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Undergraduate Catalog 08-09
Revised May 2008
Fees and Expenses
| General Fee | Partial Payment Policy | Technology Tuition Fee |
| Housing Fee | Payment of Fees | Tuition Rates |
| Meal Fee | Refund Policy | Uncollectible Check Policy |
| Other Fees |
Special Note: The fees listed below reflect charges at press time. For up-to-date information on fees at any given time, contact the Office of the Bursar, 610-436-2552.
Fees and expenses are subject to change without notice. Fees shown here are in effect for the academic year 2007-2008 and apply to fall and spring semesters only. Changes for 2008-2009, if approved, would occur after the printing of this catalog.
Tuition and fees can be paid by check, electronic check (e-check), money order, or cash. The University does not accept credit cards for tuition and fee payment. except through the Web-based QuikPAY system. If the student chooses to pay via credit card, a fee will be assessed for this service. Refer to the Office of the Bursar's Web page for payment instructions.
Undergraduate Tuition for Legal Residents of Pennsylvania
| Full-time students (between 12-18 credits) | $2,679.00 per semester |
| Part-time students (11 credits or less), or per credit for each credit over 18 | $223.00 per credit |
See the Office of the Registrar for residency requirements.
Undergraduate Tuition for Out-of-State Students
| Full-time students (between 12-18 credits) | $6,698.00 per semester |
| Part-time students (11 credits or less), or per credit for each credit over 18 | $558.00 per credit |
The general fee of $590 per full-time student (12 credits or more) or $50 per credit hour for the part-time student (11 credits or less) is a mandatory charge that covers the services indicated below.
This mandatory instructional fee will be used to enhance classroom technology. All charges are per semester.
| Legal residents of Pennsylvania: | |
| Full-time undergraduate | $90.50 |
| Part-time undergraduate | $44.00 |
| Out-of-state students: | |
| Full-time undergraduate | $136.50 |
| Part-time undergraduate | $67.00 |
Summer will be considered as one semester. Students enrolled in multiple summer sessions will be charged no more than the equivalent of the full-time semester rate.
North Campus Residence Halls - This fee entitles the student to occupancy of a standard double room in any University-owned residence hall with one roommate.
Per student: $2,238.00 per semester
South Campus Apartment Complex - This fee entitles the student to occupancy of a four- or five-person apartment that is University owned with the following bedroom occupancy:
Single occupancy bedroom (per student): $2,828.00 per semester
Double occupancy bedroom (per student): $2,599.00 per semester
Students in the North Campus residence halls losing their roommates who do not have another roommate assigned to them will be assigned a roommate, be relocated, or charged a private room fee of $47 per week for every week that they occupy the room alone. These options are available on a limited basis; however, available spaces will be used if demand requires.
Students may also obtain affiliated housing through College Park Communities, which operates two housing complexes on campus. WCU hires, trains, and supervises the residence life staff for each location and handles all student issues.
College Park Communities is responsible for occupancy management (leases), as well as facility-related issues. Information about applying for these facilities is available by sending an e-mail to wcuhousing@collegepark.org, by logging on to www.wchousing.com, or calling 610-436-2368.
All students residing in a North Campus residence hall (including affiliated housing, University Hall) must be on the University meal plan as a condition of occupancy. Students with medical problems who cannot meet this requirement may request a meal waiver. Residents of the South Campus Apartment Complex and the Village at WCU, as well as off-campus and commuting students, may purchase any meal plan offered or obtain meals at the transient rate.
Meal plans consist of 26 meal zones per week: 19 traditional breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner zones, plus seven late-night zones. The following plans are available to resident students:
For the above meal plans, the meal week runs from Saturday brunch through Friday late night. With these plans the diner can choose any combination of meals, but will forfeit any unused meals at the end of the meal week.
Additional meal plan options for resident students include:
Block plans run the entire semester, so the diner can use them in any number configuration throughout the semester, but must use them up by the end of the semester or forfeit the remaining meals.
South Campus residents (apartments and the Village), off-campus students, and commuters may select any of the above plans in addition to the following:
All meal plans may be used in the following locations: Lawrence Dining Hall; the Diner; C-Stores/Grill operations; and the Ram's Head Food Court. National brands, such as Chick-fil-A, Subway, Einstein's Bagels, and Freshens will take cash and flex only. Students in North Campus residence halls will have their meal plan cost included in their University bill. Off-campus, commuter, and South Campus Apartment/Village students can sign up for a meal plan by applying at the Office of the Bursar in the E.O. Bull Center. Any meal plan changes must be submitted within the first two weeks in the beginning of each semester. After that deadline, the assistant vice president for student affairs must approve any change requests. The diner is permitted to use four meals in one day and may combine up to two meals per meal zone to convert to the meal/cash allowance. Diners may use five of their meals per semester for a guest.
Identification Card Fees (RAMeCARD). The RAMeCARD will serve as a ticket to the offerings at Lawrence Food Court, Campus Corner, Convenience Stores, and Sykes Ram’s Head Food Court. The University charges a $12 fee to issue an identification card to each full- or part-time student. If this card is lost or stolen, or damaged, the student will be charged $15 for a replacement card. Damaged ID cards can be exchanged for a $10 fee.This fee is payable at the Student Services, Inc. (SSI) service center located on the ground level of Sykes Student Union.
Students should receive fall semester bills by mid to late July and spring semester bills by the first week of December. All initial semester bills will be mailed to the students' home address and sent electronically to the students' official WCU e-mail address.
Mid-semester statements, including those for the Partial Payment Plan, will only be sent electronically to the student’s WCU e-mail address. Students will be required to check their WCU e-mail often for important dates and deadlines. For students who rely on parents/guardians to pay their bills, it is highly recommended that students select parents/guardians as authorized payers through the Web-based QuikPAY system. Doing so will assure that both students and parents/guardians will receive notification e-mails when new bills/statements are available.
It is the responsibility of each student to pay/submit the semester bill by the due date. Students who fail to pay or submit their bill by the due date will be assessed a $50 late payment fee. Nonreceipt of a semester bill does not relieve the student of the responsibility of paying/submitting the bill by the due date. Address changes should be made through the Office of the Registrar to allow for sufficient time to reflect an accurate billing address.
Students who are receiving approved financial aid awards that fully cover or exceed the amount of their bills do not have to pay, but they must submit to the Office of the Bursar the appropriate portion of their semester bill to complete registration. Fully covered financial aid students also have the option of activating their account online via myWCU. Failure to return the bill or activate an account online, even if no payment is due, may result in the cancellation of registration/schedule and the assessment of late penalties. Students who cannot pay their bills in full by the due date may apply for partial payment (see “Partial Payment Policy” below).
Failure to meet the payment deadline could result in cancellation of the student’s schedule. In order to have another schedule reinstated, the student would have to pay his or her bill in full as well as a $35 late registration fee.
Students who owe money to the University will have a hold placed on their accounts. If students do not clear the hold by paying the amount owed, it will cancel registration/scheduling for future semesters, prevent the release of transcripts, and prohibit graduation clearance. The University also may, at its discretion, invoke any other penalty appropriate for a particular case in which money is owed to the University.
The University extends partial payment privileges to all students who are in good financial standing and have not defaulted on a previous payment plan. The nonrefundable fee charged for this service is $35 per semester. There is no payment plan for summer terms. Installment payments received late are subject to a $25 late payment fee. Partial payment statements will only be sent electronically to the student's WCU e-mail address and authorized payer's e-mail address. For more information about the plan offered, contact the Office of the Bursar at 610-436-2552.
A fee of $25 is charged for any paper check or e-check returned to the University for insufficient funds, stopped payment, or closed account. The University may, at its discretion, charge this fee for any check returned to it for any other reason.
The check will be returned to the student upon its replacement. Students who have two or more checks returned against their accounts will no longer be able to make payment by personal check; all future payments must be made by cash or certified check.
All requests for refunds for dropped or canceled courses, or for withdrawals, must be made in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar. Refunds are not automatic; it is the student's responsibility to initiate a refund request. Appeals concerning the refund policy for tuition and the general fee are made to the Office of the Registrar. Appeals concerning the Housing or Meal Fee are made to the Office of Residence Life. Further appeals, if necessary, may be made to the Appeals Committee.
The refund policy does not affect the time line for W grades as described under "Withdrawing from a Course" (see page 43).
Individual fees will be refunded according to the policies described below.
Tuition and General Fee Refunds - Full refunds are available only through the first day that the University is in session. After that, tuition and fees are refunded according to the schedule below. These percentages apply to the total tuition bill, not to partial tuition payments.Questions about this, as well as when you will receive your refund, should be directed to the Office of the Bursar.
| Withdraw during | Receive tuition and general fees refund |
| Through 1st day of semester | 100% |
| Days 2-5 of 1st week of semester | 90% |
| 2nd week of semester | 80% |
| 3rd week of semester | 70% |
| 4th week of semester | 60% |
| 5th week of semester | 50% |
| 6th week of semester and after | No refund |
No refund will be given if the student drops a course but retains full-time status, or if he/she owes the University money.
General Fee - in full through the first day of the semester and prorated on a credit-hour basis for a change from full-time to part-time status. A change in the number of credit hours within the full-time status (12 credit hours or above) does not result in a refund of the General Fee; however, a change within the part-time status (below 12 credit hours) will result in a per-credit-hour adjustment according to the refund schedule used for tuition refunds.
Housing Fee (University-owned housing) - in full prior to the first day of the semester; after the first day of the semester, prorated refunds are made on an individual basis through the Office of Residence Life and Housing Services. For affiliated housing, please contact the private management company operating the property.
Meal Fee - in full prior to the first day of the semester; after the first day of the semester, prorated refunds are made on an individual basis through the Office of Residence Life for resident students, and through the Office of the Bursar for commuter students.
Application Fee. $35 is charged to all prospective students for the processing of their applications to the University. The fee is nonrefundable and is not credited to the student's account.
Nondegree Student Application Fee. Nondegree students are charged a one-time $15 initial processing fee.
Acceptance Fee. All newly accepted and readmitted students pay $200 as proof of intention to enroll at the University. This is a nonrefundable fee, which will be credited to the student’s housing account upon enrollment.
Housing Deposit. All new and returning students who wish to live in University-owned housing (residence halls and the South Campus Apartment Complex) are charged $100. It is credited against the student's housing fee and is nonrefundable if the student receives approval to live in campus housing.
Late Payment Fee. Students who fail to pay or submit their semester bills by their due date will be assessed a $50 late payment fee. Nonreceipt of a bill does not relieve students of the responsibility of paying or submitting their bill by the due date. For those paying by mail, please allow sufficient time for payment to reach the University by the due date. Financial aid students who fail to confirm their attendance by the due date, even if no payment is due, will also be liable for this fee.
Late Registration Fee. All students who schedule during the late registration period are charged a $35 nonrefundable late registration fee.
Credit by Examination Fee. A charge is made to all students who register for a Credit by Examination through the Office of the Registrar. Each examination scheduled costs $77.
Portfolio Assessment Fee. Equal to 50 percent of the per credit hour rate, this fee is charged to have a faculty member assess a student's prior knowledge in a particular course.
Course Audit Fee. Students who audit courses pay the same fees as students taking the courses for a letter grade.
Damage Fee. Students are charged for damage or loss of University property. This fee varies, depending on the extent of the damage.
Identification Card Fees (RAMeCARD). The University charges a $12 fee to issue an identification card to each full- or part-time student. If this card is lost or stolen, the student will be charged $15 for a replacement card. Damaged ID cards can be exchanged for a $10 fee. This fee is payable at the Student Services (SSI) service center office, located on the ground floor of Sykes Union.
Parking Fees. The University charges a nonrefundable parking fee to students who are eligible to purchase a permit to use University parking lots. The current parking fee is $30 per year. Parking permits are available at the Department of Public Safety or on the Web at www.wcupa.edu/dps/ParkingServices.asp. Parking fines are assessed at $10 up to $40 depending on the violation.
Music Instrument Rental Fees. Each student renting a musical instrument for a semester is charged $20 per instrument. Each student using a pipe organ for practice for one period each weekday is charged $36 per semester.
Lost Key Replacement. Students who lose the key to their University-owned residence hall room or South Campus Apartment bedroom are charged a nonrefundable fee of $30 to replace the lock.
Transcript Fee. The fee for transcripts is $3 per copy. Transcript request forms are available in the Office of the Registrar. Immediate transcripts are $5 per request.
Commencement Fee. The University charges $56 to all students enrolled in a degree program who will have fulfilled their degree requirements by the end of the semester. This fee is paid after the student completes a Graduation Application Form in the Office of the Registrar and is approved for graduation.
Fees for Health and Physical Education Majors. Students in the B.S. degree programs in health and physical education must purchase uniforms at the University Bookstore. All students must be in proper uniform for activity classes.