Charter Oak State College: An Overview of Tuition and Fees

Charter Oak State College, Connecticut’s distance learning degree program, offers accessible and affordable higher education opportunities. Governed by the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, the college provides a fully online learning environment. This article delves into the various aspects of tuition, fees, and financial aid options available at Charter Oak State College.

Tuition Costs

Undergraduate Tuition

In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Charter Oak State College was $7,896. This is significantly lower, by $21,384, than the national average for baccalaureate colleges, which stands at $29,280. Effective July 1, all non-resident students pay the Connecticut Resident Rates, making education more accessible.

The undergraduate course tuition is $329 per credit for all students.

Graduate Tuition

For graduate programs, the course tuition is $529 per credit for all students.

Additional Fees

Beyond tuition, students should be aware of several other fees:

Admission Application Fee: A non-refundable fee required for all applicants.
Undergraduate/Graduate Program Deposit: Upon acceptance, a $150 deposit confirms enrollment, which is applied towards future tuition charges. This deposit is non-refundable and will be forfeited if a student does not enroll in classes for the term following the deposit, or by the next potential term start date.
Course Materials Fee: $18.75 per credit. This fee provides access to all required course materials digitally through the Blackboard portal. Physical copies are provided on a rental basis for books not available digitally.
Student Services Fee: $230 per semester for undergraduates and $340 per semester for graduates. This fee supports academic advising, accessibility counselors, library materials, and tutoring services. It is a required, non-refundable fee charged each semester.
Technology Fee: $75 per semester. This fee supports IT costs, including software licensing, managed cloud services, infrastructure upgrades, and information security compliance. It is a non-refundable fee charged each semester.
Late Registration Fee: Assessed for students who register during the late registration period; this fee is non-refundable.
Audit Fee: $350 per course for undergraduates and $475 per course for graduates.
Contract Learning Fees: For students enrolled in contract learning courses, the fee is $329 per credit.
Credential Evaluation Program Fee: For matriculated students, the fee is $500 per credential.
Credit Registry: For persons not seeking a degree, the registry fee is $100 for CSCU schools and $475 for non-CSCU schools. Reactivating the registry costs $150.
Early Childhood-Alt. Route to Certification Program Total: $7,290, with $270 per credit. A $150 non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance into the program.
Portfolio Assessment Fee: For graduate students, the fee is $350 per single course portfolio for matriculated students and $450 for non-matriculated students.

Average Net Price

The average net price, which factors in grants and loans, was $15,663 in 2023. Between 2022 and 2023, the average net price grew by 53.7%. The average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

In 2023, the average yearly cost of room and board was $6,400. However, since Charter Oak State College is 100% online, there is no fee for Room & Board. The cost of room and board increased by 45.5% between 2022 and 2023. The average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,600, remaining unchanged from the previous year.

Financial Aid

Availability

In 2023, 60% of undergraduate students at Charter Oak State College received financial aid through grants, while 40% received financial aid through loans. This represents a 5.26% growth with respect to 2022, when 57% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

Types of Aid

Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study jobs. Most colleges determine financial need based on your FAFSA. Eligible students should apply for financial aid, including Federal Pell Grants, to help cover the costs of their college expenses. They will be responsible for books, a tech fee, and any other course related expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

In 2022, the default rate for borrowers at Charter Oak State College was 0%, representing 0 out of the 394 total borrowers.

Payment Plans

Charter Oak State College offers payment plans, allowing students to pay their fees in installments. There is a plan set-up fee of $45.00, and the first payment plus the set-up fee is due upon enrollment in the plan. A $40 late fee will be assessed for any delinquent installments. Students enroll in a plan using Charter Oak's MyCharterOak online portal. Enrollment is allowed in only one plan at a time. Students taking 5-week courses are not eligible for the payment plan.

Company Bill/Third Party Letter of Credit

The College offers a program for students whose fees will be paid by their employer or some other sponsoring organization. Students are responsible for ensuring that the letter of credit authorization from the sponsoring organization is submitted to the Bursar's Office before the start of their program of study. The program requirements are located on MyCharterOak.

Enrollment and Demographics

In 2023, Charter Oak State College had a total enrollment of 1,766 students. The full-time enrollment is 539 students, and the part-time enrollment is 1,227, meaning that 30.5% of students are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population is 49.9% White, 21.5% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Black or African American, 2.94% Asian, 2.43% Two or More Races, 0.227% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, and 0.113% American Indian or Alaska Native.

Graduation Statistics

In 2023, 304 more women than men received degrees from Charter Oak State College. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (335 degrees awarded), 3.56 times more than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (94 degrees). The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2022 at Charter Oak State College is Female and White (100% graduation rate).

Read also: What are charter schools?

Operations

Endowment

Charter Oak State College has an endowment valued at nearly $2.43M, as of the end of the 2023 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of 432k (17.8%) compared to the 4.79% average return (2.46M on 51.4M) across all Baccalaureate Colleges.

Salary Expenditure

In 2023, Charter Oak State College had a total salary expenditure of 17.2M. The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Charter Oak State College are: Management, with 24 employees, Community, Social Service, Legal, Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports and Media, with 14 employees, and Librarians, Curators, Archivists, and Academic Affairs and Other Education Services with 12 employees. In 2023, Charter Oak State College paid a median of $9.72M in salaries, which represents 56.6% of their overall expenditure ($17.2M) and a 6.85% growth from the previous year.

Additional Programs and Agreements

Three Rivers Community College Agreement

Charter Oak State College has a Community College Tuition Match Scholarship Agreement with Three Rivers Community College. This agreement allows students to complete their junior and senior year courses at Charter Oak for the community college tuition rate, resulting in significant savings.

WIT and CT Wage Program

WIT and CT Wage Program undergraduate students receive cost-free laptop computers, internet access, and books for Charter Oak courses. Therefore, these costs are not included in their COA budget.

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