SSTP FAQ

Students currently in the 11th grade and who will be 16 years old or older by June 11, 2023 are eligible for UF SSTP.  There are no exceptions to the age policy.  There is no minimum GPA to apply, however this is an academically rigorous program and applicants’ transcripts should reflect high academic standards both in grades and coursework. Standardized tests are not required to apply, however should be reported if taken.

Yes, non-Florida and international students may apply for UF SSTP.  A limited number of spots are designated for students from non-Florida high schools.  If accepted, students and their families are responsible for all travel arrangements and/or travel requirements such as passports/Visa, etc.

Please go to our dedicated How to Apply page for more information.

During the UF SSTP, students will be required to fully participant in their assigned research lab, be an active listener at morning faculty lectures, and be an active participant in the honor seminar class.  Success and grades are primarily based upon engage participation. 

Each student will write a journal-ready research paper, give two science talks (mid-tem and final presentation), and prepared a poster based upon the the research conducted in the lab.  Academic counselors support the student’s efforts through weekly meetings, formal written feedback, study groups, and informal conversations. 

Students complete assignments based upon the morning lectures which require students to synthesize and think critically about the material presented.

Participants will also complete the course work assigned by their honors seminar leaders which may include reading the primary literature, quizzes, group presentations, and class discussions.

Dual Enrollment (DE) is an opportunity for high school students to enroll in classes at the University of Florida and to receive both high school and college credit for the courses taken. Students attending a public Florida high school may participate in DE.  Students attending a private high school or homeschool program may participate in DE if an articulation agreement is established between the high school and UF.  Interested students may contact our office to inquire if their private high school or homeschool program currently has an articulation agreement or for information on how to establish an agreement. 

Eligible students may earn up to 6 college credits and 1 high school credit for the work completed at the UF SSTP.

For more information about Dual Enrollment at UF, go to the UF Dual Enrollment webpage.

Non-Florida high school students and students attending a private high school or homeschool without an articulation agreement may not earn college credit for participating in the UF SSTP.  All students regardless of DE status participate in the same program activities and complete the same requirements.  Letters of Recommendation may be requested from students successfully completing the program.

Applications will be available in January. We will begin reviewing applications March 14^th and will be accepting students on a rolling admission basis. We encourage students to submit all their completed application materials as soon as possible.  Please note that Teacher Endorsement Forms must be sent directly from the endorsers.

Yes, we will send a confirmation e-mail to the Student’s E-mail Address that you provided on your application after your application is complete. If you have any questions about whether we received certain parts of your application, please call our office at (352) 392-2310.

UF SSTP has a rolling admission process. The Selection Committee starts reviewing applications at the beginning of March. Only fully completed applications are considered. After March 15^th, student can generally expect to be notified within two weeks of completing their application whether they have been accepted, waitlisted, or not accepted to UF SSTP.

Not all spots are filled during the first round of review.  Therefore, many students will be placed on a waitlist.  The waitlist is not ranked.  To remain on the waitlist and be considered in the next round of reviews, students must confirm their place on the waitlist.  If we do not receive your confirmation, your application will no longer be reviewed and you will receive no further communication from us. 

We cannot predict when the program will fill- some years the program filled by the end of February and other years spots opened up at the start of April.  Students are encouraged to submit their application early, however students are also encouraged to continue to apply until we announce that no more applications are being accepted (because sometimes a spot opens for which you are uniquely qualified).

We receive a tremendous number of applications for approximately 90 students each summer.

Don’t panic- many students are placed on the waitlist.  To remain on the waitlist and be considered in the next round of reviews, students must confirm their place on the waitlist.  If we do not receive your confirmation, your application will no longer be reviewed and you will receive no further communication from us. 

The waitlist is not ranked. 

You will be notified when admission process concludes.

In your acceptance e-mail, you will need to send in the Students Response to Invitation within 10 calendar days of your acceptance. If you plan to attend UF SSTP, you will need to include your $500 deposit along with your Response to Invitation to guarantee your spot for the upcoming program unless you have been notified otherwise.

Deferring your invitation means that you are unable to committee to UF SSTP at this time. If you are able to commit at a later date, you will need to call our office to inquire if there are any spaces still available.

If you decline your invitation, you are no longer able to attend our program.

You will be sent a checklist with you acceptance e-mail with links to all the program forms that need to be filled out before the start of the program. Make sure to follow all the instructions and complete the forms correctly. The checklist will include when the forms are due.

Due to the program’s rigorous scheduling, departures from the program are discouraged.  It is difficult for students to keep up with expected assignments and research if they miss any part of the program. If a one-time event, such as a family wedding, will be occurring during the program please contact our office to inquire about permission.

The program handbook and academic manual for the upcoming UF SSTP will be made available at the beginning of May. It will be sent to all the participants e-mail and uploaded to our website and the designated Facebook group for the program year.

Gainesville has a local regional airport. American Eagle Airlines, Delta Connection/ASA and US Airways Express/PSA are the airlines that provide service to Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV). Silver Airways offers direct flights to/from Gainesville and major Florida cities.

There are bus companies that provide round trip transportation from campus to South Florida and there is also a Greyhound bus station in Gainesville. 

UF SSTP can provide students with a shuttle to campus from the Gainesville airport and bus stations for the beginning and end of the program.  No shuttle service is offered by UF SSTP to any other airports.

Yes,  SSTP Application Fee is $50.   
If you cannot afford the fee, please submit an Application Fee Waiver. 

A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure a student’s spot in the UF SSTP.  Students invited to attend must return the Response to Invitation with the non-refundable deposit within 10 calendar days of receiving their invitation to secure their place the program.  The non-refundable deposit is credited to the total cost to attend. Students applying for need-based financial assistance and who meet the criteria of potential scholarships may have the deposit fee deadline deferred or waived.

The program fee for summer is $5200. The program fee covers the on-campus residential housing, staffing, insurance (excess policy for program-related injuries or illness), laboratory safety training, laboratory notebook, program t-shirts, access to the Broward Outdoor Recreation Complex, and most program-sponsored activity expenses such as entrance tickets , transportation and meals for field trips, weekly social activities and events, a banquet, a student-faculty-parent research poster reception, closing ceremony, and a group picture. The cost to attend UF SSTP does not include daily meals.

The amount of personal spending money required for the program varies. Students should budget for the following: grocery shopping; the number of meals he or she plans to eat out; non-program-sponsored social activities such as going to the movies; souvenirs from the UF bookstore and fieldtrips; and some academic expenses such as printing in UF computer labs and printing of a final research poster. Participants should not bring large amounts of cash to the program.  Instead families should arrange for students to have a debit, prepaid card, or credit card.

Students are encouraged to apply for the UF SSTP regardless of ability to pay.  Students requesting financial aid should complete the request form at time of application by submitting our online form here.

 The ability to pay is not considered in the program selection process, but students may have the non-refundable deposit waived if the request for financial aid is submitted with the application.

The number of need-based scholarships vary year-to-year and we cannot predict how many awards will be granted each year, however we try very hard to help students with a strong financial need attend our program.  Students are encouraged to also use resources provided by our office to secure their own funding.  Students have had success in receiving fully funded scholarships from local businesses, corporations, service and community organizations, and personal donations.

Merit-based scholarships are not available.

At times, non-need based scholarships are available to students meeting donor criteria.  After an applicant is selected to attend the UF SSTP and our office receives a student’s Response to Invitation and non-refundable deposit, we will individually notify qualified students of such opportunities if/when they arise.

The scholarships and financial aid awards available for UF SSTP often have very specific requirements for distribution outlined by the donor. The information you provide on your financial aid application will be cross-referenced with any possible scholarships available and you will be notified as soon as possible as to the outcome.

You can review our  for raising funds for your SSTP experience. Participants from past years have been very successful in raising their own funding by using these suggestions.  Fundraising Suggestions.  We are also glad to provide students and families with a press packet to support their efforts.  Our experience is local organizations and individuals are more likely to support you, an individual right in front of them from within their community, rather than being contacted by our office with a request to provide general scholarship support.