Linkage Institutes
In the late 1980s, the State of Florida Legislature established 11 International Linkage Institutes to develop stronger economic, cultural, educational and social ties between Florida and countries considered strategically important to the state. (Florida state statute 288.8175.) The Linkage Institutes’ Out-of-State Tuition Exemption program provides international students from eligible countries with the opportunity to apply for a waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition. Selection is competitive and students must apply to the appropriate Linkage Institute directly.
Requirements for all Linkage Institute Waivers: Applicants must be admitted to one of Florida’s public universities or community colleges. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA, and must commit to returning home within 3 years of completing their degree for a length of time equal to the tuition exemption period.
Brazil Linkage Institute
| Website: | http://56conference.latam.ufl.edu/research/tuition.stm |
| Degree levels: | Graduate students, Community College students |
| Deadline: | July 1 |
Canada Linkage Institute
| Website: | http://www.international.ucf.edu/fcli/index.php |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | March 31 (new applicants), March 3 (renewal applicants) |
Caribbean Linkage Institute
| Website: | lacc.fiu.edu/centers_institutes/?body=centers_fci&rightbody=centers_fci |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadline: | June 1 |
| Eligible countries: | Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago |
China Linkage Institute
| Website: | uwf.edu/fcli/ |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadline: | April 1 |
Costa Rica Linkage Institute
| Website: | www.international.fsu.edu/Types/Linkage/Linkage.htm#CostaRica |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | Summer 2008 – March 15; Fall 2008 – July 15; Spring 2009 – Nov. 15 |
Eastern Europe Linkage Institute
| Website: | www.international.ucf.edu/eeli/index.php |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | Postmarked by March 24 (international mail), March 30 (domestic mail) |
| Eligible countries: | Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan |
France Linkage Institute
| Website: | global.usf.edu/florida_france/index.htm |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | Summer 2008 – April 16; Fall 2008 – July 30; Spring 2009 – Nov. 15 |
Israel Linkage Institute
| Website: | www.floridaisrael.org/application.html |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | Summer 2008 – March 15; Fall 2008 – June 15; Spring 2009 – Oct. 15 |
Japan Linkage Institute
| Website: | uwf.edu/intered/fjli/ |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadlines: | Summer 2008 – March 7; Fall 2008 – June 13; Spring 2009 – Nov. 7 |
Mexico Linkage Institute
| Website: | lacc.fiu.edu/centers_institutes/?body=centers_fmi&rightbody=centers_fmi |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadline: | June 15 |
West Africa Linkage Institute
| Website: | www.unf.edu/dept/flawi/waivers.html |
| Degree levels: | Undergraduates, Graduates |
| Deadline: | May 15 |
| Eligible countries: | Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde Islands, Cote D'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo |