Tuition and Fees

Undergraduate Day Tuition and Fees

The schedule of fees, tuition, methods of payment and refund policies are those in effect at the time of publication. They are subject to change without notice. Funds accrued for educational purposes are applied on first funds received, first funds applied to bill basis.

2012–2013 Tuition Rates

Students Over 60 Years of Age

Students over the age of 60 may enroll in day classes tuition-free. Students must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

• Massachusetts resident for at least one year prior to the start of the academic year and maintain such residency throughout the entire period of eligibility
• U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
• Enrolled in a undergraduate degree program
• Not in default of any Federal or State Loan for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous student financial aid received

2012–2013 Standard Fees

The fees listed below are for a full time student, except where indicated. Full time is defined as 12 or more credits:

Incoming students are required to have a laptop computer prior to the start of classes. Recommended laptops can be found on our Web site at www.fitchburgstate.edu/it/stucomp.

Room and Board

The base housing rates established by the Board of Massachusetts State University Building Authority increased for the school year.  The annual increase covers the cost of utility and operation costs, deferred maintenance needs and continued funding of the annual repair and renovation fund.  The repair and renovation fund will be used to fund additional repairs, bathroom renovations, furniture upgrades and lighting projects over the next few years.

The university offers a variety of on-campus housing as described in the Student Life section of the catalog. Residence hall rates include cable television, internet access and telephone service (exclusive of long distance charges) in the stated room rate. Housing and Residential Services residence hall rates are as follows:

Dining Services

The university offers a variety of board (meal) plans to both on-campus housing students and commuters. The plans are described in the Dining Section below. All on-campus housing students (except those in Apartments and Cedar House) are required to have a meal plan, and may select from either the Freedom Plan, 15, or 10 meal plans. Board rates are as follows:

Whether you like to eat three times a day, or prefer a lighter daily diet, Fitchburg State has a meal plan to meet your needs. You can grab a quick bite between classes in our North Street Bistro or enjoy a complete hot meal in our Holmes Dining Commons.

Meal Plans

Freedom-Meal Plan

• Unlimited number of meals at Holmes Dining Commons
• $125 in Falcon Dollars
• Up to 10 guest meals per semester

15-Meal Plan

• Any 15 meals per week
• $100 in Falcon Dollars
• Up to five guest meals per semester

10-Meal Plan

• Any 10 meals per week
• $75 in Falcon Dollars

5-Meal Plan

• Any five meals per week for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch
• $50 Falcon Dollars

Falcon Dollars can be used in the North Street Bistro, McKay Cafe or in vending machines located in academic buildings and residence halls.

Deposits

The following advance deposits are nonrefundable

The housing deposit is required of all students requesting on-campus accommodations. The housing deposit is paid one time and will remain current as long as an active housing agreement is maintained consecutively. Upon successful completion of all housing agreements the deposit will be refunded.

Payment Options

Bills can be paid in the form of cash, cashier’s checks, money orders, bank checks, traveler’s checks, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, American Express, or personal checks. Fitchburg State University also has a tuition payment plan that is administered directly through Tuition Management Services (TMS).

Any payments that become past due immediately jeopardize the student’s enrollment. Until debts are cleared, a student will not be permitted to register for a subsequent semester or summer session. Furthermore, the student may not be issued transcripts, or other official statements unless otherwise mandated by law. Any collection costs associated with the collection of this debt is the responsibility of the student. Additionally, the Student Accounts Office may refer an account to the State Attorney General or State Intercept Program to recover any debt owed to Fitchburg State University.

Please note: A student will be charged $30 per occurrence for any personal checks returned to the university by the bank. A late payment fee, not to exceed $50, will also be incurred.

Institutional Refund Policy

The following Institutional Refund Policy is a reference for all undergraduate day students withdrawing from the university. The information below reflects the percentage of charges the student will be charged for, dependant on the official date of withdrawal. If a student is using financial aid against their total charges, please refer to the financial aid return of Title IV refund policy found on the Web at http://www.fitchburgstate.edu/offices/student-services/student-accounts/-policies/refund-policies-for-tuition-fees/institutional-refund-policy/title-iv-refund-policy/. Please note that housing and meal plan refunds may vary from the below schedule. Students that are withdrawn through the administration for judicial matters may be ineligible to receive any refund for tuition, fees and/or room and board.

Students who withdraw after the seventh week will have no adjustments to their charges.

Dropping Courses Below Full-Time

This policy is for all students who drop below full-time (12 or more credits) state-supported courses during the first two weeks of school. For students that are withdrawing from all courses and cease enrollment at Fitchburg State University this refund policy is not applicable; please refer to the Institutional Refund Policy above.

Refunds will only be generated if the total payments exceed the total charges after adjustments have been completed.

Health Insurance

All matriculated students registering for nine or more semester hours must be enrolled in a student health insurance plan offered by the university or in a private health insurance program with comparable coverage. Students must:

• Complete a waiver online each fall semester or,
• Enroll in the student health insurance plan.
• To obtain a brochure about the university sponsored insurance, please call (978) 665-3130.

Undergraduate Evening Tuition and Fees

2012–2013 Tuition Rates

The graduate and continuing education tuition charges for all students are as follows:

2012–2013 Standard Fees

All students must pay the following fees:

Students auditing classes pay regular tuition and fees.

*Nonrefundable unless a course is cancelled by the university.

Payment Options

Payment for tuition and fees must be made at time of registration in the form of cashier’s check, money order, bank check, traveler’s check, personal check, MasterCard, VISA, Discover, or American Express.

Any payment that becomes past due immediately jeopardizes the student’s enrollment. Until debts are cleared, a student is not permitted to register for a subsequent semester or be issued academic transcripts or other official statements unless otherwise mandated by law. Any outstanding debt may be assigned to a collection agency and costs associated with the collection of this debt are the responsibility of the student.

Please note: All returned checks require a $30 returned check fee to cover charges by financial institutions. Students who do not respond to notification to rectify their account will have their account placed on hold and will be placed in the collection process.

Tuition Waivers and Vouchers

Some tuition waivers and/or vouchers may be used as partial payment for course(s) taken through Graduate and Continuing Education. The appropriate original eligibility form with all required signatures must be presented at the time of registration. It is important that students check with their own human resource department to determine eligibility. Not all tuition waivers apply to non-state funded programs such as those offered through Graduate and Continuing Education.

Tuition waivers, remissions, and vouchers do not apply to non-credit Lifelong Learning courses, capstones, conferences, teleconferences, independent studies, directed studies, internship, practica, fieldwork, LECAP, selected distance learning courses, courses by arrangement or professional development seminars and lectures offered through the Office of Graduate and Continuing Education.

Unpaid Charges

Any charge incurred through registration is required to be paid by the specified due date. In the event that charges are not paid, students may be administratively withdrawn, sent to a collection agency or state intercept and will be responsible for any additional fees.

If a student receives Title IV aid and has unpaid charges owed to the university, the university may automatically credit the refund to the student’s account up to the amount owed by the student.

Refund Policy

Course Drops and Withdrawals

Course drop or withdrawal is initiated when a student either drops/withdraws from a course using Web4 Self Service, or does so by contacting the Registrar’s Office. The date of the drop/withdrawal determines the amount of refund due to the student.

Refunds

Refunds are determined by the number of hours classes have met, or by time elapsed in online courses, not by the number of hours the student has actually attended or participated. All refunds are issued by eRefund or check, regardless of payment method. In the event that a class is cancelled by the university, a full refund of tuition and fees is granted. Class meeting is defined as 2.5 hours. The late fee is not refundable.

Note: Independent and directed studies, internship, fieldwork, and practica are also considered to be special scheduling courses.

Winter (3-week session):

Summer (5-week session):

 Fall/Spring (15-week sessions):

Special-Scheduled or Institute-Scheduled Courses

If a course is canceled by the university, a student receives a full refund of tuition and fees.

Refunds for Federal Financial Aid

Please refer to the Federal Title IV Policy section which appears in this catalog.

Students Over 60 Years of Age

Students over the age of 60 may enroll in classes tuition-free, provided seating is available after the registration of tuitionpaying students. Students must meet the following criteria to be eligible:

• Massachusetts resident for at least one year prior to the start of the academic year and maintain such residency throughout the entire period of eligibility
• U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen
• Enrolled in a undergraduate degree or certificate program
• Not in default of any federal or state loan for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous student financial aid received

Health Insurance

All matriculated undergraduate students registering for nine or more semester hours must be enrolled in a student health insurance plan offered by the university or in a private health insurance program with comparable coverage.  Students must:

• Complete a waiver online each fall semester, or
• Enroll in the student health insurance plan.
• To obtain a brochure about the university sponsored insurance, please call (978) 665-3130.

Public Disclosure

Fitchburg State University has copies of its most recent audited financial statement available in the Finance Office.

The schedule of fees, tuition, methods of payment and refund policies are those in effect at the time of publication. They are subject to change without notice.