January in Florence FAQ

Good to know before you go! Below are the answers for a few common questions we get from January in Florence students.

For safety and emergency purposes, it is a mandatory requirement that program participants either have an international phone plan that allows them to call numbers outside of the U.S., or that they get an Italian SIM card upon arrival in Italy (this requires you have an “unlocked” phone – talk to your cell phone provider about this).

FUA allows one even change (one drop, one add) during your onsite drop-add day. Please note that dropping down in the number of credits you take once onsite will not result in a refund.

You’ll be issued two transcripts from your program: one from Florence University of the Arts and one from the University of South Florida. These transcripts will be sent to your home institution approximately 12 weeks after the conclusion of the full Spring term, which ends in May. Please talk to your study abroad office now to make sure this timeline will not cause any issues. Please contact your Program Coordinator if you have any questions about this, or need to request a rush FUA transcript (this must be done well in advance of your program’s start date).

There is not a meal plan included, though you do have 20 meal credits included for use at Ganzo Restaurant & Fedora Pastry Shop. Here are some examples of what your meal credits can buy:
- - 1 meal credit = pastry + espresso + orange juice (breakfast)
  - 2 meal credits = risotto with zucchini flowers (lunch)
  - 3 meal credits = gnocchi with saffron and lime (dinner)
Your apartment will have a fully equipped kitchen where you can cook at home, using fresh ingredients from the local markets and grocery stores.

Housing deposits (less any damages) are refunded 12-16 weeks after your return date. This time period may vary depending on the rate we receive housing reports from our overseas partners.