FAQ - General Admissions

General Admissions

Q. How do I apply for undergraduate admission?
A. There are essentially three steps here. First, you should be aware of the requirements . Second, you should complete and submit an application. Third, you should have any transcripts/test scores mailed to our office.

Q. Is there an application deadline?
A. Yes. Depending on which semester you plan to attend USA, you will need to turn in your application by the following dates (Graduate deadlines may be earlier):

Semester of Entry	Deadline
Fall (August) Spring (January) Summer (June)	July 15 December 1 May 1

Deadlines for Readmission through the Registrar's Office :

Semester of Entry	Deadline
Fall (August) Spring (January) Summer (June)	July 7 November 10 May 1

Q. Is it too late to apply for admission?
A. If you have not applied by the above deadlines, you may or may not be able to still apply. Please contact our Admissions Office as soon as possible.

Q. Is it too late to apply for financial aid?
A. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for deadline information, or visit them online .

Q. Do I have to mail my application with my transcript?
A. No, Transcripts should be sent directly from the school, so you can mail your application as soon as you have completed it and then contact the school so that they can send us what you need.

Q. What are the freshman admission requirements?
A. To be considered for admission you must have a 19 or better on the ACT and a 2.0 GPA, unless you are over the age of 23 or have graduated from high school more than 5 years ago, in which case we will just need your high school GPA because you will be considered a "Special Freshman".

Q. What is the minimum ACT score I need for admission?
A. Our minimum requirement is a 19 on the ACT with a 2.0 GPA for your high school. However, special permission can sometimes be given by the Director of Admissions for admission into USA's Developmental Studies Program if these requirements cannot be met.

Q. What are the requirements for non-traditional students?
A. To be considered for admission as a "Special Freshman", you must be over the age of 23 or have graduated from high school more than 5 years ago. If you qualify, we only require that you have a 2.0 high school GPA.

Q. What are the requirements for admission to the medical school/College of Medicine?
A. Programs in the College of Medicine have slightly different requirements. If you need specific information on admission requirements, you will need to contact the College of Medicine directly.

Q. What are the requirements for admission into education?
A. Some programs in the College of Education have slightly different requirements. If you need specific information on admission requirements, you will need to contact the College of Education directly.

Q. Who needs to take an ACT residual test?
A. You would take an ACT residual test if you have not taken the ACT and you are: a first time freshman under 23 years of age OR if you are a transfer student with less than 30 college semester hours and are under 23 years of age or have been out of high school less than 5 years. You must apply for admission to USA first and you must take the test during the semester prior to your planned enrollment at USA. The ACT residual test is good for USA only and will not transfer to other universities.

Q. How does the Early Admission Program work?
A. Early admission applicants are students who have completed their junior year in high school and wish to enroll prior to high school graduation. Applicants must be recommended by their high school counselor, have earned at least a 3.5 average in academic subjects, have scored at least a 28 composite on the Enhanced ACT and must be approved by the Director of Admissions.

Q. How does the Accelerated College Enrollment Program (ACEP) program work?
A. A limited number of high school seniors from Mobile and Baldwin County, Alabama are offered the opportunity to take one free course at USA during their senior year of high school. The course can be used to satisfy degree requirements at USA or can be transferred to other institutions. To be considered for ACEP, students must have at least a 25 on the ACT, a 3.0 GPA and a letter of recommendation from a school guidance counselor or principal. If you are interested, you should contact USA Admissions for application deadlines and additional information.

Q. What is the minimum high school GPA I need for scholarship consideration?
A. Any student with a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher is encouraged to apply for a USA scholarship .

Q. What are the scholarship deadlines?
A. All scholarship applications need to be in by the priority deadline of December 1 of your senior year in high school to be eligible for all scholarships.

Q. How can I get in-state tuition?
A. To get in-state tuition, you must satisfy all of our residency requirements. In Florida, if you are a resident of Santa Rosa or Escambia Counties you will not be charged out of state fees. In Mississippi, if you are a resident of Harrison, Jackson, George, Greene, Perry or Stone Counties you will not be charged out of state fees.

Q. What are the residency requirements?
A. The requirements are given on the Registrar's website, and if you find that you are a non-resident student, you may complete an application for residency reclassification online for submission.

Q. How many hours are part time?
A. For an undergraduate student, 11 hours or less is part time, and for a graduate student, 5 hours or less is part time.

Q. How many hours are full time?
A. For an undergraduate student, 12 hours or more is full time, and for a graduate student, 6 hours or more is full time

Q. Where do I send letters of recommendation?
A. Depending on which graduate program is requiring you to have letters submitted, you should contact the College you are applying to for address information. If you having letters submitted for an assistantship, you should contact the department or College you are seeking the assistantship with. Be sure to ask whether such letters need to be mailed or delivered in a sealed envelope from the writer.

Q. If I apply for a certain semester, and I don't attend that semester, do I have to re- apply?
A. There are certain circumstances when a student will need to re-apply for admission:

1.	Undergraduate or Graduate applicant who has never attended USA.
2.	Undergraduate or Graduate USA applicant who has been accepted previously and, for whatever reason (no show, decline, didn't complete file) did not enroll.
3.	Graduate School applicant who is a former USA Undergraduate student.
	Exceptions are:
	1.	Ph.D. - Education - must apply Fall, Spring, Summer
	2.	Speech & Hearing - Allied Health
	3.	Psychology
	4.	Physician Assistant
	5.	Physical Therapy
	6.	Occupational Therapy
	These may not update during the academic year because they start in summer or fall only.
4.	Former student who was enrolled in Graduate School but who has not completed a graduate course in the last five years.
5.	Former Graduate student applying for a second (or third, etc.) Master's degree or to the AA program.
6.	Former Graduate who took classes as an Audit, Transient, Non-Degree or Unclassified student who now desires to re-enter the Graduate School as a Degree seeking Graduate.
7.	Currently enrolled graduate students (or graduate students who are within 5 year period) who wish to change colleges. Arts & Sciences Graduates who wish to change majors must also re-apply.

Q. What is my pin number?
A. The first time you log into PAWS, your PIN number is your Birthdate (MMDDYY). At that time you will create your own 6 character PIN.

Q. When do I pay for my classes?
A. You can pay for your classes either at the time you register or by published deadline, found on the USA Bursar's website.

Q. Where do I pay for my classes?
A. You can pay for your classes via PAWS online or at the Bursar's Office .

Q. How much are my fees?
A. Since Fees vary from semester to semester, please click to see the current Fee Schedule .