Student Expenses

Tuition charges are assessed by credit hour for graduate level programs.  Some courses and instructional programs require additional fees, which are published in the course schedule. A schedule of charges for the 2023-2024 academic year, as of the date of publication of this catalog, appears below. Other expenses beyond the basic tuition charge and student activity fees include books and supplies and room and board.

Statement of Charges: 2023–2024

To qualify for financial aid, such as Stafford Loans, special scholarships or other awards, a student must maintain an enrollment of not less than 4 credit hours. Full veteran subsistence requires a minimum enrollment of 6 credit hours. This standard also applies for the purpose of establishing priority to live in residence halls. Graduate students who enroll for less than 6 credit hours will be considered part-time students.

The following fee schedule is applicable to the 2023-2024 academic year. The College reserves the right to change these fees at any time prior to the beginning of the academic year.

Tuition and mandatory fees will remain at the published rates regardless of the method of instruction and will not be adjusted in the event instruction occurs remotely or via a hybrid model for any part of the Academic Year.

Tuition and Fees:

Graduate Studies

Certificate Programs

Health Sciences Program Fees 

Miscellaneous Fees

Summer Session (2023 Only):

Certificate Programs

Summer Session - 2024

Advanced Deposits

A student who is offered admission to the College must submit a $100 nonrefundable tuition deposit to confirm their intention to enroll. The deposit is applied to tuition for the first semester of enrollment.

New students planning to live in campus housing must submit a nonrefundable $100 housing deposit with a room and board contract to reserve a residence hall room. The deposit is applied to room and board for the first semester of enrollment.

Payment of Tuition and Fees

Tuition, fees, room and board charges, as scheduled, are due and payable on the Friday before the beginning of each semester. A late payment fee is charged after the fourteenth calendar day of the semester. Statements are available online approximately 4-6 weeks in advance of the due date.

Payment of tuition and fees can be done online through Student Self-Service, over the phone, in person at Student Accounts or by mail. Payments online can be made by credit card-Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover accepted, or E-check. Payments over the phone can be made by credit card. Payments made in person at Student Accounts can be made using cash, credit card or check (include student ID# on the check). Payments made through the mail should be by check (send Attention: Student Accounts and include student ID# on the check). All tuition and fee payments made by debit/credit card will be assessed a service fee from the College credit card processor. The service fee is nonrefundable and will appear as a separate charge on the payer’s credit card statement.

The College also offers a payment program for full-time students, through a third party, ACI/Official Payments, in which the cost of education may be spread over each semester. The payment program may be arranged by completing the necessary application and contract forms and scheduling payments over the semester beginning in the month of July and preceding the start of each subsequent semester. A $40.00 nonrefundable fee is assessed for this plan per semester. Interested individuals may visit www.northcentracollege.edu/paymentplan for additional information.

Students utilizing the payment program can pay by credit card or automatic withdrawal from a bank account. Payment plan payments made by debit/credit card will be assessed a service fee. This service fee is charged by the payment plan administrator’s credit card processor.

The College reserves the right to withhold the diploma or transcripts as long as any bills owed the College remain unpaid. Students with outstanding debt owed to the college may be eligible to request an official transcript for employment purposes. The College reserves the right to deny registration and housing to any student with outstanding bills from a previous semester. The College will pursue any outstanding balances owed by any student and the student will be liable for any costs of collection, including reasonable attorney’s fees.

Refunds

North Central College contracts with faculty and staff and incurs other expenses in advance of the academic year, a refund formula has been established to reflect the equitable sharing of the loss when a student withdraws from classes. Refunds due to official withdrawal, suspension or dismissal will be made on the following basis:

Tuition — A student who officially withdraws from the College or a course(s) may receive a full or partial refund (credit) according to the following schedule: Refund Schedule .

A schedule with specific effective dates is published in advance of each semester. The date of withdrawal is established by the student’s completion of all official steps in the withdrawal process and is based on the date the Registrar’s Office records the withdrawal. If a student withdraws from the College or any courses at any time without having completed the official process, no refund/credit will be made. Non-attendance in a class does not automatically withdraw the student from the course. Proper procedures must be followed to withdraw from class(es). The College reserves the right to modify the refund schedule as circumstances may dictate.

A schedule with specific effective dates is published in advance of each semester. The date of withdrawal is established by the student’s completion of all official steps in the withdrawal process and is based on the date the Registrar’s Office records the withdrawal. If a student withdraws from the College or any courses at any time without having completed the official process, no refund/credit will be made. Non-attendance in a class does not automatically withdraw the student from the course. Proper procedures must be followed to withdraw from class(es). The College reserves the right to modify the refund schedule as circumstances may dictate.

Requests for exception to this policy must be made, in writing, using the General Petition form available in the Office of the Registrar. Requests that are more than 90 days past the current semester may not be considered. Exceptions may be granted for reasons such as an institutional error, sudden illness, accident, or injury, death of an immediate family member, or call to military service.

Federal regulations require that North Central College have a written policy for the refund and repayment of Federal Aid (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Parent Loan) received by students who withdraw during a semester for which payment has been received. This policy is effective only for those students who completely terminate their registration (i.e., cancels his/her registration, withdraws or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing 60% or more of the enrollment period. The in-depth explanation of this written policy is available in the Office of Financial Aid.

Refunds for Overpayment

A student may have a credit balance that was created on their account due to ​out-of-pocket overpayment or financial aid funds exceeding tuition and fees.   

Overpayment with Credit Card – If a student has a credit balance due to an overpayment with a credit card, the credit balance will be refunded back to the credit card up to the amount of the payment.  This is in accordance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance. 

Overpayment Due to Financial Aid – If a student has a credit balance due to financial aid that exceeds tuition and fees, the credit balance will be refunded to the student in the form of check or direct deposit to their bank account. 

Overpayment due to Parent Plus Loan – If a student has a credit balance due to the application of a parent plus loan to their student account, the credit balance will be refunded to the parent that is specified on the Parent Plus loan application, unless the parent has indicated the refund should go to the student. 

Overpayment due to Check or Cash Payment – If a student has a credit balance due to overpayment with check or cash, the credit balance will be refunded to the student in the form of check or direct deposit to their bank account.

Requests for exception to this policy must be made, in writing, using the General Petition form available in the Office of the Registrar. Requests that are more than 90 days past the current semester may not be considered. Exceptions may be granted for reasons such as an institutional error, sudden illness, accident, injury, death of an immediate family member or call to military service.