Texas Residency Documentation

Acceptable documentation to demonstrate residence in Texas - High School in Texas (Rationales A & B)

High School Transcript, GED or receipt of diploma equivalent showing three years of attendance at a public or private high school in Texas before graduation or receipt of a diploma equivalent. 

Students currently enrolled in a Texas High School need only submit the high school transcript showing three years of enrollment. In cases where there may be a gap longer than the summer immediately following graduation, you will also need to submit one or more of the following: 

  • Texas Voter Registration Card 
    Must be issued at least 12 months prior to census date of the semester in which you enroll. 

  • Utility Bills 
    Must list your name and Texas address for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll. 

  • Texas Bank Statements 
    Must list your name and Texas address for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll. 

  • Valid Texas Driver’s License or Texas Identification Card 
    Must be issued at least 12 months immediately preceding the census date. 

  • Lease or Rental of Residential Property 
    Must list your name and Texas address for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll. 

  • Other documentation used by the student to establish eligibility to enroll in the school district where the student attended high school. 

 

Acceptable documentation to demonstrate the establishment and maintenance of domicile in Texas for 12 consecutive months

An applicant must provide documentation for one of the three below-listed categories. Establishment and maintenance of domicile can be met by the student/applicant, their parent, or their spouse. Documentation may be required to show dependency, parental relationship, or marriage. 

Regardless of how you plan to establish residency, all applicants must provide a Valid Texas Driver’s License (TDL) or Texas Identification Card (TID) (Real ID Compliant) *, issued at least 12 months prior to the census date. 

*Required to satisfy lawful presence requirements, applicants who do not have a TDL/TID must establish lawful presence through other acceptable documentation. 

  1. Significant Gainful Employment Documentation:  

    1. Pay stubs for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll; OR 

    2. An employer-written statement of dates of employment in Texas (including company letterhead, the beginning and current or ending dates, average hours worked per week and annual salary) for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll; OR 

    3. Proof of other earned income such as pensions, veterans' benefits, social security and savings from previous earnings for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll; OR

    4. For a person who is unemployed and living on public assistance, written statements from the office of one or more social service agencies in Texas for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll; OR 

    5. For a person who is self-employed, federal tax documents showing significant gainful employment and domicile in Texas (beginning and current or ending dates) that encompass at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll 

The documentation provided for (A) - (D) must show income sufficient to provide at least one-half of the applicant’s tuition, fees, and living expenses or an average of at least 20 hours of employment per week. 

 

  1. Residential Real Property Documentation 
    Needs to show you have established and maintained domicile at the residence you own, lease, or rent during at least the 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the census date of the term in which you enroll. 

    1. Warranty Deed with the owner’s name, address and purchase date, filed with the state of Texas. 

      • For applicants moving to Texas for the purpose of attending an institution as a student, property leased or rented while you are enrolled as a student will not establish the required intent to make Texas your domicile.  

 

  1. Ownership of a Business Entity Documentation 
    To qualify, all documents must clearly show the business is based in Texas, and you must demonstrate consistent activity for at least 12 months prior to the census date for the term in which you enroll. These documents must reflect your continuous, substantial economic interest, and active and customary management of the business, with evidence of intended continuous operation for the foreseeable future. Examples of documentation that may be required include: 

    1. Proof of business filing with the Texas Secretary of State 

    2. Client invoices covering 12 consecutive months   

    3. Business bank statements over 12 consecutive months showing regular deposits and withdrawals that can be connected to verifiable business receipts and expenses 

    4. Business tax filings 

    5. Actions, including business activities, routinely performed by temporary residents of Texas or directly related to educational objectives are insufficient to establish domicile in Texas. 

      • A person cannot establish domicile by performing acts which are directly related to fulfilling educational objectives or which are required or routinely performed by temporary residents of the State. 

         

Acceptable documentation to demonstrate lawful presence in the U.S. for non-citizens, non-permanent residents and international students

An applicant must show by clear and convincing evidence that he or she is lawfully present in the United States. Applicants must submit one or more of the following documents for the University to use to verify lawful presence.

  • Texas Driver’s License or Identification Card (REAL ID compliant) (current, not expired) 

  • Visa issued by USCIS (current, not expired) 

  • Initial visa issued by USCIS (expired) and paperwork showing active extension (I-797 Receipt Notice) 

  • Birth certificate or birth record issued by the appropriate State Bureau of Vital Statistics or equivalent agency from a U.S. state or local government, a U.S. territory or the District of Columbia 

  • U.S. passport book or passport card 

  • Permanent resident card (I-551) 

  • I-94 stamped “Sec. 208 Asylee” or “Sec. 207 Refugee” 

  • Employment Authorization Card (I-766) 

  • U.S. Department of State Certificate of Birth Abroad issued to U.S. citizens born abroad (Form FS-240, DS-1350 or FS-545) 

  • Machine Readable Immigrant Visa with temporary I-551 language and ADIT stamp 

  • I-20 non-immigrant form (F-1) 

  • Non-student documents with alien number or I-94 number 

  • U.S. citizen identification card (I-179 or I-197) 

  • I-94 

  • US Travel Document (I-327 or I-571) 

  • I-551 stamp in foreign passport 

  • U.S. Citizenship Certificate or Certificate of Naturalization (N-550, N-560, N-561, N-570 or N-578) 

  • Student documents with SEVIS number 

  • DS-2019 exchange visitor (J-1) certificate