Fees and Expenses

2014-2015 Traditional Undergraduate Tuition and Fees Rates

Residential Fees - Room, Board & Laundry

(Board plan is not included in Apartment price and may be purchased separately)

Non-Board Dining Plans

For assistance or more information see the ScotsCard Services Office (www.covenant.edu/scotscard)

Other Fees

Health insurance fee: Please see Student Development  (required for non-U.S. citizens)

Parking fee: Please see Parking Regulations Manual about parking fees and regulations. This manual is handed out to students when registering vehicles, and it is also available online at scots.covenant.edu under Safety and Security.

Course fees in various areas: Please see Course Descriptions  

In addition to the above fees, the student may also want to consider estimated semester expenses for books and supplies ($550), transportation ($400), and personal expenses ($400) to determine a total budget for each semester. These costs are only estimates and will vary depending on courses taken, the distance from the College, and personal spending habits.

Music Fees

Private instruction for lessons required for a major or minor:

Private instruction not required for a major or minor:

Insurance

A student medical insurance program is available to all students. Details on coverage and cost are available upon request from the Priesthill Health and Counseling Center. All students participating in the College’s intercollegiate athletic program are required to have their own primary medical insurance. Students are also covered by the intercollegiate athletic medical insurance program which is a secondary insurance coverage. Non-U.S. citizens must participate in the student medical insurance program. U.S. citizens may elect to participate at their own discretion.

Withdrawal Refund Policies

Semester Expenses and Financial Aid

When a student formally withdraws from the College through the Office of Records, a student leaves the College without notice, or does not return from an approved leave of absence, adjustments may result from the refund of expenses and the reduction of financial aid. The federal Title IV pro rata percentage will determine the refund or reduction based on the amount of time spent in academic attendance and has no relationship to the student’s incurred institutional charges. This pro rata percentage is used to determine the percentage adjustment at the time of withdrawal up through the completion of the 60 percent point in a term. After the 60 percent point, a student has earned 100 percent of the expenses and financial aid for the term as noted below.

The effective withdrawal date of a student who withdraws from the College through the Office of Records will be the date on which the student begins the withdrawal process, either orally or in writing, or the last date of attendance at an academically-related activity (e.g. attendance in class, lab, study groups, submission of quizzes, exams, lab work). In cases where a student is unable to visit the office, the effective date will be the date the student makes known their intent to withdraw.

When a student leaves the College without notice, or receives all F’s or Incomplete grades for a semester, faculty will be contacted to determine the last date of academically-related activity and establish if the student unofficially withdrew. Since attendance is not required to be taken by all instructors, the College will also look at other evidence of academic engagement (e.g. activity dates of the campus ID card for library access) to help determine an effective date for both Title IV and institutional refund purposes. If an effective date cannot be accurately determined, the midpoint of the term will be used as the effective date. A different effective date may be used for refund purposes of institutional expenses compared to Title IV funds when there are differences between the date the withdrawal was initiated compared to when the student completed the process and vacates campus.

This refund policy is in compliance with the Federal Department of Education Title IV requirements. All financial aid reductions are calculated based on formulas published by and software received from the Department of Education.

Semester Tuition

For all educational programs (traditional on-campus fall, spring and May terms, and Bachelor of Science Early Childhood Education), the federal Title IV pro rata percentage is used. This percentage provides for a pro rata refund or reduction during the first 60 percent of the term. No refund or reduction will be granted during the remainder of the term. After the last day to add a class, no tuition will be refunded as a result of a load adjustment reducing a student from full-time to less than 12 hours, or from over 18 hours reduced to a full-time tuition rate range. A student who is dismissed for disciplinary reasons should refer to the section on Involuntary Withdrawal or Suspension below.

Example: If a term is 100 days long and the student withdraws on the 20th day, 20 percent of the term has been completed resulting in an 80 percent refund of tuition as well as reduction of financial aid. If the student was billed for tuition of $10,000 and received financial aid of $6,000, the tuition refund would be $8,000 and the reduction of financial aid by $4,800. This will leave an $800 tuition charge that is still the responsibility of the student. Other charges will apply as stated in this section on refunds.

Fees

Mandatory fees, course fees and/or lab fees are not refundable.

Room and Board

During the first seven calendar days of the term, an 88 percent refund of room and board fees will be returned. Room and board will not be refunded after the first week of classes. In the event of medical emergencies, room charges will be reviewed on an individual basis. A student must participate in the College meal plan if living in the residence hall.

Room and Schedule Deposit

The room and schedule deposit for a continuing student is required before pre-registering for fall classes, and is refundable before June 1 with the approval of the Office of Records. Any refund approved will be transferred as a payment to the student account. Should the payment create a credit balance on the student account, the student may request a credit balance refund check be issued.

Involuntary Withdrawal or Suspension

A student who is dismissed for disciplinary reasons will still receive a pro rata percentage reduction of financial aid consistent with federal regulation noted above. Tuition charges will be refunded at a rate of one half the financial aid pro rata percentage. Conditions for which a student may be suspended are outlined under Academic Suspension and in the Student Handbook regarding the Standards of Conduct.

Example: Following the example under Semester Tuition above, a student who is involuntarily withdrawn on the 20th day would receive an 80 percent pro rata reduction in financial aid, and a 40 percent refund of tuition (one half the financial aid percentage). Tuition charges would be refunded $4,000 and financial aid would still be reduced by $4,800. This will leave a $4,800 tuition charge that is still the responsibility of the student. Other charges will apply as stated in this section on refunds. 

Leave of Absence

An approved Leave of Absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in the student’s program of study, most often to take advantage of an opportunity for academic enrichment. The student must petition for an LOA in writing to the Director of Experiential Studies at least three weeks before the beginning of the term of LOA. The petition must include the reason for the student’s request, with a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA to continue the educational program. An LOA must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period. If a student is a Title IV loan recipient, prior to granting an LOA the Financial Aid Office can explain the effects that the student’s failure to return from an LOA may have on the student loan repayment term, including the expiration of the student’s grace period. A loan exit interview will be required.

While on LOA, a student retains “in-school status” for federal loan deferment eligibility. A student may choose to maintain Covenant Email and network access by paying the off-campus Technology Fee or by placing a non-refundable room and schedule deposit for the returning semester which will then apply as a payment toward that term. An room and schedule deposit will be required before being permitted to pre-register for the returning term.

However, if a student does not return from an LOA, the student’s grace period begins the date the student began the LOA. Please contact the Office of Records with any questions.