REGISTRATION WITH STATE OF FLORIDA
State law requires all schools – public and private – to register with the Florida Department of Education to do business as a school. A school must provide on its application form the school number that it has been issued school by the Florida Department of Education as proof that the school has registered with that state agency.

ACCREDITATION
A senior high school must be accredited by one of 16 approved accrediting agencies. Middle/junior high schools and home education cooperatives are exempt from the accreditation requirement. Any school applying for first-time membership must have at least started the process of accreditation upon submitting an application and must have full accreditation achieved by the end of the school's provisional period of membership before they can be elected into full membership.

FINANCIAL NEED ASSESSMENT COMPANIES
An FHSAA member school that awards any financial aid or tuition assistance (excluding state/federal programs like the McKay Scholarship or Step Up For Students, etc.) is required to use at least one of the seven companies for determination of aid as per Policy 38.1.1.4.

APPROVAL OF GOVERNING BOARD
Traditional public schools with interscholastic athletic departments operated by the 67 school districts are authorized by state law to be members of the FHSAA. Private schools, charter schools, university laboratory schools and home education cooperatives, however, must have the approval of their respective governing boards to hold membership in the Association. Each of these schools and cooperatives must provide on its application form the date of the meeting at which its governing board gave this approval, and must have on file in the FHSAA office a copy of the minutes from that meeting. If a school cannot find any record of the governing board having given his approval, the school must seek this approval from the governing board at the next possible opportunity. The school's application will be accepted conditionally pending receipt of the minutes of the meeting at which the governing board's approval is given. A charter school or chartered university laboratory school also must report on its application form the name of the district school board or university sponsoring its charter, the date the charter was approved, the term of the charter and the date the charter will expire. A copy of the charter must also be on file in the FHSAA office.

INSURANCE COVERAGE
Each member school must purchase and maintain the following forms of insurance coverage:

• Athletic Medical Base Plan/Student Accident providing coverage to each student-athlete with minimum limits of $25,000 per individual for medical expenses. This coverage may be paid for by the school or offered to each student-athlete individually for purchase from an agency contracted by the school. The school is permitted to accept certification from the parents of a student-athlete that he/she has the required coverage through the family's health insurance plan. Regardless of the manner in which the coverage is provided, the principal of the school must certify that each and every student-athlete will have this coverage before he or she is permitted to take part in any form of interscholastic athletic activity.
• Athletic Accident Medical Expense and Catastrophic Cash Medical Plan providing no-fault coverage to each student-athlete with minimum limits of $1 million for medical expenses in the event of a catastrophic injury resulting from participation in interscholastic athletic activities. This policy should also include a catastrophic cash benefit to each student-athlete with minimum limits of $500,000 for total disability resulting from an injury sustained during participation in an interscholastic athletic activity. Structured pay-out benefits may vary. This coverage is to be in excess of the $25,000 base medical plan, but may be written as part of the same policy. 
• General Liability Plan providing the school itself with general liability coverage with minimum limits of $200,000 per person and $300,000 per occurence (s. 768.28.F.S.).

MEMBERSHIP DUES ANNUALLY
The FHSAA Board of Directors has established the following membership dues for the current school year:

• First-time member senior high schools and home education cooperatives – Dues are a flat rate of $25 and will be billed to the school at the start of the school year.
• First-time middle/junior high schools – Dues are a flat rate of $10 and will be billed to the school at the start of the school year.
• Continuing member senior high schools and home education cooperatives – Dues are a flat rate of $25 ($100 if selecting a five-year renewal option) and will be billed to the school at the start of the school year.
• Continuing middle/junior high schools – Dues are a flat rate of $10 ($50 if selecting five-year renewal option) and will be billed to the school at the start of the school year.

MEMBERSHIP FEES ANNUALLY
The FHSAA Board of Directors has established the following membership fees for the current school year:

• Legal fee – The legal fee for continuing member middle/junior high schools is variable. The legal fee for continuing member senior high schools and continuing member home education cooperatives is calculated by subtracting the combined amount of legal fees paid by middle/junior high schools from the total legal expenses incurred by the Association during the previous school year and equally dividing the balance among all continuing member senior high schools and continuing member home education cooperatives. First-year members are not assessed legal fees. Legal fees are billed and are payable at the same times as membership dues.
• FIAAA membership fee – The FHSAA Board of Directors requires the athletic directors of all member schools to hold membership in the Florida Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (FIAAA). The FIAAA membership fee of $25 is billed to all first-year and continuing members, and is payable at the same time as membership dues.
• Compliance fee – The FHSAA Board of Directors requires that athletic directors of all member schools attend an FHSAA approved compliance seminar each school year. The cost of attendance for up to two people from the school will be billed to all first-year and continuing members, and is payable at the same time as membership dues.

Membership in the FHSAA is an annual commitment and is effective July 1^st to June 30^th of the following year. There is no middle of school year acceptance.

First-Time Membership – The application packet for first-time membership will only be available to prospective new member schools during the month of April. School’s interested in applying should reach out to the Coordinator of Membership & Contracts directly. An application packet with all requested materials will be due by April 30^th, with no extensions being granted for a late submission. An application processing fee of $150 must be submitted with the application for all applying high/combibation schools or home education cooperatives, and $60 for any applying middle/junior high schools. 

Continuing Membership – The complete application packet for continuing membership must be received by April 30th each school year to avoid a $50 late fee.

Submission of an application packet does not guarantee membership in the Association. The FHSAA Board of Directors must determine those schools that it will admit/elect to membership at its year-end meeting in June each year. First-time high/combination school members are admitted to membership for the initial application period. Once a school successfully completes the application and provisional periods it becomes eligible for election to full membership. Continuing full members must be re-elected to membership each year (or every five years if the school chooses).

The FHSAA Office will report to the Board of Directors whether a school's application meets fully the qualifications and conditions of membership. The FHSAA Office also will recommend whether the school should be admitted/elected to membership. If the FHSAA Office determines that it will not recommend a school for admittance/election to membership, the school will be given advance written notice as to the reason for the unfavorable recommendation. The school also will be advised of its right to appear before the Board of Directors at the June meeting to explain why it should be admitted/elected to membership. The decision of the Board of Directors whether to admit/elect a school to membership must be by majority vote. The decision will be final.

A first-time high/combination school member school must successfully complete an application period, followed by a provisional period before it is eligible for election to full membership in the FHSAA. During the application and the provisional periods (three total years) the school is permitted one privilege of membership – the opportunity to compete against other schools in the state of Florida in preseason and regular-season competition. The school will not be permitted to participate in any state championship series competition in any sport. Neither will any personnel at the school be permitted to run for election to any position in the FHSAA governance structure or sub-structures. A newly opening school that is created by the consolidation or division of existing member schools is exempt from these restrictions, provided the newly opening school continues to be governed by the same board as the school or schools from which it was created.

Application Period Requirements:

• First-Year Member Orientation – The school's principal, athletic director and FHSAA representative must attend the first-year member orientation. This meeting will be held at the FHSAA office in Gainesville. Dates and times are determined year-by-year. No deferrals are allowed.
• Recommendation Letters – At the conclusion of the first year, each school must provide to the FHSAA six (6) relationship building letters of recommendation from current full member FHSAA schools.
• Affirmation of Accreditation - The school, at a minimum, must be working through the process to gain accreditation with at least one (1) of the of the 16 approved accrediting agencies

After the successful completion of the application period, the school will again go before the Board of Directors to be voted on by majority vote and admitted into the provisional membership period. Their decision will be final. During the first year of its provisional period, a school must satisfy the following requirements:

• Compliance Seminar – The school must be represented by either the principal, athletic director or FHSAA representative at the annual FHSAA compliance seminar conducted that year. Multiple locations are available per summer around the state and the school may choose to attend any of the locations. No deferrals are allowed.
• Affirmation of Accreditation - The school, at a minimum, must be working through the process to gain accreditation with at least one (1) of the of the 16 approved accrediting agencies

During the second year of its provisional period, a school must satisfy the following requirements:

• Compliance Seminar – The school must be represented by either the principal, athletic director or FHSAA representative at the annual FHSAA compliance seminar conducted that year. Multiple locations are available per summer around the state and the school may choose to attend any of the locations. No deferrals are allowed.
• Affirmation of Accreditation - The school, by the conclusion of this year, must have gained accreditation with at least one (1) of the of the 16 approved accrediting agencies
• On-site evaluation – The school must submit to an on-site evaluation from FHSAA staff to determine proficiency with Association matters.

After the successful completion of the second year of the provisional period, the school will once again go before the Board of Directors to be voted on by majority vote their admittance into full membership with the FHSAA. Their decision will be final. If admitted, the school will retain all the rights and privileges of full membership with the FHSAA including the option to compete in the state championship series competition and be elected into office as part of the FHSAA governance structure and sub-structures.