Menu

Citizenship / Lawful Presence Requirement for Admission

Overview

Beginning in September 2026, applicants to St. Johns River State College (SJR State) will need to confirm that they are either a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States. Applicants must also provide documentation verifying their citizenship or lawful presence before they can enroll in classes.

This requirement is being implemented in response to changes to Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0240 and applies to all applicants, including dual enrollment and adult education students.

We understand that gathering and submitting documentation may raise questions. This page explains what is changing, what you need to do, which documents are accepted, and where to go if you need assistance.

What's Changing?

Beginning in September 2026, all applicants to SJR State will need to complete two steps:

  1. Confirm your U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
    When you complete your SJR State application, you will be asked to confirm that you are either a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States.

    This confirmation, called an attestation, is included in the application. You must complete it before you can submit your application. There is no separate attestation form.
  2. Provide documentation
    After you submit your application, you will need to log back into your application and upload at least one acceptable document verifying your U.S. citizenship or lawful presence.

    Please keep in mind that uploading a document does not immediately complete this requirement. SJR State must review and verify your documentation before you can enroll in classes.

    Because the review and verification process takes additional time, we encourage you to upload your documentation as soon as possible after submitting your application. Please do not wait until your application or registration deadline.

Acceptable Documentation
If you are a U.S. citizen, you may provide one of the following:

If you are lawfully present in the United States, acceptable documentation may include:

  • Permanent Resident Card or Resident Alien Card
  • Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94)
  • Employment Authorization Document
  • Documentation confirming refugee or asylum status
  • Other acceptable official immigration documentation

Not sure which immigration document you have? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) provides examples and descriptions of commonly used immigration documents.

View Commonly Used Immigration Documents on the USCIS website

Who Does This Apply To?

This requirement applies to all applicants to St. Johns River State College, including:

  • Associate degree applicants
  • Baccalaureate degree applicants
  • Career certificate applicants
  • Dual enrollment students
  • Adult education students

Already enrolled at SJR State? Students who were admitted and enrolled in classes before September 2026 and who maintain continuous enrollment will not be required to complete the new citizenship or lawful presence requirements.

If you were previously admitted but did not enroll, or if you have a break in enrollment that requires you to apply for readmission, you will need to meet the requirements in effect when you are readmitted.

See the Frequently Asked Questions below for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is SJR State requiring this?
Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.0240 requires institutions in the Florida College System to obtain an applicant's attestation of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence before admission and documentation of citizenship or lawful presence before enrollment.

This is a statewide requirement and is not specific to SJR State.

When does this requirement take effect?
SJR State will begin requiring the attestation and supporting documentation in September 2026.

Applicants who apply on or after the implementation date, including applicants for Fall B 2026 and Spring 2027, will need to complete both steps.

What is an "attestation"?
The attestation is a statement within the SJR State application asking you to confirm that you are a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States.

You must complete the attestation before you can submit your application. There is no separate attestation form.

Do I need to upload my documentation when I submit my application?
No. Uploading your documentation is a separate step that you complete after submitting your application.

Once your application has been submitted:

  1. Log back into your application.
  2. Locate the supplemental documentation item.
  3. Upload your acceptable document.

Because SJR State must review and verify your documentation before you can enroll, please upload it as soon as possible. Do not wait until the application or registration deadline.


What happens if I submit my application but don't upload my documentation?
You will not be able to enroll in classes until SJR State receives and verifies acceptable documentation of your U.S. citizenship or lawful presence.

Completing the attestation in your application does not satisfy the separate documentation requirement.

Which document should I upload?
Choose one document from the applicable list above based on whether you are a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States.

If you're unsure whether a particular document is acceptable, please contact the Office of Admissions. Our team is available to help you understand what you need to provide.

Does this apply to dual enrollment students?
Yes. Dual enrollment applicants must complete the attestation when submitting their application and provide acceptable documentation of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence.

Because SJR State needs time to review and verify documentation before enrollment, dual enrollment students should upload their documentation well before the application deadline. Please do not wait until the deadline to complete this requirement.

For questions about dual enrollment, contact the Dual Enrollment Office at (386) 312-4136 or . You may also speak with your high school counselor.

Does this apply to students who are already enrolled?
It depends.

Students who were admitted and enrolled in classes before September 2026 and who maintain continuous enrollment will not be required to complete the new citizenship or lawful presence requirements.

However, students who were previously admitted but did not enroll, or who have a break in enrollment that requires them to apply for readmission, must meet the requirements in effect at the time of readmission.

This includes:

  • Completing the attestation confirming U.S. citizenship or lawful presence
  • Providing acceptable documentation
  • Having that documentation reviewed and verified by SJR State before enrollment

Is my documentation kept private and secure?
Yes. Documentation submitted to SJR State is maintained as part of the College's student records and handled in accordance with applicable student-record privacy requirements, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

What if I don't have access to my documents right now?
We understand that some documents, including birth certificates, passports, and immigration documents, can take time to obtain or replace. If you need to obtain or replace a document, we encourage you to begin that process as early as possible.

After you submit your application, upload your documentation promptly so the College has enough time to review and verify it before you need to enroll.

I'm not a U.S. citizen, and I'm not sure if I qualify as "lawfully present." What should I do?
If you are unsure, don't worry. Start by uploading the documentation you have available that demonstrates your immigration status or lawful presence in the United States.

You can also review the USCIS guide to commonly used immigration documents for examples and descriptions of different types of documents. The Admissions team will review the documentation you provide. If SJR State is unable to verify lawful presence based on the documentation submitted, we will notify you and provide information about any additional documentation or next steps needed to complete the requirement.

Who can I contact if I have questions?
We're here to help. If you have questions about the citizenship or lawful presence requirement, please contact:
Office of Admissions
Phone: (386) 312-4030
Email:

If you're unsure about what documentation you need or how to complete the process, please reach out to the Admissions team as early as possible. We're happy to help you understand the next steps.