Skip to Content Skip to Navigation

Tuition & Fees

Contact Us
If you have any questions

In person: 
Gulf Coast State College
Administration Building
5230 West Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401

By phone: 850.872.3879

By email: BusinessOffice@gulfcoast.edu

Affordability

Studies show that choosing to earn a degree or certificate after high school will increase the total income you earn during your career. If you earn a bachelor’s degree, you can make as much as 60% or $1 million more during your lifetime than your high school colleagues. GCSC completers earn an average full-time wage of $46,472 a year after graduation.

By choosing Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida, to earn your degree or certificate, you are choosing a great value Gulf Coast’s hourly tuition rate is the #1 lowest tuition and fees for residents out of Florida's 40 public colleges and universities. So, congratulations! You’re already on your way to a better financial future.

Cost Comparison Per Year


NOTE: Tuition costs are based on Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 terms, with 15 credit hours per term at the in-state rate. GCSC Tuition and Fees listed are based on Associate degree level courses.  The cost for 30 credit hours of Baccalaureate level courses is $3,528. Tuition, housing fees, meal plans, and book expenses are estimates based on information provided on each university's website.  A full list of estimated Costs of Attendance to attend GCSC is easily accessible for review.

Tuition

What is tuition and what does it cover?

Tuition covers your portion of the cost to educate you. It includes the salaries of your instructors, professors, advisors and other staff and the cost to maintain our classrooms and laboratories. It also pays for other general costs of your Gulf Coast education. Tuition varies based on two factors:

  • Program level (whether you’re earning a degree or certificate)
  • Residency (whether you live in Florida or came to Panama City from another state)

How is Residency Determined?

Residency is determined by the Enrollment Services Office based on Florida Statutes, college policy, and documentation provided by the student.

Tuition is charged by the credit hour, so you pay a portion of overall education costs based on the total number of credit hours you take.

In-State Resident Rates Per Credit Hour

h3

Out-Of-State Rates Per Credit Hour

h3

Fees

Name of Fee Description of Fee
Tuition Expended to cover the direct costs of course instruction that are not subsidized by the state for in-state students
Tuition (Out-of-State Portion) Charged to out-of-state students in addition to regular tuition. The total is expended to cover the full direct costs of course instruction.
Student Activity Fee Expended for purposes to benefit the student body in general - includes, but not limited to, student publications, events, and officially recognized student organizations
Capital Improvement Fee Expended to acquire, construct, maintain, or improve the educational facilities of the institution
Financial Aid Fee Expended for financial assistance to qualified students based on absolute need, academic merit, athletic, public service, cultural arts, or other extracurricular program participation
Technology Fee Expended to enhance instructional technology resources for students and faculty
Access Fee Expended to enhance student access to institutional resources - includes, but not limited to, identification cards, parking facilities, and library databases

The total cost per credit hour is made up of tuition and a number of various fees. These fees cover different costs of providing an excellent quality education and education support. In the spirit of being open and providing full disclosure, all of the various fees are broken out rather than lumping all of the fees into one cost per credit hour. Explanation of the various fees can be found below. Florida Statute 1009.23 provides the authority to charge these fees.

A full list of estimated Costs of Attendance to attend GCSC is easily accessible for review.

h3

Gulf Coast State College offers you a number of options to pay your tuition and fees:

  1. Log in to myGCSC and make your payment online through My Student Dashboard
  2. On the Panama City Campus:
    •  Pay in person at the Business Office in the Administration Building
    • Pay in person at the Bookstore in Student Union West
  3. On the North Bay Campus:
    • Pay in person at the Bookstore
  4. On the Gulf/Franklin Campus:
    • Pay in person in Building B
  5. Mail a check to the Business Office:
    Gulf Coast State College
    Business Office
    5230 West Highway 98
    Panama City, FL 32401

Students can apply for a Tuition and Fee Emergency Loan.  Emergency Loans can extend the due date for 80% of your tuition and fees up to a maximum of $1,000.  The remaining tuition and fees still have to be paid by the published due date.  Failure to repay Emergency Loans will result in a hold being placed on your account, preventing future registration and access to transcripts, and may incur collection costs.

Repeated Courses: College Preparatory and College Credit Courses

Students enrolling in a college preparatory course after the second attempt and college credit students enrolling in the same college credit course after the second attempt will be charged the full cost of instruction. The full cost of instruction has been determined to be equivalent to the out-of-state fees. Previous enrollments in college preparatory courses prior to fall term 1997 at GCSC will not apply in calculating student fees. Previous enrollments in college-credit courses prior to fall term 1997 at GCSC will not apply in calculating student fees nor in counting attempts of college-credit courses.

Payment of Fees and Expenses

Fees for registration are due prior to the published due date. Students with past due fees may be dropped from their classes. Fees may be paid by cash, check, American Express, Discover, Visa or MasterCard at the campus bookstore or business office during regular business hours. Tuition and fees may also be paid online. Log in to myGCSC and make your payment online through My Student Dashboard.

If you aren't able to pay all of your tuition and fees by the due date, you can apply for a Tuition and Fee Emergency Loan.  Emergency Loans can extend the due date for 80% of your tuition and fees up to a maximum of $1,000.  The remaining tuition and fees still have to be paid by the published due date.  Failure to repay Emergency Loans will result in a hold being placed on your account, preventing future registration and access to transcripts, and may incur collection costs.

The college is not responsible for students who are purged (dropped) from courses for non-payment of fees by the deadline due to a mail delay.

If a check is returned by the college’s bank for non-payment, the student will be responsible for a $30 returned check fee per returned check in addition to the amount of the check. If the classes have not started, the classes may be dropped. Like with any debt a student owes to the college, a hold will be placed on the student’s account restricting course registration and access to transcripts until all debts are paid in full.  Returned checks may also be lodged with the Office of the State Attorney.

Students owing a debt to the college will have a hold placed on their account restricting course registration, access to transcripts, access to grades for current courses, and access to college services until all debts are paid in full.  Debts owed to the college may be lodged with a collection agency, with the student being responsible for all collection costs. If an organization agrees to pay fees for certain students, and for any reason the organization refuses to pay the student's fees as agreed, the student will be responsible for the fees. If an organization fails to pay for any services provided in a timely manner, the college will revoke all privileges granted to the organization until all obligations to the college have been satisfied.

Students at GCSC should know and understand their responsibilities regarding the payment of financial obligations.

Financial Aid

h3

Gulf Coast State College staff are ready to help you get the best financial assistance possible. More than 50% of our students received financial aid in the form of student loans, college grants, scholarships or other financial assistance in the 2019-2020 academic year.

Financial aid is available through a number of federal, state and college programs including:

  • College Scholarships
  • Gulf Coast State College Foundation Scholarships
  • Florida Bright Futures Scholarships
  • State Scholarships and Grants
  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal Student Loans
  • Federal Work Study

Scholarships and grants are similar, but grants are generally need-based while scholarships are based on merit, background or affiliation. You might receive a college scholarship because you earned good grades, play basketball very well or are pursuing a degree in a specific area of study. You may be awarded a Pell grant because you completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and were determined to be eligible based on your family size and household income.

You generally don’t have to repay scholarships and grants, but you may need to meet some criteria in order to receive the money. For example, you may need to maintain a certain GPA in your Associate degree program while playing on the basketball team.

College loans and federal loans must be repaid.

Gulf Coast State College's Financial Aid page will walk you step-by-step through the financial aid process. If you haven't applied to Gulf Coast State College, apply now. You must apply before you submit your FAFSA application or we cannot review your results. If you have questions, please contact the Financial Aid Office:

In person:

Gulf Coast State College
Enrollment Services Building
5230 West Highway 98
Panama City, FL 32401
By phone: 850.872.3845
By fax: 850.873.3523

Gulf Coast State College does not discriminate against any person in its programs, activities, policies or procedures on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, marital status, religion, age, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. All questions or inquiries regarding compliance with laws relating to non-discrimination and all complaints regarding sexual misconduct or discrimination, may be directed to Lee Wood, Executive Director, Human Resources/Title II/504/Title IX Coordinator and Employment Equity Officer, Gulf Coast State College, 5230 W. US Highway 98, Panama City, FL 32401.