Financial Issues
Tuition, Fees, Loans, and Scholarships
TUITION
Enrollment Fee/Tuition Deposit
Upon acceptance to the University, all students (except those admitted to the College of General Studies or to the School of Nursing’s RN-Option Program) must reserve their seats by forwarding a nonrefundable, nontransferable enrollment fee/tuition deposit that will be applied toward their first-term tuition. The amount of the deposit ranges from $200–$500. Instructions for payment will be specified in the admission letter.
Full Tuition
Undergraduate students enrolled for 12 to 18 credits are considered full-time and pay a flat tuition rate. Students enrolled for one to 11 credits are considered part-time and pay for individual credits. Students may exceed the 18-credit limit with written permission from the dean of the school, but they will be billed on a per-credit basis for each additional credit. During the summer term and summer sessions, all students are billed on a per-credit basis regardless of the number of credits taken.
Tuition rates are school specific. Students should refer to the tuition rate for the school in which they have enrolled. The University’s tuition chart is online at www.ir.pitt.edu/tuition.
Residency/Reduced Tuition
Students who reside in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania may be eligible for reduced tuition through state appropriations.
Eligibility is determined by criteria outlined in the University of Pittsburgh Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Reduced Tuition Rates available in the Student Appeals Office in G-12 Thackeray Hall or online at www.payments.pitt.edu/tuitionguide.html.
Eligibility
Assessment of full tuition or reduced tuition is based on whether the student is a permanent resident of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Full tuition is charged to nonresidents. A student who has lived in Pennsylvania for a continuous period of 12 months before enrollment in any institution of higher education in the state may be eligible for reduced tuition. The student must be a citizen of the United States or have an immigrant or permanent visa. For a student younger than 22, both the student and parent(s) or legal guardian(s) must meet the residency requirements for eligibility. Any admitted student may petition for reduced tuition rates by submitting convincing evidence for review by the Student Appeals Office.
Financial Obligation
If a student defaults on any financial obligation, the University of Pittsburgh has the right to withhold services and access to academic records (including, but not limited to, transcripts and diplomas) until repayment arrangements have been made that are satisfactory to the office or department to which the debt is owed.
Unpaid accounts may be referred to a collection agency, and/or the student may be subject to legal action. In either case, the student will be responsible for any and all expenses incurred, including attorney fees.
FEES
Mandatory
The following are mandatory fees assessed to students each term; current rates are available online at www.ir.pitt.edu/tuition:
- Student Activity Fee
- Student Health Fee
- Computer and Network Service Fee
- Security, Safety, and Transportation Fee
Special Service
These fees may be charged for University transactions that are processed beyond deadlines, due dates, and specified time limits. Special service fees are listed each term in the Schedule of Classes.
Course Fees
Certain courses have fees associated with enrollment in the course. These courses are identified in the Schedule of Classes and Course Descriptions. Course fee information is also available online at www.registrar.pitt.edu/fees.html.
PAYMENT
Optional Payment Plan
Students are eligible to participate in the optional payment plan if the total amount due on their statement is $500 or more.
If eligible, students may elect to participate in the optional payment plan by paying the "Payment Plan" amount on the eBill. A $30 service fee will be charged and will appear on the next eBill. The service fee is assessed only once per term of participation in the optional payment plan. The number of installments is determined by the month students receive the first statement for a new term. That number is assigned and is used in calculating the "Payment Plan Due" amount. For more information, see www.bc.pitt.edu/students/payplan.html.
PittPAY
University eBills may be paid by cash, check, or electronic check (eCheck); however, cash cannot be mailed or dropped into the Student Payment Center depository. To access PittPAY, log into my.pitt.edu, select Student Services, then PittPAY. Payments made in PittPAY by electronic check, or eCheck, are offered at no charge to you. While the University does not accept credit card payments directly, we have arranged for a third-party vendor to accept American Express, Discover Card, and MasterCard when payment is made online through PittPAY. You will be charged a nonrefundable service fee of 2.75% by the vendor for this service. This fee will be in addition to tuition, fees, and room and board payments when you choose to pay by credit card.
Due dates are clearly designated on each eBill. Failure to pay the amount due (or to arrange an optional payment plan by the due date) will result in the assessment of a late payment fee.
FINANCIAL AID
Financial aid application procedures are outlined in the University of Pittsburgh Admissions and Financial Aid Application, the brochure How to Get Financial Aid, and online at www.oafa.pitt.edu. Information on different types of aid and how they are awarded is also available at that site.
Scholarships
Scholarships from the University of Pittsburgh are a form of merit-based financial aid. Outside scholarships are also applied toward tuition and other mandatory educational expenses. Scholarships do not have to be repaid.
Grants
Grants from the University and outside sources may be considered need-based financial aid. Normally, grants do not have to be repaid.
Federal Work Study Program
The Federal Work Study Program is available to eligible students. It is a form of financial aid; however, it is not applied directly to tuition payment. Students who are ineligible for the Federal Work Study Program may check with Career Development (224 William Pitt Union) for other job opportunities or check http://www.studentaffairs.pitt.edu/node/1471.
Loans
After a family’s expected financial contribution has been determined and scholarships and grants have been awarded, a student’s financial aid package may be supplemented with self-help aid in the form of loans.
PAYMENT ADJUSTMENTS
Title IV Refund Policy
Adjustments to tuition charges resulting from official resignations are based on the effective date of resignation and are in accordance with the federally mandated calculation. The calculation is based on the period of enrollment completed. That percentage is computed by dividing the total number of calendar days in the term into the number of calendar days completed as of the date of student notification. The percentage of Title IV assistance to which the student is entitled (or which the student has “earned”) is equal to this percentage of the term completed, up to 60 percent. If the resignation occurs after 60 percent of the term is completed, the percentage is equal to 100 percent.
The amount of Title IV aid that must be returned is based on the percentage of unearned aid. That percentage is computed by subtracting earned aid from 100 percent. The University is required to return the lesser of (1) the unearned aid percentage applied to institutional charges or (2) the unearned aid percentage applied to the total Title IV aid received.
Students are required to return the difference between the amount of unearned aid and the amount returned by the University. If students (or parents in the case of PLUS loans) are required to return a portion or all of their loan proceeds, the calculated amount is to be repaid according to the loan’s terms. Students must return only half the amount of grant funds calculated.
Funds are returned to the following Title IV sources in order of priority:
- Unsubsidized Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) Loans
- Subsidized FFEL Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Graduate PLUS Loans
- FFEL PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- ACG Grants
- SMART Grants
- Federal SEOG
- Other Title IV assistance for which a return of funds is required
- Other federal, state, private, or institutional financial assistance
- Students