Expenses and Financial Aid

• Tuition and Fees, 2011-2012
• Explanation of Basic Tuition and Fees
• Other Fees, 2011-2012
• Student Accounts
• Refunds
• Financial Aid

Tuition and Fees, 2012-2013 (Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013)

Dual degree students in departments with different tuition schedules are charged the higher rate for their units, regardless of subject. A student is considered a dual degree student for the duration of the dual degree (i.e. until both degrees are completed). Information about other expenses, sample budgets, and borrowing options may be obtained from the Office of Student Financing.

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 Services Fee. This fee is required of all students, except those in executive management, and helps offset a small portion of the operating costs from the various nonacademic student services provided by the University. This fee is nonrefundable.

Continuous Registration Fee. The fee for continuous registration is to be paid by all master’s degree students not enrolled in a credit course in a given semester. Payment of the 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. This applies equally to students not in residence.

Doctoral Study Fee. A doctoral student who is not enrolled in a credit course or dissertation research must register for doctoral study until all requirements for the degree are completed, including submission of the approved dissertation to the Office of Admission and Records and payment of microfilming and binding fees. This applies equally to students not in residence.

Auditor’s Fee. Auditing of courses with the permission of the instructor is available to qualified persons at a fee of $1,056 per 4-unit course or $528 per 2-unit course. Students enrolled in at least 12 units in the same semester may take up to 4 audit units at no extra charge. However, art students must be enrolled in at least 15 units in the same semester to take up to 4 audit units at no extra charge. There are no executive management courses offered for audit.

Alumni. Alumni may register for courses with faculty approval. The alumnus/na must have been granted a Claremont Graduate University degree. This policy does not apply to those who have previously attended the University, but did not receive a degree nor does it apply to current graduates working toward an additional degree. The tuition cost associated with the course(s) taken as an alumnus/na is 50% of the regular per unit (no tuition discount for 12 units or more) tuition rate and 100% of the institutional services fee. The cost is not associated with the department in which the course is offered or the discipline from which the alumnus/na graduated. Please see the “Special Programs ” section of this Bulletin for additional details.

Other Fees, 2012-2013

(Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013)

Explanation of Other Fees

Admissions Acceptance Deposit. Students accepting CGU’s offer of admission must pay a $200 ($750 for Drucker School) nonrefundable deposit, which is credited to their student account and applied toward tuition.

Binding/Microfilming Fees. Binding and microfilming fees are waived when dissertaions and theses are submitted electronically.  For paper submissions, binding and microfilming fees are due at the time of submission to the Registrar’s Office.

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.

Student Accounts

The CGU Student Accounts Office processes payments and other support services related to a student’s account. We offer two plans for payment of tuition and fees. One option is to pay in full at the onset of each term. The other option is to enroll in the monthly payment plan through Academic Management Services (AMS). Payments can be in the form of: cash; cashier’s check; money order;personal or corporate check; or wire transfer. Credit card payments, while not accepted in the office, can be made online. American Express, MasterCard, and Discover are accepted. There is a convenience fee charged for all credit card payments, but payment can also be made online FREE OF CHARGE by ACH or electronic debit from a checking or savings account. (The student will receive an e-mail confirmation of payment when paying online).

To ensure that students receive updated information on a regular basis, we advise students to check their portal. No paper bills are sent from this office,but there are e-mail alerts sent to remind students of billing due dates and when their invoice becomes available online for them to view.

Invoice data is a compilation of many different departments that utilize the student’s account as away of charging or reimbursing a student. Tuition charges are assessed at the beginning of each semester regardless of the start date of the course (i.e. module courses). 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. All payments must be received by close of business in the Student Accounts Office by the 26th of the month to avoid a Late Payment Fee. If a due date falls on a weekend or holiday, the payment is due the following business day. Students who disagree with a Late Payment Fee charge that was assessed to their account may appeal the charge in writing to the Student Accounts Office within 30 calendar days of the original charge by submitting a Financial Policy Exception Request Form. ()

Monthly Payment Plan

Claremont Graduate University offers a monthly payment plan through Academic Management Services (AMS). Students may enroll each term on-line at www.TuitionPay.com/CGU. AMS accepts credit cards (American Express, MasterCard, and Discover), checks, and money orders. Students may also make payments to AMS via electronic debit from personal bank accounts. For additional information, please contact an AMS Tuition Pay Consultant at (800) 635-0120.

Delinquent Accounts

When a payment is not received by close of business in the Student Accounts Office by the designated due date, the account is considered delinquent. An account that becomes delinquent is subject to a monthly penalty fee of 1.5% of the remaining tuition balance, and a student’s registration may be cancelled until such time as the amount due and the penalty fee(s) are paid. No allowance is made for financial aid applications in process. In addition, loan disbursements for a future award year cannot be used to reduce a student account balance in a current award year.

Students whose accounts are not considered current are not eligible to register or to receive transcripts, grades, credential recommendations, or career services. Accounts must be paid in full before students will receive their diplomas. This applies equally to students who fail to repay,on or before established dates, loans granted or guaranteed by or through Claremont Graduate University, or to pay fees such as those incurred for graduate housing, student health services, campus security, library fines, etc.

Library Fines. Past-due library fines will be charged to the student’s account. These library fines must be paid in full before the student will be able to continue checking out books. If the student returns the overdue book(s) to the library, the replacement cost of each book will be waived. However, the student will still be responsible for a nominal maintenance fee 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. The letter must outline the particulars of what will be covered. (i.e.,“100% of tuition and fees”or “50% of tuition only”). It should also indicate the period of time that the third party will provide financial support. If the letter reads: “for the current term,” it is understood that we would need a new letter the following term. If the letter reads, “For the current school year,” we would need another letter on file the subsequent school year. This letter needs to be: signed by the employer or an HR representative; printed on company letterhead, and submitted at the time of registration. With this letter on file with this office, the student may defer payment for up to 90 days from the last day of the semester at no additional cost. After that point in time, late payment fees will accrue on the student account until payment is received. 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 student can either submit payment for their personal contribution before the beginning of the semester or enroll in the payment plan and pay in installments.

While individual students bear the ultimate responsibility for payment on their account, 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 90-day time frame. No payment extensions will be made beyond the 90 days.

In the event that a student’s company/sponsor defaults on their obligation to make payment on behalf of a student, the student will be removed from the deferred payment plan and payment will be due immediately. While students must retrieve their billing information online, separate itemized invoices are sent to those third-party sponsors for students that receive some type of tuition reimbursement.

Refunds

The Claremont Graduate University policy for refunding tuition for dropped courses is as follows:

A $165 change fee is in effect for changes to registration (adds/drops) after the second week of classes for full-semester courses and after the first week of classes for half-semester courses. This fee will be assessed for each Change in Registration Form() submitted after these deadlines.

Refunds are calculated based on the date on which a completed Change in Registration Form () is entered into the database by the student’s academic department. Refunds are made on tuition only. Fees are nonrefundable. In cases where a third party has paid an account on behalf of a student, the refund will be 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 given to the student after the initial add/drop period is completed.

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 correspond to the institutional policy, it is recommended that students see a counselor in the Office of Student Financing before initiating the withdrawal process in order to determine any potential liability owed by the student to the University.

The Student Accounts Office submits requests for refund checks each week. Refunds are only processed for accounts that have an actual (posted transactions) credit. We are unable to issue refund advances to students who have an account that reflects an anticipated forthcoming payment (e.g., company reimbursements, estimated loans, etc.) Refunds take approximately 10 business days to process. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that the most current information is recorded with our institution at all times. Addresses and phone numbers can be updated at any time by logging into the student portal and submitting those changes.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the student accounts staff at student.accounts@cgu.edu or (909) 607-2613.

Financial Aid

Professionals trained to help students obtain financial aid from federal and private funding sources staff the Office of Student Financing at CGU. Because financial aid guidelines and programs change frequently, students should maintain regular contact with their financial aid administrator, and read the e-mails, student portal messages, and mailings that are sent to them.

To be considered for all sources of federal aid (including the Federal Stafford Loan, the Grad PLUS Loan, and Federal Work Study), all students must complete the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Applicants do not need to wait until they are admitted to begin applying. The deadline for priority consideration of federal funds is March 2. Early application is strongly recommended. Applicants can apply via the web by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov. CGU’s federal code is G01169.

More information on financial aid can be found on the CGU website www.cgu.edu/studentfinancing.

Federal, State, and Private Financial Aid

The financial aid programs described below are in effect as of the publication of this Bulletin and may be changed at any time. Financial aid recipients are expected to comply with institutional policies listed in this publication as well as those set down by the Office of Student Financing. Most current information may be available on the internet at the CGU website. To be considered for federal aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ()—see above.

Federal Stafford Loan

Federal Stafford Loans are low-interest loans available to eligible borrowers to assist with costs related to their education and are insured by the federal government. Effective July 1, 2012, Stafford Loans will be unsubsidized only with an origination fee of 1% that will be deducted from the loan proceeds prior to disbursement  (charged by the Department of Education/Direct Lending). The interest rate is fixed 6.8% and repayment begins six months after graduation or after the student ceases to be at least half-time. The minimum monthly payment is $50, but may be higher depending on the amount borrowed.

Grad PLUS Loan

The Grad PLUS Loan is available for students to help cover costs not met by other forms of aid. Annual amounts are based on the student’s budget (as set by the Office of Financial Aid) less any aid received. An origination fee of 4% will be deducted from the loan proceeds prior to disbursement (charged by the Department of Education/Direct Lending). The interest rate is fixed at 7.9% and repayment begins six months after graduation or the student ceases to be at least half-time. To get more information and apply, visit the CGU website at www.cgu.edu/finaid.

Federal Work Study

This need-based program is designed to provide jobs to help students with educational expenses. Hourly pay rates vary depending on the individual employer and the type of work performed. A determination of eligibility for federal work study does not guarantee a job, but rather it qualifies a student to interview for available positions both on and off-campus.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal regulations require institutions of higher education to establish minimum standards of satisfactory progress for recipients of financial aid. These standards must equal or exceed the academic standards for students not receiving federal financial aid. In keeping with these regulations, CGU has established the following policy governing satisfactory progress. Programs governed by the progress requirements are: Federal Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Grad PLUS Loan, Federal Work Study, and any other aid programs requiring a progress standard (see chart.)

Treatment Of Incompletes

For both doctoral and master’s programs there may be up to two incompletes (permanent incompletes “PI” or incomplete “I”) on a student’s transcript at one time. If a student receives three or more incompletes on his/her transcript, the student will be considered to be making unsatisfactory progress and will be placed on financial aid probation. This requirement is waived only for those students with incompletes in Master’s Critique, Master’s Thesis, or Dissertation Research.

Financial Aid Probation

If the student does not meet the minimum standards of a 3.0 GPA or does not complete the minimum number of units for which he/she has been funded (including too many incompletes), the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one year. All deficiencies must be cleared and current progress standards must be met during the financial aid probation period.

Financial Aid Suspension

If the student continues to be deficient after the financial aid probation period, he/she will be placed on financial aid suspension until all deficiencies are cleared.

Financial Aid Disqualification

If the student has exceeded the maximum time limit, he/she will be disqualified from receiving federal and state aid.

Withdrawals And Leaves

Semesters in which the student withdraws from CGU prior to receiving financial aid will not count toward the maximum time limits noted above. Similarly, all leaves of absence will not count toward the maximum time limit. However, research leaves are intended to assist students in making progress toward their degrees and are therefore counted toward the maximum time limit.

Appeal Procedures

Students may appeal ineligibility for financial aid due to unsatisfactory progress by indicating in writing the reasons why the minimum academic requirements were not met and why aid should not be suspended. The guidelines for appeals are available in the Office of Student Financing. The appeal will be reviewed and the student will be notified whether an exception to the policy has been approved. The student’s past academic record and any mitigating circumstances that might have prevented the student from meeting the minimum academic requirements will be considered.

Alternative Loans

Applications for private, credit-based, educational loans are available in the Office of Student Financing. Interest rates vary, and are normally tied to one of the market indicators, plus additional points. Guarantee fees and terms of repayment also vary depending upon credit rating. More information on these loans can be found on the CGU website www.cgu.edu/studentfinancing.

Fellowship / Institutional Aid

CGU awards fellowship aid on the basis of merit and the recommendation of the departmental faculty to support distinguished students in their degree programs. The University may also consider other factors in addition to merit in awarding aid. Most frequently, institutional support is granted in the form of a tuition fellowship, although some stipends and assistantships are awarded. Money for fellowships comes from the general fund of the institution, the generosity of private donors, foundations and corporations (see appendix), and from endowment income. For more information on fellowships, please contact the program in which you are seeking your degree.

Additional funds are available for awards to outstanding minority students in each program. Recommended by individual programs, the awards are matched by funds from each department. For more information on minority awards, please contact the program in which you are seeking your degree.

A limited number of merit fellowships are awarded to outstanding students in each of the PhD granting programs and include full tuition plus a stipend. Most awards are for partial tuition fellowships and are very competitive. There is the possibility of renewal of fellowships on a competitive basis, contingent upon availability of funds and academic performance.

February 1 is the priority deadline for completed applications for all fellowship awards for both new and continuing students. January 15 is the deadline for the School of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences applicants. New students desiring fellowships should complete the appropriate forms.

Preference is given to students with full graduate standing. Students with conditional standing are ineligible.

Continuing students desiring fellowship aid must complete an application that is available from the department office governing the student’s major field of study.

Teaching and Research Assistantships. These non-need based awards are compensation for specific services and are generally allocated by the various fields to advanced students. Assistants may be placed at CGU or at one of the other Claremont Colleges or affiliated institutions. Assistantships may be available in all fields of study, and the amounts of awards vary. Workloads are normally between eight and 15 hours per week. Full-time assistants may not engage in other activity for pay (except Federal Work Study), but may accept fellowship awards. The application procedure, deadline, and announcement date are the same as for the CGU fellowships.

Traineeships. Traineeships are connected to research and are open to new as well as advanced students. Students in botany are expected to undergo a traineeship program in conjunction with their academic work during the first two years of study. The application procedure, deadline, and announcement date are the same as for the University fellowships.

Associateships. These may be granted to students serving as administrative assistants or acting in a supervisory capacity. Several faculty associateships are available to students in education who are selected to supervise in the Teacher Education Internship Program. The amounts of the associateships vary. Application should be made through the director of teacher education.

Residence Assistantships. Pomona and Pitzer Colleges employ CGU students as residence assistants for specific managerial functions in undergraduate residence halls or the Oldenborg Language Center. Positions as residence assistants, advisors, and managers are open to graduate students in all fields.

Oldenborg Center language assistantships are open to students in all fields who are native speakers of French, Spanish, German, Russian, or Chinese. Assistants live in the center, which is a coeducational residence hall for students of modern languages and international relations, and cooperate with the director of the center and the language faculty in helping to carry out the program of the center, and a stipend is paid to the assistant. International students and others interested should write to the Director of Oldenborg Center, Pomona College, 350 College Way, Claremont, CA 91711-6334.

At Pitzer College, hall director positions are available to part-time graduate students and/or spouses of full-time graduate students. The hall director is housed in a comfortable apartment and receives a stipend. Room and board is provided for the hall director and spouse. Additional details can be obtained from the Dean of Students, Pitzer College, Scott 128, 1050 N. Mills Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711-6110.

An interview is desirable for all residence hall positions, and in some cases, it is required. For some positions, a student must take a reduced load of coursework.

Additional Financing Information

Graduate APLE

The Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Graduate APLE) provides loan assumption benefits for students who are pursuing a recognized graduate degree and intend to become a college-level faculty member at an accredited California college or university. Students will be awarded up to $2,000 per year for up to three years of teaching service.

Application procedures and deadlines may be viewed and/or downloaded by visiting the California Student Aid Commission website at www.csac.ca.gov.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Students who are certified by a tribal agency to be at least 1/8 American Indian may be eligible for a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and/or their tribal agency. Information and applications are available from the BIA and the specific tribal agency.

Veterans’ Education Benefits

CGU is an approved institution for veterans’ benefits. A veteran entitled to benefits must initiate procedures by contacting the Office of Admission and Records in advance of the date of intended enrollment. All transfer credit is evaluated prior to certification. Information is available in the Office of Admission and Records.

Outside Scholarships

Many private groups offer scholarships and grants that are announced by the Office of Student Financing. In addition, a listing of databases is available in the Office of Student Financing and on the web at www.cgu.edu/studentfinancing. Students are encouraged to explore opportunities for scholarships.