Florida GI Bill Tuition and Residency Requirements

Florida GI Bill Tuition Rates

Effective August 2011, students attending public colleges in Florida under the Post-9/11 GI Bill are only eligible to receive tuition and fees at the in-state student rate, which means out-of-state students could find themselves facing significant additional costs. Learning whether you are eligible for Florida residency can help you maximize your GI Bill tuition benefits.

Florida In-State Tuition for Military Personnel

Under Florida law, active-duty armed services members stationed in Florida and their spouses and dependent children, as well as active drilling members of the Florida National Guard and dependent family members, are classified as residents of Florida for tuition purposes.

Florida law also allows active-duty servicemembers stationed at bases in counties on the Florida border, as well as their spouses and dependents, to receive in-state Florida tuition if they attend a public college within 50 miles of their base. Kings Bay Naval Base in Georgia meets this criterion.

According to the Florida State College at Jacksonville, military personnel who want to take advantage of in-state tuition must submit military orders if stationed in Florida or the DD2058 (FL home of record) or military orders if stationed at the Kings Bay Naval Base. Eligible dependents must submit military ID.

In Florida, final determinations on residency status are up to individual colleges and universities. As a general rule, to be considered a Florida resident, you or your parent, if you are a dependent, must have lived in Florida for 12 months before your enrollment. You may be asked demonstrate that your resident status is permanent and not a temporary move for the sole purpose of receiving in-state tuition.

College officials may request documentation to support your residency claim. Residency documentation can include, but is not limited to, two or more of the following: Florida driver's license or state identification card, Florida voter registration, Florida automobile registration, permanent Florida home ownership or homestead exemption, proof of Florida employment or other documentation that supports permanent residency in Florida.

According to Florida law, military personnel and their dependents cannot lose their resident status for tuition purposes if they are stationed outside Florida while serving in the Armed Forces.

Other Florida Military Education Benefits

Florida offers a number of additional tuition benefits to military personnel, but they all require state residency for eligibility.

• Tuition waivers and scholarships are available to certain active-duty members of the Florida National Guard under the Florida State Tuition Exemption Program (50 percent waiver) and the Florida Education Dollars for Duty Program (100 percent waiver). Eligibility requirements vary for each program.
• Recipients of the Purple Heart or certain other combat decorations are eligible for undergraduate fee waivers at Florida public community colleges or state universities.
• The Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans and Servicemembers program provides funding for tuition at eligible Florida postsecondary institutions.

Additional details on Florida education benefits are available from the state's Department of Veterans' Affairs. Individual Florida educational institutions may also offer scholarships or tuition discounts to military servicemembers and their spouses and dependents. Contact individual schools for more detailed information.

GIBill.com has done its best to ensure that the above information is accurate. However, GIBill.com cannot guarantee its accuracy and encourages you to check with your school for its residency requirements to qualify for in-state tuition.