Understanding VCU Tuition Deposits, Fees, and Payment Procedures

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is committed to providing students with a clear understanding of tuition, fees, and payment procedures. This article provides a comprehensive overview of VCU's tuition deposit, payment policies, fee structure, and refund guidelines. The Student Accounting Department, located at 1015 Floyd Avenue, handles the assessment, billing, and collection of tuition, housing, dining charges, and other university fees.

Tuition Deposit for Undergraduate Students

Students accepted into an undergraduate degree program at VCU must pay a nonrefundable tuition deposit to accept their admission offer. The amount of the deposit depends on your school or college. All students accepted into VCU undergraduate programs, except those accepted into programs in the School of the Arts, must pay a $100 tuition deposit. The tuition deposit for the School of the Arts is $300. This deposit is credited toward the tuition charge for the first semester. To pay your tuition deposit online, you will need your eID, password, and V-number. Follow these steps: Log in to eServices using your eID.Click the "Applicants" tab at the top. Select “Pay tuition deposit” tile.Click "Deposits" at the top of the screen on the purple banner. Follow prompts and enter the desired deposit amount. Both your response form and tuition deposit must be received in order for your account to reflect that you have accepted the offer of admission. If you’re receiving a scholarship or financial aid, you may request a tuition deposit waiver on the response form.

Tuition and Fee Payment

Students must pay all applicable tuition, fees, room and meal plans when due, as described in this section. Tuition and fees for preregistered students, along with charges for housing and dining plans where applicable, are due by the official start of each semester. Note that paper bills are not sent to enrolled students. Failure to acknowledge and review the electronic invoice does not relieve responsibility for timely payments. A student who fails to remit payments when due may be assessed a late payment fee and is denied registration for future classes until he or she has paid all amounts owed to the university. Student accounts with balances owed the university are referred to the collection unit. Pursuant to Section 2.2-4805 et. seq., of the Code of Virginia, and in accordance with rules and regulations promulgated by the state comptroller and attorney general of the commonwealth of Virginia, VCU will charge interest, costs and fees on all accounts past due. Students are reminded that they are ultimately responsible for any unpaid balance on their account as a result of the Office of Financial Aid or their sponsor canceling or reducing the award. A charge of $50 will be levied for all dishonored payment items, including returned checks and dishonored credit or debit card payments.

Tuition Costs

Tuition is determined by the number of credit hours a student is taking, the student’s residency/domiciliary classification, course of study and classification level. Undergraduate students registered for 12 or more credits are considered full time. Students registered for fewer than 15 credit hours are charged a per-credit-hour tuition rate. Tuition for additional credits is assessed at a reduced per-credit-hour-rate for the additional credits (15 and more). Credits one to 15 are assessed at the full, per-credit-hour rate. Undergraduate students registered for fewer than 12 credits are considered part-time. Intersession and J-term courses are billed on the spring semester invoice, but are computed separately from the spring semester charges. Nondegree-seeking students who hold bachelor’s degrees are classified as DHG (degree-holder graduate) if they enroll in one or more graduate courses. DHG students registered for fewer than nine credit hours are charged a graduate per-credit-hour rate. If they enroll in nine or more credits, they are charged at the full-time graduate rate. Nondegree-seeking students who hold undergraduate degrees are classified as DHU (degree-holder undergraduate) if they enroll in all undergraduate courses. DHU students registered for fewer than 15 credit hours are charged tuition at a per-credit-hour rate.

Residency and Domicile

All applicants to VCU who wish to be considered for in-state tuition rates as Virginia residents must submit the application for Virginia in-state tuition rates, which is part of the application for undergraduate admission. New and continuing students initially classified as non-Virginians for tuition purposes may request a review of the initial residency/domiciliary determination by completing an application for change of domicile available from the Office of the University Registrar (online). The student must present clear and convincing evidence that they are not residing in the state primarily to attend school. The application deadline is 30 days prior to the start of the semester, and it is the responsibility of the student to establish or to file an appeal to change their residency classification prior to the start of classes for the semester under consideration. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, applications received after the start of the semester must be considered for the next semester. Submit completed applications with documentation to the university domicile appeals coordinator. The university’s service to students is limited to assuring that they understand the procedures for appealing and that they have access to information about the relevant sections of the Code of Virginia. VCU provides information about the steps of the process and access to the applicable sections of the statute and the associated guidelines. The university also provides qualified staff to review the appeals and make decisions based on the information students provide. The denial letter informs the student of procedures for appeal of this decision, to include filing an appeal with the University Domicile Appeals Committee.

Mandatory Fees

VCU charges several mandatory fees to support various aspects of student life and university operations. Mandatory fees are charged at a per-credit-hour rate and capped at 12 credit hours.

University Fee: This fee is used by the university to support student facilities, campus development, intercollegiate athletics and other programs. Full-time students pay a flat-rate university fee each semester. This fee supports educational, social, cultural and other student activities for undergraduate, graduate and professional students. These activities include the Student Government Association, sports clubs, student organizations and publications.
Student Health Fee: All full-time and part-time students on both campuses must pay the student health fee. USHS offers unlimited office visits for acute and chronic ailments, after-hours phone advice for an urgent medical problem and most laboratory tests associated with acute illnesses ordered by the USHS staff, among other services. The fee does not cover accidental injury, emergency room visits or hospitalization.
Technology Fee: The technology fee is charged to all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all programs. Full-time students pay a flat rate. Part-time students pay a per-credit-hour rate.
Library Fee: The library fee is charged to all undergraduate, graduate and professional students in all programs. Full-time students pay a flat rate; part-time students pay a per-credit-hour rate.
Capital Outlay Fee: The capital outlay fee is charged to all full-time and part-time non-Virginia resident, on-campus students. Full-time students pay a flat rate. Part-time students pay a per-credit-hour rate.
Academic Support Fee: This fee supports tutors, supplemental instruction leaders, writing consultants and provides overall academic support for undergraduate and graduate students.
Orientation Fee: This fee covers all orientation programs, preparation and materials, as well as programs and services that support students during their first year.
International Student Health Insurance: All international students (students on F- and J- visas) are required to enroll in the VCU student health insurance program unless proof of other comparable insurance can be shown. Students are required to complete the waive-out process within the open enrollment period.
Program Fee: Undergraduate students are assessed an additional program fee based on their school/college and their program of study. The fee is assessed at a per-credit-hour rate for part-time students and at a flat rate for full-time students.

Housing and Dining

A nonrefundable prepayment fee of $250 is required for new students at the time the housing/dorm application is submitted and is credited toward the student’s first-semester housing costs. New and continuing students should refer to cancellation deadlines established by VCU Residential Life and Housing if they wish to be released from their contractual obligations. After these dates, cancellations are not permitted and students will be held to the terms and conditions of their housing contracts. Half the yearly housing cost is charged to the student’s account each semester and is paid the same time that tuition and other fees are due. Housing contracts extend through the nine-month academic year or for a 12-month period, depending upon the type of residence hall assignment. Students are not released from their housing contract between semesters.

Dining plans are available to enrolled students who are in good financial standing with the university. All undergraduate students residing in university housing, other than VCU apartment residents, are required to purchase one of the essential dining plans through VCUDine. Dining plans are charged to the student’s account each semester and are paid the same time that tuition and other fees are due. Plans added later in the semester are subsequently billed with payment due by the due date indicated on the ebill. VCU dining plans consist of Swipes and Dining Dollars. Swipes provide a specific number of meals to be used at any time during the semester at the all-you-care-to-eat dining halls or any VCUDine retail location participating in the VCUDine meal exchange program. Dining Dollars is a rechargeable declining-balance account on a student’s dining plan that allows them to make tax-free food purchases at any VCU dining center or VCU retail location. The tax advantage of Dining Dollars provides an 11.3 percent savings on each VCUDine purchase. Additional Dining Dollars may be added following the purchase of a dining plan at any time during the semester. Additions may be made in increments of $25 (i.e., $25, $50, $75). Please address all dining service concerns and questions to VCUDine, 1111 W.

Installment Payment Plan (IPP)

The installment payment plan assists students in meeting the cost of their higher education by offering a convenient payment option. The university-administered IPP is offered only during the fall and spring semesters. All students attending the university with current charges of $100 or more are eligible to participate. Students who receive financial aid are also eligible for participation in the IPP. These students may deduct their financial aid (including third party-sponsored scholarships and 529 accounts) to determine the net total due. These payments are not considered installment payments. In some cases, a student may receive a financial aid refund, and then subsequent charges for the semester are added to the student’s account. If the student has received a refund, he or she is ineligible to participate in the IPP unless the refund has been repaid to the university in full. There is a $25 nonrefundable application fee payable with the first installment of each semester. The IPP option must be selected each fall and spring semester regardless of whether the student participated during a previous semester. Interest is not assessed on the outstanding balance; however, installments not paid by the payment due date are subject to a registration/diploma hold and/or a late payment penalty.

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

The official university tuition and fees refund policy is applicable only for the fall and spring semesters (excluding short/nonstandard courses) and is outlined in the table below. Refunds are calculated on a course-by-course, per-credit-hour basis, disregarding the full-time cap amounts. Definition of drop vs. Drop - Charges are removed to indicate that the student never attended the class. Withdraw - Results in the academic grade of W. Charges are assessed and adjusted according to the University Refund Policy. Students who have been given a medical withdrawal are assessed and adjusted no differently than other withdrawals. The official university tuition and fees refund policy is applicable only for the fall and spring semesters. This table pertains to both complete withdrawals and reduced course loads for standard classes (excluding short/nonstandard courses). Refunds (reduction of charges) are calculated on a course-by-course, per credit hour basis, disregarding the full-time cap amounts for block students and discounted tuition for non-block students. Charges are recalculated based on the number of credit hours in which the student remains enrolled in addition to the nonrefundable percentage portion of credit hours for the withdrawn course(s). This table pertains to both complete withdrawals and reduced course loads for classes classified as nonstandard or short by the Office of the University Registrar. A full refund for a nonstandard or short course’s tuition and applicable fees will be granted if the course is dropped no later than the day following the first day of a given class. This table pertains to both complete withdrawals and reduced course loads for the summer semester. A full refund for summer tuition and applicable fees will be granted if the course is dropped no later than the day following the first day of a given class. This table pertains to holiday intersession courses. A full refund for holiday intersession will be granted if the course is dropped on the day of the first class meeting. The refund policy and deadlines of the English Language Program are different from the university’s refund policy for academic classes. Students who are financial aid recipients and withdraw from all courses prior to completing 60 percent of the semester are subject to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policy. Refunds will be computed based on the actual withdrawal date certified by the Office of the University Registrar. Refunds will not be made to students who do not attend classes and have not completed the required withdrawal procedure. Refund processing may take approximately two weeks.

Read also: Affording ECU

Exceptions and Overpayments

Exceptions to this refund policy are made only in rare instances. Written application for an exception must be filed in the Student Accounting Department to the university’s Refund Waiver Appeals Committee. An overpayment from financial aid and scholarships will be refunded automatically through the financial aid refund process, if the overpayment occurs while the student is currently enrolled. Requests for refunds that are not generated from the overpayment of financial aid should be made in writing to VCU Student Accounting Department, Box 843036, Richmond, VA 23284-3036. In accordance with credit card regulations, the university will refund the credit card account with any credit balance that may result on a student’s account as the outcome of a credit card payment. Students are responsible for paying any increase in charges that may occur after the generation of any refund. These guidelines apply to students whose service in the uniformed services (military) has necessitated their sudden withdrawal or prolonged absence from their enrollment at Virginia Commonwealth University and provides for the required re-enrollment of such students. Drop all courses before the end of the add/drop period and receive a full reduction of tuiti…

VCU participates in the Virginia Set-off Debt Collection Act of 1981. Students who fail to pay these charges on time may be assessed a registration/diploma hold and/or a late payment fee. The university reserves the right to revise or alter all tuition and fees, regulations pertaining to student fees, and fee collection procedures at any time.

Read also: Withdrawals for College: A Guide

tags: #VCU #tuition #deposit #information