Undergraduate Admissions

Residency

Grandparent Waiver of Out-of-State Tuition and Fees

Out-of-state undergraduate first-year students admitted for either the summer or fall terms immediately following high school graduation with grandparents residing in Florida may be eligible for a tuition and fee waiver of the Non-Resident (out-of-state) fee.

Policies for the Grandparent Waiver are maintained by the  Board of Governors of the State University System . Freshman applicants may apply for the waiver after submitting the application for admission. Students who qualify for Florida residency should not seek this waiver.

Students MUST meet the following requirements to be eligible for the Grandparent Waiver:

  1. Student must achieve:
    • An SAT combined score of 1330 or greater; OR
    • An ACT composite score of 29; OR
    • A CLT score of 96
  2. The student must have a grandparent who has a legal relationship to a student’s parent as the natural or adopted parent or legal guardian of the student’s parent.

  3. The grandparent must be a legal resident of Florida as defined in  Florida Statute Section 1009.21  (Grandparent Florida Residency Declaration).

  4. The student must apply as a first-year, full-time undergraduate student for the summer or fall term immediately after earning a high school diploma comparable to a Florida standard high school diploma (or the equivalent) or completing a home education program.
    • Student must be continuously enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credits) at the end of drop/add every fall and spring term until the requirements for the bachelor’s degree have been completed.
    • Summer enrollment is not required, but eligible students may use their waiver during summer enrollment.
    • If a student enrolls part-time, the grandparent waiver eligibility will be lost.
    • The grandparent waiver is applicable for up to 110 percent of the number of required credit hours (i.e., total degree hours) of the student's degree program.

Awarding:

  • Students must be offered admission to Florida Atlantic University
  • Students complete the  Grandparent Waiver Application .
  • Admissions office will review the initial eligibility. If eligible, students will be prompted to have the grandparent complete residency verification via the  Owlres portal .
  • Students will be “awarded” a grandparent waiver on a first-come, first-served basis on the date a student pays the $200 Admissions deposit or submits a deposit fee waiver.
  • Scholarships awarded by the Office of Admissions are not stackable (cannot be combined with other admissions merit-based scholarships) with the grandparent waiver.

Florida resident classification for tuition purposes

All admitted students who plan to enroll and believe they are a Florida resident for tuition purposes must complete a residency affidavit and supply proof of physical and legal Florida residence.

What are the requirements for establishing Florida residency? The rules are set forth in Florida state statute Section 1009.21. Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes. All students, or their claimants, must complete this process before enrollment. Students who do not complete this process will be classified as a non-Florida resident and be billed for out of state tuition (even if you’ve lived here your entire life).

For new Freshman and Transfer students this affidavit will be found in the OwlDone portal for new students during the onboarding process. Click on the tab “verify Florida residency”. The form must be completed in one sitting and students can upload the requested forms of proof and documentation.

   

Here are some helpful suggestions when uploading your information:

  • Submit your  OwlRes  form all at once! The form times out after 30 minutes of inactivity and cannot be saved.
  • If you qualify as a dependent on a parent’s federal income taxes, you are considered a dependent student and one of your parents must complete the form as a “claimant.”
  • You are required to provide a minimum of two documents showing proof of residency in Florida for the last 12 months. Supporting documents can include: copy of the claimant’s driver’s license, voter’s registration or vehicle registration.
  • For non U.S. citizens under 24-years-old, you must additionally upload a copy of your Permanent Resident Card and claimant’s (parent’s) Permanent Resident Card or eligible visa, etc.

Students returning to FAU after a period of absence, and those seeking a second bachelor degree should log into the  residency portal  to complete the affidavit and upload forms of proof.

When you apply to the university, your initial residency classification is determined by the Office of Admissions based on information you provide with your application. If we do not receive enough information to determine your residency, you will be classified as a non-Florida resident for tuition purposes. It’s very important to respond to requests for information about your residency as soon as possible.

You have until the first day of classes in your first term to request a re-evaluation of your initial residency  status by providing sufficient documentation. However, if your residency status is listed as non-Florida at the time that classes begin, you will be assessed out-of-state tuition charges.

Once you have completed your first term at FAU, you can request a reclassification of your residency status  from the Office of the Registrar. 

For more information, visit the FAU Registrar’s Office .