FL S2398

Reduces the residency requirement for dependent children living with adult relatives (other than parents) from 5 years to 4 years of continuous residence prior to college enrollment

Expands the definition of "parent" to include stepparents and clarifies that children who provide more than 50% of their own cost of attendance or meet federal independent status criteria are not considered dependent

Allows Florida public high school students who attended for 2 consecutive years immediately prior to graduation to qualify as residents for tuition purposes if they enroll within 12 months of graduation

Permits institutions of higher education to verify residency documentation through electronic means using state-maintained databases

Requires institutions to recognize another institution's residency classification for transfer students who attended the classifying institution within the last 12 months and have the classification noted on their transcript

Removes the requirement that employment must be "permanent full-time" and "at least 30 hours per week" for residency proof, simplifying to 12-month employment in Florida