Florida International University Course Catalog: Undergraduate Registration Policies

Undergraduate Registration Policies

Registration

The following registration information is subject to change and students must verify the dates with the Office of the Registrar, PC 130, University Park; or ACI-100, Biscayne Bay Campus; or at the Pines Educational Center, (954) 438-8600 or visit the Registrar’s website for up to date information http://www.fiu.edu/orgs/register/
All students, degree and non-degree seeking, registering for more than 18 credit hours during one semester must obtain the approval and the signature of the dean of their College or School. Registration for courses is as follows:
Official Registration is held during the preceding semester (check the Academic Calendar for the dates). Degree-seeking students are given an appointment day and time based on their classification, GPA, and credit hours completed. Students may also add/drop at this time.
Open Registration is held following Official Registration. There is no appointment day and time and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis; for degree-seeking students. Students who have not yet registered are encouraged to do so at this time. Students who have already registered may also add or drop courses during this period.
Registration Access
All students are able to retrieve their grades, registration appointment time and day; classroom assignments; registration holds (if any) and to register/drop/add courses using the PantherSoft web-based system (www.MyFIU.edu). Students must use their PantherSoft ID and password in order to utilize the system.

Immunization

As a prerequisite to registration, Florida International University requires all students to comply with the following immunization policy regulations from the Florida Board of Governors regarding measles, mumps, rubella, meningitis and hepatitis B immunity:

1. Measles, Mumps, Rubella:

All students born after December 31, 1956 must present documented proof of immunity to measles (Rubeola) and German measles (Rubella), as described below:

Acceptable Proof of Immunity consists of:

a. Proof of two (2) vaccinations (doses) of MMR (Measles/Mumps/Rubella) received at least 28 days apart or two doses of measles and one Rubella

Vaccinations must have been received after your first birthday
Vaccinations must have been received in 1969 or later

b. Proof of immunity by way of a blood test lab result (Measles and Rubella Titer)

c. A written statement from a physician (M.D. or D.O. only) documenting a diagnosis of measles (Rubeola). Must include date of diagnosis, be signed by the physician and be on his/her official stationery. This is acceptable for measles only and does not apply to Rubella

Exemptions:

Students will be exempt from the pre-registration immunization requirement for measles, mumps, and rubella, only if they meet any one of the following three criteria:

1. Students born before January 1, 1957.

2. Medical Exemption: To claim a medical exemption, a letter must be provided from the student’s doctor, signed on his/her stationery, stating the medical reason(s) why the student is not able to receive the measles and/or Rubella vaccine(s) and for how long – a permanent or temporary medical condition warranting exemption.

3. Religious Exemption: For details on how to claim religious exemption, please visit our website at

To prevent delays in the ability to register for classes, all of the above documents requesting medical or religious exemptions must be received by the University Health Services at least four weeks prior to registration.

Temporary Deferments:

Temporary deferments are acceptable for the following conditions:

1. Documented pregnancy or fertility treatment

2. Documentation of breastfeeding

3. Documented illness

Deferment status requests must be submitted to the University Health Services at least four weeks prior to registration and the request must be signed by a physician, nurse practitioner or registered nurse and be on his/her official stationery.

2. Meningitis and Hepatitis B:

All students must present documented proof of vaccination/immunity to meningococcal meningitis and hepatitis B as described below:

Acceptable Proof of Immunity consists of:

a. Proof of one dose of meningitis vaccine and a total of three doses of hepatitis B vaccines

b. Proof of immunity by way of a blood test lab result (applicable to hepatitis B only)

c. A written statement from a physician (M.D. or D.O. only) documenting a diagnosis of hepatitis B. Must include date of diagnosis, be signed by the physician and be on his/her official stationery. This is acceptable for hepatitis B only and does not apply to meningococcal meningitis

Exemptions:

Students declining to receive vaccination for meningitis and/or hepatitis B must present a signed waiver of liability acknowledging that they have received and read information pertaining to the disease and despite knowledge of the risks have decided to waive receiving the vaccine (if a minor, the waiver of liability must be signed by the parent or guardian). The waiver of liability can be obtained by contacting the University Health Services department or by visiting our website at www.fiu.edu/~health

Acceptable Forms of Documentation:
The following documents are acceptable proof of immunity, provided that the dates are acceptable and the documents are signed and stamped by the health care provider:

Health Department Records
Childhood Immunization Records
School Immunization Records
Military Service Records
Laboratory test results demonstrating immunity to the disease

Can’t Find Your Immunization Documents?
If the student is certain they have received all of the required or recommended doses of measles and/or Rubella and/or hepatitis B vaccine in the past but cannot obtain written documentation of the actual dates, it is recommended to have a blood antibody titer test performed to determine immunity to these viral diseases. If students must register and cannot wait for the test results, they can safely receive an MMR vaccine prior to the registration process and a second dose after 28 days--assuming there are no medical contraindications to receiving the vaccine(s) as determined by the physician.

Where can I get immunized?
MMR, meningitis, and hepatitis B vaccines are available for a nominal charge at the FIU University Health Services clinics at both the University Park and Biscayne Bay Campus. For further information and additional locations, visit our website at www.fiu.edu/~health and click the Immunization link.

Late Registration Fee

Any student, degree-seeking or non-degree seeking, who initiates registration after the registration deadline is assessed a $100.00 late registration fee. Students may initiate late registration during the first week of classes.

DROPPING AND ADDING COURSES
The Official Drop/Add period runs throughout the first week of classes (check the Academic Calendar for specific dates). During this period a student may drop or add courses without financial penalty or initiate registration with financial penalty (the late registration fee). Students may also drop courses or withdraw from the University with no record of enrollment and without a tuition fee liability. If the tuition fee has already been paid, a refund will be generated by the Student Financials Office and mailed to the local address on file.

LATE ADDS
Students may add courses with appropriate authorization and signatures until the end of the third week of classes. No course can be added after this deadline.

LATE DROPS
Courses officially dropped after the Drop/Add period and through the eighth week of the term, (summer terms have different deadlines -check the Academic Calendar for specific dates), are recorded on the student’s transcript with a grade of ‘DR’ (dropped). The student is financially liable for all dropped courses. Non-attendance or non-payment will not constitute a drop.
A student may appeal the deadline for a late drop by submitting the Appeal to Drop/Withdraw form. A drop after the deadline will be approved only in the following exceptional circumstances:

Death of a student or immediate family member (parent, spouse, child, sibling). Death certificate required.
Involuntary call to military service. Copy of orders required.
Illness of student of such severity or duration to preclude completion of courses. Confirmation by a physician required.

The deadline to submit appeals is six months after the end of the term in which the course was taken.
The student must provide appropriate documentation. Upon approval of the appeal, the course instructor will designate whether the student was passing or failing the course at the time of the appeal to drop form was submitted. A ‘DP’ grade indicates the student dropped the class with a passing grade. A ‘DF’ grade indicates the student dropped the class with a failing grade. The ‘DF’ grade is calculated in the student’s term and cumulative GPA. The deadline to submit appeals is one year after the end of the term in which the course was taken.

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE UNIVERSITY
A currently registered student can withdraw from the University only during the first eight weeks of the semester. In the Summer semester, withdrawal deadlines will be adjusted accordingly. A Withdrawal Form must be completed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar. Non-attendance or non-payment will not constitute a withdrawal. (Refer to the Academic Calendar for the deadline dates.)
The transcript of a student who drops all classes before or during the first week of classes will contain no record of enrollment and no tuition fee will be assessed. If the tuition has already been paid, a refund will be generated by the Student Financials Office and mailed to the local address on file. If a student officially withdraws from the University prior to the end of the fourth week of classes, a 25 percent refund, will be issued.
   The transcript of a student who officially withdraws after the Drop/Add period and before the end of the eighth week of the term will reflect a ‘WI’ for each course.
   The transcript of a student who stops attending the University without officially withdrawing from the University will reflect an ‘F’ grade for each course.
   A student may appeal the deadline for a late withdrawal (from all courses) by submitting the Appeal to Drop/Withdraw form. A withdraw after the deadline will be approved only in the following exceptional circumstances:

Death of a student or immediate family member (parent, spouse, child, sibling). Death certificate required.
Involuntary call to military service. Copy of orders required.
Illness of student of such severity or duration to preclude completion of courses. Confirmation by a physician required.

The deadline to submit appeals is six months after the end of term in which the course was taken.
The student must provide appropriate documentation. Upon approval of the appeal, course instructors will designate whether the student was passing or failing the courses at the time of the appeal to withdraw. A ‘WP’ grade indicates the student withdrew from classes with a passing grade. A ‘WF’ grade indicates the student withdrew from the classes with a failing grade. The ‘WF’ grade is calculated in the student’s term and cumulative GPA. The deadline to submit this appeal is one year after the end of the term in which the course was taken.

Return of Financial Aid Policy

Federal regulations mandate that the Financial Aid Office complies with the Return to Title IV Funds policy in which any student that drops all courses or officially withdraws before completing 60% attendance for the semester, may be liable to repay a portion of the Title IV aid that was disbursed. Title IV funds include the following financial aid programs: ACG, SMART, Pell, SEOG, Perkins Loan, Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans. The amount of the return is based on formulas established by the U.S. Department of Education. For additional information regarding the Return of Financial Aid Policy view the complete policy through the Financial Aid webpage.

Grading System

Grade		Points Per Credit Hour
A		4.00
A-		3.67
B+		3.33
B		3.00
B-		2.67
C+		2.33
C		2.00
C-		1.67
D+		1.33
D		1.00
D-		0.67
F	Failure	0.00
F0	Failure based on non-attendance	0.00
P	Satisfactory (Pass)	N/A
IN	Incomplete¹	N/A
W	Withdrew by appeal	N/A
WI	Withdrew from University	N/A
WP	Withdrew from University after deadline with passing grade	N/A
WF	Withdrew from University after deadline with failing grade	0.00
AU	Audit	N/A
DR	Dropped Course	N/A
DP	Dropped after deadline with passing grade	N/A
DF	Dropped after deadline with failing grade	0.00
NR	Grade Not Reported or Invalid²	N/A
EM	Examination	N/A

¹IN is only a temporary symbol. It will revert to the default grade after two consecutive terms.
²NR is only a temporary symbol. It will default to an ‘F’ after two consecutive terms if it is not changed by the instructor.
Note: All courses for which a student is officially registered at the end of the Drop/Add Period and for which a Letter Grade, a ‘DF’, or a ‘WF’ is received are calculated in the GPA.

Grading Options

The Colleges and the Schools make the determination of the grading option of each course. A course may be offered for a letter grade as listed above or Pass/Fail; or for an optional grade (if designated by a dept.) in which the student has a choice of either receiving a letter grade or pass/fail; or the student may choose to audit a course and an ‘AU’ grade will be recorded on the student’s record. The grading option must be indicated at the time of registration. The grading option cannot be changed after the Drop/Add period (first week of classes). There are no exceptions to this deadline.
To register for an audit, the student must obtain the permission and signature of the instructor of the course to be audited. Once the course is registered for as ‘Audit’, the grading option cannot be changed.

Incomplete Grade

An incomplete grade is a temporary symbol given at the discretion of the instructor for work not completed, because of serious interruption not caused by the student’s own negligence. An incomplete must be made up as quickly as possible but no longer than two consecutive semesters after the initial taking of the course or it will automatically default to the grade that the student earned in the course. The student must not register again for the course to make up the incomplete. There is no extension to the two consecutive semester deadline.
Students who have incomplete grades on their records, must remove the incomplete by the end of the fourth week of the term in which they plan to graduate. Failure to do so will result in a cancellation of graduation. The student will need to reapply for graduation.

Forgiveness Policy

The forgiveness policy is a method by which students may repeat a limited number of courses to improve their grade point average (GPA). Only the grade received on the last repeat is used in the GPA calculation. Under the University’s forgiveness policy, students must file a Repeated Course Form with the Office of the Registrar. There is no time limit on the use of the forgiveness policy for grades; however, the forgiveness policy cannot be used once a degree is posted. All courses taken with the grades earned will be recorded on the student’s transcript. The repeated course form will not be processed if the first or repeated grade received is ‘DR’, ‘DP’, ‘IF’, ‘W’, ‘WI’, ‘WP’, ‘AU’, ‘NR’, or ‘EM’. Repeated courses will be appropriately designated (T: attempted; R: last repeat).
Undergraduate students may use the forgiveness policy a maximum of three times for the purpose of improving their GPA. The same course may be repeated up to three times or the student may use the three opportunities to apply to three different courses. Only the final grade for the three courses repeated under the forgiveness policy will be counted in computing the student’s GPA. In order for a course to be considered as repeated and adjusted in the GPA, the course must be the same and must be repeated at the University. Students who have used their three options under the forgiveness policy may still repeat courses; however, both the original grade and any additional grades received through repetitions of the course will be used in computing the GPA.
A course taken on a letter grade basis must be repeated on the same basis. Students will not be allowed additional credit or quality points for a repeated course unless the course is specifically designated as repeatable (independent study, studio courses, etc.). Students not using the forgiveness policy may still repeat a course. All attempts will apply to computation of the GPA but credit for one attempt will apply toward graduation. Students must check with the appropriate academic department to determine whether there are additional restrictions on repeating courses.

Departmental Credit By Examination

Departmental credit by examination is available for certain courses. A student who has already gained knowledge of a subject offered at the University and who wishes to take an examination in lieu of taking the course should discuss the matter with his/her academic advisor and with the department offering the course.
Awarding departmental credit by examination is the prerogative of each academic unit. To receive credit by examination, a student must be a fully admitted degree-seeking student, register, and pay for the course. Once the student is awarded the departmental credit by examination, an ‘EM’ grade will be recorded on the transcript.

Change or Correction of Grades

Once submitted, end-of-semester grades (except incompletes and NRs, which default at the end of two consecutive terms) are final. They are subject to change only through a Change of Grade form to correct an error in computation or transcribing, or where part of the student’s work has been unintentionally overlooked.

Final Examinations

During the last week of the semester, classes meet for an extended period of time for various instructional purposes such as: final exams, lectures, group projects, and/or individual presentations.

Final Grades

Final grades are available through the PantherSoft web-based system at www.MyFIU.edu.

Dean's List

Any fully admitted undergraduate student who earns a semester average of 3.5 or higher on nine or more semester credit hours of coursework for which grade points are earned, is placed on the semester Dean’s List. This achievement is noted on the student’s permanent academic record (transcript).

Application for Graduation

Students who plan to graduate are required to apply for graduation through the PantherSoft web-based system at www.MyFIU.edu.
This online application form must be submitted before the last day of classes of the academic semester prior to graduation. Students submitting the Application for Graduation after the deadline will graduate the following semester.
Students who do not graduate must re-apply for graduation and complete the remaining requirements needed to graduate.

Academic Honors

Summa Cum Laude
To graduate Summa Cum Laude, a student must have earned a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.90 and higher.

Magna Cum Laude
To graduate Magna Cum Laude, a student must have earned a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.70 - 3.899.

Cum Laude
To graduate Cum Laude, a student must have earned a cumulative FIU GPA of 3.50 - 3.699.

To graduate with the above honors, the student must have completed a minimum of 40 semester hours of coursework at FIU for which grade points (Pass/Fail does not apply) are earned at the university.

Academic Warning, Probation, and Dismissal

Warning
An undergraduate student whose cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0 will be placed on warning, indicating academic difficulty.

Probation
An undergraduate student on warning whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on probation, indicating serious academic difficulty. The College/School of the student on probation may indicate the conditions which must be met in order to continue enrollment.

Dismissal
An undergraduate student on probation whose cumulative and semester GPAs fall below a 2.0 will automatically be dismissed from his/her program and the University. An undergraduate student will not be dismissed prior to attempting a minimum of 20 semester hours of coursework. The student has ten working days to appeal the dismissal decision. This appeal must be made in writing to the dean of the College or the School in which the student is admitted. The dismissal from the University is for a minimum of one year. After one year, the student may apply for re-admission (see Re-admission) to the University in the same or a different program, or register as a non-degree seeking student.
Dismissed students applying for re-admission or registering as non-degree seeking students are placed on academic probation.

Re-Admission

An admitted degree-seeking student who has not enrolled in any course at the University for four semesters or more will be required to apply for re-admission. The student must meet the University and program regulations in effect at the time of re-admission. Students must contact the Office of Admissions to apply for re-admission.
Students must apply for readmission through the admission’s website at www.MyFIU.edu. (Please see addendum/errata for recent updates regarding this section)

Undergraduate Academic Amnesty

FIU undergraduate students who apply for re-admission (with a GPA below a 2.0) and have not been enrolled in any university or college for at least six calendar years may apply for academic amnesty. If re-admitted, students will begin with a new grade point average of 0.0. No grades previously earned will be included in the University grade point average, however, credit and GPA for previous University courses, in which a grade of “C” or better was earned may be applied toward a degree, subject to determination by the College of the student’s major. All prior courses attempted and grades received will remain on the student’s transcript. Admitted or re-admitted students may not petition for any retroactive change in their academic record utilizing this policy. Students applying for academic amnesty to a limited access program must meet the admission criteria of that program. Students must follow the regular re-admission application process and complete the amnesty form for consideration to be determined by the student’s academic dean. Re-admission applications and academic amnesty applications may be obtained in the Office of Admissions.

Undergraduate Academic Salvage

FIU undergraduate students who are academically dismissed from the University or who have a GPA below a 2.0, and who subsequently receive an Associate of Arts degree from another Florida public institution of higher learning may apply for academic salvage. If re-admitted, students will begin with a new FIU grade point average of 0.0. Students re-admitted under Academic Salvage will be credited with a maximum of 60 semester credit hours. Students must follow the regular re-admission application process and complete the Academic Salvage form for consideration by the student’s academic dean. Re-admission applications and academic salvage applications may be obtained in the Office of Admissions.

Student Records

Florida International University assures the confidentiality of student educational records in accordance with State University System rules, state, and federal laws including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended. Student academic records are maintained in the Office of the Registrar and in the academic department of the student’s major. Students in some degree programs maybe subject to background checks and/or drug testing prior to eligibility for internships or practicums. All currently enrolled and former students have the right to review their records to determine their content and accuracy. For the cost of photocopying, students may generally have copies of any documents in their file, except for other institutions’ transcripts.

Release of Student Information from Educational Records

The disclosure or publication of student information is governed by policies of Florida International University and the Florida Board of Education of the State University System of Florida within the framework of State and Federal Laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended.
A student’s consent is required for the disclosure or publication of any information which is a) personally identifiable and b) a part of the educational record. However, certain exceptions to that generality, both in types of information that can be disclosed and in access to that information, are allowed within the regulations of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Florida International University discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic, research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Board of Trustees; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another school official in performing his or her tasks. A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfill his or her professional responsibilities for the University. Upon request, the University also discloses education records without consent to officials of another school in which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
The University may disclose, without consent, "directory," or public, information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, students are allowed to request that the school not disclose their directory information.
Florida International University considers the following to be directory information items:

name, local and permanent address, campus e-mail address, and telephone number(s);
date and place of birth;
student classification and major and minor fields of study;
participation in officially recognized activities and sports;
weight and height of members of athletic teams;
dates of attendance, degrees and awards received;
the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student; and
photographic image.

In order to prevent access to or release of Directory Information, students must notify the Registrar (PC 130), in writing prior to the first class meeting day of the semester. Access to, or release of Directory Information will be withheld until further written instruction is received from a student or the parents of a dependent student.
Students have a right to challenge the accuracy of their educational records and may file written requests to amend these records. The Office of the Registrar (PC 130) should be contacted for further information regarding the procedure to follow for questions or problems.
For complete information regarding the policies outlined above, please contact:

University Registrar
Florida International University
University Park - PC 130
Miami, Florida 33199
e-mail: Register@fiu.edu

Panther ID

The University has implemented an identification system-Panther ID. This identification number is the primary identification number for all students. Applicants and current students can retrieve this number by going to the PantherSoft website http://panthersoft.fiu.edu.

Transcripts

The transcript is the complete student record of courses taken at the University, in addition to the number of transfer credits accepted. The GPA is calculated for all courses taken at the University after Fall Term 1975. Once a baccalaureate, master’s, or doctorate degree is earned, the GPA calculation starts again.
Students must request their transcript in online. Transcripts will be mailed out the next business day. The transcript will not be released if the student has a University financial liability and/or a defaulted student loan. The University may charge a fee up to $10.00 per transcript.

Class Attendance

The university expects students to attend their classes in order to create an effective learning environment in which to master course content and satisfy performance objectives and learning outcomes as outlined by instructors.
Instructors may establish specific class attendance requirements and may consider attendance and participation in class in evaluating student performance. During the first week of class, instructors must inform students of any special requirements and articulate any penalties, including a failing grade that may result for non-attendance.
In general, instructors must excuse students from classes due to their military obligations, jury duty, religious days, illness, serious family emergencies and/or participation in official university activities, i.e., athletic events, artistic performances, curricular activities. Instructors must afford students a reasonable amount of time to complete course work and/or assignments missed during their approved absence.
Only registered students appearing on an official course roster may attend a class at the university.

Policy Statement with Reference to Religious Holy Days

A faculty member who wishes to observe a religious holy day shall make arrangements to have another instructor conduct the class in his/her absence, if possible, or shall reschedule the class.
Because there are some classes and other functions where attendance may be considered essential, the following policy is in effect:

Each student shall, upon notifying his/her instructor, be excused from class to observe a religious holy day of his/her faith.
While the student will be held responsible for the material covered in his/her absence, each student shall be permitted a reasonable amount of time to make up any work missed.
No major test, major class event, or major University activity will be scheduled on a major religious holy day.
Professors and University administrators shall not arbitrarily penalize students who are absent from academic or social activities because of religious observances.

Veterans Information

The Office of Veterans Affairs assists all veterans and their dependents who wish to receive VA educational benefits. The Office also provides personal counseling, fee deferments, tutorial assistance, and work-study jobs. The VA Office is located in PC 130, University Park; and in ACI-100, Biscayne Bay Campus.
Veterans who are planning to attend the University should contact the Office of Veterans Affairs two months prior to the anticipated date of entry. Such time is required to expedite the processing of paperwork for educational allowances from the Veterans Administration.

	Training Status
Full time	12 Credits
3/4 time	9 Credits
1/2 time	6 Credits
Less than 1/2 time	5 Credits

Rate of Payments/Number of Dependents

For rate of monthly payment of educational allowances for veterans and dependents, please contact the Office of Veterans Affairs.
For additional information regarding other Veterans Educational Programs, contact the Office of Veterans Affairs at University Park, PC 156, 348-2838.

Enrollment Certification

The Office of the Registrar is responsible for certification of student enrollment. Certification of enrollment cannot be processed if the student has a financial liability.

Enrollment Status

Undergraduate:
Full time: 12 credits or more.
Half time: 6 - 11 credits.
Less than half time: 5 credits or less.
Enrollment status is for continuous enrollment for the semester in which the student attended. Reduction of course load will reflect the student’s status. Contact the Office of the Registrar for further details.
(Note: Enrollment status for Financial Aid recipients may differ on federal aid regulations.)

Florida Residency Information

Florida Student Definition
For For the purpose of assessing registration and tuition fees, a student shall be classified as a Florida or non-Florida Resident.
To qualify as a Florida Resident, the student must:

Be a U.S. Citizen, Resident Alien, parolee, Cuban National, Vietnamese Refugee, or other legal alien so designated by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Have established a legal residence in this State and have maintained that legal residence for 12 months immediately prior to the start of the term in which the student is seeking Florida resident classification. The student’s residence in Florida must be a bona fide domiciliary rather than for the purpose of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode, incident to enrollment in an institution of higher education, and should be demonstrated as indicated below (for dependent students as defined by IRS regulations, a parent or guardian must qualify).
Students claiming to be independent must meet one of the following:
   a. The student is 24 years of age or older by the first day of classes of the term for which residency status is sought;
   b. The student is married;
   c. The student has children who receive more than half their support from the student;
   d. The student has other dependents who live with and receive more than half of their support from the student;
   e. The student is a Veteran of the United States Armed Forces or is currently serving on active duty in the United States Armed Forces for purposes other than training;
   f. Both of the student’s parents are deceased or the student is or was (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court;
   g. The student is working on a master’s or doctoral degree during the term for which residency status is sought;
   h. The student is classified as an independent by the financial aid office at the institution.
Submit the following documentation (or in the case of a dependent student, the parent must submit documentation), prior to the first day of classes for the term for which resident status is sought (late submissions will be considered for the following academic term):
   a. Documentation establishing legal residence in Florida (this document must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the term for which resident status is sought). The following documents will be considered in determining legal residence:
      (1) Declaration of domicile
      (2) Proof of purchase of a home in Florida which the student occupies as his/her residence.
      (3) Proof that the student has maintained residence in the state for the preceding year (e.g., rent receipts, employment record).
   b. Documentation establishing bona fide domicile in Florida which is not temporary or merely incident to enrollment in a Florida institution of higher education. The following documents will be considered evidence of domicile even though no one of these criteria, if taken alone, will be considered conclusive evidence of domicile (these documents must be dated at least one year prior to the first day of classes of the term for which Florida resident status is sought):
       (1) Declaration of domicile
       (2) Florida voter’s registration
       (3) Florida driver’s license
       (4) Proof of real property ownership in Florida (e.g., deed, tax receipts).
       (5) Employment records or other employment related documentation (e.g., W-2, paycheck receipts), other than for employment normally provided on a temporary basis to students or other temporary employment.
       (6) Proof of membership in or affiliation with community or state organizations or significant connections to the State.
       (7) Proof of continuous presence in Florida during the period when not enrolled as a student.
       (8) Proof of former domicile in Florida and maintenance of significant connections while absent.
       (9) Proof of reliance upon Florida sources of support.
       (10) Proof of domicile in Florida of family.
       (11) Proof of admission to a licensed practicing profession in Florida.
       (12) Proof of acceptance of permanent employment in Florida.
       (13) Proof of graduation from high school located in Florida.
       (14) Any other factors peculiar to the individual which tend to establish the necessary intent to make Florida a permanent home and that the individual is a bona fide Florida resident, including the age and general circumstances of the individual.
   c. No contrary evidence establishing residence elsewhere.
   d. Documentation of dependent/in-dependent status (IRS return or affidavit) A student can also qualify for Florida residency by one or more of the following criteria:
1. Become a legal resident and be married to a person who has been a legal resident for the required twelvemonth period, or,
2. Be a member of the Armed Forces on active duty stationed in Florida, or a spouse or dependent, or,
3. Be a member of the full-time instructional or administrative staff of a state public school, state community college or state University in Florida, a spouse or dependent, or,
4. Be a dependent and have lived five years with an adult relative who has established legal residence in Florida, or,
5. Be a former student at a public institution of higher education who was properly classified as a resident who re-establishes domiciliary status and re-enrolls within a period of twelve months, or,
6. Make a statement as to the length of residence in Florida and qualification under the above criteria.

Term Courses are Offered

Listed next to certain courses in this catalog are the designations ‘F’, ‘S’, and ‘SS’. These designations indicate that the academic department normally offers these courses during the ‘F’ (Fall), ‘S’ (Spring), ‘SS’ (Summer) terms. Students should be aware that there are circumstances beyond the University’s control (low enrollments, financial constraints, or other extenuating situations) which may result in the courses not being offered as indicated. The University is not responsible for failure to offer a course as indicated.

COLLECTION AND USAGE OF SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS

In accordance with Florida law, the University collects social security numbers from its students for the following reasons:

For use in processing admission applications for purposes of identification and verification of student records;
For use in administering federal and state programs/loans, including verification of eligibility. These programs include, but are not limited to:

Financial Aid and other related loan programs;
Scholarship Programs, including Bright Futures; and
Veterans Administration benefits for qualified students

For use in complying with IRS Reporting Requirements pertaining to the Hope Scholarship Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit provided under federal legislation;
For use in preparing Student Enrollment Reports required to be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System under Federal Law;
For use in providing official student transcripts to authorized third parties (i.e. educational institutions and employers upon receipt of required releases) for student identification purposes;
For enrollment verification and eligibility for health insurance coverage, auto insurance coverage, and benefits, as requested by students.
For submitting reports to the Florida Board of Governors as required.

Please note that this is only a listing of the collection and use of social security numbers by the University in the admissions, registration and financial aid areas. All students are advised that social security numbers are confidential and may only be released in accordance with applicable law.

Academic Policies