Residency

This option for establishing Texas residency is available to citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and to international students.

To establish residency through high school graduation, you must

1. Graduate from a Texas high school or receive a GED in Texas; and
2. Live in Texas for the 36 months immediately before high school graduation; and
3. Live in Texas for the 12 months immediately before the census date (usually the 12th class day) of the semester in which you enroll at UNTHSC (or another college or university).

If you are an international student seeking residency through high school graduation, you must submit a Residency Affidavit stating that you will apply for permanent residency when you are eligible to do so. You must also submit an official high school transcript/GED certificate with date and scores.

This option for establishing Texas residency is available to

• Citizens or permanent residents of the US (Non-citizens and non-permanent residents may also use this option if they have an application for permanent residency on file with the US Citizenship and Immigration Service.)
• International students who hold an eligible visa.

If you are independent for tax purposes, you may gain resident status if you establish domicile in the state. If your parent(s) claim you as a dependent on their federal income tax return, they must establish domicile in the state for you to claim residency. To establish domicile, you or your parent(s) must meet the following criteria:

1. Live in Texas for 12 consecutive months; and

2. Establish and maintain domicile for 12 consecutive months by doing one of the following:

• Be gainfully employed* in Texas (Student jobs do not qualify as gainful employment.)
• Sole or joint marital ownership of residential real property in Texas by the person seeking to enroll or the dependent’s parent, having established and maintained a domicile at the residence
• Own and operate a business in Texas
• Be married for one year to a person who has established domicile in Texas

*Gainful employment – Activities intended to provide an income to a person or allow a person to avoid the expense of paying another person to perform tasks (as in child care) that is sufficient to provide at least one-half of the individual’s tuition and living expenses or represents an average of at least 20 hours per week. A person who is self-employed in Texas or is living off his/her earnings may be considered gainfully employed for purposes of establishing residency, as may a person whose primary support is public assistance in Texas.