Old Format Freshman Nursing Pathway Student Onboarding Packet Fall 2026

The College of Nursing would like to know if you plan to continue from the Freshmen Nursing Pathway into the Upper Division pathway, no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 10th, 2026. Please click here to submit the FNR Intent to Enroll survey If you wish to continue in the pathway, you will then proceed with your Onboarding Packet. In order for the FNR to Upper Division Survey to be received and valid, the submission date/time must show no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 10, 2026. Submissions after the posted deadline will not be valid and you will not progress into the Upper Division Pathway.

Background check, drug screening, and fingerprints due May 11

Technical standards form, proof of health insurance, and immunizations & Castle branch/DISA requirements due July 1

If you do not meet by the above deadlines, your seat will be rescinded

  IMPORTANT: Watch this Compliance Video: https://usf.box.com/s/a1g8j69oqntpoalatqbz4u9ksudva3dm

  IMPORTANT: Along with the video above, the College of Nursing has created a Guide to Castle Branch UG 2026 (click here to open)  to assist you in the compliance process. Please reference both of these guides in its entirety, as it contains crucial information and will answer questions on completing College of Nursing compliance requirements. 

Please download the Technical Standards form here and upload it to your Castle Branch/DISA account. This form must be completed by a medical provider and submitted by July 1. Failure to submit the completed form prior to the deadline may result in your admission to the program being rescinded. Note: If you do not have a medical provider, you can see Student Health Services. Please note that their services will not be available to you until the first week of classes.

All College of Nursing students are required to complete a Background Check, Verification of Health Insurance, Immunization Verification, and Drug Screening for the College of Nursing via Castle Branch/DISA. This is not the same as the Medical History Form from USF Student Health Services. The Castle Branch requirements are required for all undergraduate students in the College of Nursing.

  The College of Nursing has created a Guide to Castle Branch UG 2026 (click here to open) which can assist you in the compliance process. Please review this guide in its entirety, as it contains crucial information and may answer questions on completing College of Nursing compliance requirements. 

Purchase your Castle Branch/DISA account IMMEDIATELY using your USF email ($204.48)

For fingerprinting purposes, you must purchase your Castle Branch/DISA based on where you are currently residing and will be doing your fingerprints (this is not your state of residency).  If you will be getting your fingerprints done outside of Florida, you must purchase the out of state fingerprinting package (Code UD99osfp).

• Go to https://portal.castlebranch.com/UD98

• Select Place Order –> College of Nursing –> Undergraduate Program –> Upper Division

• Select Code UD99: I am a new student ordering for the first time

• If you are currently residing out of state*-Select Code UD99osfp: I am new student ordering for the first time and need an out of state* fingerprint

• Once purchased you will receive instructions from DISA within 48 hours

• The urine drug screen must be completed within 72 hours after receiving your instructions

  • If the drug screening is not completed within 72 hours of purchase, an additional cost will be required as the drug screen package will need to be re-purchased 

*Out of State Coding: Out of state is considered where you are currently physically residing and not your state of residence

Purchase, complete, and upload your HIPAA Compliance in DISA:

• Go to https://portal.castlebranch.com/UD98

• Select Place Order –> College of Nursing –> Undergraduate Program –> Upper Division

• UD99hipaa: HIPAA eLearning Tracker

Please contact DISA/Castle Branch at 888-723-4263 with any questions regarding the uploading of documentation or requirements for your profile. The USF College of Nursing Undergrad Compliance team: con-ugcompliance@usf.edu can assist you if the DISA/Castle Branch Customer Service cannot resolve an issue. Please ensure to email through your USF email and include your name, program (Upper Division), and cohort (Fall 2026).

Due to military documentation not being in line with civilian documentation, there is the possibility that your military documentation will be rejected.  If this happens, please contact the College of Nursing's Student Undergraduate Academic Compliance Team (con-ugcompliance@usf.edu).  Each rejection will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Please remember to include your U-ID in your email.

Please note that this is not a one time process. You, the student, must monitor all requirements and keep them up to date during the time of your enrollment in The College of Nursing. Failure to keep the programmatic and clinical requirements up-to-date can result in being restricted from attending clinicals.

Important: When submitting an email, please include your full name, exact program, and student number (UXXXXXX) in the body of the email. This helps us identify your inquiry quickly and provide a timely response.

 Example:

 Subject: Topic of question or request

Body:  Jane Doe - U123456

  FNR Level 1

  Question/Inquiry

We are very excited for you to start your nursing journey with us and officially welcome you at the College of Nursing's Student Orientation on Friday, April 24 from 9am-4:00 pm In Person (MDA 1209). Those who do not attend will forfeit their seat in the program. The Nursing Student Orientation is for admitted students only and there is no room for guests.

The College of Nursing's Student Orientation is mandatory. 

Attire: Business Casual 

Check-in will begin at 8:30am as orientation will begin at 9:00am sharp.   

USF Health Campus Map . Lunch will be provided. If you have any dietary restrictions please be sure to bring your own lunch/snacks. If you do not have a USF Parking Decal you will need to park in the Laurel Garage- 6th Floor. The garage is located off of Holly Drive and USF Laurel Dr- Parking Map If you do have a USF decal you will need to reference the Parking Map for the closest parking location based off of your decal. 

You will need to bring the devices you intend to use during the program with you for computer checks (E.g. Laptop and mobile devices- cell phone/tablet).

Please ensure to check and remove all holds prior to registration. You can view registration holds in your myusf: Student Self-Service; Student; Student Records; View Holds. Only the office that placed the hold on your account is authorized to remove the hold. Therefore, if you have questions regarding how to remove a hold, please directly contact the office that placed a hold.

Please note that no matter when you register, you will be guaranteed a seat in all nursing courses, clinicals, and labs. 

Dr. Kailey Rinaldi, Tampa Campus Director, will go over your first-semester schedule in-detail at the College of Nursing Orientation. Therefore, we request that you save scheduling questions until the College of Nursing Orientation.  

You will be assigned a clinical region and will need to onboard to the respective hospitals within that region. Please note that the College of Nursing cannot provide any guarantees on any specific clinical regions. Transportation for clinical is the responsibility of the student and may be as much as two hours from the USF Tampa campus. All of our clinical partners provide excellent opportunities to our students. You will find out your clinical region via USF email as soon as that information has been finalized.

The College of Nursing has created a Base Guide to help familiarize our military-connected students with University, College, and Tampa Bay resources. 

If you are using VA Benefits, after you register for classes, you will then apply for your VA Education Benefit and Submit a Clockwork Application. For questions on applying for VA Education Benefits and submitting Clockworks, please contact the USF Office of Veteran Success directly at 813-974-2291.

Apply for Your VA Education Benefit

• FIRST SEMESTER STUDENTS ONLY* Visit https://www.va.gov/education/how-to-apply/ to either APPLY FOR or UPDATE your VA education benefits. Click the green "Find your education benefits form" button, complete the application, and save a screenshot of the "Claim received" page at the end to upload onto your Clockwork application. In 4-6 weeks, you will receive your first Certificate of Eligibility (COE) in the mail.

  • Va.gov Link  

  • Benefits Request Process PDF  

Submit a Clockwork Application

To request to use your VA education benefits each semester (Chapter 33, 35, 30, or 1606), you MUST complete steps 1-5 on your Clockwork application EVERY SEMESTER. If you make ANY changes to your class schedule AFTER OVS has certified you, complete a Change in Benefit Request by clicking the button at the top left of your original Clockwork application.

• Clockwork Link  

• Change in Benefit Request Form  

Out of State Student Waiver

*FOR STUDENTS BEING CHARGED OUT-OF-STATE FEES ONLY* You MUST complete an online Out of State Fee Waiver with the Office of Veteran Success EVERY SEMESTER that you qualify. Keep in mind that this waiver DOES NOT change your residency status at USF, but instead waives 100% of your out-of-state charges each semester.

• Out of State Fee Waiver  

Students seeking support services from Student Accessibility Services (SAS) on the basis of a previously diagnosed disability are requested to submit documentation that verifies their eligibility under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act.

First-year and transfer students may apply for accommodations once admitted to the University of South Florida. Current students may apply at any time, however accommodations are not retroactive. Students are responsible for identifying themselves to SAS and present proper medical documentation to request academic accommodations.

Students must complete the online Application for Accommodations and supply supporting medical documentation. Documentation can be submitted through one of the following:

• Attached to the Application for Accommodations in electronic format (e.g. PDF, DOC)

• Emailed to: sas-info@usf.edu

• Faxed to: (813) 974-7337

• Hand delivered to SAS office (SVC 1133)

• Mailed to: Students Accessibility Services
                    4202 East Fowler Avenue, SVC 1133
                    Tampa FL 33620

The review process takes 7-10 days to review application and supporting medical documentation, then a coordinator will e-mail the student's @usf.edu email account to set up an intake appointment. Intake appointments are approximately 1 hour, and must be completed before accommodations are approved.

Register here

All undergraduate students participating in clinicals and lab must follow the College of Nursing's uniform and dress code, which can be found in the College of Nursing Student Handbook.  You will need a minimum of one nursing scrub top, nursing scrub pant. The lab coat is optional- More information regarding a lab coat be discussed at orientation. You will be required to wear your nursing scrub top and pants for all nursing clinicals and labs.  Nursing labs will begin the first week and will be held 2-3 times per week.  

You may purchase your uniforms in-person at any USF campus bookstore; however, the USF Tampa Bookstore is anticipating your cohort's admission and may have the most variety of sizes in-stock. Note: tops MUST be purchased in-person as they are not available online or even listed on the website.  You can purchase your order in-person through the USF Bookstore or by submitting your order to them via email.  Pick-up at the bookstore is free; delivery is an additional fee.  If you want your order delivered, you should order a minimum of two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester (six weeks prior if you are having your name embroidered on your lab coat).  If you purchase a Nursing Lab Coat (optional), please be sure to order "short/undergraduate (33/34 inches)".  The Undergraduate coat should fall just below the hips.  Depending on your height, you may need to order a graduate (37/38 inches) or doctoral (40 inches) coat.  Getting your name embroidered on your coat is optional and takes an additional 3-4 weeks.

For questions regarding uniform stock, sizing, pricing, or ordering, please contact the USF Bookstore directly at 813-974-2631.

You will need your Fall 2026 Textbooks by the first day of classes. Textbooks are available for purchase or rent through the USF Bookstore.  The Upper Division Program Director, Dr. Rinaldi, will go over your the textbooks required for the first semester during Orientation.  Therefore, it is recommended you wait until after the Nursing Orientation to purchase your textbooks.

Textbooks for online classes may be purchased through the USF Bookstore in three different ways:

• Visit the USF Bookstore in-person

• Call (813) 974-4984 to place your order

• Go to the website - https://www.bkstr.com/usftampastore/shop/textbooks-and-course-materials

• Instructions on how to identify your course textbooks for the College of Nursing:

  • Go to the website - https://www.bkstr.com/usftampastore/shop/textbooks-and-course-materials

  • Option 1: You may find the books you need with your 8-digit Student ID #

  • Option 2:  Click on "Enter Courses", select "USF Tampa" as your program and the term from the drop-down menu. Then, select NUR for department, course number and section number to view and and add your selection to the cart. 

    • If you do not know certain details of your course (number or section) use your registration info from Student Self-Service

  • *If no textbooks are listed, it may mean that your instructor has not yet added them. Contact your instructor for more information.

In addition to Textbooks, there are other materials that you must purchase for the program that are not available through the USF Bookstore. You will be required to purchase ATI. Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) is an online learning platform designed to supplement the curriculum with resources to help nursing students learn, improve, apply, and test for NCLEX success. You will be required to enroll in ATI. The cost of ATI is about $1000 spread out over 4 payments. More information about purchasing ATI will be provided at orientation and again at the beginning of the semester. 

All USF College of Nursing students are required to have a laptop/notebook computer with wireless internet connection and a web browser. Students are also required to have a compatible webcam and microphone; the webcam and microphone should either be built into your laptop/notebook or be a portable model. Students in all nursing courses are expected to meet these requirements to successfully participate in their courses. Failure to meet these technology standards may result in inability to complete program requirements. It is the student's responsibility to ensure all requirements are met prior to the start of the semester. The College of Nursing's Student Computer Requirement has specific information on hardware requirements. The USF Computer Store offers laptop "bundles" for registered students.

You will create a signature line in your USF email. Your signature line will consist of your name, major (Upper Division), your cohort semester and year (Fall 2026). Do not change your cohort as you progress through the program.

USF Signature Line Template:

Name

Upper Division, Fall 2026

How to create your email signature:

PC Directions:

1. Click File > Options > Mail > Signatures.

2. Click the signature you want to edit.

3. Remove the current signature in the edit area and copy and paste the above info into the signature box.  

4. Change the information to reflect your information.  Be sure to update the hyperlink for the phone number and email by right-clicking on each and editing the text display area and email address area.

5. When you're done, select Save > OK.

Mac Directions

1. Outlook > Preferences > Signatures.

2. Click the signature you want to edit and click edit.

3. Remove the current signature in the edit area and copy and paste the above info into the signature box.  

4. Change the information to reflect your information.  Be sure to update the hyperlink for the phone number and email.

5. When you're done, select Save > OK.

If you need assistance in creating your USF Email Signature Line, please contact USF IS at 813-974-1222.

Payment in full or approved deferment is due on the fifth day of the semester. You will not be sent a bill. The University will cancel the registration of a student whose registration fees have not been paid in full by the deadline as indicated on the university's academic calendar. Students who have a financial aid Tuition Deferment, Veteran's deferment, or Florida Prepaid will not be subject to cancellation.

Please review the estimated costs for incoming students and ensure to finalize your financial aid or method of payment. USF's Office of Financial Aid can assist you with any questions you have regarding the Financial Aid process. Additionally, you can also contact the USF Health Office of Financial Aid for assistance.

All students are strongly encouraged to file a FAFSA, as many scholarships require a current FAFSA on-file for consideration.

College of Nursing Scholarship Application- AwardSpring

To be considered for additional scholarships in the 2026-27 academic year, you should  submit the USF Foundation scholarship application  - applications for those scholarships are due May 15th

There may be additional scholarships opportunities listed on the USF Foundation Scholarship Office Facebook page.

Supplemental College of Nursing Scholarship Application

The College of Nursing has supplemental scholarships. Please be sure to have a FAFSA on file and submit the following application to be considered: https://usf.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_42ueznZNsfNteCy

The USF Photo ID card is the official identification card of the University of South Florida. The USF Photo ID Card is a multi-functional card. College of Nursing students will use the USF Photo ID Card as part of their Nursing badge required for clinicals and labs; therefore, you must obtain the USF Photo ID Card by the first day of classes. Note: If you are a current USF student with a valid USF Photo ID card, do not purchase another one.

Payment: Students and Distance Learning students will no longer have to pay for the USF Photo ID Card at the time of issue. Instead, students will be conveniently billed through their university account. The cost of your original card is $10. Replacement cards are $15.

Process: 

For detailed information including payment information please refer to our website: USF Card Center

If you have any questions, please contact USF Card Services directly at 813-974-2357.

Due to the rigor of the nursing program, students must complete all outstanding University requirements, including General Education, Civics Literacy Assessment, and the Foreign Language Entrance Requirement (FLENT) before the start of the Upper Division program. Students with outstanding University requirements must provide documentation of all finished General Education, Civics Literacy, and FLENT requirements by August 14, 2026 or they will forfeit their seat in the nursing program.

You will be notified upon admission to officially advise you of any outstanding General Education/Civics Literacy/FLENT requirements. You will be required to provide your Academic Advisor documentation of course registration for any outstanding coursework by May 15, 2026. Students with an A.A. degree from a Florida public institution (i.e. Florida public community college or Florida Student University System institution) will be considered to have met all of the USF General Education requirements and must send an official transcript of their conferred A.A. degree to the Office of Admissions for processing; students with an A.A. degree from a Florida public institution will still be responsible for completing the Civics Literacy and FLENT requirements.

CIVIC LITERACY

All undergraduate degree-seeking students who enroll in a Florida public institution for the first time in Fall 2018 and thereafter must demonstrate civic literacy. Amended legislation in 2021 now requires undergraduate degree-seeking students to meet the State of Florida’s Civic Literacy requirement by passing BOTH an approved civic literacy course and a passing score on a designated civic literacy assessment BEFORE graduation from USF. Please talk to your academic advisor about whether you need to enroll in a course and take the assessment.

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes to require students initially entering a Florida College System institution or state university in 2018-19 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. This means beginning in Fall 2018 students who are first enrolled in a Florida public institution in Fall 2018 or later must meet the new state civic literacy requirement regardless of residency or past post-secondary enrollment.

The goal of the civic literacy initiative is to ensure a level of understanding among all graduates in the principles and practices of American democracy through an understanding of the U.S. Constitutions and other founding document as well as landmark Supreme Court cases and legislation and their impact on law and society.

If entering Florida public college or university as an undergraduate seeking student for the first time in the beginning of Fall 2018 through Summer A 2021, must earn credit in an approved Civic Literacy course OR achieve a passing score on a designated civic literacy assessment (not both)

If entering Florida public college of university as an undergraduate seeking student for the first time in the beginning of Summer B/Fall 2021 or after, must earn credit in an approved Civic Literacy course AND achieve a passing score on a designated civic literacy assessment (both)

More information regarding the Civic Literacy requirement can be found here

Due to the rigor of the nursing program, students must complete the Florida Civics Literacy Examination in Semester 1 at USF Testing Center or other Approved testing site.  The deadline for meeting the exam requirement is September 15, 2026. If you need to complete both the assessment AND course the assessment must be satisfied by September 15, 2026 and the course (AMH 2010, AMH 2020 or POS 2041) must be taken in Semester 1.