Expenses

Amherst Campus

Expenses are approximately $10,327 per year for an in-state student. The following estimate of a year's expenses, based partly upon last year's costs, includes only those items which are strictly University-related and does not include amounts for clothing, laundry, travel, parking, etc.

The University reserves the right to change any fees without advance notice.

Estimated Annual Expenses

Massachusetts Residents

Non-Residents

Annual tuition for New England Regional Students is $2,571. There is also an annual fee of $970 for health insurance, which is waivable only if the student has comparable coverage.

Tuition Surcharge

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education requires all universities and state colleges to assess a tuition surcharge to students who exceed 118 percent of required credits in an academic degree program. This surcharge applies to in-state undergraduates and students enrolled through the New England Regional Exchange Program and is equal to the non-resident tuition rate per credit.

Payment Due Date

In accordance with University policy all charges for tuition, fees, board, and room rent are due and payable by the bill due date. Payments after the due date will incur a $50 late charge. There is a separate charge of $25 for returned checks. No student may register until all University charges are paid in full. Continued enrollment is dependent on timely payment of all University charges. Bills for all charges will be rendered in advance with due date shown.

Explanation of Fees and Payments

Curriculum Support Fee

The Curriculum Support Fee helps to offset several years of permanent reductions in state appropriations funding by providing financial resources to support the educational and general mission of the campus, including both academic and institutional support activities.

In-State Tuition

As a state institution, the University offers the privilege of in-state tuition to all students entering from the Commonwealth. Eligibility for admission under the residential rate is determined by policy established by the Trustees and is detailed under "Tuition Classification."

Service Fee

Funds received from this fee are used to provide students with a comprehensive program of Fine Arts Council events and reduced student ticket prices, men's and women's intercollegiate athletic programs, and the transit system. They also support bond payments for student-used campus buildings.

Student Activities Fee

This fee supports undergraduate student government, various agencies providing services and activities for students, and over two hundred existing Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) as well as any new RSOs which students may create.

Health Fee (Basic)

The Basic Health Fee is secondary to a student's primary insurance. All services will be billed first to the primary insurance company. Services that are not covered under the primary coverage will be covered by the Basic Health Plan.

Student Health Insurance Plan

The Student Health Insurance Plan covers students for accidents, emergencies, and hospitalization on and off campus for a 12-month period. State law requires hospital insurance for all students. Students who have other hospitalization insurance and want to waive the insurance plan must do so by filling out the insurance waiver card found in the tuition bill. Questions regarding the state insurance requirements can be answered by accessing the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy's Web site at www.state.ma.us/dhcfp. A student Family Plan is also available; contact the University Health Services, (413) 577-5192 for further information.

Entering Fee

The Entering Fee is charged once, upon a student's entry to the University. It provides students with intramural athletics programs, and All Campus Card used as identification for various activities, and copies of official undergraduate transcripts.

Graduating Fee

The Graduating Fee is charged once during the student's senior year. It provides students with state-of-the-art career information, job matching and employment referral through the Career Center, and for the commencement exercises and related events.

Refunds

Tuition and Fee Refunds

A student who makes an advance payment and then for any reason does not attend any part of the next semester or term at the University will be given a full refund of tuition and fees (excluding the prepayment for counseling and admissions services).

A student who leaves the University for any reason, except as specified below, before a semester is completed will be granted a pro rata refund of tuition and fees.

For students receiving any form of financial aid the refund schedules as required by federal law will apply.

A student who is suspended or expelled from the University for disciplinary reasons forfeits all rights to a refund.

Refund Schedule

Regular Term

a. Up to and including the first day of classesó 100%.

b. Within the first two weeks of semester or termó80%.

c. During the third weekó60%.

d. During the fourth weekó40%.

e. During the fifth weekó20%.

f. After the fifth weekóno refund.

Summer Session

a. During the first weekó60%.

b. During the second weekó20%.

c. After the second weekóno refund.

Room Rent Refunds

A student who has made an advance payment of room rent will be granted a full refund of rent, less any applicable housing cancellation fee, if he or she fails to attend any part of the next semester or term, or does not reside in a residence hall.

Any students who occupy their assigned accommodations and subsequently leave the University prior to the end of the first full class week shall automatically be charged a minimum of $250 for their rooms. Any students who leave the University during the second through fifth weeks shall be charged $250 plus 20 percent of the remaining balance for each week or part thereof. No refunds will be made after the fifth week of the academic semester. Refunds will be made during the refund period only to students who officially withdraw from the University through the Registrar's Office and according to the Registrar's official withdrawal date. The Dean of Students Office is authorized to make exception to the above only for reason of "extreme emergency." Any exception made, however, shall not apply to the $250 minimum charge which shall be levied in all cases automatically.

Overdue Accounts

Overdue accounts will be considered sufficient cause for cancellation of registration as University regulations prohibit final registration, graduation, or granting of any credit for any student whose account with the University is unpaid. Any delinquent accounts will be cause for Administrative Withdrawal and must be paid prior to readmission to the University. Unpaid accounts will be referred for collection action at which point collection costs will be added to the bill.

Full Disclosure ó Annual In-State Per Student Cost of Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

The University of Massachusetts is funded by several sources. The most significant funding source is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, which annually subsidizes the University's costs to educate a student through annual state appropriations. These appropriations greatly reduce the cost of attendance for students. The average annual per student cost of education for the 2000-01 academic year at the University of Massachusetts Amherst was approximately $17,739 and represents the total cost to support a student's entire University experience (instruction, research, student services, buildings and grounds maintenance, the administration, etc.). The state operating subsidy averages approximately $12,247 per student per year and certain other campus revenues are also used to support these costs. Tuition and non-auxiliary fees¹ charged to in-state students in 2000-2001 were $3,880 or 21.87 percent of the total cost of education. Costs for books, supplies, transportation, and room and board are added to these tuition and fee charges to determine the in-state cost of attendance estimated at $12,007. This is roughly the figure from which a student's financial aid eligibility is determined.

¹ Non-auxiliary fees include fine arts, curriculum, and student activities.