South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 62 - STATE COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Article V - DETERMINATION OF RATES OF TUITION AND FEES
Section 62-602 - Definitions

A. "Academic Session" is defined as a term or semester of enrollment. (62-607.B)

B. "Continue to be Enrolled" is defined as continuous enrollment without an interruption that would require the student to pursue a formal process of readmission to that institution. Formal petitions or applications for change of degree level shall be considered readmissions. (62-607.A)

C. "Dependent Person" is defined as one whose predominant source of income or support is from payments from a parent, spouse, or guardian, who claims the dependent person on his/her/their federal income tax return. In situations where the dependent is submitting the tax return of joint filers, the residency of both filers should be considered. In the case of those individuals who are supported by family members who do not earn enough reportable income for taxation purposes, a dependent person can be defined as one who qualifies as a dependent or exemption on the federal income tax return of the parent, spouse, or guardian. A dependent person is also one for whom payments are made, under court order, for child support and the cost of the dependent person's college education. A dependent person's residency is presumed to be that of the person upon whom they are dependent. (62-602.G) (62-602.N) (62-603.B) (62-605.C) (62-607.A)

D. "Domicile" is defined as the true, fixed, principal residence and place of habitation. It shall indicate the place where a person intends to remain, or to where one expects to return upon leaving without establishing a new domicile in another state. For purposes of this section, one may have only one legal domicile. One is presumed to abandon automatically an old domicile upon establishing a new one. Housing provided on an academic session basis for student at institutions shall be presumed not to be a place of principal residence, as residency in such housing is by its nature temporary. (62-602.E) (62-602.K) (62-602.M) (62-602.N) (62-603.A) (62.603.B) (62-605.B) (62-605.C) (62-607.A) (62-607.B) (62-608.A) (62-608.C) (62-608.D) (62-609.A.3) (62-609.A.4)

E. "Full time employment" is defined as employment that consists of at least thirty seven and one half hours a week on a single job in a full time status, with gross earnings of at least minimum wage. However, a person who works less than thirty seven and one half hours a week but receives or is entitled to receive full time employee benefits shall be considered to be employed full time if such status is verified by the employer. A person who meets the eligibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act must present acceptable evidence that they satisfy their prescribed employment specifications in order to qualify as having full time employment. (62-605.C.1) (62-609.A.2) (62-609.A.3)

F. "Guardian" is defined as one legally responsible for the care and management of the person or property of a minor child based upon the five tests for dependency prescribed by the Internal Revenue Service; provided, however, that where circumstances indicate that such guardianship or custodianship was created primarily for the purpose of conferring South Carolina domicile for tuition and fee purposes on such child or dependent person, it shall not be given such effect. (62-602.C) (62-602.E) (62-602.I) (62-602.M) (62-603.B) (62-605.C)

G. "Immediately Prior" is defined as the period of time between the offer of admission and the first day of class of the term for which the offer was made, not to exceed one calendar year. (62-607.A)

H. "Independent Person" is defined as one in his/her majority (eighteen years of age or older) or an emancipated minor, whose predominant source of income is his/her own earnings or income from employment, investments, or payments from trusts, grants, scholarships, commercial, educational or student loans in the name of the independent person and provided by an insured and federally regulated financial entity, or payments made in accordance with court order and for the purposes of determining residency for tuition and fees. An independent person:

I. "Minor" is defined as a person who has not attained the age of eighteen years. An "emancipated minor" shall mean a minor whose parents have entirely surrendered the right to the care, custody and earnings of such minor and are no longer under any legal obligation to support or maintain such minor. (62-602.G)

J. "Non-resident Alien" is defined as a person who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. By virtue of their non-resident status "non-resident aliens" generally do not have the capacity to establish domicile in South Carolina. (62-602.M) (62-604.A)

K. "Parent" is defined as the father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, foster parent or parent of a legally adopted child. (62-602.C) (62-602.E) (62-602.I) (62-602.J) (62-602.M) (62-603.B) (62-603.C) (62-605.C)

L. "Reside" is defined as continuous and permanent physical presence within the State, provided that absences for short periods of time shall not affect the establishment of residence. Excluded are absences associated with requirements to complete a degree, absences for military training service, and like absences, provided South Carolina domicile is maintained. (62-603.A) (62-606.B) (62-609.A) (62-609.A.3) (62-609.A.4) (62-609.B)

M. "Resident" for tuition and fee purposes is defined as an independent person who has abandoned all prior domiciles and has been domiciled in South Carolina continuously for at least twelve months immediately preceding the first day of class of the term for which resident classification is sought and for whom there is an absence of domiciliary evidence in other states or countries, not withstanding other provisions of the Statute. (62-600.A) (62-600.B) (62-602.I) (62-602.K) (62-602.M) (62-603.A) (62-603.B) (62-603.C) (62-604.A) (62-605.A) (62-605.C) (62-605.C.7) (62-606.A) (62-606.A.5) (62-606.B) (62-607.A) (62-608.B) (62-609.A.3) (62-610.A) (62-610.B) (62-611.A) (62-611.B)

N. "Spouse" is defined as the husband or wife of a married person in accordance with Title 20, Chapter 1 of the 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended. (62-602.C) (62-602.E) (62-602.I) (62-602.M) (62-603.B) (62-605.C)

O. "Temporary Absence" is defined as a break in enrollment during a fall or spring semester (or its equivalent) during which a student is not registered for class. (62-606.A)

P. "Terminal Leave" is defined as a transition period following active employment and immediately preceding retirement (with a pension or annuity), during which the individual may use accumulated leave. (62-609.A.4)

Q. "United States Armed Forces" is defined as the United States Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Coast Guard. (62-606.B) (62-609.A(1))

R. "Trust" is defined as a legal entity created by a grantor for the benefit of designated beneficiaries under the laws of the state and the valid trust instrument. However, that where circumstances indicate that such trust was created primarily for the purpose of conferring South Carolina domicile for tuition and fee purposes on such child or independent person, it shall not be given such effect.