Undergraduate petitions

Petitions offer an exception to a university policy. Petitions are handled differently for undergraduate and graduate students. Students who have graduated are not eligible for petitions.

Students may petition their academic program to request exceptions to program policies. Contact your academic advisor regarding the specific process for your program.

Students may also petition the college directly requesting exceptions to program decisions or college policy. Petitions may be directed via email to the Senior Associate Dean’s Office. The appropriate faculty committee will review the request and provide a recommendation to the Senior Associate Dean, who will make the final decision.Further concerns may be directed to the University Ombuds.

Undergraduate student petitions

The petitions process is available for students to request a waiver of a university academic regulation or academic deadline. A university petition is used to request:

• late add a course after the add/drop deadline
• withdraw from select courses after the withdrawal deadline (non-medical)
• if a student requests to drop one or more course(s) in a semester because of extenuating circumstances yet wishes to keep other courses in that same semester, the student must address specifically why only the selected course(s) were affected by the extenuating circumstances to alleviate a denial
• withdraw from all courses in a term (non-medical)
• refund of fees (fee refund requests must be submitted within 6 months of the close of the applicable semester)
• other requests

Submitting a university petition

1. Carefully follow the instructions on the University Petition Form. Students must attach a one-page typed statement in 12 pt. font outlining the pertinent issues that led to the petition. All submitted documentation is subject to verification. Submission of false, forged or fraudulent information will result in judicial sanction.
2. Students who are petitioning to drop, add or receive a refund should submit the Instructor Statement Form. Students complete the top portion of the form, and the faculty member or instructor completes the bottom of the form. If the instructor is no longer at UF, the department chair may complete the forms.
3. Students must complete the required interview with their college regarding the nature of their petition. The interviewing officer and student should discuss:
   • The reasons for petitioning
   • Extenuating circumstances
   • Plans for future enrollment
   • How this will affect the student’s ability to graduate

The college will provide a signed statement using the Interviewing Officer Statement Form. Students may be able to arrange a phone interview if no longer in the area.

• Submit all forms and the supporting documentation at one time to the Office of the University Registrar via the secure document upload.
• Remember to keep a copy! The documents you submit will remain permanently on file with the university; they will not be returned.

NOTE: If petitioning for a waiver of the Repeat Course Surcharge for financial hardship, the instructor statement and interviewing officer forms are not necessary. However, students should provide financial documentation proving an unmet or outstanding financial need, such as the UF Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Student Financial Statement.

Submitting an excess hours petition

Florida law is very specific about what courses are included in your excess credit counter. Students who are expected to pay an excess hours surcharge can petition if they believe their excess hours should be exempted. A petition, or appeal, of the initial counter determination must be received by the end of a student’s first term at UF. Appeals of credit hours added to the counter after enrollment must be submitted within six months of the course being taken.

These circumstances are considered acceptable basis for appeals under Florida Law:

• College credit earned through articulated accelerated mechanisms such as AP, IB, CLEP, dual enrollment, national standardized tests
• Credit hours required for certification, recertification, or certificate programs not used in the student’s degree program
• Courses from which the student withdraws for reasons of medical or personal hardship
• Credit taken by active-duty military personnel
• Credit hours taken to achieve a dual major while pursuing a baccalaureate degree
• Remedial and English-as-a-second-language credit hours
• Credit hours earned while participating in a Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC) program.