Tabetha Martin-Howard
Social Media Editor
There could be numerous reasons why you aren’t able to take some classes at your home institution. You might be an online student, taking courses in another part of Florida, or studying abroad for the summer. Whatever your reason, if a specific class you need is not offered online or filled up as soon as it became available, you have the option to enroll in FloridaShines and take the course at another Florida institution as a transient student. FloridaShines is a website for educational resources provided by the Florida Virtual Campus and funded by the state of Florida. You can take courses online, plan your college path, search libraries, take courses at another school, and more through their website.
The first thing you should do is speak with your academic advisor. FloridaShines has specific requirements, and your advisor will be the best person to assist you with this process. Making an appointment or speaking with an advisor through QLess is the best way to get in touch. After speaking with your advisor, it’s best to reach out to the institutions you choose after reviewing their course catalog and confirming that the correct course is available. The institution will then instruct you on the course enrollment deadline and all you need to know about registering for the class. It’s best to speak with the registrar’s office at the institution you choose. You will have to pay for classes out of pocket to confirm your enrollment with the other institution. If you’re a student who receives financial aid, you will also need to reach out to the financial aid department at your home institution, and they will inform you about the reimbursement process.
After speaking with these various departments and confirming that it’s okay to start the process, you can complete the application by logging onto the FloridaShines website at https://www.floridashines.org/take-a-course-at-another-school. As a transient student, you’ll need to have your personal information, school information, and course information. The course information is crucial; you’ll need to ensure you have the credit hours, title, prefix and number. The application process is easy to navigate and self-explanatory. Once you complete the application, the form will be sent to your home institution for approval by the registrar’s office, your academic advisor, and, if applicable, the financial aid office. Once that is complete, the form will be signed by the Florida institution you chose, where several offices will need to sign off. The process could take some time depending on the institutions; the FloridaShines website states that it could take up to ten days on average.
Upon completing the course, you will need to send the transcripts back to your home institution. The institution itself will not automatically send your transcripts for you, so you will have to be proactive and request that they be sent yourself. Some institutions allow you to request your transcripts during the semester to be sent out when grades are finalized at the end of the semester. Although it’s a lengthy process, it could help you save time in the future, potentially even an entire semester. The FloridaShines transient process has helped many students with the flexibility it offers.
Photo from https://www.floridashines.org/learn-online