Residency

Residency Classification

A student’s state residency status will be determined based on LSU System regulations and evidence provided on the admission application along with any related documents provided.  Regulations are based primarily on location of a student’s home and place of employment.

In accordance with PM-31, a resident student for tuition purposes is defined as one who:

  • has abandoned all prior domiciles
  • has been domiciled in the state of Louisiana continuously for at least one full year (365 days) immediately preceding the first day of class for the academic term in which residency classification is sought
  • has not been enrolled in a Louisiana institution of higher learning, except through a program providing dual secondary and postsecondary education credit

Individuals living within Louisiana for one year must prove there was intent to maintain a residence in the state.  Residing in Louisiana solely for educational purposes without evidence of the intent to remain in Louisiana will not be sufficient for classification as a resident, regardless of the length of time within the state.  Owning property and paying property taxes in the State of Louisiana is not sufficient evidence to claim residency.

Special provisions have been made for adults moving to Louisiana for employment purposes, military personnel stationed in Louisiana, and international students with immigrant visas.  An international student on an F1 student visa is classified as a nonresident.

Resident classification and all fees are audited and adjusted, if necessary, after each registration.

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Louisiana is in compliance with Section 702 of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 (“Choice Act”).A covered individual is defined in the Choice Act as:

  • A Veteran who lives in the state where the IHL (Institute of Higher Learning) is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
  • An individual using transferred benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.
    • Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three year period following discharge or release as described above and must be using educational benefits under either chapter 30 or chapter 33, of title 38, United States Code.
  • Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits who lives in the state where the IHL is located and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.
  • Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship who lives in the state where the IHL is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence).

Further information on the requirements of Section 702 of the Choice Act can be found by selecting the link below.

GI BILL RATE REQUIREMENTS

Military residency for eligible students will be automatically updated once we are notified by the LSU VA Office. 

Residency for Tuition and Fee Purposes for Active Duty Servicemembers and Veterans is defined by LSU PM-40: Military & Veterans Educational Benefits and Assistance. 

A member of the Active Duty of the Armed Forces, their spouse, and their dependents qualify as residents for tuition and fee purposes if they meet any of the following criteria:

  1. A member of the Active Duty of the Armed Forces currently stationed in Louisiana, and any of their dependents, may be classified as a resident for tuition purposes upon submission of an appropriate statement signed by the unit commander verifying both active-duty status and station assignment.
  2. When a member of the Armed Forces who is on active-duty and stationed in Louisiana is transferred out of Louisiana, the member, their spouse, children, or dependents enrolled at the University shall maintain their status as a resident for tuition purposes if:
    1. They are admitted while the servicemember is stationed at the location immediately following their Louisiana duty station; or
    2. They maintain continual enrollment at the University which includes a one-year grace period between the completion of a baccalaureate degree and entry into a graduate or professional degree program; or
    3. They maintain residency within Louisiana [RS 17:2137C(2)].
  3. A member of the Active Duty of the Armed Forces who was resident of Louisiana prior to entering the Armed Forces will retain the right to enroll themselves, their spouse, and any dependents as Louisiana residents for tuition purposes as long as they are on active duty in the Armed Forces and for a five-year period after separation from service.

Should Congress act or the President of the United States dictate amendments, regulations, or orders in conflict with the federally-defined educational benefits of veterans as defined in this section, those actions shall supersede this policy.

For additional information, including the definition of a Active Duty Servicemember, please refer to PM-40: Military & Veterans Educational Benefits and Assistance.

A Veteran of the Armed Forces, their spouse, and their dependents qualify as residents for tuition and fee purposes if they meet certain criteria, though they need not have been residents of Louisiana at any time before, during, or after national service. Individuals meeting the following eligibility criteria shall be categorized as a resident for tuition purposes; this classification shall remain valid for as long as the student remains continuously enrolled:

  1. A Veteran or dependent eligible to receive educational assistance administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs through any provision of the United States Code.
  2. Children and spouses of veterans of the armed forces who died while in active service or because of a service-related disability incurred during a war time period are eligible for educational benefits per Louisiana Revised Statute 29:288.

Should Congress act or the President of the United States dictate amendments, regulations, or orders in conflict with the federally-defined educational benefits of veterans as defined in this section, those actions shall supersede this policy.

For additional information, please refer to PM-40: Military & Veterans Educational Benefits and Assistance.

Students who are currently enrolled at LSU should contact the University Registrar for information regarding re-classifying residency.

Any student may appeal the decision of the Office of Enrollment Management.  This written appeal must be filed no later than 21 calendar days after notice of such decision is mailed to the student by the appropriate office.

These appeals will be reviewed by members of the Residency Appeals Committee.  The committee does not release the names of the individuals who review the appeals as they judge all students in the same manner based on the documentation.