Audit finds UNA failed to verify student residency

A recent state audit of the University of North Alabama found that the school failed to verify students’ in-state residency properly, in violation of Alabama law.

In its report covering October 1, 2022, through September 30, 2024, the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts identified a key compliance issue. UNA did not obtain the required residency certifications under state law. That statute governs when students qualify as in-state for tuition purposes and mandates that institutions maintain formal documentation to prove residency.

Without those certifications, students who should have been classified as out-of-state may have been incorrectly charged lower, in-state tuition rates.

The audit was conducted by the Department of Examiners of Public Accounts, while the universi