March, 2002 Update: New Tuition Policy and Pricing Structure

Bills covering the fees of any term are mailed before the start of the term and are payable no later than the date specified, approximately one month before classes start. A student’s registration is not complete until he or she has paid or arranged for payment of all fees. Academic credit, degrees, grade reports, diplomas, and transcripts are not granted to students who have not fulfilled all financial obligations to the Institute. If special arrangements for payment are necessary, they should be made through the Bursar’s Office.

It is the students’ and parents’ joint responsibility to ensure that timely and accurate applications are made for financial aid, scholarships, and loans. In the event Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grants credit for these or any other payment source, and payment is not received from that source, the Institute will expect payment from the student and/or parent. Should a student or parent fail to pay any amounts due Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in accordance with the terms of this catalog, the Institute may at its option increase the amounts due by any attorneys’ fees, collection agency fees, or any other costs or charges incurred in the collection of any amount not paid when due.

No fees or payments will be refunded other than tuition and room and board charges as outlined below. Rensselaer subscribes to the Policy Guidelines for Refund of Student Charges as issued by the Office on Self-Regulation Initiatives Program of the American Council on Education.

Questions regarding assessment of fees, purpose, and payment should be directed to the Bursar’s Office.

The schedule below is effective as of the summer session of 2000.

Monthly Installment Plan  As an alternative to paying relatively large amounts twice a year, Rensselaer offers a monthly payment plan. The plan permits academic year charges for tuition, fees, residence, and board to be paid in 10 equal installments. There is a $60.00 per year service charge for use of the Monthly Installment Plan.

Applications to participate in the plan and additional information regarding the plan are normally mailed to prospective and returning students in mid-April. Applications may also be obtained at the Bursar and the Financial Aid Offices. There is no interest charge associated with the plan.

Late Payment and Unpaid Balances  Any balances not paid or covered by financial aid by the due date noted on the bill will be subject to a late payment fee of $175. In addition to the $175 fee, students with unpaid balances after the first day of classes will be unable to receive grades or transcripts, register for future terms, or receive diplomas. If any amounts are still outstanding at the end of the term, Rensselaer will require a one-semester leave of absence. Readmittance after this leave is contingent upon payment of money owed and proof of financial capability for the next term.

Tuition

March, 2002 Update: New Tuition Policy and Pricing Structure

Undergraduate Tuition   The tuition for a normal undergraduate program (12 to 21 credit hours a semester) is $24,820 per academic year. This includes use of apparatus, athletic fields, and gymnasium, but charges for breakage in laboratory classes are additional.

Summer session tuition for undergraduates is $735 per credit hour.

Undergraduate students who are allowed to take more than 21 credit hours in any term, exclusive of ROTC, will be charged an additional $735 for each credit hour in excess of 21. Overload charges will be based on the student’s registration at the end of the eighth week of classes. No appeals due to late drops will be accepted.

Undergraduate students who are allowed to take fewer than 12 credits are charged $735 per credit hour unless they are certified as full-time for TAP purposes. Charges for students who drop to fewer than 12 credit hours after the fifth week of classes will not be adjusted below the full-time charge.

Graduate Tuition   Graduate tuition is $700 per credit hour. The total tuition is based on the number of credit hours for which a student is registered as of the end of the fifth week of the term. No refund will be made for any course dropped after the end of the fifth week. If a student adds a course or courses at any time during the term, tuition will be charged for the course(s) for the entire term.

Graduate Enrollment Continuation Tuition   Regular graduate students who (1) have completed all degree credit hour requirements, (2) are not registered for any course or thesis credits, (3) have approval of their advisers, and (4) are eligible to register for degree completion, are required to pay an enrollment continuation tuition of $50 per semester whether in residence or absent from the campus. This tuition is due each and every semester, excluding summers, until all degree requirements including the thesis are fulfilled. If thesis completion is expected to take place during the summer session, then the enrollment continuation tuition charge will be incurred for that summer term and is not refundable. The tuition must be paid in full before the student is awarded an advanced degree. Students on approved medical leaves of absence will be exempted from this fee only for the duration of the leave.

Continuing education students who are registered for no other credits will be required to pay this tuition in the term in which they receive their degree.

Undergraduate Tuition Refunds for Official Withdrawals   Except for the application fee and admissions deposit (entering students only), all payments will be refunded if a student officially withdraws before Final Registration. Students who withdraw or who are dismissed from Rensselaer before the completion of a term will be charged tuition according to the portion of the term spent in residence. Before any refunds are made for whatever reason, official written notification of withdrawal and requests for refunds must be submitted to the dean of students or to the Graduate School as applicable. The refund schedule after Final Registration for Fall and Spring terms is:

Less than 1 week: 100%
Less than 2 weeks: 90%
Less than 3 weeks: 80%
Less than 4 weeks: 70%
Less than 6 weeks: 60%
Less than 7 weeks: 50%
Less than 9 weeks: 40%
More than 9 weeks: 0%

Graduate Tuition Refunds for Fall and Spring terms:

Less than 5 weeks: 100%
More than 5 weeks: 0%

Veteran’s Benefits   Any veteran who changes his or her credit hour load or withdraws from the Institute must notify the veteran’s coordinator in the Registrar’s Office immediately.

Fees

Residences   The range of campus housing costs is given below. Detailed information regarding facilities, assignments, specific costs, refund policies, and services is available from the Office of Residence Life.

Single Student Housing: $3,718 to $5,868
Family Housing: $490 to $720 monthly

Students who accept a campus housing assignment are expected to occupy their rooms for the full academic year. Residence charges are refundable for students who withdraw or are dismissed, according to the same schedule as tuition refunds.

Contract Dining   The costs for the meal plans are listed below. Dining charges are refundable on a prorated basis for students who withdraw or are academically dismissed. If the student should withdraw prior to late registration, the entire amount of the charges will be refunded.

Platinum Plan: $3,998
(unlimited meals plus $100 MAD per semester) Includes late night dining on Monday-Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Russell Sage Dining Hall.

Diamond Plan: $3,812
(unlimited meals plus $75 MAD per semester)

Gold Plan: $3,820
(unlimited meals from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. plus $50 MAD per semester) Includes late night dining on Monday-Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Russell Sage Dining Hall.

Emerald Plan: $3,700
(unlimited meals from 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. plus $60 MAD per semester) Includes late night dining on Monday-Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Russell Sage Dining Hall.

Silver Plan: $3,572
(unlimited meals Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. plus $50 MAD per semester) Includes late night dining on Monday-Thursday from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Russell Sage Dining Hall.

Bronze Plan: $2,754
(unlimited meals from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. plus $200 MAD per semester)

Activity Fee   An activity fee is assessed by the Rensselaer Union and carries with it Union membership privileges. The fee is required of all students except full-time university employees who are registered for graduate study and continuing studies students. The fee is nonrefundable except where withdrawal is made prior to late registration and notification is made in the same manner as required for tuition refunds.

Undergraduate students: $202.50 per term
Graduate students: $106.65 per term
Summer students: $8.00 per week

Co-op students pay the fees listed if their assignments are within 25 miles of the Rensselaer campus.

Health Center Fee   All matriculated regular undergraduate and graduate students taking courses at Rensselaer are charged a Health Service Fee of $164.00 per six-month period. Students paying the fall semester fee may access the Student Health Service, which includes an on-campus health center, from August 15 to February 15. Students paying the spring semester fee may access health services from February 15 (or, for students admitted or readmitted in the spring term, the first day of spring classes) to August 15. Students admitted or readmitted to summer sessions pay a pro rata fee of $48 per session.

This is a mandatory fee that registered students may not waive unless they are more than 25 miles from campus while on a co-op assignment. Graduate students registered for Degree Completion who have completed their course work may request a waiver of the fee by contacting the Student Health Service by September 15th for the fall semester or February 15th for the spring semester. Granting of Health Center Fee waivers is at the discretion of the medical director. This fee provides access to the Student Health Center.

Health Insurance Premium   All matriculated regular undergraduate and graduate students are charged $262 each semester for the Rensselaer Student Health Insurance Plan. Like the Health Center Fee, coverage extends for six months (August 15 to February 15, February 15 to August 15). Details on this plan are mailed to all students prior to enrollment and are also available at the Health Center.

The insurance plan may be waived if you have equivalent insurance coverage. Waiver of this plan is required each year and must be requested no later than September 15 (February 15 for students admitted or readmitted in the spring term). Enrollment/Waiver applications are included with your tuition bill. Enrollment/Waiver forms are also available at the Student Health Center. Approval of waivers is at the discretion of the medical director. Students who waive the health insurance plan still have access to the Student Health Service. Students are urged not to waive this inexpensive and important coverage.

Optional dependent insurance coverage is also available. Enrollment forms are available at the Student Health Service.

Supplemental medical insurance to $1 million is optionally available on an individual basis. Contact the Student Health Service for further information.

Dental Insurance Premium   All matriculated regular graduate students are charged $71.40 each semester for the Guardian Dental Insurance Plan. Waiver of this fee is allowed by showing proof of comparable dental insurance coverage and by completing a dental fee waiver form available at the Health Center. Deadline for waiver of this fee is September 15 for the fall and February 15 for the spring semester.

Graduate Thesis Fee   This fee is payable as soon as the thesis is accepted, as follows:

Master’s candidates: $10 for binding one copy of the thesis.

Doctoral candidates: $80, which covers binding two copies of the thesis for use of the Folsom Library, as well as microfilming and publication of the thesis text and an abstract.

Late Payment Fee   A fee of $175 is charged to students who have not paid their accounts in full on or before the specified date. A request for waiver can be made by obtaining forms at the Bursar’s Office. Additional appeal may be made through the student judiciary process if the bursar denies the initial request for waiver.

Orientation Fee   All entering first year and transfer students, will be charged for the opportunity to attend programs held during the summer or before fall or spring semester for overall orientation, academic advisement, and course registration. This year’s fees are $150 for first year students, $100 for transfer students, and $50 for spring admissions. This fee is nonrefundable except where withdrawal is made prior to the fall Final Registration date for fall admissions or prior to spring Final Registration for spring admissions.

Orientation Fee for International Graduate Students   All entering foreign graduate students will be charged $35 for the opportunity to attend a special program held before fall and spring semesters. Attendance is mandatory; students entering for the summer session will participate in the fall program. The fee covers arrival assistance, off-campus housing search service, general orientation, and social activities (services and programs are more limited in the spring semester). This is a nonrefundable fee. Any questions or concerns should be directed to the Office of International Services for Students and Scholars.

Late Registration Fees   A $50 fee is levied on students who were enrolled the previous semester and register after the registration period specified in the academic calendar. An additional fee of $25 is charged students in the above category who register after the first day of class as specified in the academic calendar. These fees are imposed to cover the added cost of late registration processing. After payment of these fees, a request for reimbursement can be made by application at the Registrar’s Office.

Returned Payment Fee   A $25 fee is charged for checks, MasterCard, or Visa transactions returned by the bank. In addition, if term clearance was granted based on the returned item, the late payment fee will also be charged and the student’s term clearance may be suspended until the returned item is made good.

Validation Examination Fee   The fee for an examination to establish credit for work done elsewhere than in an accredited institution is $75 for each examination.

Transcript Fee   A transcript fee of $25 is charged all students upon entry to Rensselaer.

Motor Vehicle Fees and Fines   Parking at Rensselaer is very limited and student vehicles are restricted by permit to specific areas. An annual vehicle registration fee is charged all students who park a motor vehicle (including motorcycles and mopeds) on Rensselaer property. Parking permits are available from the parking office located in the Visitors Information Center. Parking and driving requirements are available on-line at http://www.rpi.edu/dept/parking. Violations of the requirements involve tickets, fines, fees, booting (wheel lock), and loss of parking privileges. Fees and fines are billed to student accounts. Credit card transactions are not accepted in the parking office. An added fee is charged for bank checks returned by the bank.