All students registering at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, who do not establish that they are "resident students" shall pay non-resident student tuition. 

For tuition purposes, U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are not residents of Alabama may be able to establish Alabama residency to be effective in one year. This process is not automatic.

Three Methods of Requesting Residency Reclassification

• Academic Common Market/Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB)

Residents of every SREB state may participate in the SREB Academic Common Market, an agreement that enables students to pursue unique majors offered at public institutions in the other SREB states while paying in-state tuition. If the public institutions in your home state do not offer degree programs in your field of study, it may be possible to arrange a waiver of out-of-state tuition to attend a cooperating public institution of higher education in another participating state.  For detailed information and contact information about your states Academic Common Market representative go to the SREB web site at www.sreb.org.

• Reclassification of Residency for Tuition Purposes for Students Not Receiving Institutional Support

In determining residency classification for tuition purposes, the primary issue is one of intent.  If a person is in Alabama primarily for the purpose of obtaining an education, that person shall be considered a non-resident student. 

A student seeking residency reclassification has the burden of overcoming the presumption of non-resident student status.  To overcome this presumption, the student must submit satisfactory evidence that the students residency status has changed by demonstrating a more substantial non-school related connections to the state than with any other state and the intent to remain here indefinitely.
You must begin to establish Alabama residency as soon as you arrive.  Documents supporting a reclassification of residency application should be, but are not required to be, dated, issued, or filed twelve months prior to enrollment at UAB.  Evidence of connections with the State of Alabama which  have been effect for more than one year prior to application are more supportive of residency than those which have been in effect for less than one year prior to application.
Students who wish to be considered for residency reclassification, have the required documentation of intent and can provide the necessary evidentiary support, should submit a completed "Application for Reclassification of Residency for Tuition Purposes" along with all supporting documentation to the Office of Student and Academic Services at the School of Public Health.  Once residency has been established in this manner, students are considered a resident for the duration of their studies at UAB.

Such documentation includes (but is not limited to):

• Copy of Alabama Driver’s License
• Proof of Auto Registration in Alabama
• Proof of Bank Accounts in Alabama
• Copy of Voter Registration for Alabama
• Copy of residential/lease agreement

• Reclassification of Residency for Tuition Purposes for Students Receiving Institution Support

In-state tuition will be considered for School of Public Health students who meet one of the following criteria:

• School-based tuition assistance that includes some funding for tuition, or
• Externally funded traineeship that includes some funding for tuition, or
• Externally funded traineeship of at least $1500 per year, even if that traineeship does not include explicit funding for tuition, or
• Working as a "graduate assistant", "teaching assistant", or "research assistant" (meaning students who work in School of Public Health departmentally funded positions assisting with teaching and/or research activities that must be directly related to their education in the School of Public Health. This will be verified each semester.), or
• Fellowship recipients who are enrolled in the School of Public Health as part of their advanced training (e.g., medical residents).

Students who would like to be considered for Alabama Residency Reclassification based on the criteria outlined above should complete the Application for Reclassification of Alabama Residency for Students Receiving Institutional Support Form. Once Alabama residency has been established using this method of reclassification, it must be reviewed for renewal each year.  If upon re-evaluation, reclassification is not renewed and residency cannot be met using either of the other two methods of residency reclassification, students will be considered to be a "non-resident student".