Tuition, Fees, and Financial Policies

McDaniel College has always attempted to keep its fees within the reach of those students coming from families with moderate incomes while offering a liberal arts education of outstanding value.

The regular academic year for undergraduates consists of a fall semester, the January Term, and a spring semester. Students enrolling for 12 or more credit hours in the fall and spring semesters are charged tuition as full-time students. Students enrolled for more than 22 credits per semester are billed for each credit hour over 22. Students enrolling for less than full time will be charged at the part-time rate. However, all resident students, whether full or part time will pay the full-time tuition rate.

Degree-seeking undergraduates are entitled to enroll in one three-week January Term without paying additional tuition. Board and special fees are billed to the student’s account. Students electing to enroll in two or more January Terms are charged a flat tuition rate. More information on Jan Term charges for tuition and housing requirements is provided in the Undergraduate Student Expenses section.

 Full-time students are charged a flat tuition fee of $16,640 per semester. The tuition for part-time and special students is $1,040 per credit hour.

McDaniel College divides basic charges into two half-year billings, the first payable by August 6, 2010, and the second by January 7, 2011. An additional charge (late payment penalty) of 1.5 percent a month on the unpaid balance or $25, whichever is greater, will be added if payment is not received in the Bursar’s Office on or before the payment due date and on the unpaid balance of each succeeding month throughout the session. The proceeds of Federal Stafford or PLUS Loans are exempt from the late payment penalty provided a completed application is received by the Financial Aid Office at least four weeks prior to the first day of the semester. Additional bills for miscellaneous fees, library fines, property damages, etc., are mailed as charges are incurred. Checks should be mailed to the Bursar’s Office. No student will be permitted to enter class, receive grades or transcripts, advance from one class to another, or be graduated until all financial obligations are met. The student is responsible for attorney’s fees and other costs necessary for the collection of any amount due.

Students normally pre-register for the following semester during assigned periods as outlined in the Registrar’s Schedule of Classes booklet.

Students may print their class schedules from the Archway and complete their registration prior to the first day of the semester. A $50 late registration fee will be charged to students completing their registration on or after the first day of the semester.

For the convenience of parents desiring monthly payment arrangements, McDaniel College in partnership with Tuition Management Systems offers choices to make education affordable. Whether students prefer to pay the annual expenses by an interest-free, 10-month Tuition Contract or a low interest loan, TMS’s counseling services help keep payments affordable and loan debt at a minimum. Families may make inquiries at TMS’s toll-free number 1-800-722-4867 or online at www.afford.com. Other commercial plans are available and may be obtained from the Bursar’s or Financial Aid Office.

Schedule of tuition and fees follows:

If students take a study tour as their first January Term, they may register for one future January Term on-campus course without additional tuition. Students on leaves of absence or not enrolled at the College in the fall and who return for the January Term will be charged tuition, if applicable, and board for the session.

Modest increases in tuition, room, and board may be expected each year.

A complete listing of miscellaneous fees, including internship fees, is available in the Bursar’s Office. Some of these fees are as follows:

Freshman, sophomore, and junior students are required to live on campus unless they live with their parents, are married, or are over age 25. Exceptions are made by the Residence Life Office. Students are assigned single, double, or triple rooms in the Residence Halls. Double and single rooms are available in North Village and Pennsylvania Avenue houses. The semester rates for these rooms follow:

North Village and Pennsylvania Avenue houses are equipped with kitchen facilities.

All students living in College-owned housing will be charged full-time tuition.

All students desiring College housing must make a deposit of $200 in the spring before room assignments will be made for the following fall. This is subsequently credited toward the room charges when billed.

The College offers a “block plan” rather than the traditional “meals per week” in order to provide maximum flexibility. This plan provides a block of meals to be allocated by the student over the course of the semester. The number of meals consumed each week (or day) is at the discretion of the student and unused meals may be carried forward throughout the semester. Changes or cancellations to the meal plan must be made within the first two weeks of the semester.

All first year students residing in a traditional residence hall are required to be on the unlimited, 240- or 210-block plan or for two semesters. The meal plan averages 14-16 meals per week for the 15-week semester. Upper class students residing in the residence halls are required to be on at least the 150-block plan. Residents of North Village and Pennsylvania Avenue houses and commuters may select any meal plan option by submitting a request to the Bursar’s Office. The meal plans and the semester costs for 2009-2010 are as follows:

Unlimited Plan: $2,100 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Forty meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Unlimited entrance to the dining hall.

240 Block Plan: $1,750 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Thirty-five meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Averages 16 meals per week.

210 Block Plan: $1,630 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Thirty meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Averages 14 meals per week.

180 Block Plan: $1,510 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Twenty-five meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Averages 12 meals per week.

150 Block Plan: $1,390 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Twenty meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Averages 10 meals per week.

90 Block Plan: $885 per semester. The student is given $50 debit per semester and 3 free guest meal passes. Fifteen meals may be used in the Grille or Sandellas after 7 p.m. Students completing their Student Teaching Certification who reside in a residence hall may select this plan for that one semester. Averages 6 meals per week.

5 Lunch Only Plan: $475 per semester. Students may have lunch in Englar Dining Hall Monday through Friday. This meal plan is available to commuter students or another option for those students living in non-traditional residence halls.

January Term 36 Meal Plan: $260 for 3-week session. All students residing in the campus residence halls will be billed the 36-meal plan (12 meals per week), whether they are here for athletics, as student workers, or taking classes. Optional meal plans are available for students residing in the Garden Apartments, North Village, Avenue houses and commuters.

Students with meal plans have their I.D. cards activated as Allcard debit accounts. Commuter students also have debit card capabilities. The card is used to gain access into Englar Dining Hall; purchase books, supplies, and clothing at the College Book Store; purchase meals and snacks at the Pub/Grille. The I.D. card of ALL students have vending debit card capabilities for the soda and snack machines, washers, dryers, and the Hoover Library copiers/microfiche. Please refer to the Allcard Dining Plan and Vending brochure for more information.

For more information on any of the meal plans, contact the Bursar’s Office.

A Student Health Insurance fee of approximately $350 is charged to all students each academic year. Students who have comparable coverage under another policy may waive the cost by submitting an on-line waiver by the due date. Instructions for completing the waiver are included in the Bursar’s billing cover letter, the insurance brochure, or by contacting the Bursar’s Office.

McDaniel College must make financial commitments to its faculty, staff, and service contractors on an annual basis. It is assumed a student will not withdraw from the College during a semester. Should withdrawal become necessary because of prolonged illness or similar unusual circumstance, the following refund policy will prevail:

Tuition refund in event of withdrawal:

A pro rata refund will be made from date of withdrawal. For students who have an Allcard Debit Account, all remaining funds will be refunded less a $20 administrative fee.

The effective date of withdrawal is the date upon receipt of the Withdrawal Form in the Office of Academic Affairs. Should a credit balance be generated due to a reduction in tuition or other charges when a student withdraws, policies regarding refunds to federal aid programs will take precedence. Any remaining credit balance will be mailed to the billing address at the end of the academic semester.

It may happen that financial aid postings may exceed the cost of tuition, room, and board. If this occurs, a credit balance will appear on the billing statement. The College will maintain the credit and apply other cost-of-attendance charges such as books, supplies, transportation, miscellaneous personal expenses, or other institutional charges incurred at the student’s discretion. The student may rescind this procedure at any time. The student may request a refund of the credit from the Bursar’s Office at any time.

Students who withdraw from the College during the semester may not be eligible for some or all of the financial aid they received for that semester. Funds for which students are no longer eligible must be returned to the appropriate program fund.

The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term. The federal Title IV financial aid programs must be recalculated in these situations.

If a student leaves McDaniel prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term, the Financial Aid Office recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds. Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:

Percentage of term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the term (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.). This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Aid to be returned = (100 percent of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.

If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the College would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student may owe a debit balance to the College.

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to them, the College would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.

The College must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 30 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal.

Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Federal Pell Grants for which a return of funds is required
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a return of funds is required
• Other assistance under this Title for which a return of funds is required (e.g., LEAP)