Under Florida statute 1009.21, full-time students who are a citizen of a Latin American or Caribbean country (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and who receive scholarships from the federal or state government shall be classified as residents for tuition purposes. This provision of the law provides an opportunity to encourage the continued internationalization of UF and to attract more high-quality students from Latin America and the Caribbean.
Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Scholarship Information for Students
- For information about applying for a LAC Scholarship, students may contact their college or department for assistance.
- For general information regarding LAC Scholarship eligibility and qualifying for temporary in-state residency for tuition purposes under the Latin and Caribbean Scholarship program, students may contact the https://www.onestop.ufl.edu/OneStop for assistance.
To qualify, UF students must be awarded a non-duty scholarship of a minimum of $500 per semester paid from either state funds appropriated to universities in the General Appropriations Act, investment earnings as provided under section 1011.43, Florida Statutes, or from federally authorized scholarship funds. Universities may use equal matching funds from private businesses, private foundations, and public agencies. Students must be full-time and in good academic standing. Graduate or research assistantships are not considered scholarships for this purpose. Note that this program provides eligibility; it is not a guaranteed scholarship. Scholarship decisions are made by the colleges.
Citizens from the following countries are eligible for the LAC scholarship:
Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, St. Barthelemy, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Maarten/St. Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama.
South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.
North America: Mexico
LAC REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY
- LAC award must be a scholarship (cannot be employment-related).
- LAC award must be at least $500.00 per semester and consist of either a state/federal scholarship or a combination of state/federal funding, with equal matching funds from private businesses, private foundations, and/or public agencies.
- LAC award may be provided to a student who has dual citizenship between an eligible country and the United States.
- LAC award requires full-time enrollment (see enrollment requirements https://registrar.ufl.edu/registration/enrollment-requirementshere).
Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) Scholarship Information for College and Department Administrators
- The Latin American Caribbean Scholarship (LAC) Award Acknowledgment must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships by college or department staff each semester for the change from out-of-state to in-state residency for tuition purposes to be applied.
- The Office of the Registrar will apply the residency update to in-state residency for tuition purposes after the end of the drop/add period for eligible students.
- College and department staff with questions regarding the LAC Scholarship may contact mailto:SFA-SIS@mail.ufl.eduSFA-SIS@mail.ufl.edu for assistance.
