Student Accounts

Fiscal Responsibility Code

Students enrolled at the University are expected to adhere to a fiscal responsibility code as described below. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal from the University.

Promise to Pay

Students registered for any course or that received any service from the University accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees, and other associated costs assessed as a result of their registration and/or receipt of services.  

Timely Payment

Students registered for any course or that received any services from the University accept the responsibility to pay all tuition, fees, and other charges according to the payment schedule outlined by the University. This expectation applies regardless of the payment method.

Maintaining Accurate Records

Students are responsible for keeping their records current. Students are responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar of any changes in name, address, phone number, or other relevant demographic information within 30 days of any change.

Exercising Fiscal Responsibility

In the event the student receives federal funding, the student agrees to use this money for educationally related expenses, which include costs for tuition, fees, book supplies, transportation, housing and food costs, and incidental expenses.

Tuition and Fees

A  Tuition and Fees  schedule is published annually and is available on the University’s website as part of this catalog. The University reserves the right to adjust tuition and/or fees without prior notice.

Depending upon the program of study, the University charges students enrolled in degree and certificate programs on either a fixed term rate or a per-credit hour rate. In reference to programs charging a fixed term rate:

• Students enrolled in more than the maximum credits hours allowed by their program of study in a single term will be charged a per-credit hour rate for credits taken above the maximum.
• Students enrolled less than full-time (as defined by the program) are charged a per-credit hour rate based upon the tuition rate of their program of study.

Students who are required to retake all or a portion of the program will be charged an additional per-credit hour rate for repeated courses.

The University charges Accelerated Sciences students at a per-credit hour rate based upon the number of credit hours in which the student is enrolled.

In all cases, changes in a student’s enrollment status due to adding, dropping, or withdrawing from a course may impact tuition and fees.

Auditing Courses

Students who audit a course may be subject to a fee for each course they audit. Fees vary by program. Please see the Academic Policies section of the catalog for more information on auditing courses.

Additional Costs

Students are responsible for meeting additional costs associated with their program of study such as travel, accommodations, food, books, software, technology equipment, and supplies. 

Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee

The Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee allows students to pay the tuition rate in effect at the time of matriculation for the duration of their program of study. The Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee does not apply to Accelerated Sciences students. The Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee will vary depending on the program in which the student is enrolled. The Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee does not apply to fees. 

To qualify for the Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee the student must maintain continuous enrollment including summer in their program of study, and graduate either on time, or with one additional term of the published program length.  In addition, students will remain eligible for the Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee in effect at the time of the original date of entry if:

• The student takes a Military Leave of Absence. 
• The student qualifies to return under the Reentry policy (return within one year of withdrawal).
• The student returns as scheduled from an approved Leave of Absence (return within six months).

Students will be subject to the tuition in effect at the time of their return to the University if:

• The student is suspended for disciplinary reasons.
• The student qualifies to return under the Readmissions policy (more than one year after withdrawal).
• The student took an approved Leave of Absence but did not return as scheduled (including any return after six months).

Payment Plans (Certificate and Degree Students)

To be accepted for a payment plan by the Office of Student Accounts, a student must have completed the required payment plan process online via mySCU, the University’s intranet. 

Once accepted, the student must complete the 5-step enrollment process, which is: 

Step 1: Review Terms and Accept Truth in Lending Act disclosure 

Step 2: Enter Date of Birth and Phone Number 

Step 3: Accept the amount due (the first payment plus the payment plan enrollment fee) 

Step 4: Enter payment information 

Step 5: Submit payment 

Enrollment in the payment plan must be reviewed and revised by the Office of Student Accounts by the end of business on the Friday of the second week of each term. 

Payment plans are available to all certificate and degree students. Please note that students who fail to make payments in a timely manner are subject to late payment fees. 

Payment Deadlines

An account shall be considered in good standing if one of the following applies:

• Payment is made in full by Friday of the second week of the term for certificate and degree students enrolled in a 12, 15, 16, or 17 week term.
• Payment is made in full by Friday of the first week of the block or term for certificate and degree students enrolled in a 5 or 7.5 week block.
• Payment is made in full on the first day of the 5 week block regardless of when the first class section is scheduled for Accelerated Sciences students.
• Students relying on payment plans must enroll by Friday of the first or second week of the block or term (certificate or degree students) based on the length of block or term as noted above. Accelerated Sciences students must enroll by Friday of the first week of the block. To be accepted by the Office of Student Accounts, a student must have completed the required payment plan process online via mySCU, the University’s intranet.
• Students relying on Veteran’s Administration funds (excluding vocational rehabilitation) have been approved by the Office of Financial Aid by the end of business on the Friday of the second week of the block or term. To be approved by the Office of Financial Aid, all requested documentation necessary to check benefit eligibility and certify benefits must be received by this day. Approval may be granted even if funds are delayed by the agency.
• Students relying on Vocational Rehabilitation or other third-party providers funds have been approved by the Office of Student Accounts by the end of business on the Friday of the second week of the block or term. Students relying on Vocational Rehabilitation funds to take Accelerated Sciences courses must be approved by the Office of Student Accounts by the end of the first day of each block. Approval may be granted even if funds are delayed by the agency.
• Students relying on both federal financial aid (grants and/or loans) or private loans and a payment plan (for any tuition and fees not covered by loans) must be accepted by the Office of Student Accounts and by the Office of Financial Aid by the end of business on the Friday of the second week of the block or term (certificate and degree students) or the end of the first day of the block (Accelerated Sciences students).

Student Refunds

When a refund is due to a student, a refund check or direct deposit will be generated within 14 days of the date the student’s account has a credit balance. Refunds stemming from Financial Aid and/or Veteran Affairs benefits are issued after the aid/benefit funds have been received from the respective entity(ies) and a credit is generated on the student’s account.

A student who is eligible for a refund due to excess financial aid and who uses a credit card to pay any and all tuition and fees will have a refund processed to the credit card up to the amount of the card payment. This policy applies to all credit card transactions, regardless of the order of payment. Any remaining refund due to the student over the amount paid by credit card will be processed through direct deposit or paper check.

Student Account Holds

Students whose accounts are not in good standing will have a student account hold placed on their account. Students participating in a payment plan who fail to make payments according to the payment schedule will have a student account hold placed on their account. Students who do not remedy the hold will be prohibited from registering in future courses. Students may also be subject to fees and penalties.

Student Account Withdrawals

Students whose financial accounts are not in good standing after 40% of the days of the block or term have been completed, may be subject to administrative withdrawal. Students whose financial accounts are not in good standing at the end of the block or term will be prohibited from registering for the subsequent block or term. A student’s account is considered in good standing if:

• The student’s account balance is less than $200.
• The student has been making payments on-time according to their payment plan. 
• The student has provided all necessary paperwork to the Office of Financial Aid and/or Office of Student Accounts, regardless of whether or not there is a student account balance. This typically means that the University can verify that student is waiting for funding from a third party.

Late Payment Fees

Students who fail to make payments in a timely manner are subject to late payment fees.

Pro Rata Refund Policy (Certificate- and Degree-Seeking Students)

Students who officially withdraw or take a leave of absence from the University prior to the start of the block or term are eligible for a 100% tuition refund. Students who officially withdraw, take a leave of absence or are dismissed from the University after the start of the block or term may be eligible for a pro-rata refund, depending upon the time of the withdrawal, leave or dismissal. Students needing to withdraw or take a leave of absence are encouraged to provide written notification to the Office of the Registrar by completing the necessary withdrawal or leave of absence form. The effective withdrawal/leave date, as determined by the Office of the Registrar, is used to calculate the tuition refund amount. Fees, tuition deposits and other charges are non-refundable.

The pro rata refund will be determined by the total number of days the student is enrolled (based on the effective withdrawal/leave date) in a block or term divided by the total number of calendar days in the block or term. For purposes of this formula all days in the block or term count toward the number of days, not just those days in which a student has a scheduled class session. If the amount is less than 60%, the student is provided a prorated refund based upon the total number of days the student is enrolled in the block or term. If the amount is equal to or more than 60%, the student is ineligible for a refund. For example, if there are 100 calendar days in the term and a student withdraws on the tenth day of the term, the refund will be 90%. Note: this pro rata refund policy applies to degree and certificate programs only - see below for the refund policy for students in Accelerated Sciences.    

Note: Students who are billed on a fixed term rate and who drop courses during the add/drop period for their program that bring their total units below full-time (as defined by the program) will be charged on a per unit basis.

Students will not be eligible for a refund for any courses dropped after the add/drop period, regardless of the number of units in which the student is registered. 

Refund Policy (Accelerated Sciences)

Students who drop or withdraw from Accelerated Sciences courses will be eligible for a tuition refund according to the table below. Fees and other charges are not refundable.

Please note: Refunds are based upon the first day of the block, not the actual first day of class.

Accelerated Sciences Courses Only

Cancellation and Refund Policy - Arizona Students

The following information is in addition to the Cancellation and Refund Policy and applies to students residing in Arizona.  

Three-Day Cancellation: An applicant who provides written notice of cancellation within three days (excluding Saturday, Sunday and federal and state holidays) of signing an enrollment agreement is entitled to a refund of all monies paid. No later than 30 days of receiving the notice of cancellation, the school shall provide the 100% refund.

Refunds will be issued within 30 days of the date of student notification, or date of school determination (withdrawn due to absences or other criteria as specified in the school catalog), or in the case of a student not returning from an authorized Leave of Absence (LOA), within 30 days of the date the student was scheduled to return from the LOA and did not return.

Holder in Due Course Statement: Any holder of this consumer credit contract is subject to all claims and defenses which the debtor could assert against the seller of goods or services obtained pursuant hereto or with the proceeds, hereof Recovery hereunder by the debtor shall not exceed amounts paid by the debtor (FTC Rule effective 5-14-76).