With the Nov. 23 deadline for dropping a class this fall, students with Bright Futures scholarships are concerned about having to pay for classes they drop.
This is the first semester that the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program, which aids more than 28,000 UF students, has changed its guidelines, making students refund their institution the cost of any dropped or withdrawn Bright Futures-funded course, said Ron Anderson, associate director of training and development for Student Financial Affairs.
This time of the year is when classes become more difficult, and some students need to drop a class or want to in fear of lowering their GPAs. With the new guidelines taking effect this semester, any class dropped after the drop-add period will have to be paid for.
Exceptions will be based on a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the student's control. The exception will only be cleared with a recommendation by the financial aid office at the student's university.
Stephanie Ellis, postdoctoral employee at the UF Counseling Center, said the center will occasionally write letters of support for students who want to withdraw from the semester.
"However, it's very rare that we just do it for one class. We do this when something traumatic happens, such as after the death of a family member, serious mental health issues or a pregnancy," Ellis said.
Patrick Piper, administrative services coordinator at UF's Financial Services, said students who fail to pay the university back will be notified that he or she owes debt and could eventually be sent to collections.
"I don't like the changes at all," said UF sophomore Chelsea Burns. "I worry about every little grade I get not because I plan on dropping every class that throws an obstacle at me, but because I know I don't have that option to drop."
Sophia Carballosa, a sophomore, said she would rather take a bad grade than make her family pay money for a class she had to drop, even if it might look bad on her GPA.
Anderson reminds students to take precautions prior to registration in order to prevent problems with the new guidelines.
"Seek good academic advising. If a class is not your cup of tea, be honest with yourself," Anderson said.
