Student Accounts

Student Accounts, Harper Hall East
Website: www.cgu.edu/studentaccounts
E-mail: student.accounts@cgu.edu
Office: (909) 607-2613

• Tuition and Fees
• Explanation of Basic Tuition and Fees
• Other Fees
• Payments
• Refunds

Tuition and Fees, 2020-21

See the Addendum   to this Bulletin for updates to the 2020-21 Tuition and Fees

Explanation of Basic Tuition and Fees

Claremont Graduate University reserves the right to change tuition and other fees at any time. New and returning students are required to pay the tuition in force in a given semester. All charges must be paid in full for completed terms before the student is permitted to register, receive their diploma, or receive official and/or unofficial transcripts.

Institutional fees. For each semester of registration (in courses, continuous registration, or doctoral study), students are required to pay a CGU Student Fee and a Technology Fee, both of which are nonrefundable.  The CGU Student fee helps offset a small portion of the operating costs of the various nonacademic and student support services provided by the University.  The Technology fee supports campus labs, technology services, and technology infrastructure and development.

Continuous Registration Fee. Master’s students who are not enrolled in coursework for the semester must register for continuous registration during the registration period.  New students and students in the first semester of a new program at CGU may not register for continuous registration.  Payment of the continuous registration fee is mandatory until all requirements for the master’s degree have been met, including submission of the approved thesis or critique and payment of binding fees if the thesis is not submitted electronically. This provision applies equally to students not in residence.

Doctoral Study Fee. Doctoral students who are not enrolled in a unit-earning course or dissertation research must register for doctoral study during the registration period.  New students and students in the first semester of a new program at CGU may not register for doctoral study.  Payment of the doctoral study fee is mandatory until all requirements for the degree have been completed, including submission of the approved dissertation and payment of binding fees if the dissertation is not submitted electronically. This provision applies equally to students not in residence.

Other Fees

Explanation of Other Fees

Admissions Acceptance Deposit. Students who accept an offer of admission from CGU must pay a $300 ($750 for Drucker School) nonrefundable deposit.  When matriculated, this amount is credited to the student’s account and applied toward tuition.

Diploma Replacement Fee.  Replacement of CGU diplomas lost or damaged or requested as a result of the graduate’s change of name.

Returned Check Fee. In those cases where one check is used to pay the tuition and fees of more than one student, this fee will be charged to each student account if the check is returned for any reason.

Payments

The CGU Student Accounts Office processes payments and provides other support services related to a student’s account. Two options are available for payment of tuition and fees.

• Payment in full by the date established each semester and announced on the Academic Calendar   
• Enrollment in a monthly payment plan through CASHNet accessed via the MyCGU portal

Payments are accepted by cash, cashier’s check, money order, personal or corporate check, or wire transfer. Credit card payments, while not accepted in the office, may be made online. American Express, MasterCard, VISA, and Discover are accepted. Note that a convenience fee is charged for all credit card payments, but payment can also be made online free of charge by ACH or by electronic debit from a checking or savings account. Payments submitted online are confirmed by e-mail.

To ensure that students receive updated information on a regular basis, students are advised to check their student portals regularly. No paper bills are sent, however, e-mail alerts are sent to remind students of billing due dates and to announce when invoices are available for viewing online.

Invoice data is a compilation of information from many different departments that utilize the student’s account as a way of charging or reimbursing a student. Tuition charges are assessed at the beginning of each semester regardless of the start date of the course. Students are responsible for the balance due on each monthly invoice. Any anticipated adjustment to a student’s account that is not reflected on the current invoice is not considered until the change is actually noted on the account. To avoid late payment fees, all payments must be received in the Student Accounts Office by the payment deadline.

Disputes about items appearing on the student’s invoice must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the original charge using the Petition for Exception to CGU Policy procedure outlined in the Academic Policies   section of the Bulletin.  All disputes must be made in writing, providing appropriate documentation to support the appeal.

Monthly Payment Plan

Claremont Graduate University offers a monthly payment plan through CASHNet. Students may enroll each term online through their portal (MyCGU). Credit cards are accepted (American Express, MasterCard, VISA, and Discover), checks, and money orders. Students may also make payments through their portal via electronic debit from personal bank accounts. For additional information, please contact the Office of Student Accounts (909) 607-2613.

Delinquent Accounts

Accounts are considered delinquent or not current when payments are not received by Student Accounts by the payment due date each semester.  Payments include tuition and fees; fees for university services such as graduate student housing, student health services, campus safety, library fines, etc, and loans granted or guaranteed through Claremont Graduate University.  Exceptions are not made for students with financial aid applications in progress.  In addition, loan disbursements for a future award year cannot be used to reduce student account balances in the current award year.

Delinquent accounts are subject to a monthly late payment fee of 1.5% of the outstanding balance.

Students with delinquent accounts are not eligible for the following.

• Register for classes, continuous registration, or doctoral study
• Order transcripts, whether official or unofficial
• Obtain diplomas
• Request credential recommendations or career services

International Students.  In addition to the services listed above, international students with delinquent accounts are not eligible for any immigration or SEVIS-related services from CGU.  USCIS considers international students with lapses in registration as considered “out of status.”  The international student is required to apply for reinstatement of immigration status or must return to the student’s country of origin or last place of residence.

Library Fines. Past-due library fines are charged to the student’s account by The Libraries of The Claremont Colleges. Students with outstanding library fines are denied library services, including the privilege of checking out books.  Replacement costs for overdue books may be waived when returned; however, minimum maintenance fees may be assessed per book.

Company Reimbursement and Third-Party Sponsors

Students who receive complete or partial tuition support from their employer or third-party sponsor must submit a letter to the Student Accounts Office as proof of their participation in a tuition support benefit plan. Letters must be submitted on company or official agency letterhead at the time of registration and include all of the following items

• Scope of coverage - providing specific details about tuition and fees covered, for example, “100% of tuition and fees” or “50% of tuition only.”
• Effective time period - If the letter reads “for the current term,” a new letter is required the following term. If the letter stipulates “for the current school year,” a new letter is required the subsequent school year.
• Authorized signature - document must be signed by the employer or HR representative.

With a sponsor letter on file, students may defer payment for up to 60 days from the last day of the semester at no additional cost. The amount deferred is the anticipated payment that will be made by the company or third-party sponsor and may only be deferred if the company or sponsor requires the submission of grades before payment is made to either the student or Claremont Graduate University. If the tuition support is less than 100%, the remaining balance must be paid by the student, either in full at the beginning of the semester or by enrolling in the payment plan.

While individual students bear the ultimate responsibility for payment of their accounts, they may register for the current semester by paying or arranging payment for the portion of their registration costs not covered by an employer or sponsor. Should a student receive a grade of Incomplete, and, thus, not qualify for company reimbursement, the deferred tuition and fees for this course are still due within the 60-day time frame. No payment extensions are made beyond the 60 days.

In the event that a student’s company or sponsor defaults on an obligation to make payment on behalf of a student, the student is removed from the deferred payment plan and payment is due immediately. While students may retrieve billing information online, separate itemized invoices are sent on behalf of students to third-party sponsors.

Veterans Education Benefits and Third-Party Sponsorship

In accordance with Section 103 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, students who have provided valid documentation of GI Bill education benefits for a given term will not be charged late payment fees, be denied access to facilities or subject to other penalties imposed due to late payment of tuition and/or fees from the VA for up to 90 days. In cases where a student’s GI Bill education benefits cover less than 100% of tuition/fees for a given term, late payment penalties as outlined above will apply for the amount owed to the school by the student. The restriction on penalties does not apply in cases where the student owes additional payment to the school beyond the amount of the tuition and fee payment from VA to the school. VA would have to make payments to schools no later than 60 days after receiving the tuition and fee certification from the school.

Refunds

The Claremont Graduate University policy for tuition refunds is consistent with federal regulations and standards for financial aid and higher education.  Refund schedules apply to all enrollment changes in which courses are involved, including leave of absence and withdrawal from the University. 

In order to enroll at CGU each academic year, students must sign the Enrollment and Financial Agreement, which includes:

Right to Cancel

“I understand that, if I have paid tuition and fees but do not plan to enroll in classes for a semester or module, I must cancel my registration through a registration (Add/Drop) form to receive a refund, and that the semester or module to be cancelled and reason for cancellation must be included. I understand that pursuant to California Educational Code § 94909, I have the right to cancel this enrollment agreement and obtain a refund of charges paid through attendance at the first class session or the seventh day after enrollment (whichever is later) as long as a Registration (Add/Drop) Form cancelling enrollment is received in the Registrar’s Office no later than the seventh day after enrollment. I understand that I will receive a full refund of charges paid to Claremont Graduate University except for the nonrefundable tuition deposit. If I cancel registration, I further understand that I will lose any medical insurance coverage and benefits if I purchased it through Claremont Graduate University.”

Specific deadlines are provided each semester in the Academic Calendar.

An $85 fee applies to enrollment changes (adds/drops) made after the date that no refunds are available for course changes. 

Refunds are calculated based upon the date on which a completed Add/Drop Form is processed by the registrar’s office or an academic department. Refunds apply on tuition only. Fees are nonrefundable. In cases where a third party has paid an account on behalf of a student, the refund is made directly to the third party. However, if the third party provides written authorization to the Student Accounts Office allowing the excess funds to be disbursed to the student, the refund will be provided to the student after the initial add/drop period is completed.

Tuition Refund Policy for Students in Online Programs Residing Outside of California

Refunds for online students residing outside of the state of California may be covered by a cancellation and refund policy as required by the higher education regulatory agency in respective locality and will take precedence over the polices listed in the CGU Bulletin. Refunds will be based on unused instructional time and will be prorated on a weekly basis for semester or nontraditional calendars.

Financial Aid and Refunds

Financial aid funds are refunded in accordance with the tuition reduction and federal policies. In certain cases, federal refund requirements may supersede the institutional refund policy. Recent changes in the federal student aid refund policy require that a schedule be used to determine how much federal financial aid the student has earned at the time of withdrawal when a student withdraws on or before the 60% point in a period of enrollment. In general, the University must calculate the amount of federal financial aid the student did not earn and return those funds to the appropriate federal aid program. After the 60% point in the period of enrollment, no refund is applicable. Since the federal refund policy does not directly correspond with the institutional policy, students should consult a financial aid counselor before initiating the withdrawal process in order to determine any potential liability owed by the student to the University.

Refund Processing

The Student Accounts Office submits requests for refund checks each week. Refunds are processed only after a credit has posted to the student’s account. Refunds to students whose accounts indicate an anticipated payment (e.g., company reimbursements, estimated loans, etc.) are not possible until the applicable transactions post. Refund processing requires approximately 10 business days. Students are responsible for ensuring that contact information–address, telephone numbers–are current in the portal to avoid delays in the receipt of financial and other University correspondence.