EVEA
The Tennessee Eligibility Verification for Entitlements Act (EVEA) became effective on October 1, 2012. The EVEA requires state public institutions of higher education to verify that persons seeking a “state public benefit” are either a “United States citizen” or “lawfully present” in the United States. We must verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who apply for admission for terms beginning Spring 2013 or later and are assigned a residency category that is eligible for state benefits. (The term “state benefit” includes in-state tuition, lottery scholarship, academic scholarship, or any other form of tuition assistance or waiver funded with state-appropriated dollars. State benefit does not include tuition assistance funded privately, such as a scholarship from the institution’s foundation or a privately endowed scholarship.)
Documentation can be submitted directly to the Admissions office, scanned /photographed and attached to an email to Admissions@pstcc.edu or mailed to 10915 Hardin Valley Road, Knoxville, TN 37932.
We do not have to verify the citizenship or lawful presence of students who:
- Have not graduated from high school and are applying as dual enrollment students, joint enrollment students, or academically talented/gifted students
OR
- Have not applied to receive in-state tuition, or a scholarship, grant, loans, tuition or fee waiver, or other financial assistance which is subsidized or paid in whole or in part with state funds;
OR
- Have been offered and have accepted a scholarship, grant, loans, tuition or fee waiver, or other financial assistance which is subsidized or paid in whole or in part with state funds, prior to October 1, 2012 for enrollment before Spring 2013.
APPROVED DOCUMENTATION TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENT :
For students claiming U.S. citizenship without a Citizenship-Confirmed FAFSA the Institution shall require the student to provide a copy of one (1) of the following documents:
- A valid Tennessee driver license or photo identification license;
- A valid driver license or photo identification license from another state (except for Utah and New Mexico);
- An official birth certificate issued by a U.S. state, jurisdiction, or territory, except for Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010;
- A U.S. government-issued certified birth certificate;
- A valid, unexpired U.S. passport;
- A U.S. certificate of birth abroad (DS-1350 or FS-545);
- A report of birth abroad of a citizen of the U.S. (FS-240);
- A certificate of citizenship (N560 or N561);
- A certificate of naturalization (N550, N570, or N578); or
- A U.S. citizen identification card (I-197, I-179).
For students claiming to be an alien lawfully present in the United States, those students must verify their Alien Registration Number (A#) or I-94 Admission Number by:
- Completing a Citizenship-Confirmed FAFSA. Please note that this option is only available for the following individuals:
- U.S. permanent residents (individuals with an I-151, I-551, or I-551C permanent resident card); and
- Individuals who have an Arrival/Departure Record (I-94) showing one of the following designations:
- Refugee;
- Asylum Granted;
- Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending);
- Conditional Entrant (Valid only if issued before April 1, 1980);
- Victims of Human Trafficking (T-2, T-3, or T-4 visa); or
- Parolee (who meets certain conditions)
OR
Presenting two (2) forms of documentation establishing lawful presence in the United States. Examples of acceptable documents include:
- Valid Tennessee driver license or photo identification card
- Valid, unexpired Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551);
- Valid, unexpired Foreign Passport with visa stamped “Processed for I-551”;
- Permanent Resident Re-Entry Permit (I-327);
- Refugee Travel Document (I-571);
- Employment Authorization Document (Form I-766);
- Arrival/Departure Record (Form I-94);
- Valid, unexpired Foreign Passport with valid visa;
- Notice of Approval of Status with bottom I-94 portion attached (Form I-797);
- Certificate of Eligibility for Student Status (Form I-20); and
- DS-2019 or IAP-66 for J-1 status holders;
- Non-Resident Alien Canadian Border Crossing Card; and
- Any other document determined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be acceptable through the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program created pursuant to the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
To review the approved legislation, click here.
