Enrollment Services Center
ONLINE FREE SEAT WAIVER APPLICATION
Please do not submit this form until you have been admitted to FGCU in one of the designated programs.
*Deadline to submit the application is by the first day of classes of the semester.
Eligibility Criteria
Beginning in the 2021-2022 academic year, Florida law provides for the waiver of tuition and fees for one online course in the first term and discounted tuition in subsequent terms for students who meet certain criteria and are enrolled in an online baccalaureate degree program. Students must meet the criteria below:
❖ Classified as a resident for tuition purposes; and
❖ Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree; and
❖ Enrolled in an eligible online baccalaureate degree program as defined in the Board of Governors Online Program Inventory;
and
❖ 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 MUST be validated by the servicemember’s unit Commander and/or the Commander’s designated representative serving as the Unit Point of Contact (additional verification form must be submitted every term);
- Is a nontraditional 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 nontraditional student must not have been enrolled in a postsecondary institution in the last 5 years.
Note: This program has a maximum limit of 17 eligible students and is granted on a first come, first served basis. Decisions for this waiver are made pursuant to Florida State Statute 1009.26 (19). All courses that are waived or discounted must be a part of the online baccalaureate degree program. This waiver cannot be applied if other waivers, third party contracts, and/or scholarships that are expressly restricted ARE or WILL be applied/credited toward a student’s tuition and fees.
To remain eligible for the Online Free Seats Program, students must be:
• Enrolled in at least one eligible credit hour during the academic year; and
• Remain in an eligible online baccalaureate degree program; and
• Maintain good academic standing (not warning, probation, or dismissal).
Students who withdraw from the University or have been discontinued for three consecutive terms for non-enrollment will need to reapply to the Online Free Seats program; waiver is not guaranteed and may no longer apply.
