Understanding Fielding Graduate University Tuition and Fees

Fielding Graduate University provides a range of graduate programs, and understanding the tuition and associated fees is crucial for prospective and current students. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Fielding's tuition structure, payment options, refund policies, and financial aid resources.

Tuition and Fee Structure

The average graduate school tuition and fees at Fielding Graduate University for 2025 are $22,260. It's important to note that this figure represents the average and can vary depending on the specific program and enrollment status. Compared to the average tuition for Doctoral / Research Universities (not R1, R2), which stands at $18,945, Fielding Graduate's tuition and fees are a bit higher. The university's Cost of Attendance (COA) budget for 2025 is based on off-campus living expenses.

Tuition and fees are subject to change, as they are reviewed annually by the Board of Trustees, taking into account input from Fielding’s management, and student and faculty committees during the budget process. Changes typically take effect on September 1st of each academic year.

Students in master's programs that don't follow an accelerated calendar are guaranteed their initial tuition rate for two years (six consecutive terms). After this period, they will be charged the current tuition rate. Certificate program students (excluding Respecialization in Clinical Psychology and postdoctoral Neuropsychology) are guaranteed their starting tuition rate for one year (three consecutive terms). The guarantee period starts from the initial term of enrollment, regardless of any breaks due to leaves of absence or withdrawal periods.

Payment Options and Policies

Fielding Graduate University offers several payment options to accommodate students' diverse financial situations. All payments must be issued in US dollars.

Read also: Funding Your Graduate Education

Payment Methods

Online Payments: Payments can be made online through WebAdvisor, accessible via the myFielding portal. This platform accepts electronic check payments, as well as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit cards. Electronic check payments can be made online, 24/7. Credit/debit card payments (Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover) are only accepted online through the student’s financial account.
Monthly Payment Plan: Fielding offers a monthly payment plan for students enrolled in degree or certificate programs requiring at least one year of enrollment. This plan allows tuition payments to be processed monthly by Student Accounts over the term. A $50 nonrefundable sign-up fee is charged upon enrollment in the plan. All payment transactions are initiated by the University and are processed on the 1st or 15th day of each month. The university reserves the right to remove students from the payment plan if payment cannot be obtained.

Payment Due Dates and Late Charges

The first tuition payment is due upon receipt of the orientation reservation or other intent to enroll document. Tuition is billed at least one month before the due date or during registration for the term and is considered delinquent if not received by the due date. Students expecting a student loan or tuition reimbursement assistance need to have reserve funds available to cover tuition costs between the time tuition is due and the time of receipt of the loan disbursement or reimbursement.

For payments not received in full by the due date, finance charges are assessed on the average daily balance at a rate of 0.833% per month, or 10% per year. Students whose payments are not received within 30 days of the due date are subject to withdrawal for nonpayment. Payment in full, including late charge and any charges from a previous term, is required to complete registration. Course registrations not paid for in full by the add/drop deadline will automatically be cancelled for non-payment.

Installment Payment Plan Service

Fielding Graduate University also offers an installment payment plan service. Students and their authorized users may set up an automatic monthly payment plan to pay their tuition bill evenly divided over a set number of months of the term (no more than four) based on when students enroll in the plan during the term. Enrollment in the monthly payment plan is available after your term tuition charges are posted to your tuition account and after any previous balance on your account is paid. All payments are processed by TouchNet on the processing date you select when you sign up for the plan. Participation in the plan will be canceled upon graduation or withdrawal.

Tuition Refunds

A student who drops a course or withdraws from the University may be entitled to a tuition refund, and the recorded withdrawal or drop date is used to determine the refund. Non-attendance or non-participation in coursework does not constitute an official drop of the course or withdrawal. The tuition refund schedules present the descending scale of tuition refund percentages applying to students who drop a course, withdraw or are dismissed from a program after the first class day has commenced but before completing 61% of the instruction in the course/enrollment period.

If a student in the doctoral/postdoctoral programs receives a stop tuition date prior to the end of a term the student may receive a tuition refund. Doctoral students are expected to file the final dissertation with ProQuest Dissertation Publishing within four months from the date tuition stopped, or their student record will become inactive. In cases where a student record has become inactive, the student will have to be re-admitted to active student standing directly through the Registrar’s office.

Read also: Graduate Fees at CMU

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Fielding Graduate University offers various financial aid options including grants, scholarships, and loans. The university's Cost of Attendance (COA) budget is used to calculate need eligibility for certain scholarship funds and provides a cap for maximum financial aid (including loans, scholarships, and external funding) within one academic year. It is not the amount that will be billed to you, as it includes tuition along with estimates for the indirect cost categories. Significant cost increases due to individual circumstances, such as disabilities, dependent care, or computer purchase may be appealed on an individual basis.

Fielding will assist students who are seeking student loans or other help with tuition payments in any way that we can. For instance, in addition to government loan programs, there are tuition loan programs from private lending sources that we can bring to your attention. We can also provide information to lenders on your current status at Fielding in support of loan applications.

Student Loan Refunds

Student loan refunds will be made in compliance with federal regulations to send any eligible credit balance to the student within 14 days of the disbursement. Refund checks that are not cashed within 180 days from the date of issuance are not valid. If refund checks are not cashed within 180 days from the date of issuance, the student will be contacted. If the student is unreachable, a stop payment will be placed on the check. If a check or electronic funds transfer is returned to the university, additional attempts will be made to issue a refund to the student. Certain scholarships and sponsors allow students to receive the credit balance of funds based on eligibility and the guidelines provided by the sponsor or scholarship program. If a student is eligible for the credit balance of a sponsor or scholarship credit, the funds will be sent to the student.

Military Tuition Assistance

Fielding Graduate University is committed to supporting military students. Any student using CH31 (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits) or CH33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®) is protected from any penalties imposed by the University while waiting for the VA to make tuition and fee payments. This protection begins when the student provides the school with a Certificate of Eligibility (CoE) or a Statement of Benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. Fielding Graduate University will return any unearned TA funds on the prorated basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.

Special Circumstances

Doctoral Students and Dissertation Costs

In the doctoral/postdoctoral student’s final months of enrollment, tuition will be billed and payable as usual. Tuition stops when all requirements have been completed by the student, approved by the faculty, and received at Fielding’s administrative offices.

Fielding will pay the first $300 of the proofreading charges for the dissertation; students will be charged for proofreading costs that exceed $300. Proofreading services are contracted with an independent proofreader for all Fielding doctoral dissertations. Students are urged to prepare their dissertation copy in as careful and clean condition as possible. A major factor in the variation of the charge, in addition to the length of the dissertation, is the degree to which the copy is already in final condition.

Doctoral students who are nearing the completion of their programs are eligible for advancement to candidacy status, which grants a 30% reduction in tuition to eligible students who are paying a flat-rate tuition structure.

Clinical Psychology Students

Doctoral students in Clinical Psychology who are accepted into, and participate in full-time clinical internship programs as part of their required degree program, will have their tuition reduced by 50% during the internship period of one calendar year. If the internship is half-time, the reduction is available for two calendar years, and is 25%.

Furthermore, Clinical PhD students may have their tuition reduced by 95% once they have completed all other academic and clinical requirements for the degree, including having completed the Final Oral Review and proofreading dissertation steps, while they await the start of their internship. This is known as All But Dissertation status, or ABI. Students who have accepted this ABI discount are not eligible to enroll in additional coursework, as course requirements for the degree and concentration will have already been met.

Leave of Absence

The student’s cost of education (or cost of attendance) budget is adjusted for the reduction of months enrolled. A disbursement of federal student aid cannot be made to a student while the student is on leave, and students cannot receive federal student aid funding for time spent on leave. If a student has received a disbursement of loan funds for a term in which a leave is taken, the Financial Aid Office will assess eligibility for those funds, and some or all of the funds may be returned to the lender. Students who have prior or current student loan debt, should contact their loan servicer(s) to have a full understanding of the impact a leave, including a change in their enrollment status, will have on their loans. Some loans, particularly older loans with no grace period, may enter repayment and interest may be capitalized.

tags: #fielding #graduate #university #tuition #fees