Tuition & Fees

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

	GCSC	FSU (Tallahassee)	UF (Gainesville)	UCF (Orlando)	UWF (Pensacola)	Troy (Online)
Tuition and Fees	$2,963	$6,467	$6,380	$6,369	$6,360	$12,240
Room and Board	-0-	$12,740	$11,500	$12,070	$12,432	-0-
Books and Supplies	$1,200	$1,000	$1,450	$1,000	$1,600	$1,710
Total	$4,163	$20,207	$19,330	$19,439	$20,392	$13,950

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

Out-Of-State Rates Per Credit Hour

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.

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