Lawful Presence

The Georgia Board of Regents requires that institutions confirm lawful presence for any
student claiming eligibility for in-state tuition. Per BOR policy, a student’s eligibility for in-state tuition must be verified before that student is designated as eligible. The following forms of documentation have been approved as sources to verify a student’s eligibility for in-state tuition:

• Copy of a current Driver’s License/ID issued by the State of Georgia or any of the USG approved states listed below. Licenses/ID cards must be valid and meet USG requirements. - NOTE: A limited term license/ID  or a license/ID issued for a period of less than two years is NOT acceptable.
• An approved FAFSA form or other documentation demonstrating eligibility for federal financial aid
• A Certified U.S. Birth Certificate showing the student was born in the U.S. or a U.S. territory (a photocopy is not acceptable)
• A U.S. Certificate of Naturalization (USCIS form N‐550 or N‐570)
• A U.S. Certificate of Citizenship (USCIS form N‐560 or N‐561)
• A U.S. Certificate of Birth Abroad issued by the Department of State (DS‐350) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS‐240)
• A current U.S. Passport
• A current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008
• A current military ID (service member only, not dependent)
• A current, valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS form I‐151 or I‐551)
• An F, J, or M visa
• Verification through the SAVE program

Driver's License/ID - USG Approved States

Effective January 2021, the following list of states from which licenses and ID cards may now be accepted as evidence of U.S. lawful presence are below.The requirements for acceptance are provided, as well.

Only unexpired licenses and state-issued IDs with the REAL ID symbol may be accepted. Licenses and IDs marked “Not for REAL ID Purposes," “Federal Limits Apply," or similar will not be accepted.

Temporary/interim driver’s licenses and/or IDs (paper copy provided until the official DL/ID card is generated) cannot be accepted.

As The Board of Regents of University System of Georgia (USG) continues to review this new policy, other states may be added to this list.