The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

Regional Contract Program

The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Regional Contract Program (RCP) is a cooperative tuition-savings program that enables qualified optometry students to pursue a first-professional health degree at selected out-of-state institutions. Students pay in-state tuition and fees at participating public institutions and reduced tuition rates at participation private institutions.

Each institution provides a specified number of seats for South Carolina residents in three schools of optometry: 

Each professional school pledges to admit a specific number of qualified students from other states. 

Additional Information:

  • Students apply for admission and are responsible for tuition at public institutions, but they are not asked to pay an out-of-state fee.
  • A student must apply directly to the institution of their choice for admission. However, prior to being admitted as a contract student, they must be certified as a South Carolina resident. Once certified as a South Carolina resident we will notify you and the institution(s). Residency status is made in accordance with South Carolina State Code of Regulations Chapter 62, which can be found at www.scstatehouse.gov/coderegs.
  • South Carolina residents who wish to participate in the RCP must have continuously resided in the State for other than educational purposes for at least two years immediately preceding their submission of the residency status application, and must meet all other residency requirements during this two year period. Individuals who qualify for in-state tuition and fees are not automatically classified as South Carolina residents.
  • A determination of resident status that is made at the time of initial application for purposes of participation in the RCP does not prevail for each subsequent academic year.
  • A South Carolina resident student who has been certified as a state resident for the purpose of participating in the RCP must be recertified prior to the beginning of each fall semester for each academic year for which benefits are requested.
  • Certification as a South Carolina resident does not guarantee a contract seat. Institutions make the final decision regarding admission.
Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: The information provided specifically pertains only to South Carolina residency for students seeking to attend optometry school in Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee. It does not pertain to South Carolina residency for attending South Carolina institutions.

Q: How long must I live in South Carolina before I can establish residency for an RCP contract seat for optometry? 

A: A person must live in South Carolina for 24 consecutive months (two years) to establish residency.

Q: What documents can be used as proof to establish intent to become a South Carolina resident?

  1. Statement of full-time employment.
  2. Designating South Carolina as state of legal residence on military record.
  3. Possession of a valid South Carolina driver’s license, or if a non-driver, a South Carolina identification card. Failure to obtain this within 90 days of the establishment of the intent to become a South Carolina resident will delay the beginning date of residency eligibility.
  4. Possession of a valid South Carolina vehicle registration card. Failure to obtain this within 45 days of the establishment of the intent to become a South Carolina resident will delay the beginning date of residency eligibility.
  5. Maintenance of domicile in South Carolina.
  6. Paying South Carolina income taxes as a resident during the past two tax years, including income earned outside of South Carolina from the date South Carolina domicile was claimed.
  7. Ownership of principal residence in South Carolina.
  8. Licensing for professional practice (if applicable) in South Carolina.

*Please note that any single indicator may not be conclusive. (South Carolina Regulation 62-605)

Q: Once I’m certified as a South Carolina resident, do I have to be recertified every year? 

A: Yes, once awarded a contract seat, you must be recertified prior to each subsequent academic year for which you are enrolled. Recertification applications will be accepted beginning on Feb. 1 for the upcoming academic year. The deadline for recertification is June 1 (South Carolina Regulation 62-609 B Exceptions). ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION: Because income taxes are used as proof of continued residency in South Carolina, the recertification period for each academic year begins in February. The recertification period annually is February 1- June 1.

Q: I was certified as a South Carolina resident last year, but I was not accepted for admission. I plan to reapply again this year. Do I need to complete and submit a new residency certification application or use the re-certification application? 

A: You must reapply for residency certification, as the certification is only for the year specified in your certification letter. The re-certification application is ONLY for students who are currently occupying contract seats.

Q: If I get married and my wife/husband is a resident of another state and we file taxes jointly for that state, will that affect my South Carolina residency status? 

A: You cannot be included on a tax return in another state and still claim South Carolina residency. Doing so will cause you to lose your resident status for tuition and fee purposes.

Q: After I begin attending optometry school, if I transfer my driver’s license from South Carolina to the state in which I’m attending school, will that affect my contract seat status? 

A: If you transfer your driver’s license to another state, that indicates that you no longer intend to be a South Carolina resident. This makes you ineligible for a contract seat since you would no longer be considered a South Carolina resident. Residents who change their state of legal residence lose their resident status for tuition and fee purposes.

Q: I am a member of the military. How does that affect my South Carolina residency? 

A: Members of the military permanently assigned in South Carolina on active duty and their dependents qualify under an exception category. Military members and their dependents may be charged in-state tuition and fees without having to establish a permanent home in South Carolina.

Residents who are members of the military stationed out of state and their dependents may receive in-state tuition and fees if they continue to claim South Carolina as their state of legal residency. This must be reflected on the individual’s taxes and Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). Residents who change their state of legal residence lose their resident status for tuition and fee purposes.

Q: My parents are divorced. How does that affect my residency? 

A: If one of the following scenarios applies to your situation then you can claim South Carolina residency:

  • Joint custody and one parent is a South Carolina resident; or
  • Parent that is South Carolina resident claiming the child on income taxes; or
  • Parent that is South Carolina resident pays child support over the cost of attendance as dictated by the college.

Q: What happens if my parents are transferred out-of-state? 

A: Generally, the student may continue to claim South Carolina residency if they are continuously enrolled during all regular academic terms (fall and spring terms or their equivalent) if the family lived in South Carolina for more than three years before the transfer.

Q: What is the difference in applying for residency as dependent or independent?

  • If a parent, guardian, or spouse provided more than half of the student’s support for the past twenty-four months, the student is considered dependent, and it is the parent, guardian, or spouse that must meet the residency requirements.
  • If the student provided most of the support, then the student may be eligible to apply as independent. An independent student must have their own South Carolina domicile. Dormitory housing cannot be used as one’s domicile, as it is temporary in nature.

Q: Am I required to provide over 50 percent of my total financial support to be considered independent? 

A: You must provide over 50 percent of your total support with earnings coming from your own earnings or income from employment, investments, or payments from trusts, grants, scholarships, commercial loans, or payments made in accordance with court order. Total support must also be greater than total expenses.

Q: Can gifts from parents and relatives be counted as support that a student has provided? 

A: No. Gifts are considered money coming from elsewhere and do not count toward financial independence. Financial support must come from the sources listed in the law/regulations.

Q: Can I use the money I’ve saved in my savings and checking accounts to establish my financial independence? 

A: A student may be allowed to use money saved in a savings or checking account if they can prove that the funds are from allowable sources. Allowable sources consist of earnings or income from employment, investments, or payments from trusts, grants, scholarships, commercial loans, or payments made in accordance with court order.

Q: Does owning property in South Carolina allow students to receive in-state tuition? 

A: No. For independent students, owning property, by itself, does not allow students to receive in-state tuition, as the other requirements still must be met. For parents of dependent students, South Carolina must be the primary state of residence. Simply owning property is not sufficient.

Q: If I have lived in South Carolina for more than two years, does that make me eligible for in-state tuition? 

A: No, there is nothing automatic about residency. You must meet all the requirements, submit a residency application, and be approved before you become eligible.

Q: If I move here and live with a relative, does that make me eligible for South Carolina residency? 

A: Not unless the relative has permanent court-ordered guardianship and claims you on their taxes.

Q: Am I eligible for residency if I use a South Carolina address on all my records and legal documents? 

A: You still must meet the other requirements. For admission, other factors are important, such as the source of transcripts and addresses of parents.

Q: Can I use my on-campus apartment to prove my South Carolina residency? 

A: No, on-campus housing is considered temporary because you must be a student to live in it. Therefore, on-campus housing does not prove in-state residency.

Q: If I was enrolled as an out-of-state student in undergraduate and was eventually allowed to receive in-state tuition, will I be considered a South Carolina resident? 

A: No. You would need to establish residency and show you were in South Carolina for reasons other than attending college.

Note: The information provided is subject to change. For more information about South Carolina Residency see https://www.scstatehouse.gov/coderegs/Chapter%2062.pdf  

Related Forms / Getting Started

Please be advised that The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the electronic submission of the South Carolina Residency Certification Application along with supporting documents for the RCP to ensure the protection of personally identifiable information such as (but not limited to) full name, social security number, place of birth, driver’s license, taxpayer identification number, or financial account information. Therefore, applications must be submitted via postal mail or in person and will not be accepted or certified if received via email.

Also note that application verification and processing may take up to six weeks - applications are reviewed in the order in which they are received. Please contact the university/college to inquire about deadlines and plan for the appropriate time needed to prepare and submit your packet. 

Applications should be submitted via postal mail or delivered in person at:

Kenita D. Pitts, SREB State Coordinator

SC Commission on Higher Education

1122 Lady St. Suite 400

Columbia, SC 29201

For additional questions, please contact Ms. Kenita D. Pitts via email or at (803) 856-0037

South Carolina Residency Certification Application Annual Deadlines

  ANNUAL APPLICATION DEADLINES

Southern College of Optometry

March 1

University of Alabama Birmingham

April 1

University of Pikeville

April 1

RECERTIFICATION FOR VETERINARY MEDICINE ONLY

Tuskegee University

June 1

Mississippi State University

June 1

University of Georgia

June 1

Notes:

  • Please submit the South Carolina Residency Application at least 60 days prior to the institutions deadline for review and to ensure that all submitted documents are correct.
  • Please allow at least four to six weeks for processing. If additional information is needed to complete your South Carolina Certification of Residency, you will be notified via email.
  • Regional Contract Program FAQs: https://www.sreb.org/rcp-faqs