Texas Residency

Whether or not you qualify as a Texas resident for tuition purposes will determine the rate you are charged for tuition. The Texas Legislature determines the standards for residency and tuition and these standards are different and more rigorous than regular residency standards for people moving to the state for non-academic reasons. A student’s initial residency classification is determined by the ApplyTexas application when applying for acceptance to the university. The student is responsible for ensuring their residency information is accurate and any corrections made to their classification must occur before the Official Enrollment Date which is usually the 12th class day for the fall and spring semesters or the 4th day for summer sessions.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has established rules that include provisions covering common residency situations.  These can be viewed at www.collegeforalltexans.com.  We encourage you to visit the Residency Information section of this page if you would like more information.

Oklahoma Residents

Residents of Oklahoma will be charged in-state tuition plus an additional $30 per semester credit hour.  Residents of Oklahoma counties that border Texas will be charged the in-state tuition rate.

To Change Your Residency Status

Any undergraduate student who wants a change in residency status should send the request to the Admissions Office and request a residency packet.Office The Residency Officer may request additional specific documents from you that will be required to support your request for your residency status change. 

Deadlines:

All requests to update resident status, including supporting documentation must be received prior to the Official Enrollment Date.  There is no prorating of out-of-state tuition charges due to residency changes.  If your status is updated to the in-state rate before the Official Enrollment Date, all out-of-state tuition will be changed.  No changes to billing can be made after the Official Enrollment Date of the current semester or summer term.  Any changes to residency after the Official Enrollment Date will not be applied until the next semester.

Any requests received after the Official Enrollment Date will be reviewed for the next semester/term.  If you have additional questions about residency requirements, please email them to the Residency Officer.

Out-of-State Tuition Waivers

There are numerous waivers and exemptions for out-of-state tuition that are managed by the MSU Texas Business Office.  If you qualify for one of these waivers or exemptions, you may be eligible to pay the in-state tuition rate.  Receiving the benefit of a tuition waiver does not qualify you as a Texas Resident. Some waivers prohibit the recipient from establishing residency such as:

  • Employment conditioned on student status, such as work study
  • The receipt of a stipend, fellowship, research, or teaching assistantship

These conditions DO NOT constitute gainful employment and cannot be used when establishing domicile.

View the common waivers and exceptions that are available in the MSU Texas Business Office.  For more information contact the Business Office at 940-397-4101 or via email at bus.office@msutexas.edu.