Excess Hours

Further Information

Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes requires universities to add a surcharge to each credit hour taken in excess of the total hours calculated, based on a percentage defined in law to students entering as FTIC SUS (First Time in College within the University System of Florida) or FTIC FCS (First Time in College Florida College System)

Fees to be Charged:

Prior to Fall 2009 None

Fall 2009 – Summer 2011 50% for credits above 120% of total program hours

Fall 2011 – Summer 2012 100% for credits above 115% of total program hours

Fall 2012 and thereafter 100% for credits above 110% of total program hours

The surcharge is assessed only on the tuition portion of the semester hour cost, not on the fees.

The number of total program hours required for the baccalaureate degree will be identified by the student's declared major. This is typically 120 semester hours, although, some programs have been approved to require more than 120 semester hours.

Under Florida law, the following credit hours shall be included when calculating the number of hours taken by a student:

1. All credit hours for courses taken in the Florida university from which the student is seeking a baccalaureate degree, including:

a. Failed courses.

b. Courses that are dropped after the university's advertised last day of the drop and add period.

c. Courses from which a student withdraws.

d. Repeated courses. Exception: Repeated courses for which the student has paid the repeat course surcharge as provided in Section 1009.285, Florida Statutes.

e. Graduate courses that are being used toward a baccalaureate degree.

2. All credit hours earned at another institution and accepted for transfer by USF and applied toward the student's baccalaureate degree program at USF.

The law provides for the following exemptions, in which instance the excess hours surcharge will be waived for additional college coursework taken:

a. Articulated accelerated credit (e.g. Advance Placement, International Baccalaureate, CLEP, Dual Enrollment or AICE).

b. Internship credit

c. Certification/Recertification credit (e.g. teacher, nurses, etc.) and certificate program credits

d. Credits withdrawn due to medical or personal hardship

e. Credits taken by active-duty military personnel

f. Credits required to achieve a dual major (NOTE: the law only exempts those hours "required" to obtain a dual major, rather than every credit hour in which a dual major student chooses to enroll.)

g. Remedial and English as a Second Language (ESOL) credit

h. Military Science credits in Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) programs

Every undergraduate student should have a degree evaluation identifying the degree requirements, the transfer courses applied to the degree, and the USF courses applied to the degree by the end of their first semester at USF.

Note: No institution may waive the excess hours surcharge as the language of the statute is mandatory.