Online Associate Degrees at Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College appears in our ranking of the 20 Best Colleges for an Online Associates Degree.
Santa Fe College students may earn bachelor’s degrees and associate degrees from the Florida campus, as well as online. Associate degrees are offered in Associate of Science or Associate of Arts format. The Associate of Arts degrees are ideal for students interested in transferring to four-year universities, and the Associate of Science degrees are offered to students interested in career and technical education programs.
Some degrees are offered in multiple formats, so students can earn a degree that they can use to transfer to a university or a degree where they can leave Santa Fe College and begin work immediately. Programs offered in multiple formats include those in accounting, biological sciences, business administration, criminal justice, and elementary education.
Overall, the college offers eight different styles of degrees and programs with many of those programs featuring online classes. Degree types include Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science, bachelor’s degrees, certificate programs, community education classes, test prep classes, and continuing education programs. The majority of programs offered at Santa Fe College are in associate degree format with dozens of programs available.
Some of the best options for students interested in earning an associate degree that will transfer easily into study at a four-year university include those in art history, architecture, English, food science, and French. Other topics that are ideal for eventual university study include those in mathematics, music, linguistics, philosophy, psychology, and religion.
For career-focused degrees, some of the program options include building construction management, computer information technology, dental hygiene, health information technology, office administration, and paralegal studies. Students can also earn technology-focused degrees in areas like zoo animal technology, physical therapy, respiratory care, and networking systems technology.
The college offers a wealth of classes online that students may enroll in while pursuing their Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. Classes include American National Government, Legal Aspects of Business, Nursing Leadership, Programming Logic, Sociology, Statistics, and Microsoft Office Applications. Additional classes include Macroeconomics, Library Resources, Career Development, and Life Span.
About Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College is a public community college in Florida that is a member of the Florida College System. The large community college has more than 22,000 students enrolled at its Gainesville, Florida location, and in online classes. More than two-thirds of its students are enrolled part-time. The college’s official colors are white and blue. The college was established in 1965.
In addition to its Gainesville location, the college also has several learning centers that include the Andrews Center, Davis Center, and Watson Center. The college offers more than 50 accredited applied science and technology degrees. Each year, the college awards more Associate of Arts degrees than almost any community college in the nation. The college’s library recently won an Excellence in Academic Libraries Award from the Association of Colleges & Research Libraries.
Santa Fe College Accreditation Details
Institutional accreditation has been granted by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges for Santa Fe College. Many of the programs at Santa Fe College are also accredited by program-specific commissions, associations, and organizations. Approvals have been earned from the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology.
Further accreditations come from the American Council for Construction Education, the Commission on Dental Accreditation, and the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Other approvals have come from the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sources, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, and the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology.
Santa Fe College Application Requirements
Applications to Santa Fe College begin with the completed online application and a transcript of the student’s high school classes. Some programs also require an interview. Students who want to enroll as fall freshmen or as transfer students can apply on a rolling basis. Students can apply with Advanced Placement (AP) courses and dual-credit classes for transfer purposes, and the college also accepts life experience credits.
The college has a spring application deadline of December 1, and the fall application deadline is August 1. The college requires that students apply by April 1 if they want to enroll in summer classes. Students should note that submission of a final and official high school transcript must be received by the college before the advising and registration process can begin.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for students who enroll at Santa Fe College in lower-division classes is $77.98, and non-resident students will pay an additional non-resident tuition fee of $231.12 per credit. Upper-division classes are charged at a rate of $91.79 per credit if they’re Florida residents and will pay an additional $275.00 if they’re a non-resident. Some programs feature unique rates. The post-secondary adult vocational courses are $68.40 per credit for residents, and non-residents pay an additional $204.60 per credit.
Other costs include a student activities fee of $7.80, a technology fee of $3.50, an access fee of $2.00, and a transportation fee of $3.00. Non-residents will also pay a capital improvement fee of $31.67, and their fees are higher, too. For example, the technology fee for non-residents is $14.00 rather than the $3.00 that Florida residents pay. To qualify for resident tuition rates, students must live in Florida for at least one year.
The first step to obtaining financial aid from Santa Fe College is filling out a FAFSA form and submitting it through the federal government’s official site. Students must file the form each year they are enrolled in classes and must also make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) throughout their college career to maintain access to financial aid. Financial aid offered to students may include loans, scholarships, and grants.
Some students may be asked to provide additional information when they apply for financial aid that may include items that prove income or other information submitted on the initial FAFSA form. Students don’t need to maintain full-time enrollment to receive financial aid, but the aid awarded by the college may change based on the number of credits a student takes. Residents of Florida may want to look at the Bright Futures program, which can help with tuition at Santa Fe College and requires high school students to participate in community service engagements.
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