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 20.5 credits per semester are billed for each credit hour over 20.5. 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.

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 $25,553 per semester. The tuition for part-time and special students is $1,597 per credit hour.

McDaniel College divides basic charges into two half-year billings, Fall 2024 due August 1, 2024 and spring 2025 due January 2, 2025. An additional charge (late payment penalty) of 1 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 Direct 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 available online as charges are incurred. No student will be permitted to enter class, receive grades or transcripts, advance from one class to another 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 days as listed on the academic calendar.

Students may print their class schedules from the Portal and should complete their registration prior to the first day of the semester. A $30 late add fee will be charged to students completing their registration after September 6, 2024, for the Fall 2024 semester and January 31, 2025, for the Spring 2025 semester.

McDaniel College offers payment plans for the Fall and Spring semesters. Families are required to enroll each semester. The Fall Undergraduate payment plan starts July 1–November 1 and the Spring Undergraduate payment plan runs December 1–April 1. Payment plans are accessible through my.mcdaniel.edu. There is a $75 per semester enrollment fee.

Schedule of tuition and fees follows:

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

A complete listing of miscellaneous fees, including physical education fees and internship fees, is available in the Bursar’s Office. All fees are subject to change. Some of the fees are as follows:

Students are required to live on campus for their first three years unless they are 25 or older, married, or commuting from the home of their parent/guardian within 30 miles. The semester rates for these rooms follow:

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

All students desiring College housing must make a non-refundable 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 the traditional “meals per week” plans that cater to student needs. Meals are allotted per week so students do not run out of meals. 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 are required to be on the Platinum meal plan (unlimited entrance to the dining hall) or the Gold meal plan (allows 19 meals per week) for two semesters. Upper class students residing in the residence halls are required to be on at least the Silver meal plan (allows 12 meals per week). Residents of North Village, Garden Apts. with a kitchen, Pennsylvania 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 2023-2024 are as follows:

Platinum Plan: $3,703 per semester. The student is given $150 debit per semester and 3 guest meal passes. 100 meals may be used in the Pub/Grille as a meal exchange. This plan allows unlimited entrance to the dining hall.

Gold Plan: $3,444 per semester. The student is given $100 debit per semester and 3 guest meal passes. 75 meals may be used in the Pub/Grille as a meal exchange. This plan allows 19 meals per week.

Silver Plan: $2,997 per semester. The student is given $125 debit per semester and 3 guest meal passes. 45 meals may be used in the Pub/Grille as a meal exchange. This plan allows 12 meals per week.

Bronze Plan: $1,302 per semester. The student is given $100 debit per semester and 3 guest passes. This plan allows five (5) meals in the Dining Hall per week and can be used for any mealtime- breakfast, lunch or dinner, and 20 meals may be used in the Pub/Grille as a meal exchange. Students choose the meal that fits best in their schedule. This meal plan is available to commuter students or provide another option for those students living in non-traditional residence halls.

January Term Meal Plans: 36 meals for $502, 42 meals for $582 or 57 meals for $725 for the 3-week session. All students residing in the campus residence halls must choose at least the 36 meal plan (12 meals per week), whether they are here for athletics, as student workers, or taking classes.

Students with meal plans have their ID cards activated as 1card debit accounts for McDaniel Bucks. Commuter students also have debit card capabilities. The card can be used to gain access into Englar Dining Hall or make purchases at the Hilltop Pub, Caseys’ Corner coffee shop, select vending machines around campus, the College Book Store, or participating off campus vendors. Please refer to the 1Card link on the student portal for more information.

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

A Student Health Insurance fee 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. The online waiver maybe be found at https://wellfleetstudent.com. The deadline to waive is July 15, 2024.

The 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.

When registering for educational courses at McDaniel College, students are fully responsible for the cost and expense of all tuition, fees, housing, meal plans, and other related educational expenses associated with their enrollment and status as a student at the College. Payment for any amounts due for these educational expenses must be made by the deadline that is published in this section, “Tuition, Fees, and Financial Policies,” for the semesters/terms they are enrolled. Should students incur any expenses for items not set forth therein, payment is due at the time they are incurred, or students are otherwise informed they are due. Any payments not made by these deadlines will be considered an unpaid balance on the student’s account.

Tuition and room cost refunds in event of withdrawal (for a 2024-2025 academic semester includes both KIN Sessions A and B):

Effective Date of Withdrawal

Academic Life is the designated office that students must notify in order to officially withdraw or request a LOA. If a student starts the official withdrawal process or provides official notification to the Office of Academic Life of their intent to withdraw during the current semester, the withdrawal date of determination that will be used is the date the student began the official withdrawal process or the date of the student’s notification, whichever is later. If the student verbally informed another office of their intent to withdraw during teh current semester, it is the responsibility of that office to inform the Office of Academic Life that the student verbally informed them of their intent to withdraw. The Office of Academic Life must reach out to the student to confirm. 

When the student signs the official withdrawal form, the date in which the student signs the form and if that is when the student first notifies the Office of Academic Life of the intent to withdraw; The date the student signs the form is both the withdrawal date and the college determination date of the student’s official withdrawal.  This is true even if someone else has to approve the student withdrawal or LOA, complete the process, or set the student’s date for non-Title IV purposes. The dates reported in Colleague on the academic side, financial aid side, and to NSLDS Enrollment Reporting, submitted through the National Student Clearinghouse, must all match. 

Credit Balances

It may happen that financial aid postings may exceed the cost of tuition, room and meal plan. If this occurs, a credit balance will appear on the billing statement. Refunds are automatically processed starting the second Friday of each semester. Student refunds must be picked up from the Bursar’s Office by the student. PLUS loan refunds will be mailed as designated per the PLUS loan application. If you would like to use a portion of the credit towards books we can transfer up to $600 to your McDaniel 1Card by completing the 1Card deposit form which can be found in the Student Portal under Billing/Bursar’s Office > Forms.

Meal Plan

A pro rata refund will be made from date of withdrawal. For students who have an 1card Debit Account, all remaining funds will be refunded less a $20 administrative fee.

There may be instances beyond the control of McDaniel College that result in a modification or cancelation of classes and/or closure of the college. Such instances may include, but are not limited to: (a) acts of God; (b) flood, fire, earthquake or explosion; (c) war, invasion, hostilities (whether war is declared or not), terrorist threats or acts, riot, or other civil unrest; (d) actions, embargoes or blockades in effect on or after the date of this Agreement; (e) action by any Governmental Authority; (f) national or regional emergency; (g) strikes, labor stoppages, or industrial disturbances; and (h) epidemic or pandemic (each a “Force Majeure Event”).

The Tuition, Room and Meal Plan Withdrawal Refund Policy above will not be offered in the case of modification or cancelation of classes and/or closure of McDaniel College resulting from a Force Majeure Event, and students waive any and all claims against McDaniel College arising out of or related to the modification or cancelation of classes and/or closure of McDaniel College that arise out of or relate to a Force Majeure Event. However, in the event of a campus closure, the college will provide a pro-rata refund of the meal plan.

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.

Return of Federal Student Aid

To remain eligible for federal student aid during the semester, the student must be attending classes, taking exams, and completing required course work.

Federal Regulations require the College to calculate a return of federal student aid funds for students who withdraw (officially or unofficially) from all classes on or before the 60 percent attendance point in the semester and for students who withdraw from any module-based courses.

If the student officially withdraws, the determination date is the date McDaniel College determines the student began the withdrawal process. If the student does not provide official notification of his/her intent to withdraw, the determination date will be determined as the date McDaniel became aware the student was not attending class. For official withdrawal, McDaniel uses the date the student provided official notification to withdraw as the withdrawal date. For unofficial withdrawals, the last date of academically related activity as given by a professor is used as the withdrawal date. 

The calculation required determines a students earned and unearned Title IV aid based on the percentage of the enrollment period completed by the student. The percentage of the period that the student remained enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar days (including weekends) are used but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from both the numerator and denominator.

Until a student has passed the 60% point of an enrollment period, only a portion of the student’s aid has been earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point is considered to have earned all awarded aid for the enrollment period.

The unearned portion of federal student aid funds will be returned to the appropriate aid program(s). The funds are returned in the following order:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
• Federal PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG Grant

Students withdrawing from classes are responsible for payment of any balance due after the required return of federal student aid funds. Earned aid is not related in any way to institutional charges. In addition, the College’s refund policy and return of Title IV funds procedures are independent of one another. A student who withdraws from a course may be required to return unearned aid and still owe the College for the course. Unearned funds will be returned within 45 days of the date that McDaniel College determined the student withdrew.

Students who stop attending all classes without officially withdrawing will be subject to a return of federal student aid funds at the end of the semester based on the last documented date of attendance as determined by McDaniel College.

The responsibility to repay unearned Title IV aid is shared by McDaniel College and the student. For example, the calculation may require McDaniel College to return a portion of federal funds to the federal Title IV programs. In addition, the student may also be required to return funds based on the calculation. A student returns funds to the Federal Direct Loan program based on the terms and conditions of the promissory note of the loan. A student who receives federal grants may be required to repay 50% of the funds received.

Post-withdrawal Disbursements

Post Withdrawal disbursements happen when Students that receive less Title IV aid than earned will be offered a disbursement for the amount of the earned aid that was not received. If the post withdrawal disbursement is a Federal Pell Grant and FSEOG, the student account will be automatically credited. If a post-withdrawal disbursement includes federal loan funds, McDaniel College must obtain the students, or parent if there is a Plus loan permission before the loan is disbursed.  The borrower will be notified within 30 days of the date that McDaniel College determined the student withdrew and must respond within 30 days.

Disbursements will be credited to the student’s account for any outstanding allowable charges within the semester or paid directly to the student if there isn’t an outstanding balance.

Credits that will be applied to current charges will post to the students account within 45 days of the student withdrawal date determined by the institution.  If the post withdrawal disbursement creates a credit balance, the student will receive the refund within 14 days of the disbursement day.

Federal Title IV Aid Refunds

Federal Title IV aid includes programs such as Pell grants, SEOG grants, Perkins Loans, Subsidized Loans, and Unsubsidized Loans. Federal regulations require McDaniel College to use these funds to pay for your tuition, mandatory fees, room and meals that we charge. Your bill or account may also include other charges on it, such as parking, McDaniel 1card, library fines etc. Federal regulations allow the college to use Title IV funds to pay for these other charges only if you authorize the college to do so. The authorization form is available on the Bursar’s home page on the portal.

A $30 returned check fee will be charged for each item returned from a bank regardless of the reason it was returned. If an electronic check (Ecommerce/Touchnet) is returned any and all applicable returned check fee(s) will be added as per the agreement signed by student/parent/guardian/spouse or proxy at the time the e-check payment is originally submitted.

Students will be sent a returned check notice specifying the exact date the returned item was presented to their bank.

Checks returned because of stopped payment, account closed or “refer to maker,” cannot be redeposited. The amount of the check plus any applicable returned check fees will become immediately due and payable by the student.

Returned check items must be paid in certified funds (cash, cashier’s check or credit card). McDaniel College will not accept a personal check to pay returned check items (this includes returned check fees). Students who have had three or more checks returned unpaid to McDaniel College for any reason will no longer be permitted to pay financial obligations of any kind using personal checks regardless of whose account the check is drawn from (parent, guardian, spouse, employer, etc.).

Students who have any questions regarding returned checks or have had a check returned to McDaniel College are encouraged to contact the Bursar’s Office as soon as possible.

Undergraduate account balances not paid by the deadlines are assessed a late fee of $25 or 1 percent per month of the unpaid balance, whichever is greater. McDaniel College encourages students to reach out to the Bursar’s Office and/or Financial Aid to discuss possible options.

In addition, students with past due balances greater than $1,000 will have a Bursar Hold placed on their student records. The Bursar Hold may prevent students from:

• Participating in pre-registration of the upcoming term’s classes
• Receiving their academic transcripts (must be paid in full)
• Receiving a diploma (must be paid in full) 

ACH payments take five banking days to clear and credit card payments are cleared within 48 business hours. Once payments have cleared and the student’s account is below $1,000, the Bursar’s restriction will be lifted for pre-registration.

All semester balances must be paid in full prior to the last day of each semester to avoid potential cancellation of the upcoming semester’s registration, room and meal plan. Account balances cannot be carried forward and may result in restriction from registration changes, access to transcripts, and issuing of diploma.

Summer tuition is due on or before June 1. Standard tuition refund/forfeiture policy applies.

Veterans or their dependents who are eligible for veteran’s’ educational benefits should contact the VA Certifying Official located in the Registrar’s Office for certification of enrollment at vasco@mcdaniel.edu. Veterans Administration regulations require students receiving benefits to enroll in courses that lead to a degree or certificate and maintain satisfactory progress. 

Monthly allowances, paid directly by the Veterans Administration to the veteran, are based on the student’s total credit hours per semester. Student tuition and fees are paid to McDaniel College by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Students using Post 9/11 GI Bill ® Benefits (Chapter 33) or Veterans Readiness and Employment Benefits (Chapter 31) at McDaniel College will be allowed to attend McDaniel College for up to 90 days from the date the beneficiary provides a certificate of eligibility, or valid VAF 28-1905 without payment of tuition and fees. A McDaniel College Request for Benefits Form must accompany the certificate of eligibility or Valid VAF 28-1905 and should be submitted to the Veterans Affairs Coordinator. McDaniel College will not impose a penalty, or require as student to borrow additional funds to cover tuition and fees due to late payments from VA. 

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.