The tuition for the University of West Florida includes base tuition and mandatory fees. The schedule of tuition, fees and other special fees applies to all enrolled students at the University of West Florida. Required fees are established by the Florida Board of Governors, Florida Legislature, and UWF’s Board of Trustees and are generally updated each fall semester. The University will make every possible effort to advertise any changes in fees when and if they occur.
Refer to Tuition_and_Fees_20112012.pdf for the 2011-2012 academic year tuition and fees information.
Fees may be paid by any of the following methods:
Students paying fees by mail or by drop-box depository method must include their student number with checks and include all fee payment documents (original copies of fee waiver forms, fee deferment forms, tuition aid forms, etc.) to ensure proper and timely credit for payment. Students are expected to meet all financial obligations as they become due. UWF reserves the right to cancel the registration of students who fail to promptly meet their financial obligations to the University. Students may not pay delinquent account balances applicable to a prior academic year from financial aid awards applicable to the current academic year. All delinquent balances must be paid in full prior to the disbursement of current term financial aid. It is each student’s responsibility to stay informed of all registration and fee payment dates, deadlines, and other requirements by referring to the Academic Calendar, viewing Account Balance on ARGUS, and announcements printed in the Voyager or disseminated through other media from time to time. If necessary, students should inform their parents or other interested parties of the deadline dates and the necessity for meeting them.
Fees for courses remaining on the student’s schedule at the close of the drop/add period must be paid by the fee payment deadline. Authorized deferment status may be granted under certain conditions. Authorized deferment status must be granted and processed by the University Cashier during the regular fee payment period. All students placed in a deferred fee payment status must confirm the deferred status with the University Cashier or Student Accounts Office. Failure to pay all fees or receive authorized deferred payment status by the close of the drop/add period may result in cancellation of the student’s registration or the assessment of a $100 late payment fee. The student will be held liable for all fees assessed for courses remaining on the student’s registration at the close of the drop/add period for which a partial payment of fees has occurred or an authorized fee deferment status has been granted. Under such circumstances, the student’s registration may or may not be canceled. An administrative hold will be placed on the student’s record until the course fees and the late fees are paid in full.
Fees for special courses (courses not offered in terms A, B, C, or D) are due by the fee payment deadline determined for the course. View Account Balance on ARGUS or contact the Office of the Registrar for specific due dates. Fees paid by mail must be postmarked by midnight of the fee payment deadline.
Financial aid awards that are complete prior to the beginning of each semester and available for disbursement, including loans and scholarships, are processed by Student Accounts. Tuition, fees, housing, meal plans and any other outstanding charges are deducted from the financial aid proceeds and the remaining funds are sent to Higher One (UWF’s contracted refund management partner) for disbursement via the method chosen by the student. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all fees, housing, and other charges are paid in full by the due date. Any balance due by the student over and beyond the amount that can be covered by available financial aid must be received in the University Cashiers Office by the fee payment deadline to avoid assessment of a $100 late payment fee. Fees postmarked by midnight on the date due will be processed without assessment of late charges.
The netting of financial aid awards begins after the drop/add period. Late awards of financial aid are processed in the same manner throughout each academic term. All excess financial aid will be sent to Higher One for disbursement. All degree seeking students will receive an inactive UWF Debit Card at the current address listed on ARGUS. It is the responsibility of each student to keep their current address updated with the Office of the Registrar. Address changes can be made in person or over the web.
The information on the card is necessary in order to gain access to the Higher One website. Once logged into the system via the website, the following options are available for the disbursement of financial aid:
Note: The UWF Debit Card only becomes active if option 1 is chosen, the Higher One checking account/easy refund option. Students who choose the ACH option and plan to subsequently transfer funds to a foreign financial institution must contact the Student Accounts Office.
Students are able to view their grades, schedules, holds, and financial aid information on ARGUS at argus.uwf.edu.
Eligible students may pay tuition and fees in two equal installments. One-half of the total tuition and fees is payable by the close of the drop/add period with the remainder payable by midterm. The TLP application is available on-line through ARGUS. The application, including the promissory note must be completed and submitted to the Student Accounts Office during the fee payment period. The first installment must be paid by the fee payment deadline to avoid assessment of a $100 late payment fee. Students must have a favorable credit rating with the University to be eligible for the Tuition Loan Program. A $15 service charge will be added to all TLPs. Contact the Student Accounts Office at (850) 474-3037 for detailed information.
Students who are registering for courses which will be partially or fully paid by their sponsoring agencies must bring the contracts or authorization forms and partial payments, if applicable, to the Cashiers Office during the registration period. Students must confirm the fees-pending status with the Cashiers Office during the designated fee payment period.
If the authorization is to be mailed to the Cashiers Office by the agency, it must be postmarked by midnight on the fee payment deadline. The student must confirm third party billing status with the Cashiers Office during the fee payment period. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the assessment of a $100 late payment fee. Any change in method of fee payment after the close of the drop/add fee payment deadline will result in the assessment of a $100 late payment fee. An example is to change from a VA deferment or tuition loan to another type of third party billing arrangement.
The Florida Prepaid College Program is not financial aid. Rather, it is a third party billing plan, and as such is processed by the University Cashiers Office. Florida Prepaid participants are automatically downloaded from the Florida Prepaid website. Billing to Florida Prepaid is automatic based on the number of credit hours a student is enrolled in each semester and the student's number of available Florida Prepaid hours. There are different types of Florida Prepaid plans. The type of plan a student owns will determine the amount per hour Florida Prepaid will pay each semester. No Florida Prepaid plan pays material and supply fees, online fees, transportation fees, or technology fees. Any portion of the student's account balance not covered by Florida Prepaid or other financial aid must be paid by the fee payment deadline or it will result in the assessment of a $100 late payment fee.
If a student chooses not to bill Florida Prepaid, they must notify the University Cashiers office each semester by the end of the drop/add period.
Students who have delinquent balances at the University (loans, library fines, traffic fines, etc.) will have their diplomas, grades, and transcript requests held until satisfactory settlement has been made. A student owing a delinquent balance of $100 or less and which is not more than 120 days past due, will be allowed to register prior to paying the balance. The balance due must be paid by the close of the fee payment period. Failure to do so will result in future registrations being held as well as holds being placed on diplomas, grades, and transcripts until the account is paid in full.
High school students enrolled in dual enrollment or early admission programs pursuant to Florida Statutes articulated acceleration will be exempt from the payment of registration, matriculation, equipment fee, and material and supply fees. Refer to sections on Registration and Admissions for more information.
Certain members of the active duty Florida National Guard may be exempt from the payment of one-half of the cost of tuition and fees for courses on a space-available basis only. Students using this waiver may not register for courses subject to the waiver until the last day of registration. Certain members of the Florida National Guard may qualify for that portion of fees not otherwise waived to be paid directly by the Florida Department of Military Affairs when authorized by that agency. An approved authorization billing must be presented to the University Cashiers Office on the main campus by the close of the drop/add fee payment period. Authorizations presented after that day will be subject to the assessment of a $100 late payment fee.
Students for whom the State of Florida is paying foster care board payments, and for whom the permanency planning goals are long-term foster care or independent living, will be exempt from the payment of all undergraduate fees, including fees associated with enrollment in college preparatory instruction or completion of college-level communication and computation skills testing programs. Before a fee exemption can be given, the student should have applied for and been denied State financial aid which would have provided, at a minimum, payment of all undergraduate fees.
Individuals who are 60 years or older and who meet Florida residency requirements may enroll on a space-available basis without payment of the application and registration fee. Contact the Office of the Registrar for more information.
Dependent children of special risk members as defined in Sections 112.190 and 112.191, Florida Statutes (law enforcement officers and fire fighters), killed in the line of duty are eligible for waiver of tuition and fees under certain circumstances. Contact the University Controller regarding eligibility for these waivers.
State Employees are eligible for six hours of tuition free courses per semester. Refer to State Employees in the Registration Policies and Procedures section of this Catalog for detailed procedures and policies.
Eligible full-time employees are permitted to take up to six credit hours of undergraduate or graduate coursework at UWF per semester (fall, spring, summer) without payment of tuition or mandatory fees. Certain portions of course fees are not covered by the waiver and must be paid by the employee or dependent by the fee payment deadline to avoid the assessment of a $100 late payment fee or the cancellation of registration. Employees may also assign up to six hours of their undergraduate credit hours or up to three graduate credit hours to their dependents. Courses such as directed studies, practicums, internships, music and theatre performance, continuing education, and other one-on-one course situations such as theses and dissertations are not authorized.
Provided documentation is received by the institution to indicate extenuating circumstances justifying a waiver, the University Controller may waive the late payment fee and the University Registrar may waive the late registration fee when it is determined that the University is primarily responsible for delinquency of a student’s account or that extenuating circumstances exist beyond the control of the student.
Deferred payment status for tuition and registration fees may be granted upon application by the student on the following grounds:
A veteran may request a deferment (promissory note) via their VA Enrollment Certification in ARGUS or at the VSO for the amount of tuition and fees. The VSO will submit the approved promissory note to the University Cashiers Office prior to the fee payment deadline. Failure to make payment by the deferment due date will result in the assessment of a $100 late payment fee. Students who do not make payment or request a deferment may be deleted for non-payment. Students who are deleted for non-payment may appeal for reinstatement and will be assessed a $200 reinstatement fee.
Any change in a VA deferment to a National Guard or other military billing status after the fee payment deadline will result in the assessment of a $100 late payment fee.
The University reserves the right to deny deferral status to students who have established an unfavorable credit rating.
Deferment is permitted provided formal contractual arrangements have been made with the University for payments by an approved third party. The University Controller is charged with the responsibility for negotiating third party contracts.
Students are ultimately responsible for all tuition and fees. If the agency (including the Veterans' Administration) has not paid tuition and fees by the end of the semester, the student is required to pay all tuition and fees in full. Failure to do so will result in an administrative hold being placed on the student's record.
The late payment fee is nonrefundable unless waived by the University Fee Appeals Committee.
Full refunds will be made to the student when a course is canceled by the University or when a student is denied access to a University course. During the drop/add period the per credit hour fee will be fully refunded for each semester hour or course(s) dropped during the drop/add period.
After the drop/add period a refund of 25 percent of the per credit hour fee will be made if withdrawal from all courses is completed prior to the end of the fourth week of classes. Withdrawals are processed in the Office of the Registrar.
In the following instances, the per-credit hour fee will be refunded upon appeal with appropriate documentation:
Call to or enlisted in active military service; death of the student or death in the immediate family (parent, spouse, child, sibling); complete withdrawal of the student from all courses due to illness of the student that is confirmed in writing by a physician, stating that completion of the term is precluded; or exceptional circumstances upon approval of the University Fee Appeals Committee. The student must submit a written appeal to the University Fee Appeals Committee via the Student Accounts Office. Appeals for refunds must be supported by appropriate written documentation.
The University of West Florida is required by Federal policy to monitor financial aid students who receive Title IV Funds and withdraw from all courses during the semester. Students who withdraw from all courses prior to the 60% point in the semester are not eligible for 100% of their financial aid.
A calculation will be completed based on the last date of attendance to determine how much the student will be required to repay. The Student Accounts Office will determine the amount and bill the student. Contact the Student Accounts Office for exact dates and repayment requirements at (850) 474-3441 or stuacct@uwf.edu. Students who have outstanding balances are not allowed to register for classes until they have satisfied their debt.
Requests for refunds and other appeal actions to be considered by the University Fee Appeals Committee must be submitted within six months after the end of the semester to which the refund or appeal action is applicable. Requests made after that deadline will not be considered.
Student appeals for late payment of fees, refunds of tuition, and other charges after the refund deadline are referred to the University Fee Appeals Committee. All appeals should be submitted in writing, with attached supporting documentation, to the Student Accounts Office. Fee appeals forms are available in that office and on the web at the Student Accounts Office home page, uwf.edu/financial/studentaccounts. The University Fee Appeals Committee reports to the Vice President of Administrative Affairs who has final authority over all appeals for late payment of fees, refunds of tuition and other charges.
The filing of an appeal before the University Fee Appeals Committee does not extend the due date for fees, tuition loans, VA deferments or other charges while awaiting a decision by the Committee. Such charges not paid by the due date will be assessed a $100 late payment fee. All questions regarding fee appeals should be directed to the Student Accounts Office at (850) 474-3038.
