Admissions

The Office of Admissions is where staff help students with questions or concerns about getting started in college, admissions advisement, preliminary academic advisement, assistance with residency, and understanding the different types of degree programs offered. Students may submit high school transcripts, test scores, and residency documents to the Office of Admissions. In addition, the Office of Admissions is responsible for campus tours, the SF Achieve program, New Student Orientation, New Student Convocation, and the Student Ambassador Program. 

Visit the Office of Admissions’ website at www.sfcollege.edu/admissions for the Admissions Application and to access forms and additional information. 

Admissions Criteria
High school graduates, as documented by one of the following, are eligible for admission to college credit programs and courses at Santa Fe College:

• An earned high school diploma from a secondary school with regional or accepted national accreditation.
• An earned state-issued General Education Diploma (GED).
• A passing score on the High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC), or the California High School Proficiency Exam, or a combination of passing scores on HiSET, TASC or GED subtests.
• In the case of a student who is home schooled in Florida, a signed, notarized affidavit submitted by the student’s parent or legal guardian attesting that the student has completed a home education program pursuant to the requirements of s. 232.02(4) is required. This affidavit must be accompanied by documentation by the appropriate school board demonstrating that the home school was registered in the county in which the home school was administered. In the case of a home school “umbrella” organization, a final, official transcript must be submitted from the umbrella service in addition to the home school affidavit. Students who were home schooled in a state other than Florida must provide documentation showing the home school program was completed in compliance with their state’s rules and regulations.
• An official, final college transcript from a regionally, or accepted nationally, accredited college, university, or and other postsecondary institution showing completion of college-level English and Math.
• College credit awarded by passing English and math exams administered by Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge AICE, College-Level Examination Program (CLEP), or DANTES, as determined by the Office of the Registrar.
• For International students, education equivalent to U.S. secondary school education and meeting language standards established through College Procedure 7.6P.
   

If addition, non-high school graduates possessing certificates of completion or special diplomas are eligible to enroll for certain certificate courses only. These students are not eligible for most forms of financial aid. Information about these programs is available at the Office of Admissions.

High School Transcripts

• Effective July 1, 2011, the United States Department of Education mandates that institutions must determine if each student’s high school diploma is valid and obtained from an entity that provides secondary school education prior to allowing students to receive financial aid.
• Final, official high school transcripts, copy of GED, copy of HiSET score, TASC score, the California High School Proficiency Exam score, or home school affidavit must be received and processed by the Office of Admissions before the start of a student’s first semester of classes.  Exceptions may be made for students who are in specific programs and/or who meet criteria as determined by the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs.
• Students who have earned a previous Associate in Arts degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution must submit their final, official high school transcripts before receiving financial aid.
   

Please contact the Office of Admissions for information regarding admission to the college, deadline dates for submission of applications, and all forms necessary for admission to the college: visit the office on the Northwest Campus in Building R, room 101, or call 352-395-7322 or 352- 395-5000; visit our website at www.sfcollege.edu.

Campus Tours
Campus tours are offered through the Office of Admissions at 10 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 2 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday, excluding college holidays. Tours may sometimes reach capacity, so please consult the tour calendar, and schedule your campus tour at https://www.sfcollege.edu/admissions/. Large group tours, of parties of ten or more, may also be scheduled at https://www.sfcollege.edu/admissions/get-started/campus-visit/. 

New Student Orientation
Completing New Student Orientation gets students started on the right foot in college. During Orientation, new SF students will learn about college policies and procedures, explore college services and resources, and learn how to register for classes. Students are required to complete online New Student Orientation through eSantaFe prior to registering for classes. Student Convocation is held shortly after a new student begins classes. The on-campus event focuses on student success, offering critical tips on how to make the most of the college experience.

Assessment and Placement
The placement testing requirement is intended to provide the college with an indication of a student’s abilities in terms of communication and computation at the college level.

For information on admissions qualifications and required testing using the Florida’s Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT), please consult our website at www.sfcollege.edu.

Students whose placement test scores are below college level may be required to enroll in Development Education courses. These courses will earn credits but will not be counted toward meeting the required or elective credits necessary for the Associate in Science, Associate in Applied Science, Associate in Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Applied Science degree.

Students who present scores from one of the common placement test options listed in section two (2) of Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-10.0315, that meet or exceed college level placement scores may be exempted from completing placement testing, provided the scores are less than two years old.

All first time in college (freshmen) A.A.-Degree seeking students who score at or above the designated state cut-scores in mathematics will be given the opportunity to take the ALEKS to qualify for higher-level mathematics placement.

Students who score below the designated state cut-scores are required to develop college level skills and are encouraged to do so before they enroll in college level courses. Students whose native language is not English may have additional testing requirements.

Please Note: Graduates from Florida public high schools with a standard diploma in 2007 or later may be exempt from taking a placement test and/or Developmental Education coursework. Students interested in learning more about this and to see if they are eligible for this exemption are encouraged to make an appointment to speak with their Academic Advisor. Each student’s assigned advisor and his/her contact information may be found by viewing the Degree Audit in eSantaFe.

Assessment Center
Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.; ; K-05 (NW Campus) 
All testing must be started at least two hours prior to closing (except by special permission).

A picture ID is required (driver’s license, military ID, passport). Exempted from this testing requirement are the following:

1. All students who have earned an Associate in Arts degree or higher from an accredited institution in the United States.
2. All students intending to enroll in vocational courses only, special programs and seminars, or any of the unrestricted courses and programs in any term’s registration schedule.
3. All transfer or readmission students who have satisfactorily completed College Composition (ENC1101) or equivalent and Intermediate Algebra (MAT1033) or College Algebra (MAC1105) or equivalent with a C or better.
    

Course Loads
A full-time student for fall, spring, and summer terms is one who enrolls in 12 or more semester hours, or any combination of 12 or more hours in the full or mini sessions within the individual term. Credit hours for courses audited are counted toward a full load. Students may not register for more than 19 semester hours in any standard term nor more than 10 semester hours in any mini term at SF without special permission. Students seeking permission to enroll in more than 19 semester hours must see the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs or a designee in room 253 of the Robertson Administration Building on the Northwest Campus.

Deadlines and Transcripts
SF requires final, official transcripts from the high school from which a diploma was earned and all colleges a new student has attended. Final, official transcripts should be on file with the Office of Admissions prior to the start of the student’s first semester. The deadline for applying to the college, with all supporting documents for any given term, is the day before the first day of class. Priority registration is reserved for those applicants who complete the Admissions process by the Application Priority Dates (April 1 for summer semester, August 1 for fall semester, and December 1 for spring semester). Financial aid may be received after ALL final, official transcripts are received and processed.

For this and other official college dates, check the calendar online at www.sfcollege.edu or contact the Office of Admissions at 352-395-7322. These dates are subject to change without notice. Please refer to the Admissions website at www.sfcollege.edu for updated information regarding admissions deadlines and/or requirements.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply early and complete all registration procedures before the Priority Dates. Failure to submit the required documentation before the first day of classes may result in the inability to attend classes in the desired term.

Degree Programs
The Associate in Arts (A.A.) degree program is for students who wish to transfer to a four-year college or university upon graduation. This degree is composed of 36 credit hours of General Education and 24 credit hours of electives that are usually comprised of the pre-professional courses required for entrance to a particular upper division major. At least 60 credit hours in courses designated with a P (Parallel) must be successfully completed in order to graduate with an A.A. degree. A.A. degrees are general liberal arts degrees intended for college or university transfer and are not major specific. Therefore, a student can only earn one A.A. degree.

Associate in Science (A.S.) and Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree programs are designed for entry into employment after completion of the two-year degree. They include 15-18 credit hours of General Education courses and approximately 42 credit hours specific to the degree that is being earned.

Technical Certificate programs are designed to meet the occupational needs of the community by preparing students for employment. These programs of instruction do not require 60 credit hours of college level courses.

Santa Fe College offers the Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.S.) degree programs which provide degree completion opportunities for students from a variety of educational backgrounds, but primarily those with Associate in Science degrees or the equivalent.

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) is the designated four-year degree for baccalaureate programs comprised of concentrated studies in the sciences, applied sciences, health sciences, or professional disciplines. Bachelor of Science degree programs provide degree completion opportunities for students from a variety of educational backgrounds, including those who may hold the Associate in Arts or Associate in Science degree.

For information on these and other degrees, please see our website at www.sfcollege.edu.

Non-Degree Academic Programs
Non-degree academic programs are authorized by the President for students and cohort groups of students who are not seeking a degree from the college. The President is also authorized to establish eligibility requirements for each non-degree academic program.

Degree Audit
All currently enrolled and readmit students must access their degree audit for degree requirements, graduation status, grades, GPA, and university admission requirements prior to registration.

Degree audits are available online via eSantaFe. Log in to eSantaFe, click on Advisement, click on View Degree Audit, and select Degree Audit Detail. If you have questions about your degree requirements, please meet with an academic advisor prior to registration.

Readmittance
Students who have previously attended Santa Fe College may readmit online through eSantaFe. Florida residency for tuition purposes documentation must be resubmitted at the time of readmittance.

Registration Procedures
Students must complete online New Student Orientation prior to registering for courses. The purpose of New Student Orientation is to provide new incoming students with a comprehensive view of what the Santa Fe College experience will be, and the expectations and responsibilities of being an SF student. Orientation cover resources for success, financial aid tips, critical college policies and more.  New Student Orientation may be accessed through My Status in eSantaFe. 

Each student’s steps to registration are listed on My Status in eSantaFe. Registration appointments for current students will be posted on eSantaFe 10 business days prior to the start of registration.

Residency Classification
For the purpose of assessing matriculation and tuition fees, a student shall be classified as a “resident” or “non-resident” based upon Florida Statute 1009.21 and 6A-10.044 (FAC). A link to the State Statute is available on the Admissions website at www.sfcollege.edu. Please contact the Office of Admissions if you have questions about your initial residency classification or the Office of the Registrar if you would like to appeal to reclassify your residency status.

Transient and Previous Degree Students
Transient and previous degree students (Associate in Arts or higher) who want to attend Santa Fe College should consult the website at www.sfcollege.edu for information on requirements and deadlines.