College Tuition and U.S. Citizenship

2025-2026 Bill 5269: College Tuition and U.S. Citizenship - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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H. 5269
STATUS INFORMATION
General Bill
Sponsors: Rep. Long
Document Path: LC-0304HA26.docx
Introduced in the House on February 26, 2026
Currently residing in the House Committee on
Ways and Means
Summary: College Tuition and U.S. Citizenship
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

2/26/2026

House

Introduced and read first time (
House Journal-page 9
)

2/26/2026

House

Referred to Committee on
Ways and Means
(
House Journal-page 9
)

View the latest
legislative information
at the website
VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
02/26/2026

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH
CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION
59-112-20
, RELATING TO DOMICILE FOR
TUITION RATES AND FEES FOR CERTAIN STATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, SO AS TO
PROHIBIT IN-STATE RATES FOR PERSONS WHO ARE NOT CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES,
ESTABLISH FINES FOR VIOLATIONS, AND PERMIT CERTAIN TAXPAYERS TO FILE LAWSUITS
FOR ENFORCEMENT.

B
e it enacted by the
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

S
ECTION 1.
S
ection
59-112-20
of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

S
ection
59-112-20
.
S
outh Carolina domicile for tuition and
fee purposes shall be established as follows in determinations of rates of
tuition and fees to be paid by students entering or attending State
Institutions:

(
A) Independent
persons who reside in and have been domiciled in South Carolina for a period of
no less than twelve months with an intention of making a permanent home
therein, and their dependents, may be considered eligible for in-state rates.

(
B) Independent
persons who reside in and have been domiciled in South Carolina for fewer than
twelve months but who have full-time employment in the State, and their
dependents, may be considered eligible for in-state rates for as long as such
independent person is employed on a full-time basis in the State.

(
C) Where
an independent person meeting the provisions of Section
59-112-20

(
B
)

above, is living apart from his spouse, or where such person and his spouse are
separated or divorced, the spouse and dependents of such independent person
shall have domiciliary status for tuition and fee purposes only under the
following circumstances:

(
1)
if the spouse requesting domiciliary status for tuition and fee purposes
remains domiciled in South Carolina although living apart or separated from his
or her employed spouse;

(
2)
if the dependent requesting domiciliary status for tuition and fee purposes is
under the legal custody or guardianship, as defined in Section
59-112-10
(I)
above, of an independent person who is domiciled in this State; or if such
dependent is claimed as an income tax exemption by the parent not having legal
custody but paying child-support, so long as either parent remains domiciled in
South Carolina.

(
D) The
residence and domicile of a dependent minor shall be presumed to be that of the
parent of such dependent minor.

(
E) Independent
persons who reside in and are domiciled in Chatham-Effingham and Bryan County
Georgia, and their dependents, may be considered eligible for in-state rates
for as long as the Georgia Board of Regents offers its Georgia Tuition Program
by which it grants in-state tuition to students residing in the Beaufort and
Jasper county area.

(
F) In-state rates shall not be given
to any person who is not a citizen of the United States, including the spouse
of an independent person, a dependent person, or a dependent person's legal
custodian or guardian despite otherwise eligible domiciliary status for
in-state rates. A violation of this subsection shall result in a one million
dollar fine per violation, with the fine to go to the state's general fund. Any
person who paid taxes in South Carolina within the prior fiscal year is
entitled to file a lawsuit to enforce the provisions of this subsection.

S
ECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval
by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on February 26, 2026 at 11:12 AM