Nov 04, 2024  
2024-2025 College Catalog 
    
2024-2025 College Catalog

Financial Information



Fees and Refunds

College fees and tuition assessments are based on the applicant’s residence. Fees may be paid by check, E-check, money order or credit card and must be paid on or before the dates indicated on the student’s schedule. For advanced registration, all fees are due and payable on the date specified at the time of registration. For regular registration, which is held immediately prior to the start of the semester, the fees are due and payable at the time of registration, except as authorized by law or State Board of Education Rules. Exceptions include special courses with registration and payment dates to be established by the director of Financial Aid, Veterans fee deferment and Florida National Guard fee waivers.

Students who have been awarded financial aid or who are eligible for Bright Futures scholarships may have their tuition and fees deferred at the time of registration. However, if financial aid is denied or the award does not cover a student’s financial obligation, the student will be responsible for payment of the outstanding obligation.

All debts incurred due to denial or insufficient coverage must be satisfied no later than 60 calendar days after the first day of class, regardless of any pending financial aid (Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-14.054). Students who do not resolve their outstanding account balance at the college will result in the referral of outstanding balances to a collection agency. Following turnover to the collection agency, the student can pay only through the collection agency and additional fees will be assessed at that time.

Student financial responsibilities include library fines and obligations, parking fines, returned checks, credit card charge backs, student loan repayment, and return of borrowed college equipment. Unless all fees and financial responsibilities have been satisfied, a student may not register for a subsequent semester and, in some cases, the student may be prohibited from attending classes in the current semester. 

The student fees are in effect at the date of printing of this catalog. They are subject to change by action of the Florida Legislature and the College District Board of Trustees.

Returned checks must be paid within 15 days from receipt of the notice. The full amount of the returned check plus a service charge dependent upon the face amount of the check will be due. If the returned check is not paid within the time specified, it will be given to the State Attorney’s Office for collection.

In the event of a disputed credit card charge, a charge back fee of $20 will be assessed in addition to the full amount due.

Florida Statute 1009.28 requires students enrolled in the same developmental class more than twice shall pay fees at 100 percent of the full cost of instruction. Students who withdraw or fail a class due to extenuating circumstances may be granted an exception only once for each class, provided approval is granted by procedures established by the president or his designee and the student has demonstrated reasonable effort to succeed.

Complete information regarding the college’s refund policy can be found in the Refund Policy  section.

Financial Responsibility Agreement

All students are bound by the College of Central Florida’s Financial Responsibility Agreement upon course registration. The agreement outlines the financial terms and conditions associated with a student’s course registration. By allowing charges to be applied to a student account, the student will be bound by this agreement.

Use of Account - The student authorizes the College of Central Florida to add to their account all tuition, fees and other charges incurred by the student as a result of enrolling in the college.

Promise to Pay - The student understands that when they register for any class at the College of Central Florida or receive any service from the College of Central Florida, the student accepts full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees and other associated costs assessed as a result of the student’s registration and/or receipt of services. The student further understands and agrees that their registration and acceptance of these terms constitutes a promissory note agreement (i.e., a financial obligation in the form of an educational loan as defined by the U.S. Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(8) in which the College of Central Florida is providing me educational services, deferring some or all of my payment obligation for those services, and I promise to pay for all assessed tuition, fees and other associated costs by the published or assigned due date.)

The student understands and agrees that if the student drops or withdraws from some or all of their classes for which they have registered, the student will be responsible for paying all or a portion of tuition and fees in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule at the College of Central Florida. Student further understands that if the student fails to attend class or receive a bill, this does not absolve the student of their financial responsibility.

Student Account and Billing Statement - Student account activity and statements are available electronically via the student portal.

Billing Errors - The student understands that administrative, clerical or technical billing errors do not absolve the student of his or her financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition and fees as a result of registration at the College of Central Florida.

Payment Due Date - Billed tuition, fees and other charges are due in full by the 10th business day following registration or immediately following registration if classes have started.

Removal from Classes - The college reserves the right to drop a student’s enrollment in class for failure to abide by this agreement or any other payment agreement the student has entered into with the college.

Payment Deferrals - Florida Statute 1009.27 allows deferments when a student is awarded aid for a given term or if a student is eligible for a veteran’s educational benefits. In accordance with Florida State Board of Education Rule 6A-14.054, the college has elected to limit the deferral of fees to one per term, which is due 60 calendar days after the first day of class, regardless of any pending financial aid. Students are responsible for payment of any outstanding balance on their student account even if they do not receive or are not eligible for financial aid or veteran’s educational benefits for a given term/course.

Payment Methods - If the student account is not paid through financial aid or a third party agency, the College of Central Florida offers four methods for paying student account balances:

  • Utilize our NelNet payment plan.
  • Pay online with a credit card (we accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express). A 2.75% credit card convenience fee will be applied.
  • Mail a check made payable to College of Central Florida to:
    Department of Student Accounts, College of Central Florida, 3001 S.W. College Road, Ocala, FL 34474-4415.
  • Use Florida Prepaid. Students must send requests or changes each term to studentaccounts@cf.edu from their Patriots mail account.
  • Please Note: Students who have previously provided payment that was dishonored by their financial institution (returned check or EFT or disputed credit card charge) are required to pay with other certified funds. Also, students who have previously filed bankruptcy are required to pay all fees in full.

Returned Check Fee - A returned check fee of up to $40 will be added to the student’s account for any check returned by the student’s financial institution. The college reserves the right to pursue all legal remedies available to collect on a returned check.

Past Due Accounts - If the student’s account is delinquent for 60 calendar days the student will receive a first notice. If the student does not respond within 14 calendar days from the mailing date of the letter, a second notice will be sent. If the matter is not resolved within another 14 calendar days, the student’s account will be turned over to a collection agency. Once the student’s account has been turned over to the collection agency, the student may pay only at the collection agency.

Collection Agency Fees - The student understands and accepts that if they fail to pay their student account bill or any monies due and owing to the College of Central Florida by the scheduled due date, the College of Central Florida may refer the student’s delinquent account to a collection agency. The student further understands that if the College of Central Florida refers their student account balance to a third party for collection, a collection fee will be assessed and will be due in full at the time of the referral to the third party. The collection fee will be calculated at the maximum amount permitted by applicable law, but not to exceed 35 percent of the amount outstanding. For purposes of this provision, the third party may be a debt collection company or an attorney. If a lawsuit is filed to recover an outstanding balance, the student shall also be responsible for any costs associated with the lawsuit such as court costs or other applicable costs. Finally, the student understands that their delinquent account may be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus.

Write-off - If the student’s account resides with our collection agency for 90 calendar days and the student fails to pay at least one third of the account balance, including collection fees, the account will be written off. A write-off only refers to the accounting treatment. The student’s financial obligation continues. The student will still have to pay the debt before the student may reenroll or request transcripts.

Bankruptcy - Enrollment in (a) class(es) constitutes a financial obligation between the student and the College of Central Florida. Any and all services received by the student under this agreement are for educational purposes and constitute an educational loan pursuant to 11 U.S.C. § 523(a)(8) that is non-dischargeable in bankruptcy.

Financial Hold - The student understands and agrees that if the student fails to pay the student account bill or any monies due the College of Central Florida by the scheduled due date, the College of Central Florida will place a financial hold on the student’s account, preventing the student from registering for future classes, requesting transcripts, or receiving a diploma.

Financial Aid - The student agrees to allow any financial aid received to pay any and all charges assessed to the student’s account at the College of Central Florida. The student understands that any federal Title IV financial aid that the student receives, except for Federal Work Study wages, will first be applied to any outstanding balance on the student’s account, including but not limited to: tuition, fees, parking fines, service fees, bookstore charges, and any other amount, in accordance with the terms of the aid. Title IV financial aid includes aid from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loan, PLUS Loan, Perkins Loan, and TEACH Grant programs.

Federal financial aid regulations do not permit the college to automatically apply a student’s upcoming financial aid refund to a past due balance from a previous term. The student will need to personally receive the refund and then use it to pay the balance due.

  • Please be advised that a student’s financial aid award is contingent upon continued enrollment and attendance in each class upon which financial aid eligibility was calculated. Dropping a class before completion may reduce a student’s financial aid eligibility and some or all of the aid awarded to the student may be revoked. Should this occur, the student agrees to repay all revoked aid that was disbursed to the student account and resulted in a credit being refunded to the student.
  • Student understands that aid described as “estimated” on their Financial Aid Award does not represent actual or guaranteed payment, but is an estimate of the aid the student may receive if the student meets all requirements stipulated by that aid program.

Method of Communication - The student understands and agrees that the College of Central Florida uses Patriot email as the official method of communication with the student, and that the student is, therefore, responsible for reading the Patriot emails received from the college on a timely basis.

Updating Contact Information - The student understands and agrees that the student is responsible for keeping the College of Central Florida records up to date with a current physical address, email addresses and phone number. Upon leaving the College of Central Florida for any reason, it is the responsibility of the student to provide the college with updated contact information for purposes of continued communication regarding any amounts that remain due and owed to the College of Central Florida.

Contact - The student authorizes the College of Central Florida and its agents and contractors to contact the student at current and any future cellular phone number(s), email address(es) or wireless device regarding any debt owed to the college. The student authorizes the College of Central Florida and its agents and contractors to use automated telephone dialing equipment, artificial or prerecorded voice or text messages, and personal calls and emails, in their efforts to contact the student.

IRS Form 1098-T - The student agrees to provide a Social Security number or taxpayer identification number to the College of Central Florida as required by Internal Revenue Service regulations for Form 1098-T reporting purposes. If the student fails to provide a SSN or TIN to the college, the student agrees to pay any and all IRS fines assessed as a result of the missing SSN/TIN. The student agrees to receive the student’s IRS tax form 1098T electronically via MyCF portal in lieu of a mailed copy. To receive a mailed copy, this consent may be revoked by submitting a 1098T Tuition Statement Request Form to the college bursar.

Change of Terms - The College of Central Florida may change the terms of this agreement at any time. The college will provide notice of such change on the student’s portal account and allow the student the opportunity to pay his or her account in full if the student disputes the change. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that the student is aware of any changes, including changes to any and all tuition and fees.

General College Fees

Advanced and Professional, Postsecondary Vocational and College Preparatory

  Resident Nonresident
Tuition $82.78 $82.78
Out-of-State N/A 248.34
Financial Aid 4.14 16.56
Technology 4.14 16.56
Student Activity 8.28 8.28
Capital Improvement 13.58 65.68
Total per credit hour $112.92 $438.20

Career and Technical Certificate

  Resident Nonresident
Tuition $73.40 $73.40
Out-of-State N/A 220.19
Financial Aid 7.34 29.36
Technology 3.67 14.68
Capital Improvement 3.67 14.68
Total per vocational credit hour* $88.08 $352.31

*Note: To calculate fees for programs made up of vocational clock hours, divide the clock hours by 30 to determine the number of vocational credit hours and multiply the credit hours times the appropriate total per vocational credit hour charge. Example, a 60 vocational clock hour course divided by 30 = 2 vocational credits multiplied by the total per vocational credit hour for Florida residents of $88.08 = $176.16 as the charge for the course.

Baccalaureate Degree

(3000 and 4000 Level Courses)

  Resident Nonresident
Tuition $95.45 $95.45
Out-of-State N/A 353.16
Financial Aid 4.77 22.42
Technology 4.77 22.42
Student Activity 9.54 9.54
Capital Improvement 14.74 88.40
Total per credit hour $129.27 $591.39

Adult Education and Vocational Preparatory

  Resident Nonresident
Tuition $30/term $30/term
Total per credit hour $30/term $30/term

The president is authorized to approve fees for continuing workforce education programs, recreation and lifelong learning programs on a course-by-course basis. For continuing workforce education courses, the president will establish fees that equal at least 100% of the total annual cost of the supplemental vocational program. The fees for recreation and lifelong learning programs will generate at least the direct cost of instruction. The president will annually report to the District Board of Trustees the amount of fees collected and the accumulated cost of the respective programs.

Fees to the public are subject to change without notice. Student fees embedded in the cost of tuition may vary from semester to semester.

Payment of Financial Aid

Financial aid offer amounts may be adjusted based on the student’s enrollment status as determined by fundable coursework and terms of attendance. Students enrolling in A, B, and/or C semesters must register for all classes up front for the entire semester in order to have all hours included in their enrollment status for federal and state grant purposes. Students registering for A, B and/or C semesters who enroll in additional courses after the census date cannot have their enrollment status changed to include those hours. Also, students attending courses in only the A term or B term may see their aid adjusted to reflect a lower cost of attendance. All students should refer to the college calendar for these important dates. A financial aid recipient must be meeting all eligibility requirements at the time of disbursement.

Fees, books, VA deferments and/or promissory notes outstanding at the time payment is made will be deducted from the financial aid payment. If a balance is available, a refund will be issued by BankMobile Disbursements. Visit https://www.cf.edu/admissions/paying-for-college/student-accounts for additional information.

If receiving a financial aid disbursement after the semester is completed, aid eligibility is dependent on the courses completed, as well as the requirements determined by the funding sources.

Attendance

CF requires faculty to take attendance during the first two weeks of classes and confirm the student has engaged in academic activity. Academic engagement is defined as active participation by a student in an instructional activity related to the student’s course of study that includes but is not limited to:

  • Attending a synchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students
  • Submission of an academic assignment
  • Taking an assessment or an exam
  • Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar or other interactive computer-assisted instruction
  • Participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is assigned by the institution
  • Interacting with an instructor about academic matters

Students reported as not attending will have their financial assistance adjusted based on the enrollment status of attended courses.

Note: This policy is separate from the institutional refund policy. The student is responsible for paying any balances due to CF.

Detailed information on repayments is available in the Office of Financial Aid. These policies are subject to change by action of the United States Department of Education.

Definition of Award Year

For credit hour programs, the financial aid year starts in the beginning of the fall semester and continues to the end of the summer semester. CTC/Clock hour year definitions are determined by individual program cohorts. The Federal Work- Study award year begins July 1 and ends June 30.

Definition of Census Date/Pell Recalculation Date

The census date, or Pell recalculation date, occurs within five business days after the end of the A/C add/drop period. At that time, enrollment levels are fixed to match fundable coursework. Students enrolling in A, B and/or C sessions should register for all classes up front for the entire semester in order to have all credits included in their financial aid eligibility. Students registering for A, B and/or C sessions who adjust their schedule after the census date recalculation process will not have the additional enrollment added to their financial aid eligibility for the purpose of qualifying for federal and state grants. Please keep this in mind when scheduling your classes each semester. NOTE: Students registering for B session only may add classes up to the last date of the add/drop period for the B session. See the college calendar at https://mycf.cf.edu/ICS/Calendars for these and other important dates.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Purposes (Required for Federal Title IV Aid, State Aid and Institutional Aid)

All students receiving any type of federal, state and institutional aid must meet the standards of academic progress outlined below. The requirements for these standards are set by federal regulations (34CFR Sections 668.16(e), 668.32(f), 668.34). Satisfactory academic progress requirements are:

  • Students must maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average (GPA), and;
  • Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all CF credits taken including transfer courses accepted by the institution (measures the pace of progress toward completion), and;
  • Students may attempt no more than 150% of the total credit hours in their degree or certificate program.

How are the above calculations made?

If students attended other colleges, the attempted courses that are accepted as transfer credit by the College of Central Florida will be considered in the evaluation of academic progress. For financial aid purposes, being enrolled in a course for credit beyond the official drop/refund deadline counts as an attempt. Attempts include withdrawals and nonattendance (student is enrolled and fails to attend class.) All successfully completed transfer courses accepted and courses taken at the College of Central Florida, including those taken as part of another program of study, will be included in determining a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress. For financial aid purposes, successful completion of a course means an earned grade of A, B+, B, C+, C, D, SP or S. All other grades (grades of F, I, W, and N) are considered unsuccessful completions and will impact a student’s progress determination. If a grade change occurs after the SAP status has been evaluated, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine if it changes eligibility for financial assistance.

GPA: Students must be in satisfactory academic standing consistent with the institution’s requirements for graduation; therefore, they must have a minimum of a 2.0 GPA in both the cumulative GPA and the CF GPA.

Completion Ratio: The completion ratio is defined as the rate at which students are progressing through their program of study. It is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of credit hours they have successfully completed by the cumulative number of credit hours they have attempted. The resulting percentage must be 67% or greater (66.5% or higher may be rounded to 67.) In the event of Academic Grade Forgiveness, the course would be counted as an attempt each time the student attempted the course and counted as a completion once.

Maximum Time Frame: Students must complete their degree or certificate within 150% of their program length. Coursework beyond the 150% timeframe is referred to as excess hours. The maximum time frame includes all attempted credit hours, excluding remedial hours, and compares the number of attempts to the number completed. If students have attempted 150% of the hours needed for their current declared program (e.g., 90 hours for an associate’s degree, 180 hours for a bachelor’s degree, etc.) they will no longer be eligible for financial aid. In addition, when it becomes mathematically impossible for a student to complete the program within 150 percent of the maximum program length, the student is not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.

When does the College of Central Florida evaluate a student for SAP?

Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated when a FAFSA is received by the College of Central Florida each academic year and at the end of every term. The financial aid standards of progress apply to all semesters or enrollment periods regardless of whether a student received financial aid during a given semester, payment period, or enrollment period.

What happens if the student is not meeting SAP?

Failure to meet the minimum standards of progress will result in one of the following actions:

Financial Aid Warning: This occurs at the end of the semester/payment period for which satisfactory progress is measured and a student fails to meet all of the measurements outlined above. Students in this status continue to receive financial aid without penalty for one semester. 

Financial Aid Suspension: This occurs at the end of the subsequent semester/payment period of enrollment for which satisfactory progress is measured and the student failed to meet the minimum standards. A student suspended from aid for not meeting standards of progress may submit an appeal to be considered for future eligibility. (See appeal guidelines below).

Financial Aid Probation: This status occurs when a student submits an appeal and the appeal is approved. The student will receive aid during the probationary period. If the student does not meet the standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress after the probationary term or does not earn a C or better grade in all attempted courses while on probation, he or she will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Students on suspension may continue to enroll and attend classes as long as all tuition/fees and any other charges are paid in full.

Financial Aid Academic Improvement Plan: If a student’s appeal has been granted and it is not possible to meet the minimum standards at the end of the probationary term, the student will remain on probation provided the student completes all of their attempted credits in a given term with a C or better. A student will not be required to submit a new or subsequent appeal if they are meeting the conditions of probation. Academic plans are available to students at CF.edu/AcademicPathways.

Financial Aid Academic Improvement Agreement: In some extenuating circumstances, students may be placed on an Academic Improvement Agreement. Students in this status may be assigned a variety of interventions (i.e. mandatory tutoring, reduced course load, less online coursework, meetings with student support specialists, etc.) and will be able to receive financial assistance as long as they meet the conditions of their Financial Aid Academic Improvement Agreement (FAAIA) each term. The Financial Aid Academic Improvement Agreement is designed to ensure that the student will be meeting SAP or graduating by a specific point in time. Although each plan is reviewed at the end of every term, the plan itself may be in effect for multiple terms. Students who fail to meet the conditions of their FAAIA will not be eligible for future appeals unless profound mitigating circumstances existed during the period of enrollment the student was on the FAAIA.

Readmitted Students: If a student is returning to CF after a lapse in enrollment and must be readmitted, the student’s SAP status will be assessed when a FAFSA is received or after the first completed term of enrollment (whichever is first). For students who are not meeting SAP standards, the assigned SAP status will be the SAP end-of-term status after the last semester of previous enrollment. For example, a student who was in a Financial Aid Warning status after the end-of-term evaluation after their last semester of enrollment will begin the first period of re-enrollment in a Financial Aid Warning status. Students who do not have a SAP status on record and who are not meeting standards upon readmission will be placed in a Financial Aid Suspension status.

Can the student appeal the SAP suspension?

Students have the right to appeal a financial aid suspension if they had extenuating circumstances beyond their control which affected their ability to meet the satisfactory progress requirements. The appeal must include an explanation of why the student failed to make satisfactory progress and what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to complete coursework successfully in the future. Appeal forms are available on the Financial Aid tab on the student portal under Financial Aid Forms. For best results, the appeal request should be submitted to Financial Aid no later than 30 days before the end of the term. The Financial Aid office will communicate its final decision to each student on the student portal and in writing or by email.

Extenuating circumstances beyond a student’s control include, but are not limited to:

  • Student’s illness/injury of death of a relative of the student
  • Personal tragedy or natural disaster
  • Involuntary call to active duty
  • Domestic violence
  • Change in program of study (for maximum timeframe appeals)
  • Other mitigating circumstances 

If a student does not appeal or the appeal is denied, the student will remain in Financial Aid Suspension. If a student submits an appeal request and the appeal is granted, the student will be placed on probation for the next semester that he or she enrolls in classes. Students will be eligible for financial aid for the probationary period provided all eligibility and compliances have been met for their chosen academic programs. If students do not meet SAP requirements during their probation semester, they will be placed back on suspension and will not be eligible for further financial aid at the College of Central Florida until SAP standards have been met.

Documentation

Documentation should be kept to the minimum amount needed to provide sufficient proof of what is written in an appeal. CF reserves the right to require a student to reduce the number of pages if there is an abundance of documentation not needed for an approval.

Documentation includes, but is not limited to:

  • Statement of explanation from student (required).
  • Letter from a physician or counselor on letterhead indicating the dates a student was under their care.
  • Copy of a death certificate, obituary or third party documentation of death.
  • Accident reports, police records, court records, etc.

Do not submit original documents - they will not be returned. Copies should be legible.

Letters from family, relatives, and friends are not recommended. If this is the only information that can be provided, students may submit it but it may be considered insufficient to grant the appeal.

Appeals submitted without a letter of explanation will be denied or returned without review. Additional documentation may be requested after review.

Submission of an appeal DOES NOT GUARANTEE approval.

Reinstatement

If a student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension, eligibility may be regained when he or she is meeting the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards outlined above. Students will be made aware of meeting standards by viewing their status on the MyCF portal. It is best to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine next steps if the student was previously suspended but later became eligible.

Remedial, English as a Second Language, Incompletes, Repeated Courses, Transient Courses

Remedial and English as a Second Language (ESL) Credit Hours:
All attempts of Remedial and ESL credit hours attempted are included in the Financial Aid GPA and in the pace of completion; however, they are excluded from the determination of maximum time frame.

Financial aid only will pay up to 30 remedial credit hours. Example: Student previously attempted 31 remedial credit hours in prior terms. Student is currently enrolled in 12 credits, of which 6 are remedial and 6 are college-level. The student’s financial aid will be awarded based on the six college-level credit hours.

Incomplete Courses: An “I” grade will be considered an “F” during the Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluation. If the student is not meeting standards and the “I” grade has been changed to a successful grade, the student must request their minimum standards be reevaluated during the following semester of enrollment.

Repeat Courses: Students will be eligible for financial aid if they repeat courses they previously did not pass, provided other SAP criteria are met. If the student takes a class for the first time and fails it, the student may retake the class using financial aid. There are however, instances where a student cannot use financial aid to cover a course that is being repeated. The following examples illustrate how this is determined:

Example 1: A student takes MAT 1033   and fails the course. The student retakes the course to get a passing grade. The student uses financial aid to cover the cost of the course. If the student then fails the course again, the student can again retake the course and use financial aid to cover the cost. There is no limit on how many times a student can retake the course using financial aid as long as the student has not received a passing grade, providing satisfactory academic progress requirements are met.

Example 2: A student takes MAT 1033   and gets a D in the class, which is passing by the U.S. Department of Education standards. The student wants to improve the grade and retakes the class. The student can use financial aid to cover retaking the class. Unfortunately, the student does not improve the grade in the class, but instead fails the class. The student cannot retake the class using financial aid, due to the fact that he or she has already received a passing grade for the class. In this situation, the student is limited to retaking the class one time using financial aid.

It is important to check with the Financial Aid Office regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements and the impact of repeat coursework and completion rates on financial aid eligibility. It is also important to know that in addition to the Federal guidelines on repeating coursework, CF’s Enrollment Services Office has internal policies which govern a student’s ability to retake courses. Students should check with their academic advisor on how the repeat coursework may impact their specific situation.

Transient: Courses funded through a consortium agreement for transient students are included in determining academic progress.

Career and Technical Certificate Programs (CTC)

Students in CTC programs must successfully complete the clock hour coursework with a 2.0 GPA for each course funded before additional payment can be made.

Students will only be funded for the published length of the program.

Students must complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program.

College Preparatory (Remedial) Courses

Recommended college preparatory coursework can be counted in the student’s enrollment for financial aid purposes. However, once a student has attempted 30 hours of preparatory coursework, the student is not eligible for aid for any additional preparatory coursework. If a student takes additional preparatory credit hours, the student will not receive aid for those credit hours and those hours will not be included in the determination of enrollment for financial aid purposes.

ESL credit hours can be counted in the student’s enrollment for financial aid purposes, but are not subject to the 30 hour limit. EAP 0300C  is not eligible for financial aid.

Eligible/ Fundable Coursework and Repeat Coursework

Fundable, or eligible, coursework is coursework that is required to complete a student’s current program of study. Attempted coursework not required for a student’s current program of study will impact a student’s enrollment status and aid eligibility. Students may not receive financial aid for coursework that is not required for their major and/or not among approved electives for their current program of study. If a student is taking coursework not required for his/her program of study, the student’s enrollment status will be adjusted for aid purposes. Independent study courses are not eligible for federal financial aid.

Fundable coursework for a given semester will be evaluated on the A/C census date (see definition of census date) of that semester. If a student is enrolled only in B term courses, fundable coursework will be evaluated on the B term census date.

Students may only receive federal financial aid funding for one additional attempt of a previously passed course. If a student fails a course, federal financial aid funding may be available for additional attempts until a grade is received, at which time the student has one additional attempt. Any repeated course(s), including the original attempt, must be counted toward maximum time frame and hours completion ratio requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress purposes, which can impact a student’s financial aid eligibility.

In addition to the federal guidelines on repeating coursework, CF’s Enrollment Services Office has internal policies which govern a student’s ability to retake courses. Students should check with their academic advisor on how the repeat coursework may impact their specific situation

Purchasing Textbooks with Financial Aid

If a student has been offered aid for a semester and is enrolled in courses for that same term, the student may be able to charge the cost of their textbooks against their pending financial aid. Students should log in to the MyCF student portal and select the Financial Aid tab to determine if they meet the guidelines for charging textbooks. Book charge dates for each term are also available on MyCF.

The following guidelines apply to charging textbooks:

  • The student must be registered for classes in the term for which aid has been offered
  • The student must have enough financial aid offered to cover outstanding financial obligations to the college (tuition, etc.) and have enough remaining to cover the cost of books.

Students must submit a one-time authorization to have CF deduct payments from Financial Aid for all non-tuition and fee charges. This includes books, course materials and supplies charged at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at CF. Financial Aid recipients will be prompted on MyCF to authorize their book charges. Students are not required to submit the authorization. However, if they do not submit one, they will not be eligible to charge towards their Financial Aid at the Bookstore. The authorization will remain in effect for the duration of the students’ enrollment at CF. Once a student has authorized charging, if a student wishes to unselect financial aid charging, they must do so in person at the Financial Aid Office in building 5, room 106.

Students will be limited to only charging textbooks and required materials against their financial aid. There are limitations to what is allowed to be charged. Allowable items include textbooks, rental of textbooks, supplies, and required digital materials. Students will not be permitted to charge non-essential items including, but not limited to, clothing, food, drinks, and convenience items.

When charging books, the student is responsible for payment of the books. If, for any reason, the student does not receive financial aid, any unpaid bookstore charge owed to the college is subject to being turned over to outside collection agencies and the credit bureau. Additional collection costs owed to the collection agencies are the student’s responsibility.

Transient Students

Students Who Are Admitted and Degree Seeking at the College of Central Florida and Attending a Host Institution (CF is Considered the Home Institution):

Transient students who wish to attend another Florida public institution for a particular term are eligible to receive financial aid from CF upon the following:

  • Student must be approved as a transient student with Advising and Records. Students may receive this approval by completing the transient application at https://www.floridashines.org/.
  • The Financial Aid Office will determine the students’ eligibility for aid for the transient coursework and update the application status.
  • If no aid has been offered, an eligible student will be offered aid for the upcoming term. Students are not eligible to receive institutional scholarships or miscellaneous loans as a transient student. In addition, some state aid may be limited for transient students. Students should plan to receive their federal aid only.
  • The Financial Aid Office begins processing disbursements approximately two weeks after the last day to drop with a refund when electronic confirmation of the student’s attendance at the host institution is received via Florida Shines. Disbursements for students attending another institution may take at least an additional week.
  • Students are eligible to receive a book voucher against their aid if they are offered aid and if transient approval is finalized prior to the bookstore charging dates established by CF. The book voucher is for the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at CF only. Students should obtain the required book ISBN from their host institution and contact the CF bookstore to order the book. If the book is not in stock, it will take approximately one week for the order to be received.
  • Students are responsible for paying all tuition, fees and other charges at the host institution by the host institution’s posted due date. CF will not forward any financial aid disbursements to another institution.
  • If there is any change in the students’ enrollment status once financial aid has disbursed, the student must notify the CF Financial Aid Office. We will contact the host school for enrollment confirmation.
  • Return to Title IV policies apply for students that do not attend the course(s), do not satisfactorily complete the course(s), or are unable to produce a transcript from the host institution within 30 days after the end of the term.
  • Students are responsible for ensuring the transcript is sent from the host institution to CF. Failure to produce a transcript from the host institution at the end of the term will result in the suspension of future aid.

Students Who Are Transient Students at CF (CF is Considered the Host Institution):

Students coming to CF as a transient student from a Florida public institution should check with their home institution regarding eligibility for financial aid while attending CF.

CF will be notified of an approved transient student from the home institution through https://www.floridashines.org/. In order for the student to receive financial aid at their home institution, the procedure is as follows:

  • Students complete the transient/ application process at https://www.floridashines.org/ as appropriate. The student may only register for courses that are approved on the home institution consortium agreement/ transient form.
  • Students need to pay their tuition and fees at CF by the fee payment due date.
  • At least one week after the last day to drop with a refund, the necessary enrollment and cost of attendance information will be electronically sent to the home institution.
  • Students should check with their home institution regarding the status of their financial aid disbursement.

The Financial Aid Office at CF will not enter in to a Consortium Agreement as the home institution with any in-state private schools or out-of-state schools (public or private).