It definitely is buried, but I found the summer session requirement listed in the 2016-17 Undergraduate Bulletin, item 7 in Gaduation Requirements, link here: http://registrar.fsu.edu/bulletin/undergraduate/information/undergraduate_degree/
-
Students who have entered a university in the State of Florida, Division of Colleges and Universities, with fewer than sixty hours of credit in the Fall of 1976 or any time thereafter are required to earn at least nine hours prior to graduation by attendance in one or more Summer terms at one of the State University System institutions. The University President may waive the application of this rule in cases of unusual hardship to the individual. Students wishing waivers submit written requests giving the details of their hardships through their academic deans to the Vice President for Faculty Development and Advancement. Prior to 2011, students who had earned nine semester hours of credit through approved acceleration methods (AP, IB, CLEP, and approved dual enrollment courses) were exempt from the Summer residency requirement. Effective 2011, this exemption is no longer available.
@mamag2855 Holy cow! Well that’s frustrating, I wonder why this is not made more obvious?
As far as the statement… " required to earn at least nine hours prior to graduation by attendance in one or more Summer terms at one of the State University System institutions." Does this mean students can do it near their own University? I did read that in an old thread, but those are so old, I have no clue what is still enforced.
And thank you for bringing this to our attention!!
Edited to add: Looks like you can take it any at FLORIDA university but not one near you…??
@mamag2855
I actually have one more question. If you take these 9 credit hours during summer, does that take them OFF of the required hours needed to graduate or is it in addition to. So can you just replace a spring or fall session with a summer session? In the end, am I paying more or can you just flip flop the times you go?
Those summer courses count like any other courses taken during the regular school year. Florida universities started doing this years ago as a way to bolster their summer sessions (improves course offerings too). I’m surprised they are STILL doing it though!!
It is widely known in Florida that the summer sessions are required. Since the majority of students at Florida publics are Florida residents, they don’t have to make a point of it when trying to attract OOS students.
It is really not a big deal. Many Florida kids complete the hours the first summer, starting college shortly after high school graduation. Some schools accept students for a summer start only. There are ‘May-mesters’ since Florida schools start early and get out in April. There are usually 2-3 summer sessions with some courses lasting only 3 weeks, others going 8. There is FA just for the summer (Florida kids can’t use Bright Future money in the summer, so the schools know they need to move some other funds around).
I have never heard anyone complain about the requirement. Everyone figures it out.
@profdad2021 @twoinanddone @mamag2855
Quite frankly, what I’m trying to figure out is if it will cost more money. Someone just came on here and said all students need to take summer courses. So my first thought was that they meant in ADDITION to regular credit hours in fall/spring. But, I’m wrong about that??
So my questions on this subject are this;
- Are you just substituting (for example) one spring semester for a summer semester?
- If so, does it cost more?
- How does that work when my daughter has been offered the freshman scholarship and the OOS waiver. Can that be used toward the summer session?
Thanks
Hmm, I would call and ask! These are good questions! Even better, send an email so that the response is in writing! I just googled and see that there is a waiver request that can be granted due to hardship. I’d bet that being an OOS student is itself a good argument for hardship, along with having to work fulltime and live at home.
It’s too bad that there isn’t information readily available. I’d bet it IS online someplace but I’m sure you looked!
Yes, we definitely have to call, too many questions. FSU was getting a little tight to begin with financially, so added costs are not welcome 
Thank you
No, not extra credits, just that 9 of the total (120? 125? whatever the major requires) must be earned in the summer. Many student can take a fall or spring semester off, or graduate early, or take fewer credits (and perhaps work more?) in another semester. Does that cost more? It may or it may not. It really depends on your child, where he lives, how many AP or other credits he has coming in, how many credits he wants to take each semester.
I know kids who took full loads in the summer immediately after high school (12 credits or so), were full time in the fall too, so by the spring semester they were officially sophomores (or could even be juniors if they had a lot of AP or DE). They then could take a semester off, study abroad without having to take more than 12 credits, etc. The advantage is they get earlier registration than other ‘freshmen’, can go into higher level courses.
My d was accepted at UF with the requirement that she start during the summer session. She still hasn’t decided where she is going yet. We are out of state.
As I said, this ^^^ isn’t unusual, to either be accepted to start summer term or to choose to start in June or July. Big downside is that Florida is HOT in the summer, and for someone not from Florida, it is a tough adjustment. Take early early early classes.
I have first hand OOS experience with USF for my D; her award was in a dollar allotment use for tuition…she is required to have 30 hours per school year…fall/spring/summer…USF charges OOS tuition for her but her award covers enough to make it less than yearly tuition rate for in state. The conflict begins with cost for housing for summer school. The waiver at her school can not be submitted until the summer before graduating year thus you will not know if it is granted until late in the game. She took online non-campus classes to fulfill her requirement…at her home state…Hope this helps.
I was going to suggest looking into on-line classes either at the college or from a different college that would transfer the credits.