Freshman Admissions Information

To apply to the University of North Florida, you must complete the following steps:

1. Complete the online application through our institutional application or the Common App.
2. Pay the $30 non-refundable application fee or submit an application fee waiver.
   1. Students may pay the $30 application fee when they submit their online application or after they submit the application.
   2. UNF accepts SAT, ACT, and NACAC college application fee waivers for eligible students. Completed waivers can be uploaded through your applicant portal.
3. Send your high school transcript(s) to the University by:
   1. Submitting the SSAR (preferred)
   2. Requesting to have your transcripts submitted electronically using either the FASTER or SPEEDE systems. Talk to your school counselor if you are unsure whether your school uses these methods.
4. Send your SAT and/or ACT scores to the University
   1. Request SAT scores to be sent. UNF's school code is 5490.
   2. Request ACT scores to be sent. UNF's school code is 0711.
   3. Upload a PDF copy of your SAT or ACT score report in your applicant portal.
5. Check on your application status

Admissions decisions at UNF are rendered based on academic merit. The State of Florida has implemented minimum admission standards for freshman applicants to all Florida public state universities. In order to be considered, students must have a minimum 2.5 recalculated GPA on a 4.0 scale and meet minimum test score requirements. Please keep in mind that the minimum standards only outline potential eligibility for admission to a state university.

Incoming Freshmen Mid-Ranges

The Office of Admissions publishes the academic midranges of admitted First Time in College students as a reference for applicants. Please keep in mind that midranges are the middle 50% of students, and we accept students with GPAs and test scores both above and below these midranges.

UNF Admissions GPA

At the University of North Florida, we weigh and recalculate the admissions GPA for First Time in College applicants. We consider the required courses for entry to the University when creating your admissions GPA. Additional weight is given to grades of "C" or higher earned in honors, dual enrollment, AP, IB or AICE courses. We award a weight of 0.5 points for honors, pre-IB, pre-AICE or pre-AP courses. We award a weight of 1 point for IB, AICE, AP or dual enrollment courses.

SAT and ACT Requirements

Regardless of when they graduated from high school, students applying as First Time in College students are required to submit either SAT or ACT test scores. UNF does not require the essay section of the SAT or ACT.

UNF superscores SAT and ACT tests for applicants, meaning we will consider your highest subsection across multiple attempts of the SAT or ACT and create a new composite score. With this in mind, we encourage students to submit all tests they have taken when applying.

Students are required to complete the below courses by the time they enter the University. These courses are also used to created your UNF GPA, which is used for both admissions to the University and scholarships.

• Four units of English
• Four units of math (Algebra 1 or higher)
• Three units of natural science
• Three units of social science
• Two units of sequential foreign language
• Two units of academic electives

Home School Requirements

Home school students applying to the University must meet the First Time in College admissions requirements. We encourage home school student to submit the SSAR when applying during their senior year. Paper and electronic home school transcripts will be accepted after a student has graduated from high school. Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have questions about these requirements.

GED Requirements

Students applying with a GED to the University must meet the First Time in College admissions requirements. Students applying with a GED will submit a copy of their GED diploma instead of high school transcripts. Students with a GED do not need to complete the SSAR when applying.

Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities applying to the University must submit all the general application materials. Applicants who wish to appeal a denial based on a disability may submit documentation verifying the disability along with the letter of appeal. If applicable, we recommend including updated transcripts or new test scores.

Dual Enrollment

Students enrolling in dual enrollment courses throughout high school may have the opportunity to transfer their credit to UNF. If your institution is regionally accredited your credits will more than likely transfer. In addition, if you are attending a Florida public institution and the first three letters and last three numbers of your course match a UNF course, it will transfer.

To determine which credits will transfer to UNF, you must submit your application, your application fee, and your dual enrollment transcript.

Although your dual enrollment credit may be posted on your high school transcript, UNF cannot accept that credit unless we receive an official transcript from the institution that awarded the credit.

Students applying with dual enrollment credit must have at least a 2.0 postsecondary GPA in their dual enrollment courses.

Advanced Credit

Students are encouraged to enroll in advanced credit earning mechanisms while in high school. We are happy to accept up to 45 credit hours earned through credit-by-exam mechanisms such AP, IB, AICE, and CLEP.

During your senior year, we do not need to receive your AP, IB, AICE, or CLEP scores to evaluate your application for admission, and your scores on these tests will not impact your admissions decision. Once all scores are finalized, we encourage students to have them sent directly from the score reporting agency.

Submitting your high school record/transcript: 
 
Complete and link your SSAR — Self-Reported Student Academic Record 
Required submission method 
 
Follow these simple steps to create and link your SSAR account: 

1. Log into your application portal 
2. Click the high school transcript link on your Application Checklist 
3. Create or log into your SSAR account 
4. Fill in your Student Academic Record (for help, visit our SSAR FAQs) 
5. Your SSAR will be linked to your UNF application! 

Important high school transcript information: 

• We cannot process paper transcripts sent via mail or as email attachments 
• If you applied through Common App, you must still link your SSAR to your application checklist using the steps above. 

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Submitting your college or university transcript (if you took any courses at another institution): 

• Upload PDFs of your unofficial transcripts through your applicant portal. These transcripts can be used for rendering a decision. 
• Contact your prior college or university and request that they send your official transcript to UNF. We must receive the final and official transcript, even if we render your initial decision using your unofficial transcripts. 

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Submitting your ACT and/or SAT scores: 
 
Document upload —Make sure your full name, composite score and sub-scores are visible and readable in the document.  
 
Follow these simple steps to upload your test score report(s): 

1. Save your score report as a PDF 
2. Log into your application portal 
3. Find the Upload Materials section  
4. Select the appropriate material option in the dropdown menu  
5. Click Choose File and select your PDF 
6. Click the Upload button 
7. Repeat for each individual score report you have (We super score!)

• UNF's ACT code is 0711 
• UNF's SAT code is 5490 

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Dual enrollment, AP, IB and AICE transcripts: 

Although you may see them on your checklist, dual enrollment transcripts, as well as any AP, IB or AICE score reports, are not required for an admission decision. If you are admitted, you will need to submit these before starting classes. 

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Submitting the application fee:

The application fee can be paid in your application portal. 

Decision notification process

Once an application is complete with all required documents, the Office of Admissions will review applications on a 6-8 week turn-around. All applicants are notified by a USPS mailed official letter. Applicants may also check on the status of their application online.

Appeals process

A student who is denied admission to UNF has a right to appeal that decision. If he or she chooses to appeal, the student must submit a letter and supporting documentation, detailing the reason the application should be reviewed.

The supporting documentation that substantiates the appeal must be new information not provided as part of the initial application.

Please submit the Admissions Decision Appeal Form or send the documents to the address below:

Admissions Office at the University of North Florida
c/o The Director of Undergraduate Admissions
1 UNF Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32224

Examples of supporting documentation include:

• Updated post-secondary transcripts showing satisfactory or improved college coursework
• Documentation to support situations that are out of the student's control, if applicable

Applicants who wish to appeal a denial based on a disability may submit documentation verifying the disability along with the letter of appeal. If applicable, we recommend also including updated transcripts or new test scores.

Please note that there is no guarantee an appeal decision will result in admission to the University of North Florida. The likelihood a decision will be reversed on appeal is low. We always recommend that students be prepared to pursue alternative academic plans. We are willing to provide assistance with college options.

Students graduating high school in Florida with an A.A. degree

High school students who are on track to earn an associate in arts (A.A.) degree from a Florida College System (FCS) or State University System (SUS) institution may be considered for admission as either a first-time-in-college (FTIC) freshman or as a potential A.A. transfer student.  The University of North Florida will determine the best option for admission by first assessing admission based on option 1 below and then option 2.

Option 1 — First-Time-in-College (FTIC) admissions option

Students admitted under this option:

1. Must submit either ACT or SAT scores
2. Must have a recalculated high school GPA above a 3.0
3. Must submit a $200 enrollment deposit and attend a freshman orientation session
4. Will be considered for merit-based scholarships
5. Will be eligible for first-year housing options

Option 2 — Transfer student with an A.A. degree admissions option*

Students admitted under this option:

1. Do not need to submit ACT or SAT scores
2. Must meet upper division pre-requisites and GPA requirements for intended major
3. Must submit a $200 enrollment deposit and attend a freshman orientation session
4. Will not be considered for merit-based scholarships
5. Will be eligible for first-year housing options

*Any student admitted under option 2 must immediately contact the UNF Office of Admissions if they do not intend to receive their A.A. degree for any reason. 

For more details, please see FL BOG 6.005.

The Osprey First is a summer pathway program that takes place during our Summer B term (June 25 – Aug. 4, 2023) and eases the transition from high school to college. 

Learn More!

The calendar below may be used as a guideline to help keep you on task in regards to choosing a college during your senior year of high school. We hope that you will consider UNF your first choice as you accomplish many of the tasks included in this calendar.

Senior Year: Fall Semester

August 

• APPLY! Work on applications for admissions, scholarships and grants. 
• Look for back-to-school sales to help pay for school supplies.
• Review high school math and English to strengthen these skills.
• Create a checklist of tests and registration deadlines, fees, dates, college application deadlines, materials needed, etc.
• Talk with your teachers, guidance counselors, coaches and mentors about preparing letters of recommendation to submit with your applications.  A resume and letters of recommendation may not be required for admissions but they are highly encouraged.

September 

• Register to take the SAT or ACT and enroll in UNF's SAT or ACT preparation course since test scores are often among the criteria used to determine scholarship winners.
• Request applications and financial-aid information from the schools to which you are applying. 
• Make sure to get a FAFSA worksheet from your high school counselor's office before school closes for winter vacation. Most colleges prefer students to file an online FAFSA; however having the worksheet in hand will help you gather the appropriate information.
• We also encourage students to use their current year FAFSA to see if they are eligible for financial aid (see October for FAFSA information).
• Although it's too early to complete a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, use an EFC calculator to determine your eligibility for financial assistance.
• Look for scholarship opportunities. Some employers offer scholarship money for children of employees. Sometimes local organizations have scholarship programs for high school seniors. Meet with your high school guidance counselor to get information on scholarships. Check the local library and search the Internet to see if you can find other scholarship opportunities and tell everyone you know to send scholarship information your way.

October 

• Fill out the FAFSA! The FAFSA is turned on every Oct. 1 for the upcoming academic year. It uses income and tax information from two years ago - the prior, prior tax year.
• Attend college fairs and financial aid workshops. These might be sources of additional information about scholarships, grants and other types of financial aid.
• Visit college campuses. Compare costs of colleges so you get an idea of how much money will be needed at each institution. This will vary based on many factors, including state colleges versus universities, private versus public and in-state versus out-of-state. 
• Continue to contact prospective colleges and find out their deadlines for scholarship and financial aid applications, as well as any paperwork you'll need to submit
• Start getting family financial information so you are ready to apply for financial aid. Among the items you'll want to gather are tax documents, W-2s and records of benefits from government agencies such as the Social Security Administration.
• The Department of Education uses the FAFSA to determine a student's eligibility for federal and state funds. 
• Oct. 15 is the priority consideration date for financial aid at the University of North Florida.

November 

• Continue to visit college campuses. Compare costs of colleges so you get an idea of how much money will be needed.
• Continue looking for additional sources of money.
• By now you should have received your Student Aid Report, or SAR, which summarizes the data you reported on your FAFSA. Check it to make sure it is accurate.

December

• Dec. 1 is when the Florida application for financial aid opens. Although this is the application for Bright Futures, you should complete this application even if you will not qualify for a Bright Futures scholarship. The state of Florida has other grants and scholarships for which you may be eligible.
• You must complete this application prior to your high school graduation.

Senior Year: Spring Semester

February

• Continue filling out financial aid forms for prospective schools, as well as scholarship applications according to your deadline calendar. Though you have already filled out your FAFSA, some colleges have additional paperwork you must submit to request financial aid.
• As you submit these forms to various colleges, follow up to make sure all paperwork has been received.
• Keep looking for more scholarships. Churches, civic organizations and philanthropists may have additional sources of funding.
• Check with your high school guidance counselor to see if more scholarship opportunities have become available.

March

• Follow up on any scholarship applications submitted in the fall, if you have not yet received an award notification.
• If there are mistakes or if you have not received your SAR, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center.

April

• Continue to follow up on scholarship and financial aid applications you've submitted. Look for responses to applications in the mail.
• Look for acceptance deadlines on any scholarship or financial aid awards. You might have to formally accept the scholarship or financial aid by a certain date.

May

• Continue to follow up on scholarship applications if you have not yet received notification.
• If you do receive additional scholarships, inform your college financial aid office. They may need to adjust the federal financial aid package you are receiving.
• Fill out student loan applications, if loans are part of your financial aid package.  If you've been awarded federal loans, contact the college to understand the steps necessary to receive this funding. 

June

• Keep looking for scholarship opportunities being awarded by local businesses and groups.
• Work to help finance your education.
• Inform Bright Futures which college you'll be attending, so that your award is distributed in a timely manner.

July

• Continue looking for last-minute scholarship money or look for scholarships that can be applied for in the fall to help pay for your second year of college.
• Invest your summer earnings in a high-yield savings account.

August

• Start packing!

Don't see the answer you are looking for? Reach out to the Office of Admissions directly and let us know how we can assist you!