Fees, Deposits, and Other Charges

Program Fees

Certain graduate and undergraduate programs assess an additional program fee. These fees differ according to college and/or program. Contact the program advisor for details on these fees, or access tuition and fees schedules on the Web at www.asu.edu/sbs.

Summer Sessions Fees.

For summer sessions fees information, see the Summer Sessions Bulletin, or access tuition and fees schedules on the Web at www.asu.edu/sbs. The fees are per credit hour for credit or audit. See also Summer Sessions.

Tuition Installment Plan

The tuition installment plan offers students an option to spread tuition payments over several months. Students may enroll in the tuition installment plan on the Internet through ASU Interactive, in person, or by mail. Students must reenroll in the plan each semester. Fees must be paid or financial aid awarded by the deadline dates and times indicated or the student is enrolled in the tuition installment plan and assessed the nonrefundable enrollment fee.

All students are eligible to enroll in the plan after they register for classes. If students receiving financial aid choose to enroll in the plan, all tuition charges are paid by financial aid and any remaining financial aid is refunded to the student.

Upon enrollment in the plan, tuition is billed in installments depending on the semester. For example, for the fall semester, the first billing statement is mailed in early August, with tuition due on August 25, September 25, and October 25. Billing schedules for other semesters are available on the Web site at www.asu.edu/sbs.

Students are charged a per semester administrative fee to cover costs associated with enrollment in the plan. The fee is due at the same time as the first installment. The fee is nonrefundable, even if students withdraw from classes. The fall or spring per semester enrollment fee is $75.

By registering for classes, students agree to pay all applicable tuition and registration fees. If students decide not to attend classes, they must officially withdraw from the university. If students enrolled in the plan do not make scheduled payments, the students are prohibited from registering for classes in future semesters and are blocked from receiving university services, such as transcripts. Former students with outstanding tuition charges are referred to an outside collection agency.

Other Fees, Deposits, and Charges

Class Fees and Deposits

Certain university classes require payment of fees or deposits for materials, breakage, and rentals. These fees and deposits are listed in the Registration and Tuition Payment Guide for each semester.

Student Recreation Fee

All students (except university employees) must pay a mandatory Student Recreation fee. Students enrolled for seven or more hours are charged $25 per semester. Students registered for fewer than seven hours pay $12 per semester, and summer students pay $12 per session. See the latest Registration and Tuition Payment Guide for more information.

Financial Aid Trust Fee

All students must pay a financial aid trust fee. Students enrolled for seven or more hours are charged no more than 1 percent of the current tuition. The fee for students enrolled in six or fewer hours is half that charged students enrolled for seven or more hours. The total summer sessions fee does not exceed the amount for a student enrolled for seven or more hours. Fees collected from students are matched by the State of Arizona and used to create the Arizona Student Financial Aid Trust Fund, from which Financial Aid Trust grants are awarded under the established Student Financial Assistance office’s aid eligibility criteria.

Arizona Students’ Association (ASA) Fee

The ASA is a nonprofit lobbying organization that represents Arizona’s public university students to the Arizona Board of Regents, State Legislature, and U.S. Congress. In 1997, students at the state universities voted to change the mechanism for funding the ASA. A $1 fee is charged to each student every semester. Any refunds for this fee are provided through the ASA Central Office.

Barrett, the Honors College Fee

If admitted to Barrett, the Honors College, the honors fee will be assessed each fall and spring semester.

Late Registration

The fee assessed for registrations on or after the first day of each session is $50.

Admission Application

The nonrefundable fee for undergraduate applications is $25 for residents and $50 for nonresidents.

Transcripts

The fee for an official transcript is $10 per copy. “Rush” transcripts (requested to be printed and picked up on the same day) will cost $10 in addition to the total cost of the transcripts ordered. Special delivery requests via Federal Express or U.S. Express Mail, instead of regular mail, will cost $19.50 per delivery address within the United States, in addition to the cost of the transcript(s). Special express deliveries to addresses outside the United States are available via international Federal Express or International Express Mail; these cost $38. Express costs are in addition to the cost of the transcripts. For delivery details, students should contact the Registrar’s Office. Fees are subject to change without notice.

Unofficial transcripts may be requested in person at the University Registrar’s Office, by mail, or by fax at 480/965-2295 if a signed release is provided. There is no charge for an unofficial transcript. Also, students may view and print their own unofficial transcripts via the Web using ASU Interactive at www.asu.edu/interactive.

For more information, see Transcripts.

Copies of Education Records Other Than ASU Transcripts

For fewer than six pages, there is no charge. For six to 10 pages, the total charge is $2. For 11 to 15 pages, the total charge is $3. Copies of additional pages cost $1 for every five pages copied.

Comprehensive Examination

This fee is paid by all students seeking to establish credit by examination and is $50 per semester hour.

Private Music Instruction

Any applicable music instruction fees are billed with tuition and fees. Fees are listed in the Registration and Tuition Payment Guide for each semester.

Musical Instrument Rental Charge

The charge for use of university-owned musical instruments is $25 per semester. Consult the School of Music for specific information.

Binding and Microfilm Fees

The binding fee for a thesis or dissertation is $17 per copy. This fee is subject to change. Additional charges may be required depending on the size and nature of the document. The dissertation microfilming fee is $55 and is subject to change.

Sun Card/ID Card

The fee is $25.

Parking Decals

A parking decal must be purchased, online at www.asu.edu/pts or in person at the ASU Parking and Transit Services Decal Sales office (located in the Towers building on Fifth St. and Forest Ave.), for motor vehicles parked on all ASU campuses. Decals are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For more decal sales information, call 480/965-6124, or access the Web site at www.asu.edu/pts. ASU residence hall parking permits cannot be purchased online.

Parking Violations

Due to a high demand for parking, regulations are strictly enforced. Fines range from $25 to $250. Appeals for parking citations believed to be issued in error may be filed within 14 calendar days to Parking and Transit Services. Unpaid parking citations are delinquent financial obligations subject to certain provisions; see Delinquent Financial Obligations. The vehicle of any person with three or more unpaid parking citations totaling $100 or more is subject to impoundment. For more information, call 480/965-4527, or access the Parking and Transit Services Web site at www.asu.edu/pts.

Returned Checks

Checks and eChecks returned by a bank are assessed a $15 service charge with repayment needed within five business days of notification. A second $12 service charge is made if the returned check or eCheck is not repaid within this five-day period. Repayment of a returned check must typically be in cash.

ASU may have arrangements with its bank to redeposit automatically for a second time checks for which there are insufficient funds. No service charge is assessed by ASU until a check is returned to ASU; however, the payer may be assessed a service charge by the payer’s financial institution.

Students with severely delinquent accounts are subject to involuntary withdrawal from the university if repayment is not made. All students involuntarily withdrawn are charged according to the standard refund schedule as of the involuntary withdrawal date, as determined by the university.

Campus Housing and Dining

The cost of Tempe campus housing and dining varies. Room and board costs for 2006–2007 ranged from $5,594 to $9,184 and included academic year housing and meal plan expenses. For more information, see Residential Life, call 480/965-3515, or access the Residential Life Web site at www.asu.edu/reslife.

Transportation

To reduce air pollution and traffic congestion, ASU students and employees are encouraged to travel to and from campus by means other than automobile. Nearby on-campus parking is limited and tightly controlled.

Alternative transportation modes are used by thousands of ASU students. ASU is served by a regional transit service, Valley Metro. ASU offers every student a FREE U-Pass which grants access to all Valley Metro bus routes. Also, the Free Local Area Shuttle (FLASH) provides weekday transit service to key locations on campus and downtown Tempe. A free Neighborhood FLASH is also available for the Tempe campus community connecting several neighborhoods with ASU and downtown Tempe. For more information on transit options, access the Web site at www.asu.edu/pts.

In addition, an inexpensive express shuttle runs between the Tempe campus and the Downtown Phoenix campus and the West campus in northwest Phoenix and the Polytechnic campus in Mesa.

Bicycle ridership at ASU is estimated to be more than 15,000 students daily. Ample racks in many locations enable the parking and securing of bicycles. Bicycle use is restricted only in those areas of campus where pedestrian traffic is sufficiently heavy to make such use a hazard. The Bike Co-op provides assistance with bicycle maintenance and is located on the south side of the Student Recreation Complex. The Undergraduate Student Government (USG), in partnership with Parking and Transit Services, also operates a free bike loaner service, USG Community Bikes, which allows students to use a bike for ten days. USG Community Bikes is located at the Bike Co-op.

For more information on commute alternatives, call the Commuter Options Office at 480/965-1072, or access the Parking and Transit Services Web site at www.asu.edu/pts.

Payment Methods and Deadlines

ASU Interactive

ASU Interactive, on the Web at www.asu.edu/interactive, is the preferred method for accessing tuition services. Students may enroll in the tuition installment plan and make fee payments via the Web. For more information, refer to the Registration and Tuition Payment Guide or the Student Business Services Web site at www.asu.edu/sbs.

eChecks

eChecks are the university’s preferred payment method and are accepted at no cost to the student through ASU Interactive. For more information, access the Student Business Services Web site at www.asu.edu/sbs.

Credit Cards

For tuition and other student account payments, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express are accepted through ASU Interactive only. A nonrefundable service charge is assessed by the processor.

Checks

Checks payable to Arizona State University and without a restrictive endorsement are generally acceptable, except for students on check-use suspension due to a previously returned check.

Third-Party Sponsor Billing

ASU bills qualified third-party sponsors for tuition, books, and supplies upon submission of a guarantee of payment. Qualifying sponsors must have offices in the United States and can be, among others, approved corporations, vocational rehabilitation offices, government agencies, and international embassies. A per student sponsored tuition fee of $35 is assessed each fall and spring semester. A fee of $20 is charged per summer session. Students are responsible for all tuition, fees, and late charges not paid by the third-party sponsor.

Veterans Deferred Payment

The Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act allows veterans to apply for deferred payment of fees, books, materials, and supplies required for courses. To assist eligible students, a Veterans Deferment Request Form may be issued deferring payment during their first semester of benefits. Visit the Veterans Services section at SSV 140, or call 480/965-7723 for information on meeting the requirements. ASU may deny this privilege if the student has had previous delinquent obligations.

Payment Deadlines

Fees must be paid or financial aid awarded by the deadline dates and times indicated or the student is enrolled in the Tuition Installment plan and assessed the nonrefundable enrollment fee. Fee payment deadlines are available at asu.edu/sbs, in the Registration and Tuition Payment Guide, and by reviewing the student account.

Refunds

Tuition, Program Fees, Class Fees, Deposits, and the Honors Fee

Students are required to pay tuition and fees for any registered course unless enrollment is officially canceled during the 100 percent refund period. The 100 percent tuition refund period extends through the first two weeks for regular semesters and sessions that are eight weeks or longer and one week for sessions that are shorter in length; no refunds are made thereafter. All refunds are reduced by any amounts owed to the university.

The university provides a prorated refund for students receiving financial aid; therefore, the refund schedule is the minimum amount refundable to these students.

Withdrawal or cancellation occurs on the calendar day that withdrawal is requested, either in person at a registrar site, or online using ASU Interactive. Students withdrawing for medical or other extenuating circumstances must contact their college for refunds that may be available under such circumstances.

Private Music Instruction

If a student must drop a music course because of illness or other emergency beyond the student’s control, not more than half of the instruction charge may be refunded, as determined by the School of Music.

Late Registration Fee

This fee is not refundable.

Student Recreation Fee

This fee is refundable only upon complete withdrawal, in percentage increments per the refund schedule. Upon complete withdrawal, access to the SRC is terminated.

Financial Aid Trust Fee

This fee is not refundable.

Official Transcripts

Overpayments by mail of $5 or less are refunded only by specific request.

Graduation Fee

Overpayments by mail of $5 or less are refunded only by specific request.

Residence Halls

Refunds to students departing from Tempe campus residence halls before the end of the academic year are computed as prescribed by the Residential Life License Agreement that students sign when they apply for residence hall accommodations. Students should refer to the Residential Life schedule of charges and deadlines for specific information on refunds. The Residential Life License Agreement is for a full academic year.

Other University Charges

Other university charges are normally not refundable, except for individual circumstances.

Payment of Refunds

Refunds require student identification and are made payable only to the student for the net amounts due the university. When the last day of a refund period falls on a weekend or holiday, a withdrawal form must be submitted to one of the registrar sites during operating hours on the workday preceding the weekend or holiday. Refunds are normally paid by check, payable to the student, and mailed to the student’s local address, or by direct deposit to the student’s bank account.

Parking Decal Refunds

Prorated refunds are available through the last business day in April.

Forfeiture of Refunds

Refunds are subject to forfeiture unless obtained within 90 days of the last class day of the semester for which the fees were originally paid.

Delinquent Financial Obligations

Arizona Board of Regents’ Policy 4-103B, which applies to ASU, states the following:

1. Each university shall establish procedures to collect outstanding obligations owed by students and former students.

2. Each university shall maintain a system to record all delinquent financial obligations owed to that university by students and former students.

3. Students with delinquent obligations shall not be allowed to register for classes, purchase parking decals, receive cash refunds, or obtain transcripts, diplomas, or certificates of program completion. The university may allow students to register for classes, obtain transcripts, diplomas, or certificates of program completion if the delinquent obligation is $25 or less.

4. Unpaid obligations shall remain a matter of record until students and former students satisfy their financial obligations or until satisfactory arrangements for repayment are made with the university.

5. The university may write off delinquent financial obligations of students according to accepted accounting principles and after appropriate collection efforts. No such write-off shall operate to relieve the student of liability for the obligation nor shall such write-off entitle the student to release of any transcripts, diplomas, certificates of program completion, or to register for further university classes until such obligation is actually paid.

6. Each university shall include this policy in its bulletin or catalog.

Late Charge Assessment

Charges must be paid by the date due. University billings not paid by the date due are subject to late charges beginning at 30 days past due. A monthly late charge of $15 is assessed for past due account balances between $20 and $100; $25 is assessed for balances between $100 and $1,000; and $50 is assessed for balances greater than $1,000.

Residency Classification Policies and Procedures

The Arizona Board of Regents is required by law to establish uniform guidelines and criteria for classifying students’ residency to determine those students who must pay nonresident tuition. The following is a summary of the general guidelines used to determine residency for tuition purposes. All of the evidence is weighed under the presumption that a nonresident student’s presence in Arizona is primarily for the purpose of education and not to establish domicile and that decisions of an individual about the intent to establish domicile are generally made after the completion of an education and not before.

To obtain resident status for tuition purposes, independent students must establish their residence in Arizona at least one year before the last day of regular registration for the semester in which they propose to attend ASU. Arizona residence is generally established when individuals are physically present in the state with the intention of making Arizona their permanent home.

Mere physical presence in Arizona for one year does not automatically establish residency for tuition purposes. Adult students and emancipated minors must combine physical presence in Arizona for one year with objective evidence of their intent to make Arizona their permanent home. If these steps are delayed, the one-year period is extended until both presence and intent have been demonstrated for one full year. In addition to physical presence and intent, the student must demonstrate financial independence for the two tax years immediately preceding the request for resident classification. The student must demonstrate objective evidence of self-support and that he or she was not claimed as an income tax deduction by his or her parents or any other individual for two years. An adult student is defined as being at least 18 years of age at the beginning of the domicile year. For a complete definition of an emancipated minor, refer to the Arizona Board of Regents’ residency classification policies, available in the Residency Classification section, SSV 140.

No person is considered to have gained or lost resident status merely by attending an out-of-state educational institution.

Aliens

Students who are aliens are subject to the same requirements for resident status as are U.S. citizens. In establishing domicile, aliens must not hold a visa that prohibits establishing domicile in Arizona.

Refugees

Refugees may qualify as resident students by virtue of having been granted refugee status in accordance with all applicable laws of the United States and having met all other requirements for residence in Arizona.

Exceptions to the General Residency Rule

Students may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes if they can meet one of the following criteria on or before the last day of regular registration.

Legal Dependents

If a student and his or her parents are domiciled in Arizona and have not met the one-year residency requirement but the parents are entitled to claim the student as a dependent for federal and state tax purposes, the student may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes.

Transferred Employees

If students are domiciled in Arizona and have not met the one-year residency requirement but are employees or spouses of employees who have been transferred to Arizona by their employers for employment purposes, the students may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes.

Members of the Military

If students are not domiciled in Arizona but are members of the U.S. Armed Forces stationed in Arizona or are the spouses or dependent children of a member (as defined in A.R.S. § 43-1001), the students may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes. If military service is concluded while enrolled, students do not lose resident status while they are continuously enrolled in a degree program. If individuals are domiciled in Arizona immediately before becoming members of the U.S. Armed Forces, they do not lose resident status because of their absence while on active duty with the military as long as they maintain Arizona affiliations and file Arizona state tax.

A student who is a member of an Arizona National Guard or Arizona Reserve unit may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes. A student may also be eligible if he or she has been honorably discharged from the armed forces of the United States, has declared Arizona as his or her legal residence one year before discharge, and has taken the other appropriate actions, including filing an Arizona income tax return. A student who is the spouse or dependent of a member of the armed forces who has claimed Arizona as his or her legal residence and filed Arizona income tax for one year before enrollment may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes.

Spouse of Arizona Resident

If the student’s spouse has established domicile in this state for at least one year and has demonstrated intent and financial independence and is entitled to claim the student as an exemption for state and federal tax purposes, or if the student’s spouse was temporarily out of the state for educational purposes but maintained a domicile in this state, the student may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes. Also, if the student is a noncitizen, the student must be in an eligible visa status pursuant to federal law to classify as an in-state student for tuition purposes.

Teachers and Classroom Aides

If a student is under contract to teach on a full-time basis or is employed as a full-time noncertified classroom aide at a school within an Arizona school district, the student is eligible to pay resident tuition only for courses necessary to complete the requirements for certification by the State Board of Education.

Native Americans

Students who are members of a Native American tribe whose reservation lies both in Arizona and an adjacent state and who are residents of that reservation may be eligible for resident status for tuition purposes.

Procedures for Establishing Resident Status

All students are responsible for obtaining residency classification for tuition purposes before registering and paying their fees. This procedure requires students to complete
and file an Arizona residency information form. This form is required of all new and returning students as part of the admission or readmission process. Students classified as nonresidents who believe they may qualify for resident status must file a petition with the Residency Classification section. This petition must be filed by the last day of regular registration. A student seeking resident status must also file supporting documentation necessary to provide a basis for residency classification (source[s] of support, driver’s license, voter’s registration, vehicle registration, etc.). Students whose residency petitions are in process at the fee payment deadline are responsible for paying nonresident tuition. However, an appropriate refund is issued if resident status is later granted for that semester.

Any student found to have made a false or misleading statement concerning resident status is subject to dismissal from the university.

Failure to file a timely written petition for reclassification of resident status for tuition purposes constitutes a waiver of the student’s right to apply for the given semester. Petition deadlines are published each semester in the Registration and Tuition Payment Guide. Extensions to the deadlines are not permitted.

Residency classification is an extremely complex issue. The information presented here is a summary and does not address each individual’s situation; therefore, students are encouraged to make a personal visit to the Residency Classification section to discuss their individual circumstances as soon as possible. Guidelines for determination of residency for tuition purposes are subject to review and change without notice. For more information, call the Residency Classification section at 480/965-7712, or access the Web site at www.asu.edu/registrar/residency.