Understanding Temple University Tuition Rates and Affordability

Temple University, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, strives to provide an accessible and affordable education. Balancing the costs of a public university with the benefits of a leading research institution is a priority. The university is dedicated to making education financially attainable for qualified applicants, fostering a diverse and talented student community.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Opportunities

Temple University is committed to helping students finance their education through various financial aid opportunities. Each year, the university awards over $100 million in scholarships. During the application process, all students are automatically considered for academic scholarships. Seventy percent of eligible first-year students receive need-based aid. In recent years, more than half of Temple students have been offered merit-based scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to full tuition.

Net Price and Affordability

This year at Temple University, projections indicate that students will pay an average net price of $33,401, while the advertised price of attendance is $48,241. How much a student actually pays usually depends, at least in part, on their family's household income. At Temple University this year, projections estimate that students with incomes over $110K will pay around $39,025, while students with incomes below $30K will pay around $26,008.

To get a more personalized estimate, the Net Price Calculator is available to see what students similar to you paid in prior years.

Tuition and Fees Breakdown

Tuition rates at Temple University vary based on several factors, including the school, college, or program, residency status, student level, and enrollment. The annual base tuition for in-state students begins at $19,608, while the base annual tuition for out-of-state students is $35,232. These figures represent the cost before factoring in any financial aid or scholarships. Official tuition and fee rates are published by the Office of the Bursar and are set by the Executive Board in July.

Tuition Structure

Tuition assessment at Temple University is based on full-time or part-time status, student college, student level status (undergraduate, graduate, or professional), student class level for undergraduates and in-state/out-of-state residency status.

For undergraduate students, full-time enrollment is defined as 12-18 credits per semester. Students registering for less than 12 credits are charged on a per-credit basis. Registering for more than 18 credits incurs an additional charge for the extra hours. Full-time enrollment for graduate students is nine credits per term.

Residency Requirements

A student is classified as a Pennsylvania resident for tuition purposes if their permanent, legal residence is in Pennsylvania. An individual who has not lived in Pennsylvania for a continuous 12-month period immediately prior to registration is presumed not to be a Pennsylvania resident. A student under 22 years of age is presumed to have the residency of their parents or legal guardians.

Additional Costs

Beyond tuition, students should also budget for additional expenses such as books and supplies, housing and food, and other costs.

Books and Supplies

Costs for books and supplies vary by program, course load, and class selection. Students can check with their academic program for costs specific to their courses. To help keep costs low, students have the option to buy books new or used, rent books, or utilize the university’s library system.

Read also: Is Temple a Good Fit?

Housing and Food

The housing component is based on the median of residence hall costs, while the food budget is based on the J&H unlimited meal plan. Actual costs will depend on a student’s choice of housing and lifestyle. Students who live off-campus are provided with the same budgets for housing and food as on-campus students. Students should consider off-campus options carefully, as most off-campus leases are 12 months, while Temple’s on-campus options are nine months. Commuting students that live at home or with relatives have a reduced allowance in the budget.

Other Costs

This allowance represents other expenses related to your education, including: transportation, loan fees, cell phones, clothing, personal hygiene items and entertainment. The financial aid budget allows for about $96 per week for these expenses.

Important Registration and Payment Information

Registration for courses is not optional, and students must not attend courses for which they are not registered. Once a student registers for a course, they remain financially obligated for the course unless they drop it by the prescribed deadlines. Students may drop courses and modify their registrations in Self-Service Banner (SSB) or by working with an academic advisor.

Once registered, students must pay tuition and fees according to the Bursar's Office due date schedule. Students who are not planning to attend the semester must drop their course registration. Students who do not drop classes by the end of the official drop/add period remain financially obligated for the balance due. Students who drop classes by the end of the drop/add period will have their courses dropped. Students who withdraw from classes after the drop/add period are responsible for full payment of all tuition and fee charges, along with any payment plan fees, and late payment charges. These courses will be recorded on the transcript with the notation of "W," indicating that the student withdrew. Students who do not withdraw by the published deadline are responsible for payment of all tuition and fee and/or collection costs.

Acceptable forms of payment include tuition remission forms, checks (paper and electronic), cash, credit cards and money orders. Checks or money orders should be made payable to Temple University. Credit cards accepted for online payment only through TUpay include Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover.

Read also: Affording Temple

Payment Plans

Students are encouraged to pay the total account balance by the due date to avoid any payment plan fees and late payment fees. Payment plans are offered for the fall and spring semesters only. For these semesters, students that do not pay the total account balance will be automatically enrolled in the University's Deferred Payment Plan. The Deferred Payment Plan provides additional time to pay your balance. Students will be assessed a $50 non-refundable payment plan fee each semester if the total account balance is not paid by the semester due date. The University also offers the Temple Installment Payment Plan (TIPP) for those students who need an extended payment option. The plan allows students to make up to ten regularly scheduled monthly payments starting in May towards their future charges (five payments for fall and five payments for spring). The annual fee to sign up for this payment plan is $80.

Late Fees

All students will be assessed a $100.00 late registration fee for initial registrations beginning the first day of the term. Tuition payments not received by the final semester due date will be subject to a $200.00 late payment fee. If a paper or electronic check payment is returned by the bank because of insufficient funds, a closed account, an invalid account number or other reasons, a $25.00 returned check fee will be assessed.

Financial Aid Programs and Requirements

Applicants for Federal, State and University financial aid programs administered by Temple University must be accepted for admission or currently enrolled as a matriculated student in a degree program. A student may apply for a Federal Direct Loan, or a parent may apply for a Federal Parent Loan on behalf of a dependent student, for coursework that is documented as a prerequisite for admission into a degree-seeking Temple University program.

To be considered for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online each year. Priority consideration is given to new and renewal applications received by the federal processor by the priority deadline. Federal regulations require that the Office of Student Financial Services reviews all student financial aid applications (FAFSA information) for accuracy. Submission of requested requirements is required within thirty days. Your financial aid eligibility will be outlined in the financial aid offer.

Financial aid funds are restricted to students that maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). To ensure students are meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements, the Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) reviews GPA, Pace, and Program Length at the end of each student's academic terms (fall, spring, summer I, summer II). Students are assigned a SAP Status based on their progress and they can view the information within their Self-Service Banner (SSB) section of TUportal, under the Financial Aid tab. Students must meet both the GPA and Pace requirements to retain their federal financial aid eligibility.

Some financial aid programs are restricted to full-time students, while others are available to both full-time and part-time students. Some financial aid is offered to students based on financial need. The Student Aid Index (SAI) is determined by a federal formula based on information reported on a student's FAFSA application and is used to determine a student's eligibility for student financial aid.

Additional Financial Aid Resources

Students should also explore other sources of educational assistance, such as outside scholarships/grants, military education benefits, and/or tuition remission.

Federal regulations define a student as independent if they meet the FAFSA criteria. Federal regulations require that a student not meeting the definition of independent apply as a dependent. These students must provide income, asset, and household information for themselves and their parent(s).

Planning and Budgeting for College Expenses

Financing a college education takes planning and budgeting. Students should try to plan ahead, anticipating costs and resources, and should request aid for the entire academic year. The financial aid cost of attendance budget for a year at Temple should include tuition and fees, housing and food, books/supplies/course materials/equipment, other living expenses, and transportation.

A refundable credit balance may result on your student account because of financial aid / loan disbursements, over-payments and/or account adjustments. If the credit balance results from a credit card payment made within the last 90 days, the credit card will be refunded up to the amount of the payment first. Students can access Student Choice Refunds within TUpay and select their refund option as soon as they pay a deposit to the University. In these cases, student could consider securing a private student educational loan for the prior term balance. A financial hold will remain on your student account until the outstanding balance is resolved. Refunds are issued to the student. If you are an Authorized Payer in TUpay, you may elect to receive your Parent Plus refund via direct deposit.

Federal Work-Study

Federal work-study (FWS) is a Federal Grant that allows students to earn funding via a bi-weekly paycheck to help cover educational expenses. Federal work-study funding is not applied towards tuition and fees on a student's account balance. Students must work in an approved work-study position to earn the funding. To qualify, students must have a completed FAFSA on file that demonstrates financial need and meet applicable financial aid eligibility requirements. Eligible students can view their financial aid offer within the Cost & Aid tab of their TUPortal. Students must accept the offer of FWS within the Self-Service Banner (SSB) section of their TUportal to utilize the funding.

On-campus positions are posted on the Temple University Human Resources web site. Off-campus positions are posted on the Work-Study Job Bank. All students who wish to work at an off-campus employer must first meet with Student Financial Services to see if their employer is approved for participation in the program. Workman's Compensation insurance covers students employed on each Temple University campus. Temple University will not bear responsibility for injuries occurring at off-campus employers.

Grants and Scholarships

Temple University Grants (TUG) are not guaranteed to continue year to year, or for the same amount. You must report additional funding sources not listed on your financial aid offer, including Tuition Remission, University or non-University scholarships and grants such as Academic Merit scholarships, outside Scholarships, and Grants from all sources to Student Financial Services.

Tuition Trends and Considerations

Less than two weeks after Temple University raised its tuition rates and said staffing cuts are likely on the horizon, Pennsylvania's state-owned university system announced its first tuition hike since 2018. On July 8, Temple's board of trustees approved the university's operating budget, which included a 3.6% increase in tuition. Annual base tuition rates, which do not include fees, start at $19,608 for in-state students and $35,232 for out-of-state students. Mandatory fees are $528 per semester. In a statement, Temple spokesperson Stephen Orbanek said the increased tuition is necessary to make up for the university's stagnant state appropriation, which has remained at $158.2 million for six years.

Higher education experts warn that tuition increases and staffing cuts likely will become more commonplace as federal funding opportunities diminish. These financial pressures could force universities to shift their financial burdens to their students.

Graduation and Retention Rates

At Temple University, over the last five years 75% of students earned their bachelor’s degree within six years of enrolling. Over the last five years, about 86% of full-time students returned the following fall to continue their degree.

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