South Florida State College Renews USF Transfer Admissions Program

South Florida State College (SFSC) and the University of South Florida (USF) announced the renewal of their partnership in the Fuse guaranteed admissions program. SFSC was one of eight Florida College System (FCS) institutions whose presidents were at USF in Tampa to add their signatures to the renewal contract on Thursday, Sept. 14.

Entering its eighth year, Fuse provides a seamless and timely degree path for students to transfer to USF. Students are guaranteed admission into specific majors at USF, provided they meet certain criteria.

“It’s rare to find the level of detail provided regarding prerequisites and course maps outlining semester-by-semester requirements at both the participating colleges and at USF, as well as the advising and support Fuse offers,” said Dr. Fai Howard, assistant dean of transition and academic growth at USF.
Students accepted into the Fuse program attend a special FSC/USF orientation in their first year to introduce them to the USF community and have access to resources from both institutions, including Fuse scholarships, advising, academic services, activities, and sporting events, while obtaining their associate degree. Since its creation, the Fuse program has graduated 667 participants and currently maintains a 97% retention rate among enrollees.

“The Fuse program partnership has been a wonderful vehicle for our Associate in Arts students to transfer to their major of choice at USF to pursue a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. James Hawker, dean of arts and sciences at SFSC. “We have been working hard with our partner FCS institutions and USF to better serve our students and we have greatly increased SFSC student participation since we joined the program several years ago.”

Fuse was piloted in fall 2016 with 40 students starting at Hillsborough Community College and St. Petersburg College. The program has expanded to include: College of Central Florida, Pasco-Hernando State College, Polk State College, Santa Fe College, South Florida State College, and State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

For more information about the Fuse program at SFSC, visit southflorida.edu/current-students/transfer-opportunities.