classification as a South Carolina Resident for Tuition and Fee Purposes and submit the supporting documentation.

Students who have truly abandoned their previous domiciles and have decided to make South Carolina their home indefinitely may use this application to initiate the review process that determines whether the student is eligible for resident status. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval.

The burden of proof rests with the applicant to show evidence as deemed necessary to establish and maintain their residency status.

Application Deadlines


Term	Application Deadline
Fall Term	July 1st
Spring Term	November 1st
Summer Term	Two weeks prior to the first day of classes

New and readmitted students have until the official first day of class to complete and submit the application
and supporting residency documentation.

Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by the deadline. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be considered or reviewed.

SC Commission on Higher Education

Legal Residency Applications

Select the Application of Classification appropriate to your situation - Independent Student Applicant or Dependent Student Applicant.

Independent Student Applicant

An Independent Person is defined as one who is in his/her majority (eighteen years of age or older) or an emancipated minor, whose predominant source of income is his/her own earnings or income from employment, investments, or payments from trusts, grants, scholarships, commercial loans, or payments made in accordance with court order.
See the Independent Student application for additional details, definitions, checklists and required documents.
Please use Secure Share to submit your application and documents.
Download: Independent Application
Dependent Student Application

A Dependent Person is defined as one whose predominant source of income or support is from payments from a parent, spouse, or legal guardian and who qualifies for and is
claimed as an exemption on the Federal income tax return of the parent, spouse, or legal guardian.

See the Dependent Student application for additional details, definitions, checklists and required documents.
Please use Secure Share to submit your application and documents.
Download: Dependent Application
Appeals

If your Application for Classification as a South Carolina Resident for Tuition and Fee Purposes has been denied by the Legal Residency Coordinator, you will be officially notified via email to at your College issued email address.
If you wish to appeal the decision of the Legal Residency Coordinator, you can submit a letter of appeal outlining the reasons the decision is incorrect along with any additional pertinent documentation to the Legal Residency Office.
The letter of appeal must be submitted within 14 calendar days of the denial date.
Please note the Appeals Officer is bound by the same laws as the Legal Residency Coordinator. The appeal process is to review the facts and details of the case and to evaluate the correctness of the determination. Neither the Appeals Officer nor the Coordinator may waive the provisions of the law. The determination of the Appeals Officer is final.
Penalties for Willful Misrepresentation

The South Carolina Law of Codes outlines penalties for willfully providing false information to gain residency status.
SECTION 59-112-90. Penalties for willful misrepresentations.

Where it appears to the satisfaction of officials charged with administration of these provisions that a person has gained domiciliary status improperly by making or presenting willful misrepresentations of fact, such persons shall be charged tuition and fees past due and unpaid at the out-of-state rate, plus interest at a rate of eight percent per annum, plus a penalty amounting to twenty-five percent of the out-of-state rate for one semester; and until these charges have been paid no such student shall be allowed to receive transcripts or graduate from any State Institution.
S.C. Code of Laws
Establishing Requisite Intent
The South Carolina State Legislature provides improtant information on requisite intent to become a South Carolina resident.
SECTION 62-605(a) Establishing the Requisite Intent to Become a South Carolina Domiciliary.
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 non-resident in an institution is presumed to remain a non-resident throughout his or her attendance and does not qualify under any of the residency provisions
- South Carolina Commission on Higher Education Chapter 62 (Full Text) (PDF)
Chapter 62 -600 - 62-612

Secure Share

For enhanced security when submitting your Residency Application, please use Secure Share to send your application and documents.

Access Secure Share

Contact Legal Residency

Wesley Funsch, Legal Residency Coordinator

Treasurer's Office
170 Calhoun Street

funschw@cofc.edu

843.953.7312

FAX: 843.953.5573

Additional Resources

Treasurer's Office