A DOCE charge on a University of Florida bill comes from the Division of Continuing Education, the UF unit that runs UF Online, continuing medical education, professional training, and international conference programming for non-traditional students. If you see “DOCE” or “DCE” on your statement, it’s tied to a course or program delivered through that division rather than through standard on-campus enrollment, and the amount reflects your credit hours and program type.
What the Division of Continuing Education Covers
The Division of Continuing Education is UF’s main vehicle for reaching students who aren’t attending traditional on-campus classes. That includes online degree-seekers, working professionals taking flexible courses, physicians earning continuing medical education credit, and participants in international conference programs. As of 2009, around 38,500 students were enrolled in DOCE programs worldwide.1University of Florida News. The Division of Continuing Education Reaches Around the Globe
UF Online, the university’s fully online undergraduate program, operates under DOCE. If your charge comes from UF Online or the PaCE (Pathway to Campus Enrollment) track, it’s being administered through the division.
How Much UF Online Students Pay
Florida residents enrolled in UF Online pay tuition at 75 percent of the standard in-state rate. That works out to $129.18 per credit hour, compared with $212.71 per credit hour for residential students.2UF Online. Tuition and Fees For the 2025-26 academic year, non-residents pay $1,029.53 per credit hour at the residential rate.3University of Florida CFO. 2025-26 Academic Year Tuition and Fees
Your total DOCE-related charge for a term will generally be the per-credit tuition multiplied by the credits you’re taking, plus any distance learning fee attached to specific courses.
Fees UF Online Students Don’t Pay
UF Online and PaCE students are exempt from several mandatory fees that on-campus students pay. These include:
- The activity and service fee
- The health fee
- The transportation fee
- The athletic fee
- The Gator 1 Card service fee4UF Online Handbook. Student Fees
If any of those appear on a UF Online bill, that’s worth questioning with the bursar.
The Optional Fee Package
Since fall 2016, UF Online students have been able to buy into an “Optional Fee Package” at $46.21 per credit hour, which is the same per-credit rate on-campus students pay for those services. Opting in gives you access to campus facilities such as the recreation centers and bus transit.5UF Online. Optional Fee Package
One catch matters before you decide: once you opt out of the package, you cannot rejoin it for the remainder of your time at UF Online. The decision is one-directional.
What Florida Law Limits UF to Charging
Florida Statute 1009.24 sets the ground rules for what any state university can charge students. The headline rule: no state university may charge any fee except as specifically authorized by law. Tuition and fee schedules, including proposed changes, must be posted prominently on the university’s website, and students must get at least 28 days’ notice before the board of trustees votes on any fee change.6Florida Legislature. F.S. 1009.24 – State University Student Fees
Distance learning fees are capped more tightly. Under section 1009.24(17), a distance learning fee cannot exceed the actual additional costs of developing and delivering the course, and the only allowable cost categories are course production, information technology support, and online proctoring. UF reviews every approved distance learning fee at the end of each semester to compare what was collected against what was actually spent.7University of Florida Planning, Fiscal, and Support Services. Distance Learning Fees
In practical terms, a distance learning fee on a DOCE-administered course is supposed to be tied to real course costs, not a general revenue charge.
If You Think a DOCE Charge Is Wrong
Start by comparing the line items on your statement against the published UF Online tuition and fee schedule and the exemption list above. The per-credit tuition should match the resident or non-resident rate, mandatory campus fees generally should not appear unless you opted into the fee package, and any distance learning fee should be attached to a specific course.
UF has been found to overcharge students before. A 2019 investigation into the university’s “Preview” orientation program showed that between 2014 and 2018, nearly 33,500 incoming students paid between $125 and $200 for orientation, collectively about $4 million more than they would have paid at the $35 statutory cap set by Florida Statute 1009.24(14)(b). The university had not separated the basic orientation cost from optional add-ons like dorm stays and meals until fall 2019, and it later acknowledged that its website had been misleading.8Gainesville Sun. UF Deceived, Overcharged Students The episode is a reminder that posted charges are worth checking against what state law actually permits.
If a DOCE charge doesn’t match the published rates, or if you’re billed for a mandatory campus fee you believe you’re exempt from as a UF Online or PaCE student, contact the UF bursar’s office with your statement and the relevant tuition and fee page. For course-specific distance learning fees, the department running the course and UF’s Planning, Fiscal, and Support Services office are the places to ask how the fee was calculated.