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 is required, and our facilities are prepared for such accommodations. Classrooms and common areas have been 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.

Our COVID-19 Dashboard provides information regarding confirmed cases of COVID-19 at Hillsborough Community College.

Your safety is our highest priority. Even as we have reopened our campuses to serve students on a limited basis, we are continuing 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 for spring. 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. 

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 spring.

To learn more about registering for spring classes, please visit our Register Now page.

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.

Hours:

• 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 by phone or Zoom. 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 Zoom. You can also 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. 

We have reopened our campuses to serve students on a limited basis, but remote testing services remain available. In-person testing is 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. 

Computer labs and libraries are open on a limited basis. Please see the Libraries page to check your campus library hours. For information on our Computer Labs, please see the Computer Lab page.

All library items can be returned to any campus library book return located outside. On the SouthShore Campus, the only book return is located inside the library. Renewals can be completed online through your individual library account for items that do not have a hold on them. 

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 provides tutoring sessions for a variety of subjects to help you succeed in your courses. Currently, we offer both online sessions you can access from home and limited, in-person sessions on each campus to meet students' academic support needs.

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 is here to support you! You can connect with a representative via phone appointment, Zoom 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 spring 2021 is November 16. The payment due date is December 11. If you register for spring after December 11, payment is required same day to avoid your schedule being dropped.

If you have not done so already, you should activate your refund preference on the Bank Mobile refund site in order to avoid any delays in receiving your refund. Estimated Financial Aid refund dates can be found on the academic calendar. For more information on refunds, please see our Refunds page.

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. 

All Student Government events for fall 2020 are going to be presented/offered virtually. 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.

HCC Athletics has moved all seasons to the spring semester. The start dates are as follows: 

• Women’s Tennis - January 22, 2021
• Volleyball -  January 29, 2021
• Men’s & Women’s Basketball -  January 22, 2021
• Baseball & Softball -  January 22, 2021

For updates on schedules, rosters and news, please visit our Athletics site.