Domicile is initially determined by the Office of Admissions when a student applies to Mason. Prior to submitting your intent to enroll, all communications regarding domicile classification should be made to the Office of Admissions. If a student fails to submit the Application for In-State rates, or answers NO (they don’t believe they are eligible), they are automatically classified as out-of-state.
Active-Duty Military & Dependents Eligibility for Domicile
- If you or your dependent want to be considered for in-state tuition, notify Mason during the application process by selecting you wish to be considered for in-state tuition. If you don't, the application will be classified as out-of-state. Please ensure you complete the application for in-state tuition.
- Under federal code, active duty stationed in Virginia and their dependents could eligible for in-state tuition.
- Under state code, active duty residing in Virginia could be eligible for in-state. Dependents could be eligible if the sponsor is stationed in Virginia or a state contiguous to Virginia and reside in the state of Virginia.
- It is possible to be eligible under both federal and state code; we classify students under the provision most beneficial.
- Visit the SCHEV website for information.
- If you have already been admitted and feel you meet the criteria, the Domicile Appeals process is managed by the Office of the University Registrar. A Request for Tuition Reclassification can be submitted until the first day of the semester.
Veteran Eligibility for Domicile
- If a veteran lives in Virginia and has been discharged for reasons other than "dishonorable" or with a higher characterization, he or she can get in-state tuition. Make sure you select you want to be considered for in-state tuition when applying. If you have already been admitted and domiciled out-of-state, please submit a Request for Tuition Reclassification no later than the first day of class.
Out-of-State Tuition Waiver - In-state tuition rates under the Veterans Choice Act
Eligibility is based on meeting the following conditions:
- Living in the state where the Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) is located (regardless of his/her formal state of residence)
- Using Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill®or the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship
- Using Chapter 31, Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E)
- Using Chapter 35 Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA)
What documents need to be submitted?
- Certificate of Eligibility for VA Benefits
- Proof of Residency in Virginia. The residency requirement could be satisfied via off-campus housing within Virginia, on-campus housing, temporary housing, rental or ownership housing, or documented confirmation of a non-contract residence with another individual.
When should an application be submitted?
- The application for the waiver should only be submitted once, prior to the first semester a student meets the eligibility criteria.
What happens next?
- Upon approval under the Section 702 provision, the registrar periodically audits student records to ensure eligibility requirements are satisfied. If there is any change in circumstance that reflects the student is no longer using VA benefits or has moved out-of-state, then the tuition rate will revert to out-of-state the following term.
Where is the application?
- The application is a dynamic form accessible using a Mason NetID and password. Click here for the application.
What happens to my out-of-state merit scholarship?
- The merit scholarship will be removed once the tuition is reduced to in-state.
- If you revert to out-of-state and still meet the eligibility crtieria, the scholarship can be reinstated.
What happens to my Federal Financial Aid Package?
- Need based aid will be recalculated based on the updated lower cost of attendance by the Office of Financial Aid.
In the case of The Choice Act, the out-of-state waiver is not a domicile determination. Rather, it's managed exclusively through an application process in the Office of military Services.