Tuition and Fees

Governors State University has three options for a student to complete registration:

• Pay all tuition and fees by the payment deadline;

• Have made an initial payment and have a signed payment plan agreement form on file in the Cashier’s Office by the payment due date;
• Have been awarded financial aid by the payment due date; or
• Have signed a Validation/Promissory Note in the GSU Financial aid Office and submit it to the Cashier’s Office (for students not yet awarded financial aid, but have completed a FAFSA and submitted all required documentation, and meet eligibility criteria)

The payment due date is based upon the registration date.  These dates are trimester specific.  Information regarding these due dates is available on the website at www.govst.edu/paymentdates; in the schedule of classes; and from the Cashier’s Office at 708.534.4055. 

Payment plan forms are available on the website at www.govst.edu/payplan or at the Cashier’s Office.  There is a $20 non-refundable fee for the payment plan option. 

Students who do not comply with one of the registration processes by the due date will be dropped from the class(es) for which they registered.  Students may re-register if classroom seats are available.

Students who fail to pay by the published due dates are subject to a $60 late fee.  This includes those students who receive financial aid, tuition waivers, and work/organization sponsored tuition-assistance.

GSU is migrating to a paperless environment.  Students may not receive a bill prior to the payment due dates.  Student may view their account online at www.govst.edu/studentaccounts.  GSU will use e-mail to communicate payment plan due dates.

A $25 service fee will be assessed for any check returned by the bank.  

Payment Options

Payment may be made at the Cashier’s Office, online, or by mail.  The university accepts cash, check, MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.  Please do not mail cash.

Payments made at the Cashier’s Office after-hours depository will be credited the following business day.

To pay online: www.govst.edu/payonline

To make a credit card payment by phone: 708.534.4055

To pay by mail, send payments to: 

GOVERNORS STATE UNIVERSITY

Cashier’s Office

1 University Parkway

University Park, IL  60466-0975

On-Campus Tuition Schedule Per Trimester

(Tuition and fees are subject to change.  Refer to the current schedule of classes for current fees.)

School of Extended Learning Tuition Schedule Per Trimester

Extended Learning Fee.  Extended learning tuition rates apply to courses taught at locations other than the main campus and to media courses, i.e. telecourses, online courses, and correspondence courses. A minimum service fee of $15 per credit-hour is assessed.

* Guaranteed Tuition Plan – Undergraduate, Illinois resident students who registered for the first-time at GSU during the Academic Year 2004-2005 will be assessed the 2004-2005 tuition rate for that trimester and the following eleven trimesters.  Undergraduate, Illinois resident students who registered for the first-time at GSU during the Academic Year 2005-2006 will be assessed the 2005-2006 tuition rate for that trimester and the following eleven trimesters. Undergraduate, Illinois resident students who registered for the first-time at GSU during the Academic Year 2006-2007 will be assessed the 2006-2007 tuition rate for that trimester and the following eleven trimesters. Undergraduate, Illinois resident students who registered for the first-time at GSU during the Academic Year 2006-2007 will be assessed the 2006-2007 tuition rate for that trimester and the following eleven trimesters.  New undergraduate, Illinois resident students registering for the first-time at GSU during the Academic Year 2008-2009 will be assessed the 2008-2009 tuition rate for that trimester and the following eleven trimesters.

** Not Applicable

Mandatory Fees                                                                               

(Fees are subject to change.  Please see the schedule of classes for the exact fees.)

** Not Applicable

Fees

The fees listed in this section of the catalog are subject to change for any subsequent trimester.  Please check the class schedule or the website for any changes.

All students registered for one or more on-campus credit-hours at Governors State University must pay these fees.

All practicum and internship classes are classified as on-campus classes. Therefore, mandatory on-campus fees will be assessed to students taking practicum and internship classes.

Audit Fee. A non-refundable fee of $75 is assessed per audited course in lieu of tuition.

Technology Fee. A fee of $10 per credit hour is assessed to all currently enrolled students. The fee is used for expanding computer access to students and upgrading computer hardware and software.

Career Counseling Fee. The Career Counseling fee is $30 per trimester. The fee supports programs that will increase the academic success and retention of all students. Also, this fee assists in the transition process by helping students find employment after gradua­tion. Some of the programs receiving funding support are job development, on-campus job recruitment, resume writing services, career, personal and academic counseling programs and services.

Doctoral Application Fee. There is a doctoral student application fee of $75 per application submitted.

Graduation Fee. A non-refundable graduation fee is assessed to cover the cost of diplomas and commencement. The fee is $40 for a baccalaureate degree and $45 for a master’s degree.

Master’s Application Fee. There is a master’s student application fee of $50 per application submitted.

Parking and Walkway Fee.  A fee of $30 per trimester is assessed to all currently enrolled on campus students.  The university maintains five parking lots adjacent to its main building.  Operation and maintenance of the lots and walkways, snow removal, repair/replacement, etc. along with quick-start/escort service, are funded from parking fees paid by staff and students.  Staff pay for parking through payroll deduction.  Students are assessed parking fees with their enrollment fees.

Strategic Initiative Fee. A fee of $13 per credit-hour is assessed to all currently enrolled students. The fee will support targeted initiatives that enhance student learning experience.

Student Activity Fee. The Student Activity fee is $36 per trimester. The fee supports programs and activities to enrich the extracurricular life of students. Some of the programs and activities receiving funding support are the Smart Start Center which offers child care, the student newspaper, entertainment and educational events, student clubs and organizations, the Student Senate, student leadership development, diversity observance events, and the Safe Ride shuttle.

Student Center Fee. The Student Center fee is $30 per trimester. The fee supports the operation of the Student Center, which provides facilities for meetings, student offices, a typing center, lounges, recreation areas, study areas, and a number of other related programs and services.

Transcript Fee. GSU charges a fee of $5 per official transcript.

University Facilities Fee.  A fee of $16 per credit hour is assessed to all currently enrolled students.  The fee assists in the maintenance of all GSU physical facilities, infrastructure, and operations.

Undergraduate Application Fee. There is an undergraduate student application fee of $25 per application submitted.

PROGRAM AND SERVICE FEES

Assessment Fee.  Fees are based on the current academic year undergraduate extended learning tuition rate as defined on page 21 of this schedule. Students at GSU who submit a CEEL portfolio, or School of Interdisciplinary Learning students who elect to do a portfolio, are charged an assess­ment fee equivalent to tuition for one semester credit-hour for submission of a portfolio, and 40 percent of tuition for one credit-hour for assessment of each course or section. International portfolio fees are equivalent to tuition for two semester credit-hours. Assessment of each course or section is 40 percent of this amount. To learn how to write and submit a portfolio that can be assessed for possible academic credit, students may attend a Portfolio Seminar with a fee approximately equivalent to tuition for one-half of a credit-hour. Qualified students may enroll in an online or on-campus course, IDSS330, with advisor approval.  For those unable to attend a seminar, a Portfolio Seminar notebook and self-paced video are available at the GSU Bookstore. Military transcripts, which need to be sent to outside evaluators, are charged fees approximately equivalent to tuition for one-half of a credit-hour for this assessment.

For further information, call the School Of Interdisciplinary Learning Office at 708.534.4092.

Extended Learning Fee.  Extended learning tuition rates apply to courses taught at locations other than the main campus and to media courses, i.e. television courses, online courses, and correspondence courses.  A minimum service fee of $15 per credit-hour is assessed.

Library Fees. The University Library charges library fines and replacement fees for materials that are overdue, lost, or damaged. All transactions resulting in the preparation of a bill also involve a processing fee.

Student Health Insurance. Participation in a student health insurance program is optional. Information on basic annual plans for a single student is available from private companies. Information on these health insurance plans and fee rates for spouse and/or dependent coverage is also available in the Student Life Service Office (D1429).

Transcript Fee.  GSU charges a fee of $5 per transcript.

Payment of Tuition and Fees

Tuition and applicable fees must be paid no later than the date specified (published in the schedule of classes) for each term. Registration and official enrollment in courses is not complete until all tuition and fees have been paid. The university accepts cash, check, money order, Mastercard, Visa, or Discover card payment.  A $60 late fee will be assessed to all accounts not paid in full by the due date. 

Payment Plan

Students may use the payment plan option. A portion of the tuition and fees must be paid by the initial due date and the remaining balance may be paid in additional installments. The payment plan fee is $20.

Determination of Undergraduate/ Graduate Tuition Rates

Undergraduate tuition rates apply to all students who have not earned a baccalaureate degree, including degree-seeking, undeclared, and non-degree seeking students.

Graduate tuition rates apply to all students holding a baccalaureate degree, regardless of the level of course work in which they intend to enroll. This policy includes degree-seeking and non-degree-seeking students.

Students will be billed for tuition based on their status at the time of fee assessment. However, if delayed posting or retroactive changes to a student’s record affect this status, tuition will be reassessed and the student billed or refunded any difference in tuition. Tuition adjustments will only be made for the current trimester.

Residency

To be considered residents, students must have lived in Illinois for a period of at least six consecutive months immediately preceding the beginning of any trimester for which they register at the university and must continue to maintain bona fide residence in the state while enrolled at GSU.

To establish resident status, a person who is not a citizen of the United States of America generally must have a permanent resident status with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) and must also meet and comply with all other applicable requirements of CIS regulations.

In requesting a change of their nonresident status, students will be required to provide satisfactory evidence to the Registrar’s Office of in-state residence in compliance with the above residency classification rules.

See the appendix of this catalog for additional information on resident status.

Refunds

Students, including students attending the university for the first time, who drop/withdraw from courses on or before the published 100 percent refund deadline for a trimester or block are entitled to a full refund of tuition and fees. The refund period is listed in the schedule of classes for each trimester.

Students attending the university for the first time who withdraw from all courses after the tenth day of regularly scheduled classes, or who otherwise fail to complete the trimester, shall be eligible for a pro-rata refund in accordance with regulations governing federal financial assistance programs. Any such student shall have deducted from such refund an administrative fee of the lesser of five percent of tuition and fees or $100.

Refunds of fees may be made because of the student’s death, disability, extreme hardship, or institutional error. Additional information is available from the Registrar’s Office and the Business Office.

Refunds may be made via check or via the Web if payment was made via the Web.

Unsatisfied Financial Obligations

Unsatisfied financial obligations to the university are pursued through placement with a collection agency, litigation, and/or placement in the Illinois Comptroller’s Offset System. Collection costs incurred by the univer­sity in collecting monies due will be assessed to the debtor.

University Holds

University holds are a means of identifying students with unsatisfied financial or academic obligations to the university. Students with holds may not register until holds are released.