Understanding Temple University Tuition and Financial Aid Options

For many prospective students, understanding the financial aspects of attending university is crucial. Temple University, committed to making education accessible, offers various tuition payment options and financial aid programs. This article provides a comprehensive overview of Temple University's tuition structure, payment plans, and financial aid opportunities.

Tuition Structure at Temple University

Temple University's tuition assessment considers several factors: full-time or part-time status, the student's college, student level (undergraduate, graduate, or professional), undergraduate class level, and in-state/out-of-state residency. The Bursar's Office website provides the latest tuition schedule and a tuition calculator.

Full-Time vs. Part-Time Status

Undergraduate students are considered full-time when enrolled in 12-18 semester hours (s.h.). There is no distinction between full-time and part-time graduate tuition rates. Undergraduates taking fewer than 12 s.h. are considered part-time students. Credits exceeding 18 s.h. incur an overload charge per credit hour.

Residency Status

A student is classified as a Pennsylvania resident for tuition purposes if their permanent, legal residence is in Pennsylvania. Individuals who haven't lived in Pennsylvania for a continuous 12-month period before registering at a Pennsylvania college or university are presumed not to be Pennsylvania residents. Students under 22 are presumed to have the residency of their parents or legal guardians.

Tuition Rates and Fees

Tuition and fees are set annually each summer. Temple University reserves the right to deliver instruction remotely at its discretion. A one-time orientation fee is charged to all first-year, degree-seeking students in their initial semester: $242.00 for undergraduates and $85.00 for graduate students.

All students pay a non-refundable University Services Fee each semester. Certain courses may have additional fees, such as lab fees. A $100.00 late registration fee is assessed for initial registrations starting the first day of the term. Late tuition payments are subject to a $200.00 late payment fee. Returned checks incur a $25.00 fee.

Payment Options

Temple University offers several payment options to accommodate students' financial situations. Acceptable forms of payment include tuition remission forms, checks (paper and electronic), cash, credit cards, and money orders. Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover) are accepted for online payments only through TUpay.

Deferred Payment Plan

For fall and spring semesters, students who don't pay the total account balance by the due date are automatically enrolled in the University's Deferred Payment Plan. This plan provides extra time to pay the balance, but a $50 non-refundable payment plan fee is assessed each semester.

Temple Installment Payment Plan (TIPP)

For an extended payment option, Temple offers the Temple Installment Payment Plan (TIPP). This 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 for spring). The annual fee to sign up for this plan is $80.

Course Registration and Financial Obligation

Registration for courses is mandatory. Students are financially obligated for courses once registered unless they drop the course by the prescribed deadlines. Students can drop courses in Self-Service Banner (SSB) or with an academic advisor. Those not planning to attend must drop their course registration. Failure to drop classes by the end of the drop/add period results in financial obligation for the balance due. Dropping classes by the end of the drop/add period will result in the courses being dropped. Withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period means full payment of all tuition and fee charges, along with any payment plan fees and late payment charges is required. These courses are recorded on the transcript with a "W" notation.

Read also: Is Temple a Good Fit?

Financial Aid Opportunities

Temple University provides various financial aid opportunities, including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. Students needing assistance financing their education should contact the Office of Student Financial Services.

Application Process

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 applications received by the federal processor by the specified date. The Office of Student Financial Services reviews all financial aid applications for accuracy. Submission of requested requirements is required within thirty days.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants for Federal, State, and University financial aid programs must be accepted for admission or currently enrolled as a matriculated student in a degree program. Financial aid funds are restricted to students who maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). SAP is reviewed at the end of each academic term, considering GPA, Pace, and Program Length. 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 based on financial need, determined by the Student Aid Index (SAI) from the FAFSA application.

Types of Financial Aid

Federal Grants: 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.
Temple University Grants (TUG): These are not guaranteed to continue year to year, or for the same amount.
Scholarships: Temple students receive over $100 million in scholarships annually. All students are automatically considered for academic scholarships during the application process.

Student Loans

Students can 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.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

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.

Read also: Affording Temple

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The financial aid cost of attendance budget for a year at Temple includes tuition and fees, housing and food, books/supplies/course materials/equipment, other living expenses, and transportation.

Components of COA

Cost of attendance components for students registered at least half-time may include:

Tuition and fees
The cost of housing and food (or living expenses for students who do not contract with the school for room and meal plan)
The cost of books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, and miscellaneous expenses (including a reasonable amount for the documented cost of a personal computer)
An allowance for child care or other dependent care
Costs related to a disability
Costs for eligible study-abroad programs

Students registered less than half-time have reduced COA budgets.

Estimating Costs

Utilize the university’s tuition calculator to create an estimated student account statement to include tuition, university fees, housing and food budget for the year. You can also input estimated financial aid figures, personal savings and other resources into the tuition calculator tool.

Direct vs. Indirect Costs

Direct university charges: Tuition & University fees, University housing, University meal plan
Estimated indirect expenses: Books and supplies, Off-campus room and board, Transportation and personal expenses

Temple uses estimated budgets in the initial determination of need. The Office of Student Financial Services may adjust students’ COA based on the newly published figures.

College of Liberal Arts Tuition Promise

The College of Liberal Arts is committed to keeping costs down and does not charge a tuition differential. The base tuition for Pennsylvania residents is $19,608, and for out-of-state/international residents, it's $35,232.

Important Considerations

Refunds: 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.
Financial Holds: A financial hold will remain on your student account until the outstanding balance is resolved.
Outside Scholarships: 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.
Temple Promise Program: The Temple Promise is a new last-dollar financial aid grant program designed to make a world-class education at Temple University more accessible and affordable regardless of a student’s financial means. For the 2024-2025 academic year, the Temple Promise program will begin with qualifying first-year, full-time undergraduate students residing in Philadelphia County who earn admission to the university. It will ease educational costs for families by closing the remaining gap after other financial aid awards are applied toward in-state Pennsylvania undergraduate tuition and eligible fees.

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