Residency Glossary and Required Documents

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 still enrolled in the Texas High School need only submit the high school transcript showing 3 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.
• Texas Vehicle Registration
  Must be issued at least twelve months immediately preceding the census date.
• Valid Texas Driver’s License or Texas identification card
  Must be issued at least twelve 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  
(Must have documentation for one of the three listed categories. Can be met by the student/applicant, by their dependent parent, or spouse. Documentation may be required to show dependency, parental relationship, or marriage.)

1. Significant Gainful Employment Documentation 
   • Employer written statement of dates of employment in Texas (including 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
   • Pay stubs for the 12 consecutive months preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll OR
   • 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
   • 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
   • 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 the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the census date of the semester in which you enroll
2. Residential Real Property Ownership or Lease Documentation
   Needs to show you have established and maintained domicile at that residence during at least the twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the census date of the term in which you enroll.
   • Warranty Deed or Screenshot of county tax appraisal district with the owner’s name, address, and purchase date
   • Lease or rental agreement(s) showing renter’s name, address in Texas, and the dates/lease term
3. Ownership of a Business Entity Documentation
   • Documentation of filing with the Texas Secretary of State or other official documentation that provides evidence of the organization of a business in Texas for twelve consecutive months prior to the census date for the term in which you enroll, that reflect your ownership interest and customary management of the business without the intention of liquidation for the foreseeable future.

ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTATION TO DEMONSTRATE LAWFUL PRESENCE IN U.S. FOR NON-CITIZENS, NON-PERMANENT RESIDENTS AND INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

• Texas Driver’s License (current, not expired)
• Visa issued by USCIS (current, not expired)
• Initial visa issued by USCIS (expired) and paperwork showing active extension (I-797)
• 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 students (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