I. Policy:

The University of South Carolina Aiken may offer in-state tuition to any student whose legal residence is in the Richmond/Columbia County area of the neighboring state of Georgia, provided the student is accepted as a USC Aiken undergraduate or graduate student taking USC Aiken undergraduate or graduate courses. This provision shall not be in effect should the Georgia Board of Regents discontinue the Georgia tuition program offering in-state tuition to those students residing in the Aiken/Edgefield County area of South Carolina.

In order to quality as a legal resident of Richmond and Columbia County for tuition purposes, students must meet the same requirements to establish residency (as Richmond and Columbia County residents) that South Carolina students meet to be considered South Carolina residents for tuition and fee purposes.

a. Be a dependent (claimed on federal income tax return) of a person who has physically resided and established domicile in Richmond or Columbia County for at least 12 months preceding the term the student is requesting admission.

b. Be an independent person who has physically resided and established a domicile in Richmond or Columbia County for at least 12 months immediately preceding the term the student is requesting admission.

(If an independent student or dependents' parents are full-time employees in South Carolina, Richmond or Columbia County and appropriate steps have been made to establish permanent domicile in one of these areas -- the 12 month waiting period 'may be' reduced.)

c. Be on active military duty in Richmond or Columbia County or the dependent of someone on active military duty in Richmond or Columbia County.

II.  Procedure:

Submit residency application and legal documents requested therein to establish appropriate classification to the USCA Enrollment Services Office.

III.  Related Policies

IV.  Reason for Revision