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Note: The following information is for undergraduate non-degree seeking students ONLY. Students who have earned a Bachelor's degree or post-baccalaureate non-degree seekers,
please visit Graduate Admissions.
Students not seeking a degree from FGCU can take up to 30 credit hours of undergraduate
courses at FGCU by applying for admission as a non-degree seeking student.
Students currently enrolled at another institution in the State University System
of Florida will apply as a transient student.
Those seeking admission as a senior citizen non-degree seeker, must be at least 60
years of age in order to be considered for courses and complete and submit the appropriate
senior citizen non-degree application.
Students who are in good standing and enrolled at institutions not part of the State
University System of Florida and students not enrolled at any institution may be considered
for admission as a non-degree seeking student at FGCU. Undergraduate non-degree seeking
enrollment is on a space-available basis and has been established for individuals
who do not hold a bachelor's degree. A non-refundable application fee of $30 will
be applied for first-time applicants.
Students enrolling in this classification are subject to the following regulations:
A Non-degree seeking student must be in good standing at his/her previous institution
(including FGCU) and eligible to return.
Non-degree seeking students are subject to the same rules and regulations as degree
seeking students.
International students may only enroll as non-degree seeking students with permission
from the University due to limitations of certain visa statuses and federal regulations.
Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to receive financial aid.
Non-degree seeking students are not eligible to stay in University housing or to receive
University honors.
A degree seeking student denied admission to FGCU may not be subsequently enroll as
a Non-degree seeking student. This restriction will be waived if the student subsequent
to the denial from FGCU has completed a degree program or has been a student in good
academic standing at another postsecondary institution. Official transcripts will
be required in these cases.
A Non-degree seeking student dismissed from the University will not be eligible for
admission as a degree seeking student.
A non-degree seeking student is limited to 30 credit hours of undergraduate coursework.
In special circumstances, a college may waive this restriction.
Hours taken at FGCU as a Non-degree seeking student cannot be used to meet the 60
transferable hours required for admission as an upper division student.
Registration for classes is on a space-available basis; subject to any required course
pre-requisites and other restrictions as determined by the applicable College or program.
Registration is in accordance with the deadlines posted on the academic calendar.
First time in college students will not be allowed to enroll in a Non-degree seeking
status.
Admission Procedures
Applicants may apply as an Undergraduate Non-Degree Seeking Student by applying and selecting Non-Degree on the online application. Learn more about admission deadlines. The basic requirement for admissions for a non-degree seeking student is that you
are in good standing at your last institution.
Registration Procedures
To register for classes through Gulfline, a PIN will be emailed to you once you have been admitted. Instructions for registering
through Gulfline are available in the Registration Guidebook. Please be aware that
within one week of the start of the term, it is recommended for those students that
live in the local area to apply and register in person. For distance learning students
that live outside the local area contact the Department of Records & Registration directly to obtain information on how to register. It is the student's responsibility
to register for his or her own classes.
A current FGCU student, classified as a non-Florida resident, seeking reclassification
must contact the Office of Records & Registration.
Residency for Tuition Purposes
A Florida resident for tuition purposes refers to whether a student qualifies as an
in-state Florida resident or an out-of-state resident. If admitted, this classification
determines a student’s tuition and fee charges as a Florida resident pays less per
credit hour than a non-Florida resident. The requirements for Florida residency status
are defined in Florida Statute Section 1009.21.
A claimant must complete the Florida Residency Declaration For Tuition Purposes form and submit at least two supporting documents to prove his/her Florida residency
status (in-state) for tuition purposes. If a claimant indicates “non-resident” on
the residency form, then he/she does not need to submit any supporting documents to
prove this status.
A U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, and an eligible non-U.S. citizen may be
classified as Florida residents (in-state status) provided legal residence has been
established in the state of Florida for at least 12 consecutive months before the
first day of the term for which Florida residency is sought. Contact the Admissions
office for more information on the types of eligible non-U.S. citizens.
Initial residency classification is determined by the Admissions office when a student
applies to the university. A student is classified as an out-of-state, or non-Florida, resident until he/she
provides all relevant information and required documents to prove his/her Florida
resident status. Failure to provide this information in a timely manner could result in the student’s
status remaining as a non-Florida resident (out-of-state), which results in higher
tuition and fee charges. The Florida Residency Declaration For Tuition Purposes is an online form available for students to provide the necessary documents described
below.
A claimant seeking Florida residency for tuition purposes must have established and
maintained a legal Florida residence at least 12 consecutive months before the first
day of the term for which Florida residency is sought. Maintaining a legal residence in Florida requires substantial physical presence as
a condition. However, absolute physical presence is not required. For example, a claimant might
take vacations outside Florida without altering his/her residency status. Finally,
in some circumstances, a claimant may leave Florida to work or attend school temporarily
in another state and remain eligible for residency. Eligibility in these circumstances
depends on the extent to which the claimant maintains Florida legal ties and did not
establish ties with another state.
A legal residence in Florida must be as a bona fide domicile rather than for the purpose
of maintaining a mere temporary residence or abode incident to enrollment in the university.
Living or attending school in Florida will not establish legal residence. If a student’s
status is out-of-state, then he/she may be eligible for Florida residency only if
he/she qualifies by one of the exceptions, as provided in Florida Statute Section
1009.21.
Family situations related to legal residency:
If a dependent student has been residing continuously with a legal resident adult
relative other than the parent for at least 3 years immediately prior to the first
day of classes of the term which Florida residency is sought, the dependent student
may provide documentation from the adult relative or from the parent. Both the dependent
student and the adult relative or the parent must meet the consecutive 12-month legal
residence requirement.
The legal residence of a dependent student whose parents are divorced, separated,
or otherwise living apart will be considered Florida if either parent is a legal resident
of the state – regardless of who claims the dependent student for federal income tax
purposes.
For a dependent student, the legal residence of his/her parents is prima facie evidence
(i.e., evidence that establishes a fact if uncontested) of the student’s legal residence;
however, the evidence may be reinforced or rebutted, relative to the age and general
circumstances of the dependent student, by the other evidence of legal residence required
of or presented by the dependent student.
For a dependent student, the legal residence of his/her parents who are domiciled
outside this state is not prima facie evidence (i.e., evidence that establishes a
fact if uncontested) of the student’s legal residence if that student has lived in
this state for 5 consecutive years prior to enrolling or re-registering at a higher
education institution.
A student who physically resides in the state may be classified as a resident for
tuition purposes if he or she marries a person who meets the 12-month requirement
and who is a legal resident.
A student who is classified as a nonresident for tuition purposes and who marries
a legal resident of the state or marries a person who becomes a legal resident of
the state may, upon becoming a legal resident of the state, become eligible for reclassification
as a resident for tuition purposes upon submitting evidence of his or her own legal
residency in the state, evidence of his or her marriage to a person who is a legal
resident of the state, and evidence of the spouse’s legal residence in the state for
at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the application for reclassification.
A student shall not lose his or her resident status solely by reason of his/her service
or parent’s service in the Armed Forces outside this state.
For students who have been classified properly as a resident for tuition purposes
but who, while enrolled, lose resident tuition status because he/she or his/her parents
establish domicile or legal residence elsewhere, shall have the benefit of in-state
tuition for a 12-month grace period (extended to the end of the term in which the
12 months is reached).
Dependent vs. Independent Status
The determination of dependent or independent status is important because it is the
basis for whether a student needs to submit his/her own documentation of residency
(as an independent) or his/her parent's or guardian’s documentation of residency (as
a dependent). A claimant may either be an independent student or the parent of a dependent
student.
Dependent Student. A student, whether living with a parent or not, who is eligible to be claimed by his/her
parent under the federal income tax code is classified as a dependent student. A parent
means either or both parents of a student, any guardian or a student, or any person
in a parental relationship to the student. To be considered a "qualifying child" or
"dependent" for federal income tax code purposes, the following must be true:
The student must be the parent’s son, daughter, stepchild, foster child, brother,
sister, half-brother, half-sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or a descendent of any
of them.
The student must be:
under age 19 at the end of the year and younger than the parent (or spouse, if filing
jointly)
under age 24 at the end of the year and a full-time student and younger than the parent
(or spouse, if filing jointly), or
any age if permanently and totally disabled.
The student must have lived with the parent for more than half of the year subject
to IRS exceptions.
The student must not have provided more than half of his/her own support for the year.
The student is not filing a joint return for the year (unless that joint return is
filed only as a claim for refund of withheld income tax or estimated tax paid).
In some situations, a student cannot be claimed as a dependent. Generally, a married
student cannot be claimed as a dependent if he/she files a joint return with his/her
spouse. Also, to claim someone as a dependent, that person must be a U.S. citizen,
U.S. resident alien, U.S. national or resident of Canada or Mexico for some part of
the year. There is an exception to this rule for certain adopted children. See IRS
Publication 501, Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information for additional
tests to determine who can be claimed as a dependent.
Independent Student. A student who meets any one of the following criteria shall be classified as an independent
student for the determination of residency for tuition purposes:
The student is 24 years of age or older by the first day of classes of the term for
which residency status is sought at a Florida institution.
The student is married.
The student has children who receive more than half of their support from the student.
The student has other dependents who live with and receive more than half of their
support from the student.
The student is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or is currently serving on active
duty in the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard or Reserves for purposes other than
training. The U.S. Armed Forces consist of the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the
U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.
At any time since the student turned age 13, where both the student's parents are
deceased, or the student is or was (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court or
in foster care.
The student is determined an unaccompanied homeless youth by a school district homeless
liaison, or by a staff member of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program.
The student is working on a master's or doctoral degree during the term for which
residency status is sought at a Florida institution.
Evidence that the student meets one of these criteria will be requested by the university.
A student who does not meet one of the criteria outlined above may be classified as
an independent student only if he/she submits documentation that he/she provides more
than fifty (50) percent of the cost of attendance for an independent, in-state student
as defined by the university (exclusive of federal, state and institutional aid or
scholarships).
The following documents are examples of evidence that must be provided to the university
to prove a student’s status as an independent if the student is under the age of 24
by the first day of classes of the term:
Marriage certificate, insurance information showing marital status, most recent tax
return showing marital status;
Tax returns showing support of children or other dependents who live with and receive
more than half of their support from the student;
Military discharge documents;
Legal documents showing a student is a ward/dependent of the courts; or
Documentation showing that the student provides more than fifty (50) percent of his/her
support for the year (examples may include: tax return, W-2 form, pay stubs, employer
earnings verification).
Supporting Documents A claimant (or a parent if the student is a dependent) must submit documentation
that he/she has been a Florida resident for at least 12 consecutive months prior to
the first day of classes for which the student is enrolling. At least two of the following
documents must be submitted, with dates evidencing the 12-month qualifying period. At least one of the documents must be from the First Tier. As some evidence is more persuasive than others, more than two may be requested.
No single piece of documentation will be considered conclusive. Additionally, there
must not be any contrary evidence establishing residence in another state.
First Tier (at least one of the two documents submitted must be from this list):
A Florida voter's registration card.
A Florida driver's license.
A State of Florida identification card.
A Florida vehicle registration.
Proof of a permanent home in Florida which is occupied as a primary residence by the
claimant.
Proof of a homestead exemption in Florida.
Transcripts from a Florida high school for multiple years (2 or more years) if the
Florida high school diploma or GED was earned within the last 12 months.
Proof of permanent full-time employment in Florida for at least 30 hours per week
for a consecutive 12-month period.
Second Tier (may be used in conjunction with one document from First Tier):
A declaration of domicile in Florida.
A Florida professional or occupational license.
Florida incorporation.
A document evidencing verifiable family ties to a Florida resident, as defined for
tuition purposes.
Proof of membership in a Florida-based charitable or professional organization.
Any other document that supports the student's request for Florida resident status,
including, but not limited to, utility bills and proof of 12 consecutive months of
payment; a lease agreement and proof of 12 consecutive months of payment; or an official
state, federal, or court document evidencing legal ties to Florida.
The university reserves the right to require additional documentation to determine
the resident status of any student. If Florida residency status for tuition purpose
is denied, the student may send an appeal to the Admissions office.
Examples of documents that may not be used:
Hunting/fishing licenses
Library cards
Shopping club/rental cards
Birth certificate
Passport
Social Security Card
Florida Concealed Weapons permit
Insurance Card
A student who has his/her tuition and fees waived or exempted according to the following
sections of Florida Statutes shall be classified as a Florida resident and shall not
be required to submit additional residency documentation for tuition purposes for
the duration of the exemption or waiver eligibility period:
S. 112.19(3), F.S.: Dependents or spouses of law enforcement, correctional, or correctional
probation officers killed in the line of duty,
S. 112.191(3), F.S.: Dependents or spouses of firefighters killed in the line of duty,
S. 112.1912(2), F.S.: Dependents or spouses of first responders killed in action,
S. 112.1915(3)(d), F.S.: Dependents of teacher or school administrators killed or
injured in the line of duty,
S. 961.06(1)(b), F.S.: Wrongful incarceration (for example documentation see Appendix
D),
S. 1009.25(1)(c), F.S. and (d): Custody of Department of Children and Families, in
the care of a relative or adopted from the Department of Children and Families, and
S. 1009.25(1)(f), F.S.: Homeless
After eligibility for the waiver or exemption has expired, the student must be reclassified
as a Florida resident for tuition purposes to continue receiving in-state tuition
benefits.
Exceptions & Qualifications The Florida Statute, section 1009.21, permits a student who does not meet residency
requirements to be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes if he/she
is in exceptions and qualifications categories below. The university requires documentation
in support of the following exceptions; however, the student does not have to show
12 months of residence in Florida prior to qualifying. The exceptions and qualifications
categories are as follows:
A student who was enrolled as a Florida resident for tuition purposes at a Florida
public college/university, but who abandon Florida domicile and then re-enroll in
Florida within 12 months of the abandonment – provided he/she continuously maintains
the re-established domicile in Florida during the period of enrollment. (This benefit
only applies one time.)
An active duty member of the Armed Services of the United States residing or stationed
in Florida (and spouse/dependent student) and an active drilling member of the Florida
National Guard at the time of acceptance to the university; or military personnel
not stationed in Florida but his/her home of record or state of legal residence certificate,
DD Form 2058, is Florida (and spouse/dependent student).
An active duty member of the Armed Services of the United States (and spouse/dependent
student) attending a public college or university within 50 miles of the military
establishment where he/she is stationed, if such military establishment is within
a county contiguous to Florida.
Full time instructional and administrative personnel employed by the State of Florida
public school system or Florida public college/university (and spouse/dependent children).
A student from Latin America and the Caribbean who receive scholarships from the federal
or state government. The student must attend, on a full-time basis, a Florida public
college/university.
A full-time employee of a state agency, or political subdivision of the state, when
the student fees are paid by the state agency, or political subdivision, for job-related
law enforcement or corrections training.
An active duty member of the Canadian military residing or stationed in Florida under
the North American Air Defense (NORAD) agreement (and spouse/dependent student) attending
a public college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where
he/she is stationed.
An active duty member of a foreign nation's military who is serving as a liaison officer
and he/she is residing or stationed in Florida (and spouse/dependent student) attending
a public college or university within 50 miles of the military establishment where
the foreign liaison officer is stationed.
A qualified beneficiary under the Stanley G. Tate Florida Pre-Paid College Program.
A Linkage Institute participant receiving partial or full exemptions from s. 1009.21,
F.S., based on criteria approved by the Florida Department of Education per s. 288.8175(5),
F.S., which establishes linkage institutes between postsecondary institutions in Florida
and foreign countries.
Military personnel (and spouse/dependent children) not stationed in Florida but his/her
home of record or state of legal residence certificate is Florida (as noted on an
approved DD Form 2058 [s.1009.21(2)(a), F.S.], State of Legal Residence Certificate,
or a Leave and Earning Statement, also called an LES or the Defense Finance and Accounting
Service (DFAS) Form 702).
Immigration & International Student Issues A permanent resident is person who has been granted permanent resident status in the
U.S. and has (or is waiting for) a Permanent Resident Card (identified as either Form
I-151 or Form I-551). A permanent resident is eligible to establish residency for
tuition purposes in Florida.
A non-immigrant is a foreign national seeking to enter the U.S. temporarily and for
a specific purpose. Once in the U.S., he/she is restricted to the activity or reason
for which his/her visa was issued. A student with certain non-immigrant visas may
be eligible to establish residency for tuition purposes in Florida - contact the Admissions
office for more information.
An unauthorized alien is a foreign national who lives in the U.S. without the required
documentation. An unauthorized alien is not eligible to establish residency for tuition
purposes in Florida; however, a dependent student who is a U.S. citizen may not be
denied classification as a resident for tuition purposes based solely upon the immigration
status of his or her parents.
A specialized admissions program is one where both program admission and registration
in program classes are restricted to a certain number of students meeting pre-determined
criteria. This means that you are initially accepted into the university as a pre-major
AND then you must submit a supplemental application for consideration for acceptance
into a specialized admissions undergraduate major.
The specialized admissions status is justified where student demand exceeds available
resources (student/faculty ratios, instructional facilities, equipment or specific
accrediting requirements) or students require minimum skills to be admitted into the
program (such as Music or PGA Golf Management). Specialized admissions programs have
separate admissions processes and selection criteria. Not all students who meet the
selection criteria are admitted into the specialized admissions majors. The selection
process is very competitive and space is limited in each incoming class. Freshmen
do not need to submit supplemental applications; applications are due in the sophomore
year or when program prerequisite requirements have been completed.
All students admitted as freshmen or transfers must satisfy the foreign language admission
requirement. A limited number of undergraduate students not meeting this requirement
may be admitted; however, these students must fulfill the requirement prior to completion
of the baccalaureate degree.
Admitted undergraduate students must demonstrate competency of foreign language by
meeting one of these requirements:
1. Completing a foreign language or American Sign Language course in high school at
the 2nd-year level or higher (i.e., Spanish 2, Haitian Creole 2, American Sign Language
2, etc.).
2. Completing a foreign language college course at the elementary 2 level or higher.
3. Obtaining qualifying scores on the AP, AICE, IB and/or CLEP exams. Learn more about the
qualifying scores for foreign language in the FGCU Academic Catalog.