Pursuant to F.S. 1009.26, F.S. 1009.265, F.S. 1009.25 and Board of Governors Rule 7.008, FAU is authorized to waive tuition and associated fees for the categories listed below. Please follow the instructions listed within each waiver category to submit a waiver application should you meet ALL the corresponding criteria.
Please Note: Tuition waivers are posted by the last day to add/drop for each term. The Tuition and Billing Office does not provide waivers for application fees. For questions regarding state mandated waivers and exemptions please contact the University’s Waiver Liaison:
Annette Blackwell
waivers@fau.edu
561-297-6101
According to Florida Law, some students who were in DCF custody, adopted, in a relative’s custody or placed in court guardianship may be exempted from paying tuition and fees at Florida College System institutions.
I want to attend a Florida College System institution. How do I know if I am eligible for this exemption?
You could be eligible for the fee exemption if you meet one of the following criteria:
What does the exemption cover?
This exemption covers tuition and fees only. This means that you will be required to pay other costs associated with college, such as textbooks, housing, and food.
Section 295.011, F.S., establishes a fee waiver for disabled veterans who are enrolled in a postsecondary program and receive educational assistance under the GI Bill ® but who do not qualify for the 100 percent eligibility tier federally. These students are eligible to receive a waiver in the amount that is the difference between the portion of tuition and fees authorized under federal law and the full amount of tuition and fees charged by the institution attended.
The waiver will be granted if the following criteria is met:
Beginning with out-of-state undergraduate first-year students admitted for the 2022-23 academic year, students with grandparents residing in Florida may be eligible for a tuition and fee waiver of the Non-Resident (out-of-state) fee.
Policies for the Grandparent Waiver are maintained by the Board of Governors of the State University System. Freshman applicants may apply for the waiver after submitting the application for admission. Students who qualify for Florida residency should not seek this waiver.
Students MUST meet the following requirements to be eligible for the grandparent waiver:
A linkage institute waiver is an agreement between the state universities/community colleges and foreign countries. The foreign country agrees to pay the out of state tuition’s portion on behalf of the student from its country.
The student who has been granted the Linkage Institute award will receive a letter from the appropriate linkage institute. The student will need to submit the award letter to the university/community college of attendance. For those students who are attending Florida Atlantic University, you will need to submit the award letter to waivers@fau.edu by the term’s last day to add/drop classes to avoid a late payment fee. Once we have received the letter, we will make an adjustment to your student account. The student is responsible to pay the balance by the semester’s last day to pay for students receiving a state waiver to avoid a late payment fee.
Below is a list of state universities/community colleges that process the application of the linkage institute tuition waiver for a particular country. For example, if you are from Brazil and attending Florida Atlantic University, you will need to contact University of Florida or Miami-Date Community College to apply for the linkage institute Tuition Waivers. Once you have been granted the tuition waiver, you will need to submit the award letter to the Controller’s Office at Florida Atlantic University.
Undergraduate Waivers:
Students should contact the Undergraduate Department for information regarding undergraduate waivers.
Graduate Waivers:
Students should contact their respective departments for information regarding the graduate waivers.
Pursuant to Florida Statute 1009.26 and Board of Governors Rule 7.008 (1) , FAU is authorized to waive the out-of-state fee for all students, including undocumented students, who demonstrate they:
If you believe you meet the qualifications to receive this waiver, click here to apply. For more information, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 561-297-3040.
In 2021, the Florida State Legislature implemented the Online Free Seat program. This waiver/discount program is for students who meet specific eligibility requirements and are enrolled in an online baccalaureate degree program. To be eligible for the waiver/discount, a student must:
The state has defined a non-traditional student 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.”
The following online programs of study are currently eligible for the program:
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
College of Business
College of Engineering and Computer Science
Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
College of Social Work and Criminal Justice
The waiver will cover the cost of tuition and fees for one online course in the student’s first semester of enrollment in the Online Free Seat program. For all remaining courses in the approved program, students will be granted a 25% discount on the tuition for said courses.
The following fees are waived for the one online course:
The following fees are not covered under this waiver: Transportation Access Fee, Owl Card Fee, Lab Fees and Material and Supply Fees.
For all other courses in which the student received the discount, the discount is only applicable to the tuition and tuition differential, not any fees.
Only courses required for a student’s primary online program are eligible for the waiver and discount.
Yes. In addition to the courses being applicable to the qualified online degree/major, the discount applies for up to 110% of the total number of credits required for the degree. Please note that credits earned through transfer coursework or accelerated mechanisms count towards the 110% limit.
Yes. The waiver and/or discount cannot be applied if the student has other waivers, 3rd party contracts, and/or scholarships that are applied towards their tuition and fees.
To apply for the Online Free Seat program, you must submit the Online Free Seat application. Please note that if you are not a Florida resident for tuition purposes, have already earned a bachelor’s degree, and/or are not enrolled in an approved online baccalaureate degree program, the system will not allow you to proceed with an application.
The application will require U.S. veterans, active duty member of the U.S. armed forces, and active drilling member in the Florida National Guard to provide supporting documentation to document their status.
The Florida State Legislature approved 1,000 free seats annually to all universities within the Florida public system. FAU’s initial allocation for the 2021-2022 academic year is 82 slots. Acceptance into the program requires that students submit the application and supply any supplemental documentation required. Eligibility for the program is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Yes, the following documentation is required:
An application is considered incomplete without the required supporting documentation. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed nor be given priority placement for the program enrollment.
For students who indicate qualification based upon the non-traditional student designation, the Office of the Registrar will review the academic history and National Student Clearinghouse database to validate the student’s status.
No. Courses covered by the program must be taken at FAU.
Program of Strategic Emphasis WaiverIn 2021, the Florida Legislature amended Section 1009.26, Florida Statutes, to create the Programs of Strategic Emphasis Waiver. This waiver was first available to resident undergraduate students enrolled in the 2021-2022 academic year who completed at least 60 semester credit hours towards a baccalaureate degree within two academic years after initial enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution and were enrolled in upper-division courses required for eligible academic programs. To be eligible for the waiver, a student must:
Of the twelve programs approved by the Florida BOG, FAU offers the following eleven majors/degrees:
College of Business
College of Engineering
College of Science
College of Education
Students enrolled in Pre-Engineering or Pre-Business with concentrations that lead to one of the majors/degrees listed above do not qualify for the waiver program. Students may qualify once all requirements for the pre-major have been completed and the college has admitted the student into one of the designated majors/degrees.
Do credits earned from accelerated mechanisms count toward the 60-credit requirement?
Credits earned through accelerated mechanisms, such as AP, CLEP, IB, or AICE can count towards the 60-credit requirement as long as earned prior to the first day of a student’s enrollment at the state university system. Dual high school credits applicable to the 60-credit requirement do not need to meet the two-year time frame.
All 3000- and 4000-level courses that are required for program of study are eligible for the waiver. The waiver does not cover lower-division (1000- and 2000- level) or graduate courses (5000- or 6000-level) even if those courses are applicable to the degree.
No, only courses that are required for the primary Programs of Strategic Emphasis major will be covered. If, however, a course for the minor, certificate, dual major, or dual degree is also applicable/required for the primary major/degree that qualifies for the waiver.
Yes. In addition to the courses being applicable to the qualified majors/degrees, the waivers stop once a student has reached 110% of the total number of credits required for the degree.
The waiver will cover the cost of tuition and fees for 50% of all required upper-division coursework taken during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Students are responsible for 100% of tuition and fees for courses taken that are not covered by the waiver program.
Are there other restrictions to the waiver and/or discount?
Yes. The waiver and/or discount cannot be applied if the student has other statutory waivers. Students receiving the STEM waiver will have their 3rd party contracts and/or scholarships that are applied towards their tuition and fees reduced.
Effective Summer 2023, required courses taken during the Summer semester are covered by the waiver program.
The following fees are covered:
The following fees are not covered under this waiver: Owl Card Fee and Lecture Capture/Video Stream Fees.
The waiver must be used at FAU for FAU coursework. If a Study Abroad program is FAU faculty led and consists of FAU courses, the waiver may be applicable.
No. The waiver program is only available to students who are pursuing their first bachelor’s degree.
Possibly. There are three main criteria for the waiver program
Pursuant to F.S. 1009.265 and Board of Governors Rule 7.008, FAU is authorized to waive in-state tuition up to 6 credit hours for students who are employed by the State of Florida. Florida Statute Title XLVIII Chapter 1009 Section 265 stipulates that the State Employee Tuition Fee Waiver program is available on a space-available basis. Visit here for specific registration dates.
How Do I Apply?
Students must complete and submit the State Employee Tuition Waiver Form to statewaivers@fau.edu no later than the first add/drop date for the semester of intended use.
IMPORTANT: Confirm the date that you are allowed to register. You will be responsible for all course tuition and fees if you register prior to the State Employee registration day.