Tuition & Expenses

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Mariann Cardonick

mcardonick@uarts.edu
Manager, Student Billing Office
Second Floor, Dorrance Hamilton Hall
215-717-6187

Undergraduate Tuition and Fees

Annual tuition is charged to all full-time undergraduate students, with one-half payable prior to the start of each semester. Full-time students carry a minimum of 12 credits per semester and may carry up to 18 credits without incurring additional charges. Excess credits are subject to additional charges at the standard semester credit rate. Permission of the dean of the appropriate college is required for a student to carry more than 18 credits in one semester.

In addition to the annual tuition charge, all students registered for 12 credits or more are required to pay an annual general student fee. The general student fee is applied toward the cost of library facilities, studio and computer operations, orientation, student activities, and special services, including health services, placement, and registration. The annual general student fee is not refundable.

Students registering for fewer than 12 credits are charged per credit. There may be additional course fees or charges, which may include deposits, the cost of expendable materials, and lab fees in selected studio classes. Lab fees, in particular, are most common in the Crafts and Media Arts departments. Please contact those departments directly for more information. In addition, private lessons for students who are not enrolled in the School of Music will carry an additional fee. Reservation deposits for housing and tuition are credited to the student’s bill and are not refundable.

Schedule of Annual Undergraduate Charges and Fees

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Graduate students are considered full-time if enrolled in at least nine credits. Teacher Certification students in Visual Arts are considered full-time at nine credits. Full-time graduate students pay annual tuition plus the general student fee. General student fee charges are the same for graduate and undergraduate students. Tuition for part-time graduate studies is charged on a per-credit basis.

A student who has completed all the course requirements for the master’s degree and is currently working on the graduate project/thesis, either on or off-campus, must register and pay a graduate project continuation fee (equal to the cost of 0.5 credit/semester) until all degree requirements are met. Students completing a degree in the summer must pay the fee in the final semester. This registration, through the Office of the Registrar, is required in each semester until all degree requirements are met.

A student without an approved leave of absence who does not register each semester will be considered to have withdrawn from candidacy for the degree. Students who have not maintained continuous registration must apply through the Office of the Registrar for readmission to the program, and will be retroactively charged for the intervening semesters.

Schedule of Annual Graduate Charges and Fees

Tuition Payments and Financial Responsibility

Payment in full for each semester is required before students may attend classes. Tuition invoices are mailed to students each July and November. Students who have not made arrangements to pay their tuition, fees, housing, and/or any other financial obligations to the University before the first day of classes each semester are subject to having their registration cancelled for that semester and losing their class places. Cancelled registrations can only be reinstated with the approval of the Student Billing Office and are subject to a late payment fee of $60.

The first-semester bill must be paid by mid-August and the second semester bill must be paid by mid-December. Any amount unpaid after the due date as indicated on the invoice is subject to a late payment fee of $60 unless an alternative payment plan has been arranged through TMS (see “Payment Plans”). Settlement of all financial obligations of the University rests with the student or the student’s parents if the student has not attained independent adult status.

Failure to receive a tuition statement does not excuse a student from paying tuition and fees before attending classes each semester. Student accounts are considered settled when students receive Business Office Approval and a validated ID card.

Any unpaid balance at the end of the semester will be referred to the University’s outside collection agency for collection and legal action. Students or their paying agents will be responsible for all collection costs and attorney fees.

Methods of Payment

Students who wish to make their tuition payment directly to the University may use one of the following methods of payment:

1. Check
2. Certified check
3. Money order
4. Wire Transfer (Before arranging for a wire transfer, please call the University for details about the process: 215-717-6194.)

The Interest-Free Monthly Payment Option

To help manage tuition and housing expenses, the University has access to the services of Tuition Management Systems. Tuition Management Systems’ Interest-Free Monthly Payment Option allows education expenses to be spread over smaller monthly installments for only a small enrollment fee. There is no interest and no pre-qualification or credit check for this service. With this payment option there is 24-hour access to account information through Tuition Management Systems’ web site, www.afford.com, toll-free automated account information through InfoLine, and personal account service Monday through Saturday. Education Payment Counselors are available to help determine the best payment option.

For more information on specific payment options or to enroll in the Interest-Free Monthly Payment Option, visit Tuition Management Systems’ web site at www.afford.com or call 1-800-722-4867 and speak with an Education Payment Counselor.

Acceptance of Credit Cards

The University only accepts credit cards for payment of new student application fees, Continuing Education programs, and purchases made at the bookstore. Due to the high cost of merchant service fees imposed by credit card companies and banks, the University does not accept credit cards for payment of undergraduate and graduate tuition, housing charges, and the general fee. For those who prefer to use credit cards for their convenience or for reward/bonus programs, Tuition Management Systems, Inc. (TMS-see Payment Plans, above) provides two options. You may use your credit card either to make your monthly payments to TMS or to pay the tuition in full. TMS will not assess a separate enrollment fee for these options. However, their contract levies a convenience fee, between two to three percent of the balance charged. For more detailed information, please call TMS at 1-800-722-4867.

Tuition Remission and Discounts

Students are entitled to only one type of tuition discount (i.e., alumni discount, sibling discount, spousal discount, etc.) in any given academic year. For more information, contact the Office of the Registrar at 215-717-6420.

Alumni Discount

Sons and daughters of alumni of the University of the Arts are eligible for a 10 percent remission on their tuition. To qualify, a student must present to the Registrar an original or notarized copy of the long-form birth certificate, which lists the names of both parents.

For purposes of this policy, alumni are defined as graduates who have received a diploma, degree, or certificate as a matriculated student in an undergraduate or graduate program from either the College of Art and Design, the College of Media and Communication or the College of Performing Arts, excluding the Evening or Continuing Education divisions of each College. The discount will be issued commensurate with the number of years that a student’s alumni parents attended the University (i.e., if an alumnus received a certificate from a two-year program, the discount would be offered for only two years).

Sibling Discount

Families that have two or more members simultaneously attending The University of the Arts are eligible for a tuition remission. To qualify, a student must present to the Registrar an original or notarized copy of the long-form birth certificate, which lists the names of both parents. The youngest member of the family may receive a 10 percent tuition remission each semester during which both are full-time matriculating students.

Spousal Discount

A husband and wife attending the University at the same time are eligible for tuition remission. To qualify, presentation of an original or notarized copy of the certificate of marriage must be submitted to the Registrar. The second person of the married couple to register at the University may receive a 10 percent tuition remission each semester during which they are both full-time matriculated students.

Housing Fees

Students are not permitted to move into University housing until all tuition and fees are paid in full. A damage deposit is required of all students who live in University housing. This deposit is held in escrow and will be refunded to the student after the apartment is vacated. Any charges for damage to the apartment will be subtracted from this deposit. An additional Housing Reservation Deposit is required to reserve a space in University housing. This deposit will be credited to the student’s bill and is not refundable.

Special Charges and Fees

Application Fee

An application fee of $50 is required with every application for admission or readmission.

Tuition Deposit

Once the student has been accepted for admission to the University, a $300 tuition deposit is required to reserve a place in the class. This deposit will be credited to the student’s bill and is not refundable after May 1. The tuition deposit must be paid in U.S. dollars within three weeks of the offer of admission. Please refer to the Admissions section of this catalog for more complete information.

Late Registration

A late registration fee of $35 will be charged to any student registering after the dates listed in the Academic Calendar.

Late Payment

A late payment fee of $60 will be charged to any student failing to pay his or her tuition and/or housing bill by the due date.

Bad Check Penalty

A $25 fine is charged for all checks issued to the University and not paid upon presentation to the bank. A hold will be placed on all official student documents until the original charge is paid in addition to the fine. A “flag” will be placed on the student’s account and, for a period of one year, payment with a personal check will not be permitted. At the end of one year the student may appeal to the Billing Manager to review his/her payment history. All balances will be referred to a collection agency if repayment is not made.

Transcript Fee

A $5 fee is charged to students requesting an official transcript from the University. Please refer to the Academic Policies section in the front of this catalog under Transcript Request Procedures for more information.

Tuition Refund Policy and Procedures

By registering for classes, students accept responsibility for paying charges for the entire semester/term, regardless of the method of payment and attendance in class.

Students who are considering withdrawing (either from the University or individual classes) should seriously consider the financial consequences. Depending on the time of withdrawal, balances may still be owed to the University, the Federal Government (if a Title IV program aid recipient), State Governments, Agencies, loan providers, and other non-University grantors of scholarships and awards. Students are urged to meet with a financial aid counselor to discuss the monetary impact of withdrawal and their eligibility for aid in the current and future semesters.

General Refund Policy

The following items will be excluded from the refund calculation:

1. The comprehensive fee.
2. Supplies, which are considered 100 percent expended upon purchase.
3. Books, which are considered 50 percent expended during the first week of classes and 100 percent thereafter.
4. The documented cost of any equipment issued to the student and not returned in good condition.
5. Library fines and late fees.
6. Security deposits, which will be returned separately once it has been determined that no damages or fines have been assessed.

Retention of Federal Title IV Program Funds

Students should understand that withdrawing from the University may cause them to owe more money than if they had remained to complete the semester/term.

Withdrawing students who have been awarded Title IV Program aid funds are permitted to retain a pro-rata portion of these funds as an offset (payment) against tuition charges prior to completion of 60 percent of any Term or Summer Session. After the 60 percent mark, all such aid is treated as 100 percent earned. Title IV Program or Federal funds would include Pell and SEOG grants, and Perkins, Stafford, and PLUS loans.

For example, a student withdrawing during a fall or spring term on the 20th calendar day after the start of classes retains 19 percent of the total Title IV aid awarded (excluding Federal Work Study). This percentage is calculated by dividing the 20 days completed by the 105 total days in the term (including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays). This retained aid is then applied against the remaining balance of tuition charges calculated under the general refund policy. The balance of the Title IV aid-or 81 percent- must be returned to the appropriate issuer. If this student also received University awards (non-Title IV Program), the same retention percentage would apply.

If a student withdrew after 60 percent of the term was completed, or on the 63rd day, 100 percent of the aid would be retained.

A student withdrawing during a Summer Session on the 20th calendar day after the start of classes retains 47.6 percent of the total Title IV aid awarded. This percentage is calculated by dividing the 20 days completed by the 42 total days in the session (including Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays). This retained aid is then applied against the remaining balance of tuition charges calculated under the general refund policy. If this student also received University awards (non-Title IV program), the same retention percentage would apply.

If a student withdrew after 60 percent of the term was completed, or on the 25th day, 100 percent of the aid would be retained.

That portion of Federal Title IV aid that will be returned to the issuer must be repaid in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Perkins Loan
5. Federal Pell Grant
6. Federal SEOG Aid
7. Any other Title IV program aid
8. Other federal, state, or private student financial assistance
9. To the student

Retention of University Scholarships, Grants, and Awards

Withdrawing students who have received University Scholarships, Grants, and Awards are permitted to retain a portion of these funds as an offset (payment) against tuition charges based on the duration of attendance. For those students not receiving any Title IV program aid, the portion retained is the same as the tuition charged under the general refund policy. For example, a student without any Title IV aid withdrawing before the end of the third week of classes will be liable for 60 percent of tuition charges. This same student will also receive credit for 60 percent of any University aid awarded.

If a withdrawing student received Title IV Program aid in addition to University Scholarships and Awards, the total amount of aid retained from both sources is calculated using the Federal Title IV rules.

Financial Holds

Students who do not satisfy their financial obligations to the University will have a financial hold placed on their record. Such a hold may result in cancellation of the student’s preregistration and will prevent the student from being permitted to register for future courses until the financial hold is lifted. Furthermore, students with outstanding financial obligations to the University will not be eligible to receive official copies of their transcripts or their diplomas. To avoid incurring late fees and/or a hold on academic records, students are expected to make arrangements to pay all tuition, fees, library fines and fees, and dormitory charges by the due date on their bill. Students are encouraged to apply early for financial aid.