Excess Credit Hour Surcharge

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 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
• How can I see what credit hours do and do not count towards my total Excess Credit Hours?

  You can view a complete audit of all credit hours in your myWings account. The Excess Hours page will show you which courses are exempt and which are being counted toward your total number of allowed credit hours under the Excess Hours regulation. To view this information:

  • Log in to myWings
  • Select Student under the left "My Resources" menu
    • If you are on a mobile device, select the Student tile
  • Click the Records tab
  • Under the "Student Records" header, select Excess Hours Status
• What if I am pursuing a dual major/degree?
  Students who have officially declared a double major are given an additional 15 credit hour allowance that is reflected in the “Multiple Major” field on their Excess Hours screen in myWings. Students pursuing dual degrees (e.g. BA and BS) are given an additional 30 credit hour allowance that is reflected in the “Multiple Degree” field on their Excess Hours screen in myWings. 
• Are second bachelor's degrees included?
  Second or additional bachelor's degrees are not excluded from the Excess Credit Hour regulation unless the student first matriculated prior to fall 2009.
• What about internships?

  UNF will exclude internship hours automatically from your excess credit hour total whenever possible. However, it is not always possible to identify internships when taken at another institution. If your excess credit hour total includes internship hours from another institution, you should submit an appeal for an adjustment to your Excess Credit Hour total. Directed individual studies and other one-on-one instructional courses are not considered internships.

• What about credit for Certification?

  The specific course that prepares you for the exam may be excluded from your Excess Credit Hour calculations, but not all courses in the degree program. 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. 

• 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 we do not currently track, so it is critical you let us know of any credit you have earned while on active duty. You will need to submit an Excess Credit Hour Surcharge Appeal that includes a copy of your DD214, orders, or standard employment letter as part of the appeal documentation.

• Do graduate courses count?

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

• Can UNF waive an Excess Credit Hour Surcharge?
  No, an institution cannot waive the surcharge. 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.
• What documentation is needed for an Excess Hours Surcharge Appeal?
  1. Signed and dated student statement including
     • Name
     • UNF ID (N#)
     • Course(s) for which an exemption is being requested
     • Statute language that serves as the basis for the exemption being requested
  2.  Supporting documentation, which may include, but is not limited to:
     • Signed statement from your academic advisor on letterhead, verifying non-degree-applicable courses
     • DD214 or military orders (in cases of courses taken during active-duty status)
     • Course description from another institution (in cases of internship exemptions)