https://www.usf.edu/summer/about/requirement.aspx
DS20 is interested in University of South Florida and we have a tour scheduled in a few weeks. We are out of state. I just realized USF has a mandatory summer enrollment for graduation. I realize they have an application for a waiver but find this requirement to be enough to make us rethink. Paying for 9 credits during the summer definitely adds to the cost.
Seems as though if you have a summer job you can get out of it.
But I would wonder why they have it…it is either to spread more classes over the summer for staff/housing or students have a hard time getting all of their classes in 8 semesters.
That’s par for the course at the major FL state schools. Some like it as it helps them adjust to college prior to the big crowds in the fall. However, I think it’s primarily a resource issue. We moved here in '93. The state population was approx 12M. It’s now over 20M but facilities have not grown as quickly so resources are tight.
Parent OOS student; summer classes can be taken on line at home or waved with waiver; if they have the green/gold scholarship it covers 30 hours a year so summer is included. My D did do summer classes on line but also got a waiver; it’s just a form stating that it required the student to work from where they reside.
She will graduate in 8 semester (this spring) and would have anyway without summer classes. She had no difficulty with getting her classes during her time at USF
Looks like a requirement common to all Florida public universities.
https://www.flbog.edu/documents_regulations/regulations/6.016_technical_change_2009_09_29.pdf
Effectively, that means planning for 8.5 semesters of attendance (and limitations on earning money at a job during one of the summers), unless the student can graduate without the 8th regular semester.
It is probably motivated by resource limitations. Pushing some of the enrollment out of fall/spring (especially fall) into the summer (where there is plenty of unused capacity) allows enrolling more students without needing to increase actual capacity.
It is a FL public university requirement. UCF has it too. Oddly enough on my daughter’s audit, it says it’s been full filled. She has never taken a summer class. She had credits from IB/AP, but she should still need the requirement. She is taking an online class this summer just in case.
It shouldn’t be an extra cost- it should be built in to the hours they have to take.
It’s the only FL college that my son is interested in at this time so we really didn’t know this was common for the state. We will try to ask some questions prior to visiting.