USF students are required to pay local fees as part of their tuition, which include the activities and services (A&S), health services and athletic fees. 

However, those studying at USF St. Pete and USF Sarasota-Manatee pay nearly double the A&S fee per credit hour compared to their peers in Tampa, according to the State University System. 

But they also pay less in health services and athletics fees per credit hour.

The distribution between the A&S, health services and athletic fees on each campus vary as costs for the services provided are different at each location, USF spokesperson Ryan Hughes said. 

Despite differences in each category, the total cost for the three fees is the same across all USF campuses — $36.48 per credit hour. 

The fees are just distributed differently across campuses based on service costs and historical allocations, Hughes said. 

Related: Here is a breakdown of USF’s undergrad tuition fees

The A&S fees at USF Tampa are set at $12.08 per credit hour, while students at USF St. Pete pay $26.88 per credit hour and those at USF Sarasota-Manatee pay $25.54 per credit hour. 

Nathanjah Carty, the campus council chair for USF St. Pete’s SG, said USF Tampa students pay more in athletics and health because of the presence of the main athletics program and a larger Student Health and Wellness Center. 

Therefore, more of their funding is allocated to their over 65 student organizations on St. Pete’s campus and over 30 student organizations on Sarasota-Manatee’s campus. Comparatively, Tampa’s campus has over 700 registered student organizations. 

Carty said these fees are allocated to student organizations and events based on need.

“It’s not that St. Pete and Sarasota students are paying more overall, but that where the money is placed has changed,” Carty said. “The total amount is still the same, it is just allocated differently.”

USF Tampa students pay $14.46 per credit hour for the athletics fee and $9.94 per credit hour for the health services. 

USF St. Pete students are charged $2.70 per credit hour for athletics and $6.90 per credit hour for health services, while USF Sarasota-Manatee students pay $4.23 per credit hour for the athletics fee and $6.71 per credit hour for the health fee. 

The athletics fee disparity is due to the presence of USF’s major sports teams, including football and basketball, at the Tampa campus. In contrast, St. Pete and Sarasota-Manatee focus more on recreational sports and gym facilities.

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USF also charges a $7 A&S flat fee, a $10 athletics flat fee and a $20 student health services flat fee per term at all campuses.

Flat fees are fixed amounts, meaning students pay $7 for activities and services regardless of their credit load. 

However, during the 2023-24 academic year, students at the Sarasota-Manatee and St. Pete campuses were required to pay an additional $5.00 for athletics and $7.00 for A&S under the OneUSF initiative.

These additional charges were merged into the general fee structure in the 2024-25 academic year to standardize costs across campuses. 

The OneUSF initiative was established following the Florida Excellence in Higher Education Act of 2018, which required all USF campuses to act under a single accreditation while maintaining their own independent leadership, local governance and budget management. 

This means that while the campuses operate under a unified system, each has decision-making authority over campus-specific policies and budgets. 

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Hughes explained that before consolidation, rates were determined separately for each location.

“Adjustments were made to ensure consistency, with each location determining an appropriate structure based on its specific circumstances,” Hughes said.

Carty said that “transparency is key” and that all information regarding student fees, allocations and budgeting is publicly available to students.

USF SG budget meetings and documents can be provided upon email request, allowing students to see exactly where fees are going. 

Financial documents, including fee allocation reports, can be accessed through SG offices, USF’s website or state-level online resources. 

Hughes said future decisions about standardizing fees might happen, but didn’t clarify when or why students would see changes.

“It is essential to ensure that student needs are met and equitable access to services is maintained across all locations,” Hughes said.