SC Residency Questions

Applicants for admission and students who are seeking to be classified as a resident of South Carolina must file a petition requesting in-state status. Residency is determined by the University Residency Officer in the Office of Enrollment Management, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws.

Note: South Carolina does not recognize, as residents, those who are here primarily for educational purposes. As a result, the opportunity to petition based on having been in the state for twelve months is not available to you once you have accepted an offer of admission. (section 62-605. A) The MUSC Board of Trustees passed a resolution in 2009 supporting this state regulation.*

*The MUSC Board of Trustees Residency Resolution (PDF) clarifies MUSC's policy on granting in-state status.

South Carolina Residency Petition Applications

Interpretation of Residency Requirements (PDF)

Dependent Residency Petition Application (PDF) and Dependent Resident Checklist (PDF)

Independent Residency Petition Application (PDF) and Independent Resident Checklist (PDF)

SC Residency Petition Application - Military (PDF)

Exceptions to 12-Month South Carolina Residency Requirement (PDF) Remote work or work from home does not apply for this exception. 

Residency Frequently Asked Questions: https://che.sc.gov/sc-residency-information

Residency applications take several weeks to review, once all documentation has been received. It can take between six to eight weeks for a decision to be made.

The checklist is for informational purposes; submission of all items does not guarantee that you will be granted in-state residency. 

The burden of proof rests with the student to provide the required evidence to document a change in resident status. The University Residency Officer reserve the right to ask for additional documentation to verify the resident status of ANY applicant/student.

Decisions are based on South Carolina's Code of State Regulations and can be different from school to school.

Deadlines  

Deadlines to apply for residency for Tuition/Fees purposes:

• March 1 - Summer Semester
• July 1 - Fall Semester
• November 1 - Spring Semester

Entitlement

Eligibility for payment of in-state tuition and fees shall be determined under the provisions of Sections 59-112-10 through 59-112-100, South Carolina Code of Laws, 1976, as amended. This law is set forth in its entirety as follows (subject to further amendment by the General Assembly).

Commission on Higher Education Approved Determination of Rates of Tuition and Fees Regulation (PDF)

Questions not answered in these web links should be addressed to oesadmis@musc.edu