USF 2007-2008 Undergraduate Catalog - USF St. Petersburg - Pages 252-254

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Florida Residency For Tuition Purposes

This notice summarizes the provisions of Florida Statutes and University Policy/ Procedure concerning Florida residency for tuition purposes.

In determining residency classification, students fall into one of two categories. They are either (1) independent students (students not claimed on parent’s or legal guardian’s federal income tax statement or whose parents do not provide 50% or more of their support) or (2) dependent students (students, regardless of age, who are claimed as dependents by parent or legal guardian on federal income tax statement or whose parents provide 50% or more of their support).

The law basically requires that a U.S. citizen/permanent resident alien/independent student or a dependent student’s parent/legal guardian has established and maintained a LEGAL Florida residence for at least twelve (12) months before the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency status is sought. The student who comes to Florida to enroll full-time in a Florida higher education institution as an out of state resident and continuously enrolls in a Florida institution will not normally meet the Florida residency requirement for in-state tuition regardless of the length of time enrolled.

USF St. Petersburg is required to obtain documentation of 12-months legal residence before a student is classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes. A student is required to request Florida residency in writing and submit supporting documents no later than the fifth day of classes in the term for which classification is sought.

The following is acceptable, nonconclusive evidence of the establishment of a legal residence in Florida. At least one such document must be dated/issued at least 12 months before the first day of classes of the term for which Florida residency is sought.

1. Proof of purchase of permanent home in Florida.
2. Declaration of Domicile.
3. Florida’s driver’s license.
4. Florida voter’s registration.
5. Florida vehicle registration.
6. Florida vehicle title.
7. Professional/occupational license in Florida.
8. Florida incorporation or other evidence of legal residence in Florida.
9. Full-time, non-temporary employment in Florida.

PLEASE NOTE: Rent receipts, leases, employment records, tax returns, school/college records are NOT evidence of establishing a legal Florida residence. Students who are dependent on out-of-state parents or who come to Florida for educational purposes are generally ineligible for reclassification to Florida status. In rare cases, the law allows some students (e.g., military, public school teachers, etc.) who do not meet the basic requirements to be classified as Florida residents for tuition purposes. For more information about exceptional categories, contact the Office of the Admissions & Records.

Fees

The levels of the Activity and Service Fee, the Health Fee, and the Athletic Fee are determined on each campus by a student fee committee appointed by the President of the University and the Student Government President. The committee includes USF St. Petersburg faculty and students with the majority of the committee being students. The fees may be reviewed on a yearly basis. The following fee schedule applies to all USF St. Petersburg students.

Registration fees are assessed in accordance with University Board of Trustees rules. All fees are subject to change without prior notice. The University will make every effort to advertise any such changes if they occur.

1. Initial Application Fee
   There is a non-refundable application fee of $30. Checks or money orders must be made payable to USF. Applications received without the application fee will not be processed until the appropriate fee is received.

2. Tuition
   Schedule/Fee Statements are no longer mailed. Tuition is due by the fifth day of each term. To find out the amount of the total tuition due (the amount will not reflect any payments made on the account), students can bring a photo ID to the Office of the Registrar, located in the lobby of Bayboro Hall, and request a Registration Confirmation which will reflect total tuition and fees.

   The student is responsible for paying fees in full by the appropriate due date stated in the particular term’s Schedule of Classes. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of the student’s registration. Fees paid by mail must be postmarked by the post office, not office metered, on or before the fifth day of the term. Checks are payable to USF St. Petersburg.

   To avoid a $100.00 late payment fee, all tuition fees must be paid or postmarked by the U.S. Post Office, not office metered, by the fifth day of the term. The University cannot be responsible for lost or misdirected U.S. Postal Service mail. A student whose registration has been cancelled may request registration reinstatement through the fourth week of class for the academic term. Upon approval for reinstatement, all fees and other debts owed to the University must be paid in full by cash, money order, or cashier’s check before reinstatement will be effected.

   1. Tuition Fee Structure
      Please refer to the current Schedule of Classes for course-fee information.

      NOTE: There is no ceiling (maximum) on the amount that a student may be assessed for a single term.

      A lab fee of $8.00 to $15.00 is charged for certain courses. Please consult your Schedule of Classes to locate the courses that require the fee and the amount of the fee that applies to the course.

      Students who only register for a co-op assignment must pay a minimum of one (1) hour at the level of the co-op assignment.

      Cashier’s Office Hours - Regular Registration – See regular registration dates and times in “Schedule of Classes.” Regular Cashier’s Office hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

      Tuition fee payment should be mailed to:
      Cashier’s Office
      University of South Florida St. Petersburg
      140 7th Avenue South, BAY 132
      St. Petersburg, Florida 33701

      * Fees do not include books, on-campus seminars, housing, or food service and may change without notice.

   2. Off-Campus College of Education Courses
      Students enrolling for off-campus (Continuing Education) courses will be assessed fees according to the Tuition Fee Structure “a” above. Continuing Education courses are designated by the “700 series” section number. The Schedule of Classes, which is printed each semester, should be used as a reference for updated information.

3. Late-Registration Fee
   All degree-seeking students who initiate (i.e., those students who have not enrolled for any courses during early or regular registration) their registration during the late-registration period will be automatically assessed a $100.00 late-registration fee.

4. Financial Aid Disbursement
   Upon satisfaction of eligibility criteria, financial aid will be credited to student accounts after the drop/add period is over. Monies in excess of charges will be mailed to students’ local addresses or e-deposited into their bank accounts.

5. Cancellation for Non-Payment of Fees
   Students not on an authorized deferred payment of fees and who have not paid their tuition fees in full by a specified day (per Schedule of Classes) will have their registration for that term cancelled. This means, specifically, that a student will receive no credit for any courses taken during that term.

6. Intern Participation Certificate
   Individuals who have supervised interns may register for courses during a term by presenting their Intern Participation Certificate. Prior to July 1, 1997, the Intern Participation Certificate stated that all fees were waived with the exception of the Bond and Trust Fee that was $4.76 per credit hour. Certificates were valid for five years from the date of issuance.

   The new Intern Participation Certificate effective July 1, 1997, states that certificate holders are entitled to a waiver of only matriculation fees for a maximum of six (6) credit hours instruction during a single term. Certificates are valid for three years from the date of issuance.

   Fees must be paid or postmarked by the U.S. Post Office (not office metered) by the fifth day of the term. The University cannot be responsible for lost or misdirected U.S. Postal Service mail.

7. Staff Employee Waivers
   The University has developed a new program to provide a successor to the former tuition waiver benefit. Please check with Human Resources regarding this benefit.

8. Tuition Deferment for VA Students
   Students receiving VA educational benefits can request a tuition deferment one time per academic year. The request must be completed by the Friday of the first week of classes. The deferment date will be the same date as the financial aid deferment date.

9. Florida Prepaid College Program
   Students who are eligible to receive benefits under this program are responsible for the local portion of fees. For 2007/2008 credit hour fees please check with the cashiers office.

   This fee must be paid or postmarked by the fifth day of the term to avoid cancellation of registration or a $100.00 late payment fee. A copy of the Prepaid card should be submitted to the Cashiers Office, BAY 132.

10. Mailed Payments
    To avoid cancellation of registration or a $100.00 late payment fee, all fee payments must be postmarked, by the US Post Office (not office metered), by the applicable fee payment deadline listed in the Academic Calendar.

11. Returned Registration Checks
    A student’s current registration is subject to cancellation if the check presented in payment of those fees is returned to the University unpaid. Dishonored fee payment checks must be redeemed within 10 calendar days to avoid cancellation of a student’s current registration. A $100.00 late payment fee and a $25.00 administrative charge will be assessed on any registration check returned unpaid to the University.

Refund of Tuition/Fees Payment
Release of Tuition/Fees Liability

The following refunds, less deductions for unpaid debts to the University, are authorized. A Refund Request form must be completed and presented to the Cashier’s Office, BAY 132, to initiate the refund process. A two-week waiting period is observed for each refund to be sure checks have cleared.

100% of registration fees and tuition will be refunded if notice of withdrawal from the University is approved prior to the end of drop/add period and written documentation is received from the student.

25% of registration fees and tuition paid, less building and capital improvement fees, will be refunded if notice of withdrawal from all courses from the University is approved prior to the end of the fourth week of classes (summer term is prior to the end of the third week of classes) and written documentation is received from the student.

Fee Adjustment Request After Fifth Day of the Term

Effective January 1989, USF St. Petersburg approved a refund of 100% of the tuition and registration fees if a student withdraws or drops a course due to circumstances determined by the University to be exceptional and beyond the control of the student. Requests for fee adjustments must meet one of the conditions below to be considered.

100% of registration fees and tuition will be refunded when a student withdraws or drops a course due to circumstances determined by the University to be exceptional and beyond the control of the student, including but not limited to:

1. Illness of a student of such severity or duration, as confirmed in writing by a physician, to preclude completion of the course(s),
2. Death of the student or death in the immediate family (parent, spouse, child or sibling) as confirmed by documentation indicating the student’s relationship to the deceased,
3. Involuntary call to active military duty,
4. A situation in which the University is in error as confirmed in writing by an appropriate University official,
5. Other documented exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the student that precluded completion of the course(s) accompanied by letter of explanation and appropriate documentation.

Students who receive financial aid and subsequently change their enrollment status resulting in a refund in accordance with this subsection may have all or a portion of their refund returned to the University’s financial aid programs in accordance with the Financial Aid Policy on Refunds and Repayments.

Payment of Accounts Due the University

Charges against students for loss or breakage of University equipment, books, fines and other charges are due immediately. Delinquent accounts may be considered sufficient cause for cancellation of registration. University regulations prohibit registration or release of transcript, diploma, or grades for any student whose account with the University is delinquent. Payments should be brought to the Cashier’s Office, BAY 132, by the appropriate deadline.

Financial Aid

Location/phone: USF St. Petersburg: BAY 105, (727) USF-4128

Office Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Web Address: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/finaid

In addition to finding a wealth of information on the Web regarding your financial aid, you can apply for aid and monitor your aid application at USF St. Petersburg via the Financial Aid Web: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/finaid and via OASIS: http://www.stpt.usf.edu/sp_oasis/index.htm.

First, apply for a Federal Pin number at http://www.pin.edu.gov, then complete and submit the FAFSA online at http://www.fafsa.edu.gov. Be sure to list USF St. Petersburg, school code #001537, as a school to receive your information.

Since many programs are funded on a limited basis, it is to your advantage to apply early. The USF St. Petersburg priority processing date is March 1, 2007. Other dates and detailed information regarding financial aid are provided on our website and through our Programs-At-A-Glance: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/finaid/at_a_glance.htm. Conduct a nationwide scholarship search: http://www.fastweb.com/ and check out USF St. Petersburg’s scholarship information.

The Office of Financial Aid communicates important information regarding your aid via e-mail throughout the year. Therefore, it is extremely important that you ensure that your current e-mail address is in OASIS.

A tuition deferment prevents cancellation of registration for non-payment of fees and temporarily prevents assessment of the late payment fee. Since financial aid is disbursed after drop/add, check OASIS to see if you have a tuition deferment prior to the start of each term (http://www.stpt.usf.edu/sp_oasis/index.htm). If you have a tuition deferment, avoid paying a late payment fee by paying your tuition as soon as financial aid is available, or by the deferred payment deadline, whichever comes first. Most financial aid is disbursed through your student account and is applied to tuition and other charges posted to the account before a check is issued for any remaining balance. Since tuition deferment prevents cancellation for non-payment, you must officially withdraw from all classes by the refund deadline to be relieved of liability to pay and to ensure that tuition is not later paid by disbursed financial aid. For further information regarding deferments go to http://usfweb2.usf.edu/finaid/other/deferments.htm.

For non-financial aid students, short-term loans are also available for limited use. The deadline for deferred tuition payment and details about short-term loans are printed in the Schedule of Classes.

Because we are required by federal regulations to verify the last date of attendance in classes, at the end of each semester, the Office of Financial Aid mails letters to financial aid recipients who appear to have unofficially withdrawn. (Your semester grades are all F, U, or I.) Your last date of attendance may be considered the last date you submitted an assignment or took an exam, or your last date of actual attendance in classes. This letter requires a response within 14 days, or it will be assumed you did not attend beyond the 50% point of the term. This may require you to repay a portion of federal financial aid received.

Scholarships

Scholarships are administered by a number of different offices within the University. Links to all scholarships can be found on the USF Ste. Petersburg Office of Financial Aid webpage.

Admissions Scholarships
Every student who applies for admission to the University of South Florida St. Petersburg is automatically considered for admissions scholarships; no separate application is necessary.

The Office of Admissions in Tampa administers a variety of different scholarships for first-time-in-college students as well as for transfer students. All students interested in applying for these scholarships should contact the Tampa Admissions office directly at (813) 974-7085.

Financial Aid Scholarships
The USF St. Petersburg Office of Financial Aid also administers a variety of scholarships based on Academic Merit and Financial Need. The 2007-2008 USF St. Petersburg Scholarship Application, deadline, and listing is available on our webpage.

Departmental Scholarships
The individual colleges of USF (the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business, and the College of Education) administer some scholarships directly through the Dean’s Office in each college. Links to these departments can be found on the Office of Financial Aid webpage.

Please send questions or comments to:
Karen M. Hall - webcat@ugs.usf.edu
Effective Date: Semester I, 2007

http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/0708/stpfininf.htm