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 2002.

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

Undergraduate Tuition   The tuition for a normal undergraduate program (12 to 21 credit hours a semester) is $26,400 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 $850 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 $850 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 $850 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   Full-time graduate tuition is $26,400 per academic year. Payment of this tuition allows a student to register for 12 to 15 credit hours in each of the fall and spring semesters. A student paying tuition and taking between 12 and 15 credits in the fall and spring is considered a full-time student throughout that calendar year. Students must register for at least 12 credits per semester to maintain full-time status. The only exception to this requirement is for those students serving as teaching assistants. These students may register for a minimum of 9 credits to maintain their full-time status. Students enrolling for more than 15 credits during the fall or spring terms will be charged the academic year tuition rate plus a per-credit-hour rate of $1,100 for each credit hour exceeding 15 credits or for each credit taken in the summer sessions.

Part-time graduate tuition is paid on a per-credit-hour basis of $1,320 per credit hour.

Registration in Absentia   Students who are primarily engaged in pursuing their degrees, have completed their course work, and are physically located off campus and not using institutional resources (e.g., labs, library, student services, etc.) can register as “Registration in Absentia” for a maximum period of one year. The fee for so doing will be $500 per semester/or summer term. Students registering in absentia are considered full-time students.

Cooperative Education   Graduate students engaged in cooperative education (Co-op) are considered full-time students. No tuition is assessed for Co-op students unless the student elects to take classes. Co-op students taking classes are charged the per-credit-hour rate associated with full-time students ($1,100 per credit hour for 2002/2003).

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 Office of Graduate Education 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: $4,284 to $5,736
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 $4,178
(unlimited meals plus $100 MAD* per semester)**

Diamond Plan $3,982
(unlimited meals plus $75 MAD per semester)

Gold Plan $3,992
(unlimited meals from 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. plus $50 MAD per semester)*

Emerald Plan $3,866
(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)*

Silver Plan $3,734
(unlimited meals Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. plus $50 MAD per semester)*

Bronze Plan $2,876
(unlimited meals from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. plus $200 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.
* MAD-Meal Plan Advantage Dollars

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 Professional and Distance Education 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: $212.25 per term

Graduate students: $110.65 per term

Summer students:
$105.00 Session I
$52.50 Session II
$52.50 Session III

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 $171.00 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 $61.50 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. 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 $306 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 $74.94 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   AA $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.