Tuition Waivers (Non-Military)

Child protection and child welfare personnel enrolled in a graduate-level social work program or a certificate program related to child welfare are exempt from the payment of tuition and fees for a maximum of six credit hours per semester.

“Child protection and child welfare personnel” includes child protective investigators and child protective investigation supervisors employed by the department and case managers and case manager supervisors employed by a community-based care lead agency or a subcontractor of a community-based care lead agency who do not possess a master’s degree in social work.

All child protection and child welfare personnel who participate in the tuition exemption program must remain employed by the department, a state agency, or a contracted provider for 5 years after completion of a graduate-level social work program. If employment ends before the 5-year period, the benefit shall be repaid according to a pro-rata calculation based on the number of years of service.

High school students enrolled in dual enrollment or early admission programs pursuant to Florida Statutes articulated acceleration will be exempt from the payment of tuition and mandatory fees. Please refer to the Academic Affairs Dual Enrollment page or the Tuition and Fees section of the UWF Undergraduate Catalog for more information.

Students shall be exempt from paying tuition and fees if the student is or was at the time he or she reached the age of 18 in the custody of DCF or a relative under s. 39.5085; who was adopted from the DCF after May 5, 1997; or was placed in a guardianship by a court after spending at least 6 months in the custody of DCF after reaching 16 years of age. The student must provide certification of eligibility from the Florida Department of Children and Family Services. This exemption shall remain valid until the time the student reaches 28 years of age. Submit the Florida Department of Children and Family Services Waiver application through MyUWF.

State of Florida employees classified as permanent full-time employees may be allowed to register on a space-available basis at the University for a maximum of six semester hours of tuition-free courses per semester (fall, spring, and summer). Certain portions of course fees are not covered by the waiver and must be paid by the fee payment due date to avoid the assessment of a $100 late payment fee or the cancellation of registration. Please refer to Registrar's State Employees page for information.

Graduate assistants who have at least a .25 FTE appointment may be eligible for a matriculation fee waiver which applies to a portion of the in-state tuition. Out-of-state graduate assistants may be eligible for a waiver of the out-of-state portion of the tuition. Please refer to Graduate School's Graduate Student Assistantships page for more information.

In 2021, the Florida Legislature amended Section 1009.26, Florida Statutes to create the Grandparent Out-of-State Tuition Waiver. Out-of-state first-year students admitted for Fall 2022 whose grandparent currently resides in Florida may be eligible for a waiver of out-of-state fees. This waiver is applicable for 110 percent of the required credit hours of the student's degree program. Please refer to the Undergraduate Admissions page for more Grandparent Tuition Waiver information.

Out-of-state students, including, but not limited to, students who are undocumented for federal immigration purposes who meet the following conditions are eligible for a waiver of out-of-state fees: attended a secondary school in Florida for 3 consecutive years immediately before graduating from a high school in Florida; apply for enrollment within 24 months after high school graduation; and, submit an official Florida high school transcript as evidence of attendance and graduation. The waiver is applicable for 110 percent of the required credit hours of the student's degree or certificate program. A student who is granted an out-of-state fee waiver is not eligible for state financial aid. Submit the High School Out-of-State Waiver application through MyUWF.

The Online Free Seat Program was created “to encourage veterans, active duty members of the United State Armed Forces, active drilling members of the Florida National Guard, and non-traditional students to enroll in an online baccalaureate program at a state university".

Those that qualify will receive a waiver of tuition and applicable fees for one course during their first semester and a 25 percent discount against tuition/matriculation and tuition differential for all other courses up to 110 percent of the number of required hours within the online degree program. Fees will not be discounted.

Student Eligibility

• Be a Florida resident for tuition purposes;
• Not have previously earned a bachelor’s degree;
• Be enrolled in an online baccalaureate degree program as defined in the “Online Baccalaureate Program” section below;
• Meet one of the following eligibility requirements:
• Is a veteran as defined in s. 1.01(14), F.S.;
• Is an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces;
• Is an active drilling member of the Florida National Guard whose eligibility is validated by the service member’s unit Commander and/or the Commander’s designated representative serving as the Unit Point of Contact;
• Is a non-traditional student, defined for the purposes of this program as a student who has earned a Florida standard high school diploma, a high school diploma comparable to a Florida standard high school diploma, or its equivalent, or completed a home education program, and has been out of high school or home education program for at least 5 years. A non-traditional student must not have been enrolled in a postsecondary institution in the last 5 years.

Students who wish to be considered for the Online Free Seat program must submit the FSW Program application through MyUWF and be approved by their institution to participate in the program.

To remain eligible for the Online Free Seat Program, students must enroll at least part-time in the program during each academic year.

Active drilling members of the Florida National Guard must submit the  Verification of Active Drilling Status form. The form must be signed by the member’s Unit Commander and/or designated representative serving as the Unit Point of Contact (electronic signatures may be used, if needed). Such verification must be conducted each term in which the student is participating in the Online Free Seat Program.

Online Baccalaureate Program

1. For purposes of this program, online baccalaureate programs are those programs/majors included in the Board of Governors Online Program Inventory.

2. The Free Seat Program applies to online baccalaureate programs/majors funded by E&G and those that are self-supporting; both types of programs are identified as online programs and are included in the Board of Governors Online Program Inventory.

3. All courses that are waived or discounted must be a part of the online baccalaureate degree program in which the student is enrolled.

Effective Fall 2021, students enrolled in one of the twelve Programs of Strategic Emphasis as a primary major may be eligible to receive a tuition and fee waiver for an equivalent course within that program. 

Student Eligibility

• Students must be a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
• Students must have earned at least 60 semester credit hours toward a baccalaureate degree within two academic years after initial enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution.
• Students must be accepted and enrolled in one of the selected Programs of Strategic Emphasis.

CIP Code	CIP Description
11.0101	Computer and Information Systems
11.0103	Information technology
13.1001	Special Education & Teaching (Effective Fall 2023)
13.1202	Elementary Education & Teaching (Effective Fall 2023)
14.0801	Civil Engineering
14.0901	Computer Engineering
14.1001	Electrical and Electronics Engineering
27.0101	Mathematics
40.0801	Physics
52.0301	Accounting (Effective Fall 2022)
52.0801	Finance (Effective Fall 2022)
52.1201	Management Information Systems

Limitations

• Only applies to upper-division courses defined as 3000/4000 level courses
• Only applicable up to 110 percent of the number of required credit hours for the degree program
• Can only be applied toward the primary major of the first bachelor’s degree
• Cannot be applied to pre-majors, second majors, or minors
• Does not qualify toward market rate or self-supporting programs
• Cannot be applied retroactively
• Cannot be used with other waivers

Eligible students will receive a 50 percent waiver against tuition and applicable fees for courses required within the degree program.

Students are not required to request this waiver. Those eligible will have the waiver automatically applied and will be notified via email.

Individuals who are 60 years or older and meet Florida residency requirements may enroll on a space-available basis without payment of the application and registration fee. Please refer to the Registrar's Senior Citizens page for more information.

Dependents of special risk members as defined in Sections 112.190 and 112.191, Florida Statutes (law enforcement, correctional and correctional probation officers and fire fighters), killed in the line of duty are eligible for waiver of tuition and fees under certain circumstances. The amount waived shall not exceed 120 credit hours. The benefit shall continue until the student's 25th birthday for dependent children. The benefits provided to a spouse must commence within 5 years after the death occurs and shall continue until the 10th anniversary of that death. Only a student in good standing may receive the benefits thereof. Submit the Special Risk Dependent Waiver application through MyUWF.

A person who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence, excluding university housing, or whose primary nighttime residence is a public or private shelter designed to provide a temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized, or a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings is eligible for a waiver of tuition and associated fees. Students requesting this waiver are required to provide proof of homelessness (affidavit from a homeless shelter, for example). Submit the completed  Homeless Waiver, Affidavit of Homeless Status, and other supporting documents to the Cashier's Office every semester.

Eligible full-time UWF employees are permitted to take up to six credit hours of undergraduate or graduate coursework at UWF per semester (fall, spring, and summer) without payment of tuition or mandatory fees. Employees may also assign up to six of their undergraduate credit hours or up to three graduate credit hours to their dependents.

Courses such as directed studies, practicums, internships, music and theater performance, continuing education, and other one-on-one course situations such as theses and dissertations are not authorized. Certain portions of course fees are not covered by the waiver and must be paid by the employee or dependent by the fee payment due date to avoid the assessment of a $100 late payment fee or the cancellation of registration.

Please review the Educational Opportunities section on the Human Resources site for more information.