Financial Assistance

Financial assistance at the for undergraduates is primarily available at the University level. The office of Student Financial Affairs offers information on grants, aid, and loans. There are numerous resources and scholarships available on the following section of the Student Financial Affairs web site: http://www.ufsa.ufl.edu/sfa/programs/otheraid.html.

There are additional options available on this site: http://www.finaid.org/. There are many free sites linked here (be wary of any site that asks you to pay to locate a scholarship). Another popular site to locate scholarships (but that we make no endorsement of) is: http://www.fastweb.com/

There are directories in the UF library that publish other scholarship options.

In addition, the College of Health and Human Performance has opportunities for scholarships to selected applicants. See the Undergraduate Scholarship section of this page: http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/info_for_students/ss/scholarship/

Information on student jobs is available here: http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/job.html

There is also a possibility of getting a part-time job with the Division of Recreational Sports (intramurals) on campus: click on the Student Employment link or or visit room 140 of the Southwest Recreation Center, or room 200 of the Student Recreation & Fitness Center. Campus Map

This same Division also employs students at the Lake Wauburg site about 8 miles from campus, so a student must be able to work that travel distance into their schedule. You can contact Mr. Bill James at Lake Wauburg or call him at 352-466-4112 for details about what positions might be available. You may also download an employment application online.

Another way to save money on your education is to participate in the Combined BS/MS Degree Program, where you can earn BS and MS degrees in 5 years or so, instead of the normal sequential BS then MS in 6 or 7 years. You do need to enroll in this option early in your Junior Year and certain GPA restrictions apply. An additional opportunity to prepare yourself for a graduate degree is to participate in the University Scholars Program – where undergraduate students pair up with a faculty mentor to work on a research project together. Up to $3,000 is made available to the student to assist funding the research project and to travel to present the results at a conference. March 1 is the usual deadline to apply for projects that begin in the summer semester. A number of past students from our department have benefited from this opportunity.

Federal Work-Study jobs, including Community Service jobs which are targeted towards student service in the local community, are awarded each year to more than 2,500 UF students. Eligibility depends on financial need, half-time enrollment, and a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average. Most Work-Study jobs require you to work 10 to 20 hours a week and let you arrange your work schedule around your classes. Salaries vary according to job skills and experience, but are always at least minimum wage.

To receive Federal Work-Study, you must apply for financial aid as soon as possible after January 1 each year by completing either a paper or electronic Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a Renewal FAFSA. Renewal FAFSAs are mailed to renewal applicants in December and January. In early January, obtain a Gator Aid Application Guide and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from your high school counselor, community college aid office, or from SFA in S-107 Criser Hall. Fill out the FAFSA and send it to the address indicated in time for the results to reach SFA by our “on-time” deadline; or, we recommend applying online at FAFSA.

If you live in North Florida and you or your parent's residence is serviced by Clay Electric Cooperative starting in January of each year, there is an application available at their website for High School Seniors to apply for a one-time $1,000 college scholarship. The deadline is April 1 to apply.

Hollings Coastal Resources Scholarship

Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship

Ben Meadows Natural Resource Scholarships for Juniors and Seniors

Elderhostel K. Patricia Cross Doctoral Research Grant