Excess Hour Surcharge

In 2009, the Florida Legislature implemented Section 1009.286, Florida Statutes to encourage students to complete their baccalaureate degree as quickly and efficiently as possible. It established what is commonly referred to as an "Excess Credit Hour Surcharge." The law requires universities to add a surcharge to each credit hour taken in excess of the total number of credit hours required to complete the degree being pursued. The amount in excess of the total hours is calculated based on a percentage defined in law and is referred to by the University of North Florida as Excess Hours threshold. The amount charged per credit hour is a calculated amount referred to as the surcharge.  

*SUS = State University System of Florida

*FCS = Florida College System

The surcharge is assessed only on the tuition portion of the semester hour cost, not on the fees.

Students who first matriculate at a Florida SUS or FCS in fall 2012 and thereafter who fail to maintain continuous enrollment (do not take classes for three consecutive semesters) will be subject to the Excess Credit Hours surcharge in effect for the semester in which they return. 

 Under Florida law, the following credit hours count towards Excess Credit Hours: 

• Failed courses
• Hours dropped after the University's drop/add period 
• Courses from which a student withdraws 
• Repeated courses. Exception: repeated courses for which the student has paid the repeat course surcharge as provided in Section 1009.285, Florida Statutes 
• All credit earned at another institution and accepted for transfer and applied toward the baccalaureate degree program 

 Under Florida law, the following credit hours do not count towards Excess Credit Hours:

• College credit earned through articulated accelerated mechanisms such as AP, IB, CLEP, AICE, or dual enrollment
• Credit hours earned through internship
• Credit hours required for certification, recertification, or certificate programs 
• Courses from which the student withdraws for reasons of medical or personal hardship 
• Credit taken by active-duty military personnel 
• Credit hours taken to achieve a dual major while pursuing a baccalaureate degree 
• Remedial and English-as-a-second-language credit hours 
• Credit hours earned while participating in a Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) program 

Under Florida law, the students who are excluded are:

• Students who first matriculated prior to fall 2009
• Students who first matriculate at an out-of-state institution and transfer to FL with more than 12 credit hours
• Students who first matriculate at a private institution and transfer to a FL SUS or FCS institution with more than 12 credit hours

The number of hours required for the baccalaureate degree will be identified by the students declared major. This is typically 120 semester hours, although, some programs have been approved to require more than 120 semester hours.

Every undergraduate student must have a degree evaluation identifying the degree requirements, the transfer courses applied to the degree, and the UNF courses applied to the degree by the end of their first semester at UNF.  Please see your advisor if you have questions about a specific course. 

If you would like to contact the State of Florida to ask questions about this policy, you can find contact information contact information.

To provide feedback regarding this law, contact your legislator.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What credit hours count towards Excess Credit Hours?
  •  Failed courses. 
  •  Hours dropped after the University's add/drop period 
  •  Courses from which a student withdraws 
  •  Repeated courses. Exception: repeated courses for which the student has paid the repeat course surcharge
  •  All credit earned at another institution and accepted for transfer and applied toward the baccalaureate degree program 

   

• What credit hours do not count towards Excess Credit Hours?
  • College credit earned through articulated accelerated mechanisms such as AP, IB, CLEP,AICE, or dual enrollment
  • Credit hours earned through internship
  • Credit hours required for certification, recertification, or certificate programs 
  • Courses from which the student withdraws for reasons of medical or personal hardship 
  • Credit taken by active-duty military personnel 
  • Credit hours taken to achieve a dual major while pursuing a baccalaureate degree 
  • Remedial and English-as-a-second-language credit hours 
  • Credit hours earned while participating in a Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) program

   

• What if I am pursuing a dual major/degree?

  For the purpose of calculating your excess credit counter, the credits earned toward either a dual degree or a dual major are all included in the total. It might be possible to separate your credit, but only in cases where documentation exists that the credit in question counts only to the second major or dual degree and cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements for the primary program. If you have added a dual major or degree and think you may be in this situation, you are encouraged to talk with your academic advisor about your Excess Credit Hour situation.

    

   

• Are second bachelor's degrees included?
  Second bachelor's degrees are not excluded from the Excess Credit Hour law unless the student first matriculated prior to fall 2009. Please see your academic advisor for any additional questions.
• What about internships?
  The University will exclude internship hours automatically from your excess credit total whenever possible. However, it is not always possible to identify internship on the academic record of a student, especially when taken at another institution. If you feel that your excess credit hour total includes internship hours, you should submit an appeal for an adjustment to your Excess Credit Hour total. Cooperative educational experiences, directed individual studies, and other one-on-one instructional course are not considered internship under this law.
• What about credit for Certification?

  Courses that are part of the class instruction preparation for a professional certification exam may be excluded from your excess credit total.  Examples of these might be a computer science class that prepares you for a Microsoft certification exam, or a foundational education class that prepares you for a teacher certification exam. In these cases, the one specific course that prepares you for the exam may be excluded from your total, but not all courses in the degree program.

   

• What about credit I earned while on active duty military?

  All credit earned while on active duty is exempt from the Excess Credit Hour law. Documenting active duty military service is something that we do not currently track, so it is critical that you let us know of any credit that you have earned while on active duty. You will need to submit a written request and you should include a copy of your DD214 as part of the appeal.

   

• Do graduate courses count?

  Graduate courses are included in your Excess Credit Hour count if they are being used toward your baccalaureate degree. Credit that is only used for the graduate degree will be excluded.

   

• Can UNF waive the Excess Credit Hours fee?
  No, an institution cannot waive the fee. The language of the statute is mandatory. 
• What if I break continuous enrollment?
  Students who first matriculate at a Florida SUS or FCS in fall 2012 and thereafter who fail to maintain continuous enrollment (do not take classes for three consecutive semesters) will be subject to the Excess Credit Hours surcharge in effect for the semester in which they return.