Summer ACE

Admission to the ACE program does not require a separate or special application from the general University of South Florida first time in college application.  Please use the general University of South Florida (Tampa Campus) application.

If you would like to join the Summer ACE program, email summerace@usf.edu. 

Summer B and Summer ACE are two different terms.

Summer B runs for six weeks, whereas Summer ACE runs for four weeks in person only. This allows for out of state and international students to have an alternative calendar summer semester and get an early start to their time at USF. 

The summer provides a great opportunity to get acclimated to your new home in Tampa and become familiar with the USF campus and various resources. 

First, congratulations on being accepted to USF!

USF utilizes rolling admissions, meaning the exact entry requirements for a term vary depending on the application date, application file completion date, and the space available in the semester for which the student applied. The fall semester is the most competitive semester, and space is not always available for every student who selected that term. Admissions may move students who have competitive applications to another start term.

The Summer ACE program was specifcally designed to provide support and community for out-of-state students transitioning to Florida. By participating in the Summer ACE program, you will receive support from our team of office staff, faculty, and student mentors that include community-building opportunities.

Once you complete the summer term, you will transition directly into the fall semester as a continuing student. All course credits earned in ACE are degree applicable as electives or general education courses. There are no conditions to be met other than attending Orientation and attending your summer classes. All students must remain in good academic standing (GPA 2.00 or above) to remain enrolled at USF.

Please call the USF Office of Admissions for any further explanation about the admissions process at 813-974-3350 or email at admissions@usf.edu.

The Summer ACE program operates on an alternative calendar starting early July with move in to the residence halls, Orientation, and classes. The class session is four weeks, though students will arrive early to move into residence halls (optional) and attend Orientation (required). Please see our Calendar page for exact dates.

• Enhanced assistance in the onboarding process
• Our #ACEfam faculty 
• Peer Mentorship
• Summer activities and off campus experiences
• Getting acclimated to your new home at  USF Tampa campus
• Getting started completing the required summer semester credits

• Summer ACE students attend the Friday, July 5, 2024 #MyOrientation date.
• Summer ACE coordinates with the Office of Orientation to reserve seats for this orientation. This date is included in ACE programming to make your transition convenient. Students should receive updates from the Office of Orientation with details about how to register.
• If need to attend a different date, please contact summerace@usf.edu.
• All Orientation sessions take place in person in Tampa. 
• Registration for Orientation typically opens in March.

Orientation is an event which all new USF students must attend. During the MyOrientation experiences, students will be introduced to USF culture and meet with their academic advisors to discuss their degree sequences and to schedule their fall classes. All Summer ACE students are required to attend Orientation. There will also be other new incoming first year students attending this Orientation session.

Parents/family are not required to attend Orientation, but we strongly encourage families and guests to participate if they are able. Parent and family registrations have an additional fee. Here is a link for the Families and Guests Orientation information.

No, all incoming USF students only need to attend one Orientation. The ACE program July Orientation is the official USF new student orientation. At this session, you will learn about getting ready for summer classes and planning your fall class schedule. 

Summer ACE students will live in the Cypress Hall apartments. Each apartment style unit offers four single bedrooms, shared living and kitchen areas and two bathrooms.

ACE students will have the option to continue to live with their ACE peers during the Fall/Spring semesters in Poplar Hall - they may select a room in Poplar during Fall/Spring room selection. Each suite consists of two double bedrooms and one bathroom.

Please check out a detailed overview about Cypress Hall, including amenities, room dimensions, pictures, floor plans, etc.

Please check out a detailed overview about Poplar Hall, including amenities, room dimensions, pictures, floor plans, etc.

Students must complete the Housing application(s) for the term(s) they choose to reside on campus. Each of the terms (Summer ACE and Fall/Spring) represents an individual housing application and application fee. For example, if you wish to live on campus in the summer term, you will complete a Summer ACE housing application and pay the $50 application fee. If you wish to live on campus for the fall/spring terms, you must submit the Fall/Spring housing application and pay the $50 application fee. 

You only need to reserve a single Orientation session.

Please review the housing agreement for full agreement and terms.

1. Roommates will first be pulled from Fall/Spring room assignments. To start this process, please find an ACE student you would like to room with and follow USF Housing and Residential Education's guide to select your roommate. Once you have selected another ACE student as your Fall/Spring roommate, the ACE Program will automatically place you and your roommate together for summer.

2. If you or your roommate are NOT living on campus in Fall/Spring, but would still like to room together during Summer, both students must send an email to SummerAce@usf.edu to alert the team of their request. Students should include:

• • • • • First & Last Name
        • University Identification Number
        • Their roommate's  First & Last Name
        • Their roommate's University Identification Number. 

The Summer ACE team considers roommate requests on a space available basis and will make every effort to honor requests.  There is no guarantee that all requests will be granted.  

If you want a specific roommate for the fall/spring terms (an ACE student or non-ACE student), follow the USF Housing instructions to create a roommate group. 

Room selection for fall/spring is available starting early March until we reach capacity.

Room assignments for Summer ACE are distributed mid-June. 

Students may bring a vehicle to campus but are responsible to acquire the appropriate permit through USF Parking and Transportation Services and park in the related lot to their permit type. A parking permit is required at all times. 

No, the decision on whether or not to bring a car is up to the students and their parents/guardians. Throughout their enrollment at USF, students have access to the USF Bull Runner and Tampa Bay transit system with their USF ID card. There are also other alternative transportation options available to all USF students.

Depending on what permit a student purchases, there are certain parking lots for certain permits. The parking lot in front of Juniper-Poplar Hall is for resident parking and the parking garage next to Juniper-Poplar Hall requires a garage specific permit. Please visit the USF Parking and Transportation Services website for an overview of how different parking permits work at USF. Here is a map with the different parking lots on campus.

The Summer ACE Team will place ACE students in their summer classes only. Class placement is dependent on incoming credits - such as AP/IB/Dual Enrollment - intended major, and student's own preferences. Students will have a chance to indicate their course preferences via our next steps process through Canvas.

Typically students will meet with their academic advisor at Orientation and plan their fall class schedule. Some academic advisors will pre-register students for fall classes prior to Orientation. 

Summer ACE offers students a variety of academic courses.  As part of the program, students will enroll in two linked classes (six credits) of General Education course requirements.  All students will enroll in IDS 2378 and a linked student-interest course in which the faculty have been partnering this spring to deliver a fully integrated academic experience. Visit our Coursework Page

Yes, ACE coursework will satisfy select major and graduation requirements:

• Graduation requirement: All students entering USF with fewer than 60 semester hours of credit are required to earn at least nine (9) semester hours of credit prior to graduation by attendance during one or more summer semesters in courses offered by USF or any one of the Florida State University System institutions.
• During ACE, students will be required to take six (6) credits worth of General Education or general elective coursework, which will apply towards their total hours at USF.

ACE students will be enrolled full-time for the summer term, which means that they will be taking six credits during the program. These courses will be accelerated and tailored for the length of the in-person program.

ACE students are required to take two-3 credit courses during summer ACE for a total of six (6) credits. All ACE students need to successfully complete both summer courses to successfully complete the ACE program.

Fall courses will be selected during Orientation with the help of an academic advisor. Academic advisors take into consideration all attempted post-secondary credit which the student attempted in high school. It is important that the students submit their official test scores and post-secondary transcripts to the Office of Admissions to ensure their attempted credits are available for the academic advisor to see.

During the ACE program, students will have peer mentors whose roles are to ensure and promote the students' safety, summer success, and campus involvement. The mentors will be available to help students with personal as well as academic concerns, as they serve as a guide for the ACE summer experience. 

Please visit our page detailing the estimated cost of the program.
ACE students can be considered for financial aid by submitting the 2023-2024 FAFSA (for Summer 2024 funding) in addition to the 2024-2025 FAFSA (for Fall/Spring/Summer 2024-2025).

The cost of ACE is based on residency status. Tuition and fees are assessed based on out of state or in state tuition and fee rates. 

For students interested in applying Florida PrePaid to Summer ACE, see this chart to determine the estimated amount covered for the six (6) required Summer ACE credits.

No, Summer ACE program is an in person only program.

This is because we want our students to become familiar with USF campus, resources, and their cohort...and the best way to do this is in-person! Additionally, classes will be taking community engaged learning trips around the Tampa Bay as a unique benefit only for ACE students so they can learn about their new home away from home!

If your term was changed by USF during the application process, you are typically not eligible to update back to the original entry term requested on your application. Please email summerace@usf.edu to discuss your situation and potential alternatives.