Additional Information and Forms

The first step in the admission process after the application has been submitted is to submit final, official high school transcripts to the Office of Admissions. Transcripts may be submitted via the State of Florida’s electronic system, directly from the high school via the mail, or delivered in person to the Office of Admission at our Northwest (main) campus or any of our Centers. Official transcripts CANNOT be faxed or scanned – they must be the original copy from the high school. Transcripts sent through the State’s electronic system usually take 3-5 days to be received and processed. High school transcripts, GED, or homeschool affidavits must be received and processed before students can continue in the registration process.

Transcripts submitted from countries outside of the United States must be translated AND evaluated if they are in a language other than English. Transcripts from outside of the U.S. that are printed in English must be evaluated.

Students who have earned a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) must submit a copy of the diploma that was earned and/or a copy of the test scores which shows that all sections of the GED test were passed. Students who have earned a High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) certificate must submit a copy of the certificate that was earned and/or a copy of the transcript showing that each section of the exam was passed. Students who were homeschooled must submit a completed Homeschool Affidavit and proof from the appropriate county school board that the homeschool was registered with that county. Out-of-state students who received either a GED or were homeschooled must submit evidence that their completed program met the requirements of the state/county in which it was received.

Students who did not receive the equivalent of a standard diploma can still attend Santa Fe College, however, admission is limited to eligible programs. For example, students who received a PERT Eligible Certificate of Completion may enter a degree-seeking program but are not eligible to receive financial aid for their classes. Students who received a special diploma may only enter programs that do not require standard high school graduation, such as the Adult Education Program, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), and some of the College’s other certificate programs. These programs are ineligible for financial aid.

There are a large number of other types of diplomas that may be awarded in Florida’s high schools. Students should check with their high school guidance counselor or an SF Admissions Advisor for an explanation of what these types may mean when entering college.

Students who have attended prior institutions of higher education must submit final, official transcripts from each school they have attended. This requirement includes institutions attended through high school dual enrollment, technical schools, and institutions located outside of the United States. Transcripts may be submitted via the State of Florida’s electronic system(College code 001519), via mail, or delivered in person to the Office of Admissions in Room R-101 at the Northwest (main) campus or to any of SF’s Centers. Transcripts that are delivered by hand must be in the sealed envelope from the institution.

Transcripts submitted from countries outside of the United States must be translated AND evaluated if they are in a language other than English. Transcripts from outside of the U.S. that are printed in English must be evaluated (only).

College transcripts must be submitted by the students’ second term of attendance to avoid a registration hold.

Rule 6A-10.315 College Preparatory Testing, Placement, and Instruction (based on Florida Statute 1008.30) states that first-time-in-college applicants for admission to community colleges or universities who apply to enter degree programs shall be tested for reading, writing and math proficiency prior to completion of registration. These students shall enroll in college-preparatory studies to develop needed college-entry skills unless they meet the requirements as provided by state law (See Developmental Education, below).

Students who have completed the SAT, ACT, PERT or Accuplacer should forward their official score reports to the Office of Admissions in Room R-101 or to any of SF’s Centers. Students who are considered “college ready” by their scores on these tests may be exempted from taking the all or parts of the placement test. College ready students, however, must take the Advanced Algebra and Functions (AAF) portion of the Next Generation Accuplacer before they reach 12 credit hours to determine appropriate placement in college-level mathematics courses. Test scores are only accepted if the test was taken no more than 2 years prior to submission of the scores.

First-Time-In College Students

Degree-seeking students who apply for admission to SF and who have not tested college level on the SAT or ACT must take the PERT unless they meet the requirements of SB1720 (see below). PERT test scores will be entered into the student’s record and initial course placement will be based on these scores. Students whose native language is not English may be required to take additional placement exams.

Developmental Education

In accordance with Florida law, students who entered a Florida public high school in 2003-2004 or beyond and graduated from a Florida public high school with a standard diploma may be exempt from placement testing and taking Developmental Education coursework. To determine eligibility for this exemption or if you have questions, please make an appointment to speak with your academic advisor as soon as possible. Students may find their assigned advisor and his/her contact information by viewing their degree audit in eSantaFe.

In accordance with Florida State Statute 1009.21, students whose permanent physical residence is the State of Florida may petition for discounted tuition by completing and submitting the Florida Residency Declaration form. This form and accompanying required documentation must be submitted to the Office of Admissions in Room R-101 or at any of SF's centers. The Florida Residency Declaration may also be faxed to 352-395-7300 or scanned and emailed to admissions@sfcollege.edu.

A Florida resident for discounted tuition purposes is:

• An independent person who has established and maintained legal residency in Florida at least 12 consecutive months by the first day of the term for which the student has applied OR
• A dependent person whose parent (the claimant) has established and maintained legal residency in Florida at least 12 consecutive months by the first day of the term of enrollment. A parent is either one of the parents of the student, any guardian of the student, or any person who is or has been in a parental relationship to the student.

Students who are under 24 years of age are considered dependent on their parents unless they prove otherwise. Some ways to prove otherwise are:

• Student earns more than 51% of the full cost of attendance.
  • Document needed – Tax Transcript (copies of 1040s will not be accepted)
• Student is married or divorced
  • Document needed – Marriage certificate or divorce decree
• Student is a veteran or active duty military
  • Document needed – DD214 or military orders
• Student has at least one child who is dependent on him/her for support (Student provides at least 51% as determined by IRS guidelines)
  • Document needed – Tax Transcript (copies of 1040s will not be accepted)
• Student was a ward of the court or in foster care and has now been released as an independent person.
  • Document needed – Court papers showing release from foster care
• Parents have been deceased since the student turned 18.
  • Document needed – Death certificate of parent(s)
• Student has been declared an Unaccompanied Youth (McKinney-Vento Act) in high school by a school district homeless liaison.
  • Document needed – Completed Unaccompanied Homeless Youth form signed by certified homeless liaison

To qualify for Florida’s discounted tuition, you must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or a legal alien granted indefinite stay by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Students who are non-U.S. citizens in the following visa categories are also eligible to petition for Florida’s discounted tuition rates:

• Visa category A
• Visa category E
• Visa category G
• Visa category H1B
• Visa category I
• Visa category L
• Visa category N
• Visa category 0-1
• Visa category R
• Visa category NATO I-7
• Visa category S
• Visa category T
• Visa category U
• Visa category V

All students who apply for admission will be admitted as non-Florida residents paying the full cost of tuition pending submission and approval of the declaration form and supporting documentation needed to prove Florida residency by the first day of class. Students who are beneficiaries of the Florida Prepaid Program are automatically classified as Florida residents upon submission of the student’s Florida Prepaid card or proof electronically transmitted to SF.

Florida residency for tuition purposes is different from establishing Florida residency for many other circumstances, such as registration in the K-12 school system. Your residence in Florida must be for establishing a permanent home and not incidental to college enrollment. Living in or attending school in Florida will not, in itself, establish legal residence for tuition purposes. Students who depend on out-of-state parents for support are presumed to be legal residents of the same state as their parents.

The requirements and documents to prove Florida residency are set down in Florida Statute 1009.21 and outlined in the Residency Booklet. The only exceptions that can be granted are those outlined in this statute – no other exceptions can be granted. The State of Florida is very specific about which documents are required to prove Florida residency, and these required documents are listed on the Florida Residency Declaration for Tuition Purposes form. In accordance with Florida Administrative Rule 6A-10.044, all required documents must be "clear and convincing," meaning that it must be "credible, trustworthy, and sufficient to persuade the institution that the student or, if that student is a dependent, his or her parent has established legal residency in Florida that is not solely for the purpose of pursuing an education and has relinquished residency in any other state for at least twelve (12) consecutive months prior to classification.” Additional documents may be required at the discretion of Santa Fe College.

Students who do not submit a Residency Declaration form and begin taking classes paying the full cost of tuition (out-of-state fees) must go through the reclassification process in order to pay the reduced Florida tuition rate for subsequent terms.