For many different reasons, some students prefer to start their college career at a local community college and then transfer to USF.  Smaller environments, smaller class sizes, lower costs, and a more relaxed atmosphere can be beneficial to a student’s successful transition from high school to college.

If you are set on becoming a Bull, taking classes at Hillsborough College can help to make that a reality.  HCC’s 2 + 2 Program lets you take two years of classes and then finish your degree at a four-year university.  In the 2 + 2 program, you will meet with advisors that will help you plan and complete any and all courses required to transfer to USF.  They also work to help you meet with USF advisors to ensure that you are on the right path to enter USF successfully.

HCC has articulation agreements with many institutions.  Click here to see a list of articulation agreements in Florida.  Upon completing an Associate Degree at HCC, you are guaranteed a seat in any of the 12 Florida public universities.  This can make for an easy transition to USF. Although the majority of transfer students to USF come from HCC, there are other institutions that have programs that pave the pathways to becoming a Bull.  SPC, POLK, College of Central Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College, State College of Florida, and South Florida State College to USF-Tampa. List of programs that are offered.

Even if you are already a USF student, taking some classes at HCC can count towards your credit requirements.  Some students prefer to take some of the prerequisite math and English classes at HCC. Just make sure that you meet with your advisors to confirm that all credits count toward USF graduation requirements. HCC has 10 locations with the main campus on Dale Mabry across from Raymond James Stadium.  The closest location to USF is the Brandon location at 10451 Nancy Watkins Dr. It is best to meet with an advisor so you can plan your class locations accordingly.

For more helpful tips, check out our Transfer to USF blog.  When you are ready to transfer to USF, the guidelines for transfer students can be found here.  Not every student takes the direct route to become a Bull.  Spending time at HCC can be a great way to start college.

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The time has come to pay for your college costs and money panic sets in.  I remember receiving my tuition statement for my son when he attended USF and yet his student account showed no Prepaid Florida (which I was fortunate enough to have 4-year college and 1-year dorm). Where is the money? In addition, his bank account did not reflect his Bright Futures Scholarship funds. So when does this money get disbursed? Can you get a deferral for books, living accommodations, and student fees? For your student’s specific account details you should log into their OASIS account.

Here are some specifics:

Florida Prepaid

For any enrolled student who has an active Florida Prepaid College Plan, the University of South Florida will post payment 3-4 weeks after the start of classes. The tuition differentials exemptions and expected tuition payment amounts should start showing in your student’s OASIS account. It is listed under the Memos section in your “View Account by Term: on OASIS.  Any account balance due is required to be paid by the deferment bill due date to avoid any late charges.

Please Remember –  You Will Not Receive A Bill For Tuition

Financial Aid

The timing of disbursements is contingent (this means money) upon students meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) that conforms to specific grade-based and time-based requirements. See the section on how to check your Satisfactory Academic Progress in OASIS.

Disbursement of financial aid funds will begin on the sixth day of classes after your student’s enrollment is confirmed. Before loans can be disbursed, first-time Federal Direct Loan and Perkins Loan borrowers must complete Entrance Counseling. In addition, the master Promissory notes must be signed and on file.

Payment Plans

USF does not offer payment plans or extensions of the payment deadline. The payment deadline for students with billable Florida Prepaid tuition plans, Graduate Students, and those students with Financial Aid deferments is Friday, June 28th for Session B-Y. Students with balances for classes that were added late will also need to pay by this deadline to avoid the late fee. Students without Tuition Deferment payments for the Fall are due in full on Friday, August 23rd, 2019 to avoid cancellation of classes and late fee assessments for all classes started on 8/26/19. The tuition deadline for the Spring 2020 semester is January 17, 2020, on February 28, 2020, for those with financial aid deferments or Florida Prepaid. To qualify for Tuition deferment please visit financial aid deferments.

For third party billing( outside agencies or companies requesting to be invoiced for a student’s tuition and fees), the Student Accounting Office must be provided with a written authorization to bill the agency.  For additional information, please visit third party billing.

Bright Futures

Florida Bright Futures will disburse after drop/add. For the Summer of 2019, this will be on or around June 28th and for the Fall of 2019, this will be on or around August 30th, after the first week of classes. For the spring of 2020, this date will be January 17th, 2020. Information on Bright Futures.

Book Deferral

Financial aid disbursements begin the second week of each semester, so students will not receive their financial aid refunds to buy books until then. For this reason, the Bookstore Advance Purchase Program (BAPP) allows you to charge books and supplies at any USF campus bookstore using your financial aid before it is disbursed.

Your purchase will be included as a charge on your student’s account. An email confirming your student’s eligibility for a book deferment will be sent to their USF email address before the start of classes each semester. If more than the $600 maximum is needed you may be considered for an increase if you have enough financial aid.

Rent Payments

The due dates for housing at USF for payment in full for Summer A, C, G, W is May 17th, 2019, and Summer B is due June 28th. The fall deadline for 2019 is August 30th and for Spring 2020 on January 17th to avoid late fees. An installment rent payment is considered one monthly payment. There is no need to sign up for a payment plan. Check the USF calendar and pay by the first of each month in order to break up the semester payments equally, if you choose.  Breakdown of the rent. To make a payment, please follow the instructions.

If your student receives a private scholarship and the check is made out to them, they should notify the university’s financial aid office as it may impact their financial aid package. If the check is made payable to the university, they will need to mail it to the financial aid office.

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**Due to the unprecedented Spring 2020, situations and circumstances continue to evolve daily. Please start all your planning for any event this spring and summer by first checking here for the updates directly from UNF. Most recently, USF canceled some fees for summer courses but now have added other fees. Each course per credit is now $27. Most classes at USF are 3 credits, so the minimum charge would be $81. However, USF has stated that the total cost of tuition will not increase since other fees have been removed.**

There is no denying that college tuition, itself, is a huge expense; however, on top of the cost, HaveUHeard that some classes have extra fees that may or may not be covered by some scholarships or prepaid programs?

At USF, there are several fees associated with various programs that are not fully covered by prepaid scholarships such as Florida Prepaid or Bright Futures. These fees are often upwards of $600 on top of the school’s credit hour tuition rate. The Florida Prepaid scholarship only covers credit hour rates, so that means that you will have to come out of pocket for other fees unless you receive scholarships or financial aid from other sources.

Not only are there fees that are automatically due just for attending the university, but there are also additional costs associated with certain classes as well. For example, if you are enrolled in an online course, you will be required to pay an additional $50 per credit hour for that class. So, for a 3 credit hour online course, you will have to pay an additional $150 on top of USF’s $347.91 per credit hour fee. There are also fees associated with taking classes that require computer lab use (yes, even if you have your own laptop and don’t use the school computers). Here is a complete list of auxiliary fees.

For those students fortunate to be a Florida Academic Scholar (100%) or Florida Medallion Scholar (75%) and have Florida Prepaid, there is often excess funds remaining after all other charges are deducted. This gets deposited or mailed to your students so they can use that for whatever they want, it can be college living expenses, meals, and yes, the auxiliary fees. If you have financial aid that pays your entire cost of attendance and gives you a refund check for the remaining balance, you may never be aware of the additional you’re being charged. For a detailed breakdown of your tuition and all costs, visit the tuition and fee statement on OASIS.

And then there is excess hours surcharge which established what is commonly referred to as an “Excess Credit Hour Surcharge.” The bill requires universities to add a surcharge to each credit hour taken in excess of the total number of credit hours required to complete the degree being pursued. A bill just past that increases the credit hours a student entering a state university in the summer term of 2019 or thereafter may earn, from 110 percent to 120 percent of the degree program, before being required to pay the surcharge. Also, for a student who changes degree programs, the bill requires the university to adjust the excess credit hour threshold only if the number of credit hours required to complete the new degree program exceeds that of the original degree program.

Under Florida law, the following credit hours count towards excess credit hours: Failed courses, Hours dropped after the University’s drop/add period, Courses from which a student withdraws. Repeated courses. Exception: repeated courses for which the student has paid the repeat course surcharge as provided in Section 1009.285, Florida Statutes. All credit earned at another institution and accepted for transfer and applied toward the baccalaureate degree program. As an example, if your student had 2 excess hours, they would be charged 2.2 x the current base tuition rate. That now changes to 120% which will lower the charge.

Written by Jordan Philyor, USF Intern

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Now that that’s settled, the idea of actually paying for college looms.  Hopefully, you have prepared in some way but fear not. Finding scholarships can help with the cost of college. If you live in Florida and have purchased a Florida Prepaid plan, then that will start working for you immediately.  Bright Futures Scholarships have also been a goal while in high school, and if earned, they will apply once your student has started.

Every year, I hear stories about thousands of dollars in scholarship money that are never applied for.  It does take a lot of work and time to research scholarships, apply for them, and to validate the authenticity of them.  But, that work can pay off at a reduced cost to you. Some are quite competitive, some last for four years, and some are downright silly, but pay for something.  Some scholarships require essays and believe it or not, those are the ones most avoided; therefore, have the least amount of people applying. Don’t steer away from these; seek help with the essay instead. It is also recommended to apply for any scholarships as early as possible and be sure to have your FAFSA form completed beforehand.

Scholarships Starting Place

Below we address the scholarship opportunities through USF. Read our blog on actual scholarships that are available to all students. To learn about other scholarship opportunities, make sure you read our blog on Searching for Scholarships.

At USF, Freshman Florida residents are eligible for scholarships based on their high school GPAs and test scores. Also, Non-Florida Resident Freshman are eligible for the money.  Here is the information for that.

Applications for USF Scholarships and Fellowships for the 2018-2019 year are open now.  They are based on academic merit, extracurricular activities, special talents, or demographics.

The USF Foundation Scholarship office offers many scholarships to USF students.

Other offerings of scholarships and services through USF can be seen here.

• College of Engineering
  
• College of Arts & Sciences
  
• Muma College of Business
  
• College of Education
  
• College of Nursing
  
• College of Public Health
  
• College of Pharmacy
  
• The Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications
  
• College of Music
  
• Morsani College of Medicine

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SEE END OF BLOG FOR CHANGES EFFECTIVE WITH THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR

Bright Futures has been a great source of financial aid for many Florida Students and is now shining even brighter. Summer 2018 was the first-year Florida Academic Scholars received 100% tuition and summer 2019, 75% of tuition is available for Florida Medallion Scholars. The $300 college-related expense stipend is still only available for fall and spring semesters.

The requirements for summer are as follows

• Must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 credit hours across all summer sessions.
• Students with less than 6 credit hours required for graduation, may receive FAS and FMS by submitting a memo on letterhead from an academic advisor indicating less than 6 hours are required for graduation.
• Graduate-level hours may be approved by the student’s academic advisor.  Students taking graduate-level courses must submit a memo from the academic advisor indicating graduate-level courses meet undergraduate graduation requirements.

NOTE: A maximum of 45 credit hours may be funded in one academic year.

The requirements for Bright Futures are as follows

The top scholarship awards students with an SAT score of 1290 or an ACT score of 29 and higher. The Florida Medallion Scholarship awards students with an SAT score of 1170 and an ACT score of 26.  In addition, there are weighted GPA minimums of 3.50 for the Florida Academic Scholars Award and 100 community service hours and a 3.00 GPA for the Florida Medallion Scholars Award and 75 service hours.

For the renewal of Bright Futures, students need a minimum cumulative GPA of a 3.0 for the Florida Academic Scholarship and a minimum of 2.75 for the Florida Medallion Scholarship (unweighted and unrounded).

Students who do not meet the annual minimum renewal GPA requirement in their first year of funding will be allowed a one-time restoration in a subsequent summer or academic year renewal period (end of spring term). Students who do not meet the minimum earned hours requirement or who fail to meet the minimum GPA requirement after their first year of funding will NOT be permitted a restoration opportunity.

Funding from financial aid will not disburse until after the end of the drop/add period for each term, which is typically after the second week of each semester.

Florida Prepaid disburses first for tuition and then Bright Futures will be applied to any institutional charges on the student’s account. Any left-over credit will be funded into your student’s bank account.

Effective July 1, 2019 – The actual test scores will be released in the next few weeks

FLORIDA ACADEMIC SCHOLARS AWARD

High school students graduating in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years, a student must achieve an SAT combined score of 1290 or an ACT composite score of 29. For high school students graduating in the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter, a student must achieve the required examination scores published by the department, which is determined as follows:

The minimum required SAT score for the Florida Academic Scholarship must be set no lower than the 89th national 902 percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the required SAT score only if the required score drops below the 89th national percentile, and any such adjustment must be applied to the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the ACT.

FLORIDA MEDALLION SCHOLARS AWARD

For high school students graduating in the 2018-2019 and the 2019-2020 academic years, a student must achieve an SAT combined score of 1170 or an ACT composite score of 26. High school students graduating in the 2020-2021 academic year and thereafter, a student must achieve the required examination scores published by the department, which is determined as follows:

The minimum required SAT score for the Florida Medallion Scholarship must be set no lower than the 75th national percentile on the SAT. The department may adjust the required SAT score only if the required score drops below the 75th national percentile, and any such adjustment must be made to the bottom of the SAT score range that is concordant to the ACT.

Should you have any questions about the number of hours your student needs or the impact of dropping a class or any other situation, download the interactive tool here  – BFCreditHourTool (8)

For more information on USF Bright Futures scholarship award requirements. For more information on the Bright Futures scholarship.

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Whenever you hear someone say, “four years fly by” believe it!  Preparing for graduation comes as a shock to some, but then there is the decision of continuing on to Grad school.  Most people today feel that Grad school is necessary. It seems that in a lot of professions, a Master’s Degree is the standard.

If you are going for it, then you need to start researching all of the degrees and programs out there, as they can be different from undergraduate programs.  Contact the Office of Graduate Studies to see if any informational events are scheduled.  Meeting with the office can help you see the paths offered and clarify your prerequisites and other required things needed.  It can feel overwhelming, but this office can help to prepare you for the required tests and application items needed.

To apply to graduate school, you must fill out the online application, and submit the application fee.  Once accepted, there will be an orientation on August 9 in the Marshall Center.  For many programs, this is required and you will hear from faculty, staff, and former students about graduate life. There will be specific orientations for different colleges as well. To register.

As for the tests required for admittance to graduate school, the Graduate Studies office can also provide information on test prep, tutoring, and any programs offered to help obtain required scores.  Some of the popular test prep programs are Kaplan, Magoosh, Varsity Tutors BenchPrep, The Princeton Review, Khan Academy, and Manhattan Test Prep.  Many are offered as online classes which allow students to study at their convenience.  Some also offer private tutoring in person or online, as well as regular local classes.

Many accounting major students take the CPA exam while in school. Some of the more popular CPA review courses include Surgent, Becker, and Wiley.

For the MCAT, USF offers testing services.
For the GRE, LSAT, GMAT, and others, services.

Remember:

GRE- Get the ‘GRE Word of the Day’ app to help with vocabulary.  Sign up for the Question of the Day from Kaplan. It’s free!
MCAT- Next Step Test Prep offers live webinars to answer questions that may come up as you study.
LSAT- Testmasters LSAT prep class is offered right on campus. See dates and times.

There is a lot to think about and to prepare, so organizing a timeline or checklist for each school that you apply to would be helpful.  Get together test scores, letters of recommendation, personal essays, interviews, and resumes. Look into scholarships and all finance needs.

Applications also require an essay or personal statement. To be sure you are sending in your best work, we recommend working with Essential Essays, who assists students with brainstorming, planning, and writing college, law, and grad school essays that will reveal their personality and give their applications a positive edge.

Some students who are majoring in finance or business will also take the Level 1 CFA exam. The Princeton Review now offers a test-prep course for only $299. Students who enroll will qualify for their money-back guarantee.

Finally, it’s not uncommon to take a year off of school before starting grad school.  Use that year wisely to gain experience, test prep, and organize your learning so that you will be ready for the challenges that grad school holds.

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I clearly remember my days at USF and having to make a hard decision about dropping a class. Back then, it seemed as if the world was crashing in, to admit that I was not going to be successful in a class. In reality, it is a great learning experience in self-evaluation. For me, it was a science class that was filled with chemistry and math that I had never seen before.  The teacher went fast, and after a couple of failed quizzes, I knew that I was either going to fail the class or have to withdraw.

Students today are coming to college after immense pressures to score as high as they can, complete as much as they can, and with lots of help from home and teachers. Once in a college class, sometimes things can get overwhelming, you can lag behind, and even become completely lost. Some semesters have easier course loads than others. That is not to say that you should not take advantage of meeting with a TA or professor for help or get tutoring. But even after trying your hardest, if you know that you will not be making at least a C (most degrees require at least a C to pass the class), then dropping the class may be needed. There is no shame in this, and doing so, can help you re-prioritize your schedules. You can always retake the class when you know your schedule will be a lighter one. And the second time around, you should know how to better tackle that class. Get a tutor early, take more notes, establish a study buddy, etc.

With all of that, it is important to be aware of the dates. If you drop a class by the deadline each semester, you will receive a “W” and will not get a refund. There is also no academic penalty for that “W”. If you are thinking about dropping or adding a class at the beginning of the semester, it must be done within the first 5 days of classes to get a refund, etc. Grade Forgiveness offers a student the opportunity to retake a course and earn a higher grade that will replace the first grade. The second grade must be a D or higher.

There are financial repercussions as well when your student drops a class. Your student will still be liable for dropped courses, and it is YOUR responsibility to know the requirements for any scholarships you have, including Bright Futures. New state law requires students with Bright Futures scholarships to repay their award money if they withdraw from a class after the drop/add period – typically about a week into the semester. Should you have any questions about the number of hours your student needs or the impact of dropping a class or any other situation, download the interactive tool – BFCreditHourTool

Please check with Financial Aid if you have any concerns.  Your academic advisor may be able to assist you with some financial issues, but Financial Aid is generally between you and Student Financial Affairs.

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It is that time of year when students receive notifications that they have made a collegiate scholar society. The cream-colored linen envelope arrives with its gold embossed logo of said scholar society organization makes me smile just thinking about it. As a parent, you do a mental cartwheel as you see the invitation; as you should. Then take a breath and read the fine print carefully. There are many Honor Societies and it is important to be aware of what stands behind each of the various invitations to join. Educate yourself as to what they provide in exchange for this membership. Honestly, there are many organizations on campus that your student can get involved with that will be far more beneficial to their resume and postgraduate application than membership in a society that profits from the fees they collect. Read their annual report to see how much of their revenue goes toward administrative fees, just as you would with a charity you are vetting.

I am not trying to diminish the euphoric moment you are feeling. The question is at what cost should you be pleased and will it make a difference when they graduate? Every college at USF has a dean’s list with differing requirements. You do not pay money to be on this Dean’s List. When your student graduates, if their overall GPA is 3.5 or higher, they will be eligible for a color chord (which you will then pay money for them to wear and ultimately keep).

Bragging Rights

It is wonderful as a parent to be able to brag about our kid’s achievements. How many times, when your child was in elementary school, did you see a car adorned with the My Kid Made the Honor Roll at (fill in the blank) Elementary School?  And your child was proud and perhaps you made it a big deal. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with rewarding a student for a strong performance. But, aside from having to pay for the bumper sticker/pennant/keychain or whatever specialty items you bought so that everyone would know your student’s achievement, it did not cost you any additional monies.

If it is important to your student (and you) to accept membership because the benefits outweigh the costs, by all means, go ahead and join. USF also has several chapters of national honor/scholar societies (most of which do not cost or have a small fee upon induction).  Various honor societies are listed here, but each college has their own.  The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is one of those which invite freshmen and sophomores with at least a 3.4 GPA and be in the top 20% of their class, into their society. The lifetime membership fee is $95 paid only once and allows access to career resources, networking, special programs and discounts for specific services and products as well as scholarships; according to their website.

USF also has the USF Green and Gold Scholars Award.  This is actually a scholarship that awards up to $6000 a year.  It is recognized at graduation as well.

Have we gotten to the place where we are willing to pay money to legitimize our students’ scholastic efforts? I would like to believe not, but then again, they are of the generation where everyone receives a trophy just for participating. USF offers plenty of opportunities to qualify for one of the many honor societies, but we also cannot discount being able to graduate from USF as one of the honor levels including cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude will not cost you any money and will give you and your student bragging rights.

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