Lawful Presence

In accordance with Board of Regents policy, all applicants who are accepted for admission or re-admission to the College of Coastal Georgia are required to provide validation of lawful presence in the United States in order to receive in-state tuition or other state benefits. There are a number of ways for a student’s lawful presence in the United States to be verified. Students only need to provide one of the following examples to satisfy this requirement:

  • Students who file a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and are eligible for federal aid may have their lawful presence verified as part of this process.
  • A current Driver’s License issued by the State of Georgia. Temporary/interim paper licenses and licenses marked “limited term” are not acceptable.
  • A current Driver’s License issued by a U.S. state that issues REAL ID compliant licenses. Only unexpired licenses with the REAL ID symbol may be accepted. ID’s must not be marked Limited Term, FN, Temporary, Nonrenewable, or Not for REAL ID purposes.
  • A copy of an original or certified U.S. birth certificate issued by a state, county, municipal authority, or territory of the United States bearing an official seal. The copy must clearly show the raised or written seal to be acceptable. Copies that are not clear or do not show the seal cannot be accepted.
  • A current ID issued by the State of Georgia after January 1, 2008.
  • 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 (DS1350) or a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240).
  • A current U.S. Passport.
  • A current military ID (service member only, not dependent). Service members must present the military ID to our Admissions office for further documentation. A photocopy is not acceptable.
  • A current, valid Permanent Resident Card (USCIS form I-151 or I-551). We require the front and back side of your Permanent Resident Card. It must not expire before the first day of class of the term.