Fees, Expenses, and Financial Aid

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.msstate.edu.

This portion of the Graduate Catalog provides detailed information about graduate tuition, fees, account information, payment due dates, forms of payment, unpaid balances, overdue accounts, refunds, financial aid, and tuition exemptions for senior citizens, university employees,and university alumni.

Tuition and Required Fees (T&RF)

With the exception of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Meridian campuses, the following fees apply to students enrolled at Mississippi State University. Tuition and required fees are assessed on a per-credit-hour basis at the prevailing rates as determined by The Institution of Higher Learning, the governing board of the University. These rates are applicable at the time of publication and are subject to change without notice.

Resident Tuition & Required Fees (T&RF)

Non-Resident Tuition (NR)

Starkville/Main Campus	Summer Semester 2014¹	Fall Semester 2014	Spring Semester 2015
Resident Tuition & Required Fees (T&RF)
Per Credit Hour - Grad (1-8 Hours)^1,²	$370.75	$391.50	$391.50
Capital Improvement Fee per credit hour - Grad	5.56	5.56	5.56
Per Term Maximum²	N/A	$3,570.00	$3,570.00
Non-Resident Tuition (NR)²
Per Credit Hour - Grad (1-8 hours)	$566.00	$630.00	$630.00
Per Term Maximum	N/A	$5,669.00	$5,669.00

¹	Per credit hour rate is strictly applied to enrollment in all parts of the summer term (no maximum applied).
²	Those students who reside outside the state of Mississippi (non-resident) are charged both Resident T&RF and Non-resident Tuition each semester of enrollment.

Distance Education

Distance Education Campus	Summer Semester 2014³	Fall Semester 2014³	Spring Semester 2014³
Per Credit Hour - Grad	$370.75 plus Instructional Support Fee: $25 per credit hour	$391.50 plus Instructional Support Fee: $25 per credit hour	$391.50 plus Instructional Support Fee: $25 per credit hour

A student will be considered full-time for T&RF purposes when registered for 9 or more graduate hours.
Part-time students registered for 1 to 8 graduate hours will be charged at the per-credit-hour rate.
Nine or more graduate hours of enrollment will be assessed at the maximum per term rate (applicable to fall and spring).
The same T&RF rates apply to those courses that are taken as an audit.

³	T&RF assessments for course enrollment with the Center for Distance Education are in addition to all other campus T&RF charges. Distance Fees for this same enrollment may also apply.

T&RF Relative to Student Activities

All students, by payment of T&RF, are eligible for use of facilities, participation in intramural sports, admission to intercollegiate athletic events, student health services and other miscellaneous activities. However, an additional fee may be required for football admission or for some activities because of less than full-time academic enrollment. These required fees are applicable regardless of the method of course instruction (i.e., traditional, online, distance, etc.).

Course Participation Fees

Fees in addition to T&RF are associated with some courses which require the use of special equipment, facilities or materials. These fees, which vary by course, will be collected as part of registration.

Course Change Fees

This information is accessed at http://www.msstate.edu/dept/audit/1201.html .

Managing Your MSU Student Account

Account Information

A financial record for each student is maintained and presented to the student via the myState Portal. The information is considered confidential; however, the records of students will be available for examination by authorized representatives of the government. Current T&RF should be paid by the established monthly due date. Partial payments of an account balance are permitted during the semester/term; however, monthly service fees will apply (see “Payment Due Dates and Service Fees”).

Students are responsible for payment of all T&RF charges unless they either cancel their schedule or withdraw from school by the first day of class. Refund schedule information is accessed at http://www.registrar.msstate.edu/Policies/RefundSchedule.pdf . Failure to take appropriate withdrawal action may result in significant payment obligations. According to established University policy, student accounts must be current (i.e., not on an Account Services/Financial hold) in order to continue enrollment at MSU. To avoid unnecessary delays in your continued enrollment, please review your account to insure all previously billed charges have been paid. If you have questions about this policy, please feel free to contact Account Services:

By email – cashiers@controller.msstate.edu
By phone – (662) 325-2071
In person – Account Services located in Garner Hall

Payment Due Dates and Service Fees

Electronic billing statements are available to students on or about the 15th of each month via the University’s secure myState portal. Students will receive a monthly email notification that their account has been billed. These statements contain a monthly summary of charges and credits to the student’s account.

Regular monthly payment due dates are the 9th of each month.
The student’s account will be assessed a monthly 1.5% service fee on any billed charges outstanding beyond the payment due date.
Service charges, as well as an “Account Services Hold,” may be avoided by paying the full account balance each month by the payment due date.

Unpaid Balances from Prior Semesters

Any outstanding and past due amounts owed to the University must be paid in full before a student may register for additional courses or make schedule changes.

All payments received on student accounts will be applied to charges in the same order in which the charges were incurred.
A student who has a hold on his/her record because of an overdue account may not receive a transcript or a diploma until the account has been paid to current status.
Per federal financial aid regulations, prior aid year outstanding charges cannot be paid with current aid year financial aid.

Overdue Account Restrictions

The administrative authorities of the University may withhold the transcripts and diplomas, degree certification, letters of good standing, and other certification of enrollment and deny readmission of any student who has an over-due financial obligation to the University.

The student’s records may be cleared and a diploma or transcript released when the indebtedness is paid in full.
If a financial hold is released based upon a financial agreement and the terms and conditions of that agreement are not met, MSU reserves the right to void the current term class schedule without notice and without promise of reinstatement of the same class schedule.

Attorney and Collection Fees

Student accounts remaining unpaid by the end of the term may be turned over to an external agency for collection.

The prevailing collection rate up to 33^1/3% may be added to the amount owed by the student.
If an attorney’s services are needed, the student shall be responsible for payment of the attorney’s fees plus all court and other collection fees incurred.

Payments

Acceptable forms of payment: cash (payments, accepted only in Account Services located in Garner Hall or Meridian Business Office), personal or corporate checks; money orders; cashier checks, credit cards (American Express, Discover, Visa, and MasterCard); wire transfer; or local, state, University or federal financial aid (e.g., grants, loans, scholarships, waivers, VA or military assistance, etc.). Please provide the MSU ID number with all payments. If sending a payment via US Postal Service, please mail payment at least five (5) business days prior to due date.

Check Payments

The University will accept checks in payment of amounts due the University. The University reserves the right to defer payment on the balance of any check tendered in excess of the amount due the University until the check has had time to clear for payment through banking channels.

Checks offered to the University that are not honored by the bank on which it is drawn are considered non-payment and may result in the voiding of course schedule(s) and assessment of appropriate fees. The maximum penalty allowed by law will be charged for any check returned by your bank for any reason. The University expects that each debt created by a returned check will be promptly and fully corrected. Failure to respond to a notice concerning a returned check may result in legal action, the denial of readmission, and the withholding of records. The University reserves the right to refuse acceptance of checks presented by students who have had previously returned checks. In such cases payment must be made by cash, money order, certified bank check, or credit card.

QuikPAY® Service: Electronic Credit Card/Debit Card/E-check Payments and Account Authorized Payers

The QuikPAY® service (myState portal, Banner, Personal Info, Make an Online Payment) allows students to make payments using a credit card or electronic check (e-check). Acceptable credit/debit cards are American Express, Discover, Visa, and MasterCard.¹
Students may also authorize a payer(s) (usually a parent) to access their account information and make payments to their account. Students must initiate this process by logging into the MSU myState portal at www.msstate.edu and proceed to “Make an Online Payment,” then link to the QuikPAY® site by choosing “Authorize Payers” and following the instructions to create, modify, or delete an authorized payer.

¹	Your card account will be assessed a 2.7% service fee in addition to the payment amount.

Wire Transfer

Please contact Account Services at 662-325-2071 for wiring instructions.

Financial Aid or Scholarship Payments

Students who receive a scholarship or need-based financial aid from the University are expected to use their financial aid or scholarship award to complete payment of T&RF as well as other enrollment-related charges assessed for the same term/semester that the financial award is issued. Per federal financial aid regulations, prior aid-year outstanding charges cannot be paid with current aid year financial aid. The remaining balance of scholarship and financial aid funds are available to be used for other educational expenses within the same term/semester only after T&RF have been paid.

Refunds

Refunds of credit balances may be requested as follows:

Direct Deposit: Utilizing the BULL-e-BUCK$ electronic account management program via the myState portal
In person: Account Services located in Garner Hall
US Postal Mail: Contact Account Services by phone at (662) 325-2071 to request refund or make the request by email at cashiers@controller.msstate.edu .

Refunds of credit balances resulting from withdrawals or class drops may be requested as follows:

In person: account Services located in Garner Hall
US Postal Mail: Contact Account Services by phone at (662) 325-2071 to request refund or make the request by email at cashiers@controller.msstate.edu .

Credit balances resulting from overpayments by check or e-check will be available 7 calendar days after posting to the student’s account. Credit balances resulting from overpayments by credit card will be refunded to the credit card account on which the original payment was made.

Web Instructions to Access Account

From the MSU main Web page, the student should select myState; secure user access using his/her personal NetID and password; click on the Banner tab for access to the following services:

Change billing address and/or E-mail address
View current or prior billing statement
View account detail history
Make a payment by credit card or e-check
Authorize another user to help manage or make payment to the student’s account
Access a remittance stub to make a payment via US mail
View pending financial aid or scholarships
Use the BULL-e-BUCK$ program to direct-deposit refund or make a transfer to the student’s MoneyMate account

Helpful Phone Numbers

Name	Phone Number
Account Services	(662) 325-2071
Sponsored Student Office	(662) 325-8017
Internal Collections	(662) 325-6619

International Student Charges

All international students are assessed an Administrative Programming fee of $100.00 each fall, spring, and summer term. Sponsored international students whose programs of study are administered through the International Services are assessed an additional fee of $200.00 each fall, spring, and summer term. Health insurance for international students will be assessed at the prevailing rate for the fall semester and for the spring/summer semester. All international students are required to purchase the International Health Insurance unless an acceptable, alternative policy can be proven and accepted by International Services, preferably prior to registration. Health insurance charges will not be removed after the 10th class day.

Tuition Exemptions

Employees

Mississippi State University “Benefits Eligible” employees who have appropriate approval may have tuition remitted for up to 6 credit hours per semester with a maximum of 18 credit hours per calendar year. Employees are required to pay tuition and required fees for any additional hours taken during the enrollment period and other assessments to their student account. In order to receive tuition remission, employees must gain admission/readmission to the University and complete the Application for Tuition Remission – Employee e-form.

Senior Citizen

Legal residents of the State of Mississippi age 60 or older may enroll tuition-free in a maximum of 6 hours per semester with a maximum of 18 credit hours per calendar year. These courses are available on a space-available, first-come, first-serve basis. Enrollment in courses offered for the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree is not permitted. The application fee of $60.00 is required with the graduate application.

Alumni Nonresident Exemption

Graduate students who are sons or daughters of an alumnus or alumna who earned a minimum of 48 semester hours of credit or a degree from Mississippi State University and who have not received other tuition waivers are eligible for a waiver of 50 percent of non-resident tuition. A minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA is required for renewal of the waiver. Grades are checked at the end of each fall semester.