|
Click here for a list of current tuition and fee rates.
Policies on Payments, Credits and Refunds
When an applicant is admitted to the graduate program, the student, the parents or the guardians accept the standard payment policy of Columbia College. Students incur financial liability when they complete and sign an official Columbia College course registration form. Full payment is due at that time. Liability is not dependent upon a student receiving a billing statement.
Educational expenses may include tuition, textbooks, lab fees and any miscellaneous fee related to the course(s). The personal payment portion of the student’s educational expenses (educational expenses less financial aid or assistance awarded) is due in full at the time of registration (for additional information concerning financial aid, please refer to the Financial Aid section of the Graduate Catalog).
Refunds are processed weekly based on financial aid procedures or when a student has excess payments or financial aid. There are no expedited or emergency refunds.
Deferred Payment Plan
If full payment is not possible, students may request a deferred payment plan. The arrangement requires payment of one half of the personal payment portion at the time of registration. The student must enroll in a deferred payment plan for the remaining half with a maturity date no later than the last day of the session before registering for a subsequent session. Deferred payment plans are valid for only one session and must be requested for each individual session.
Students with pending financial aid are required to enroll in a deferred payment plan.
Failure to Pay
Students are financially responsible for the payment of all fees charged to their accounts such as tuition, textbooks, lab fees, and all miscellaneous fees. Students may not register or attend future sessions if the financial obligations for which the student is responsible are not paid in full.
The personal payment portion of a student’s account that remains unpaid after the end of the session may be assessed a 1% finance charge each month until the account is paid in full.
Failure to comply with the payment policies of the College may result in further collection activity by an outside collection agency or attorney. When this action occurs, students are responsible for paying all collection expenses which can, in some cases, exceed 50% of the original balance owed. Although every effort is made to contact a student prior to submission to a collection agency, Columbia College reserves the right to submit a student’s account for collection at any time when the student fails to remit the personal payment portion of the account balance.
Dropping a Class
Financial liability is assessed at the completion of the drop period for each session. If students drop a class prior to the end of the drop period, no financial or academic liability is incurred. If students drop a class after the drop period, they are financially liable for the full amount of tuition. No reduction of charges is made for laboratory/course fees, etc.
|