COVID-19 Student FAQs

Yes. We know from the CDC that one of the most effective ways of preventing the spread of COVID-19 is to wear a facial covering. To that end, all faculty, staff and students will be required to wear a mask while on college property in accordance with our Face Covering/Mask Protocol. We encourage students to bring their own, but will have a supply available for those who arrive at any of our facilities without one.

The requirement to wear a mask will be enforced under the Student Code of Conduct (see section IV, items E-1 and N-1). 

If you have an existing health condition or disability that prohibits the wearing of a mask, and where no other form of personal protective face covering or equipment is suitable based on your health condition, you may contact Disability Services at DistrictDisabilitiesSS@hccfl.edu to discuss the process of providing medical documentation and being provided with a policy exemption letter.

Yes, social distancing will be required, and over the coming weeks, our facilities will be prepared for such accommodations. Classrooms and common areas will be modified to allow for physical distancing. For more detailed information, please see the following pages:

• For more information about cleaning and tracing protocols, see Our Strategy.
• For how we're planning for academic instruction, see Academic Operations.
• For how we're planning to continue supporting students, see Student Services.

Additional precautions include:

• Installation of signage to encourage best practices regarding personal hygiene and the movement of people through campus spaces.
• Staggered scheduling for on-campus community members.
• Increased frequency of cleaning at all of our facilities. For details see Cleaning Protocols.
• Hand sanitizing stations and temperature check stations at each campus location.
• Learn more about our strategy that includes Hawk Tracing and protocols for when someone tests positive.

Due to the high transmission rate of COVID-19 among pre-symptomatic individuals, it is inevitable that someone who has the virus may be on campus or at an HCC site, and later learn that they were infected. In these cases, the protocol for Hawk Tracing will be implemented whenever HCC learns that a person who has been on an HCC campus or site has tested positive for COVID-19. For more details on Hawk Tracing and protocols for when someone tests positive, please see our reopening strategy.

Your safety is our highest priority. Even after resuming limited on-campus services beginning July 20th, we will continue to enhance our remote and online services. Please see office webpages for email addresses and links to make phone or video conference appointments, or call us at 813-253-7000.

We are excited to welcome students back to the nest this fall. While we continue to offer a majority of our classes and support services online, our campuses will provide a comprehensive, in-person class schedule and associated student services in order to meet the needs of all our students during this unprecedented time. Please browse the online class search to see current offerings.

To protect everyone while on campus, we have implemented a variety of safety protocols as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and local and state health officials. Please see the Health and Safety section for more information on how we are working to keep you safe this fall.

Registration for fall is open! Staff are available remotely to help you register. Contact them now and register early for the best class selection.

We understand that not all courses may have utilized Canvas to its fullest extent, so we would recommend reading through the Canvas student guide to learn more about its features. Current students should check our new Online Learning Hub for quick access to How-to Guides on online learning technologies including Canvas, Honorlock, Zoom and more.

We also encourage you to download the Canvas app onto your mobile device. Search for Canvas Student in the Apple App Store or Google Play. The app will ensure you have what you need for your class right at your fingertips. See this video tutorial for more information on using the app.

Beginning July 20, our hours will be:

• Monday and Tuesday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (in-person and virtual) 4:30 p.m .- 7 p.m. (virtual only) 
• Wednesday – Friday: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (in-person and virtual)

If you plan to visit an office on campus, please review our Health and Safety section for information on new safety requirements for all students, faculty and staff. 

Due to space and staff limitations required for physical distancing, we continue to recommend virtual services. See below for how to connect with our offices remotely.

HCC advisors are still here to support you! You can make an appointment to meet with an advisor over the phone. You can also reach your campus advising office via email. Email addresses can be found in the Campus Academic Advising section of the Academic Advising webpage.

Students requesting disability accommodations should contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. You can make an appointment to speak to an OSSD representative by phone or you can locate email addresses for campus representatives in the Office Information section of the OSSD webpage. 

You can contact a counselor by emailing hcccounseling@hccfl.edu from your HawkMail account.

We know that the uncertainties related to COVID-19 can be stressful. HCC has contracted with BayCare to provide free and confidential counseling services for HCC students. The BayCare Student Assistance program is providing support by phone at 800.878.5470 or by email at BayCareSAP@BayCare.org. For more BayCare resources, including articles and webinars, please visit BayCare Student Assistance Program.

Remote PERT testing is now available! To sign-up for a PERT exam, please contact your campus Advising Office, and they will provide instructions to get you started. 

When limited services resume on-campus, remote testing services will remain available. In-person testing will be by appointment only. Please visit the Testing webpage for more information.

You may email third-party vouchers to bursar@hccfl.edu or acctsreceivable@hccfl.edu for processing. 

At this time, campus facilities including computer labs and libraries are closed and will not be available to students. Services have transitioned to online delivery where possible. Please see below question related to online access to library resources. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates regarding future availability of campus resources as soon as we have it.

Due dates for all library items have been extended to July 31. Students are not charged for overdue items.

The library FAQ might have an answer for you! If that doesn't help, the HCC Librarians are available to help with all of your research and informational needs. Please contact librarians at https://libguides.hccfl.edu/askalibrarian. Librarians are available Monday - Thursday 8am - 8pm; Friday 8am-4pm; and Saturday 9am-1pm.

HCC’s Academic Success Centers provide virtual tutoring sessions in a variety of subjects along with other resources designed to help you succeed in your online HCC courses. We also stay connected with faculty and student services to help you strengthen your academic skills and grow as a student. Visit the ASC web page for contact information.

The HCC Bookstores offers online book ordering. Please visit the e-commerce website to place your order and have your textbooks shipped directly to you. Online ordering for the fall 2020 semester opens on Monday, July 20. See the ‘Steps to Order Online’ section of our website for complete instructions.

Please note that UPS usually takes three or four days to deliver your order. Orders placed during the weekend will be processed on Monday morning.

The Offices of Financial Aid and Veteran Student Affairs are operating remotely. You can connect with a representative via phone appointment or email. Please see the Financial Aid and Veteran Student Affairs webpages for contact information.

HCC received funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Learn how HCC is providing emergency grants to students under the CARES act.

The financial aid priority deadline for fall 2020 is June 23. The payment due date has been extended to July 31. If you register for fall after July 31, payment is required same day to avoid your schedule being dropped.

Student employees and Federal and VA work-study students will be paid for their regularly scheduled hours through the end of the spring term that ends May 11, 2020. Students will need to submit their time sheets in order to be paid.

The college is still processing refunds remotely, therefore we highly encourage students to activate their refund preference on the Bank Mobile site in order to receive their refunds without delay. Refund selection can be made at the Bank Mobile refund site.

If you withdraw from all of your classes for the semester, you may need to repay a portion of your federal financial aid. If you take an incomplete grade or withdraw from some but not all of their classes, there will be no immediate impact to your financial aid, but there may be an impact to your eligibility to receive financial aid in future semesters. (Please see our Satisfactory Academic Progress webpage for more information).

We understand that this is a difficult and challenging time for many and will do our best to support you so that you can make the decision right for you. We highly recommend you connect with your faculty about alternative options before making any decisions. Your faculty will be able to help support you and your individual needs. You can also contact the financial aid office at districtfinancialaid@hccfl.edu for assistance with financial aid.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently issued this update: 

“The Senate and House passed S.3503 and the bill will be headed to POTUS to sign,
which will give the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the authority to continue GI Bill payments uninterrupted in the event of national emergencies. The new law allows for VA to continue to pay benefits regardless of the fact that the program has changed from resident training to online training. Also, students will continue to receive the same monthly housing allowance payments that they received for resident training until January 1, 2021, or until the school resumes normal operations of resident training. VA is working to immediately implement the new changes to address current and future school terms to ensure students continue to receive their education benefits.”

If you have questions, please contact Veteran Student Affairs at veteranstudentaffairs@hccfl.edu. 

Though we were not able to celebrate in person, we honored our graduates with a Virtual Commencement Ceremony on June 26, 2020.

If you did not participate in the Virtual Commencement ceremony it will not affect your graduation status. 

Each campus Student Activities Office has worked hard to reach out and engage everyone while at home. Please check out the Student Intranet SGA websites to see what each campus has planned. You will be able to see important updates, virtual events, and our social media platforms.  Considerations are being made for the Fall to include predominantly virtual student activity events, and some small-scale on-campus events.

However, all athletic events have been canceled through the end of the summer term. Fall athletic events are to-be-announced and will subsequently be organized per state and national guidelines.