Admission to the University
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Legal Residence Policy
Legal Residence of Students
The University applies the definitions and conditions stated here as required by state law in the classification of students as residents or nonresidents for the assessment of fees.
Requests for a review of residency classification should be submitted to the registrar; forms for this purpose are available from the Office of the Registrar. To be applicable for a particular semester, such requests must be accompanied by documentation that all residency requirements have been met by the last day to register for that semester.
Minors
The residency of a minor (less than 21 years of age) is that of the father, the mother, or a general guardian duly appointed by a proper court in Mississippi. If a court has granted custody of the minor to one parent, the residence of the minor is that of the parent who was granted custody by the court. If both parents are dead, the residence of the minor is that of the last surviving parent at the time of that parent’s death, unless the minor lives with a general guardian, duly appointed by a proper court of Mississippi, in which case his residence becomes that of the guardian. A student who, upon registration at a Mississippi institution of higher learning or community college, presents a transcript demonstrating graduation from a Mississippi secondary school and who has been a secondary school student in Mississippi for not less than the final four (4) years of secondary school attendance shall not be required to pay out-of-state tuition. This section shall not apply to a person as it relates to residency for voter registration or voting.
Adults
The legal residence of an adult is that place where he is domiciled, that is, the place where he actually physically resides with the intention of remaining there indefinitely or of returning there permanently when temporarily absent.
Removal Of Parents From Mississippi
If the parents of a minor who is enrolled as a student in an institution of higher learning move their legal residence from the state of Mississippi, the minor is immediately classified as a nonresident student.
Twelve Months Of Residence Required
No student may be admitted to the University as a resident of Mississippi unless his residence, as defined above, has been in the state for a continuous period of at least 12 months immediately preceding his admission.
Residence In An Educational Institution Can Be Counted
A student who has lived within the state for 12 months following his twenty-first birthday may establish residence in his own right by showing that he is living in the state with the intention of abandoning his former domicile and remaining in the state permanently, or for an indefinite length of time.
Residence Status Of A Married Student
A married student may claim the residence of the spouse, or may claim independent residence status under the same regulations, set forth above, as any other adult.
Children Of Parents Who Are Employed By The University
Dependent children of parents who are members of the faculty or staff of the University may be classified as residents without regard to the residence requirement of 12 months.
Military Personnel Assigned On Active Duty Station In Mississippi And Children Of Military Personnel
Resident status of a spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States on extended active duty shall be that of the military spouse or parent for the purpose of attending state-supported institutions of higher learning and community/junior colleges of the State of Mississippi during the time that the military spouse or parent is stationed within the State of Mississippi and shall be continued through the time that the military spouse or parent is stationed in an overseas area with last duty assignment within the State of Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments en route from Mississippi. Resident status of a minor child terminates upon reassignment under Permanent Change of Station Orders of the military parent for duty in the continental United States outside the State of Mississippi, excepting temporary training assignments en route from Mississippi, and except that children of members of the Armed Forces who attain Mississippi residency in accordance with the above provisions, who begin and complete their senior year of high school in Mississippi, and who enroll full time in a Mississippi institution of higher learning or community/junior college to begin studies in the fall after their graduation from high school, maintain their residency status so long as they remain enrolled as a student in good standing at a Mississippi institution of higher learning or community/junior college. Enrollment during summer school is not required to maintain such resident status.
The spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who dies or is killed is entitled to pay the resident tuition fee if the spouse or child becomes a resident of Mississippi
If a member of the Armed Forces of the United States is stationed outside Mississippi and the member's spouse or child establishes residence in Mississippi and registers with the Mississippi institution of higher learning or community/junior college at which the spouse or child plans to attend, the institution of higher education or community/junior college shall permit the spouse or child to pay the tuition, fees and other charges provided for Mississippi residents without regard to length of time that the spouse or child has resided in Mississippi.
A member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the child or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents under another provision of this section while enrolled in a degree or certificate program is entitled to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents in any subsequent term or semester while the person is continuously enrolled in the same degree or certificate program. A student may withdraw or may choose not to reenroll for no more than one (1) semester or term while pursuing a degree or certificate without losing resident status only if that student provides sufficient documentation by a physician that the student has a medical condition that requires withdrawal or non-enrollment. For purposes of this subsection, a person is not required to enroll in a summer term to remain continuously enrolled in a degree or certificate program. The person's eligibility to pay tuition and fees at the rate provided for Mississippi residents under this subsection does not terminate because the person is no longer a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or the child or spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Certification Of Residence Of Military Personnel
A military person on active duty stationed in Mississippi who wishes to avail himself or his dependents of the provisions of the paragraph titled “Military Personnel Assigned on Active Duty Station in Mississippi” must submit a certificate from the military organization showing the name of the military member, the name of the dependent, if for a dependent, the name of the organization of assignment and its address (may be in the letterhead), that the military member will be on active duty stationed in Mississippi on the date of registration at the University; that the military member is not on transfer orders; and the signature of the commanding officer, the adjutant, or the personnel officer of unit of assignment with signer’s rank and title. A military certificate must be presented to the registrar of the University each semester at (or within 10 days prior to) registration for the provisions of the paragraph “Military Personnel Assigned Active Duty Station in Mississippi,” named above, to be effective.
Families Of Students
The spouse and children of a nonresident student who pays or receives a waiver of the nonresident fee may enroll in the University upon payment of the appropriate fees charged to a resident. Nonresident fees for spouses and children of part-time nonresident students will be prorated.
Responsibility of Students - Residency classification of an applicant for admission is determined by the Office of Admissions and is stated on the Admission Certificate issued. Students should notify the registrar immediately by letter of any change in legal residence.