Congratulations on Becoming a Bull!

Congratulations to the Class of 2024! Accepted! I mean, they made it, but it sure feels like we, as parents did a lot of work to get our kids to college.  Becoming a USF Bull is very exciting, and now that decisions are over, there is still important work to be done.

First, it may sound silly, but check your admissions letter for accuracy regarding their name, entrance term, residency status, address and major.  If any changes need to be made, it needs to be done as soon as possible. Activate your NETID and obtain your USF email address. Then, you can log in to OASIS and verify/change any contact information. You will also need to complete any forms that USF requires of you and pay the $200 non-refundable deposit.  Deadlines for deposits are December 1 for students starting in the Spring, and May 1 for those starting in the Summer and Fall.

When applying for Housing, I suggest putting down your deposit as soon as you get your acceptance if you want a particular dorm.  Housing fills up fast and it is not guaranteed for all freshmen. Check out the Meal Plan options and sign up for one. Note: all freshmen are required to have a meal plan.

Register for Orientation as soon as possible. USF does offer many dates, but they are also designated for specific groups.  Admitted students must attend Orientation in order to register for classes, and the earlier the Orientation, the better chance that classes won’t fill up.

Also, be sure to confirm the following:

• Your residency status for tuition purposes
• That your student has signed up for Bright Futures
• Arranged for any final transcripts and scores (AP, IB, AICE, CLEP, and transfer credits) to be sent to the Office of Admissions.
• Your Florida Prepaid program if you have one (You will need to be familiar with what you paid for with the Florida Prepaid as it may only cover certain fees or dorms – although it does not preclude your student from living in certain dorms; they may just have to pay any overage fees.)
• Get your FAFSA form started. You can check out our blog on the FAFSA form here.

Also, check for any holds on your student’s account.  It could be the simplest thing, but you don’t want to try to register for classes only to find out that something is missing or was not complete.  That’s all part of being accepted to USF.

Check out our blogs on Housing, Meal Plans, and Orientation for many more helpful details.

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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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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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We all know that there are many ways for a student to end up at their final college institution.  Maybe you have attended the college of your dreams and have realized that it is not the place for you.  Or maybe you decided to attend your local community college with the intention of transferring to a university later.  Then there are those that have completed so many college courses successfully while in high school, that they are actually considered a transfer student when they actually arrive at their university.

Either way, USF is a very popular school to transfer to.  Let’s face it, everyone wants to be a Bull! Their process is pretty easy to follow, so make sure that you get all of your documentation ready.

Admissions to transfer students varies depending on the successful credits that you currently have.  If you have 12-59 credits, then you are considered a lower-level transfer. You must present all transcripts as well as all test scores, including your SAT and ACT scores.  A high-level transfer is someone who has graduated from high school and has obtained 60+ transferable credits. You must have a minimum transferable GPA of 2.30 or an AA Degree from a Florida College System institution.  Different majors have selective admission programs with minimum GPA requirements.

You will want to sign up for an Orientation as soon as possible. If you are transferring in either Summer or Fall, there are two types of orientation to choose from.  Transfer Express or Transfer Traditional both guide you through the experience of becoming a USF student, but in different ways. They have different dates. Spring transfer dates.

Things like housing, meal plans, and transportation are all things to investigate when transferring.  You may decide on an upperclassmen housing or an off-campus apartment. You can check out housing options on our blogs under Accommodations.

It’s important to acclimate yourself with the campus, so a run-through of your class locations is a good thing to do. You will find lots of help if you just ask. The MyUSF app is a must and has maps for you to use. It also has great info on all things USF on it. CANVAS is an app that teachers use to post lectures, documents, grades, and homework.  For other useful USF apps, click here.

Get involved!  You may not have attended USF your first couple of years, but that doesn’t mean you cannot immerse yourself in the BULLS culture.  Join clubs and attend events. You will love the friendly and spirited atmosphere of USF!

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Some students leave for college unsure of what to find and realize when they get there it is not the place for them. Perhaps too they never actually went away, but had been living at home for college and are now ready to go away. If transferring to USF is something your student is considering, they can start by checking out the requirements.

For those with less than 60 credit (college) hours, you must turn in your high school diploma and transcripts, have a minimum GPA of 2.5, turn in SAT/ACT scores, and turn in any AP/IB classes and scores. There may be additional requirements based on the major/program they are applying to. The application deadline to start for the Fall 2018 semester is June 1, 2018.

For those with more than 60 credit hours, a minimum GPA of 2.3 is required. (It is a 2.0 if transferring from a Florida College System institution)  Certain classes and grades for those classes are required as well. A percentage of passing post-secondary hours is 67%. The caveat is for majors with selective admission programs. Click here to read specific requirements for these requirements.

English proficiency of a grade C or higher in ENC 1101 Freshman Composition Skills is required.

The application fee is $30, nonrefundable. For fall acceptance, the deadline is June 1, and for Spring it is October 15.

To start your application to transfer and become a BULL.

Once transferred, it is recommended that you get involved by joining clubs and organizations. Meeting people and attending events will make you feel as if you were at USF all along. Click on our blog Get Involved to learn more about the many organizations and clubs at USF.

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