Financial Information - Business Office

Student tuition and fees cover only part of the instructional and operating costs of Charleston Southern University. The difference in the total cost to the University and the amount paid by the students must be met through the South Carolina Baptist Convention, gifts, trusts and designations of friends who believe in the objectives of the University.

All students are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Eligibility for financial aid is dependent upon the satisfactory completion of 12 credit hours for full-time students each major semester as defined in the catalog.

The Enrollment Services Office at 843-863-7050 or 800-947-7474, and the Student Accounts Office at 843-863-8058 will offer every possible assistance to ensure students get an opportunity to achieve their educational goals.

Tuition and Fees

Summer Session 2015 - Spring 2016*

Undergraduate Programs

Graduate Programs

Residence Hall Charges (Includes rooms and meals):

Course Fees:

General and Miscellaneous Fees (All fees are nonrefundable):

Deposits:

*Tuition charges and fees are subject to changes, pending Board of Trustees’ approval. Current information is deemed to be accurate at the time of this publication. Errors and/or changes are subject to adjustment by the Business Office.

Additional Online Course Fees

No additional charges such as proctoring or technology fees may be associated with online courses beyond the established price of tuition unless students are otherwise notified.  Students are notified at the time of registration on the course schedule of such fees. Additional notification may include electronic announcements, postings, policy sheets, handbooks, or frequently asked questions  available to  students prior to enrolling in a given course.

Full-Time Student Status - Day or Evening

The two sessions of the Accelerated Program (during the fall and spring semesters) are treated as one semester for billing and financial aid purposes. If you register for 12 or more hours for the two sessions combined of the Accelerated Program for any semester, you will be billed for the flat-rate tuition for that semester. If you are also attending day classes, your evening hours will be added to your daytime hours to compute total hours for billing purposes. Also, please note that you will be eligible for full Financial Aid benefits only if you are enrolled in 12 or more credit hours during regular semesters (fall and spring).  Students in our BSOM program have separate guidelines that will affect your billing and financial aid eligibility.

Billing

Students will be billed according to their tuition classification. Tuition classification will be determined by the student’s official Registration and Change of Schedule forms processed by the Office of the Registrar by the last date to add a class for each term. Bills are posted online through MyCSU. Preliminary bills will be posted at least one week before each major semester begins. Final bills will be posted approximately one week after the last date to drop/add a course. Payment is due no later than the first day of each academic term.

Payment of Accounts

The registration of a student signifies the assumption of definite and legally enforceable obligations between the University and the student. This includes an agreement by the student (and/or the student’s parents) to fulfill the financial terms as stated in the catalog. The student agrees to pay all collection costs and/or legal fees incurred in debt collection efforts.

All accounts are due and payable no later than the first day of class. The student may not receive an official transcript until all financial obligations are settled. Payments can be made online via the CSU Website at www.charlestonsouthern.edu, through MyCSU or in person at the cashier window in the Strom Thurmond Center.  The Business Office will accept cash, check or the the following credit cards:   Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card.  An interest free monthly payment plan is available at a nominal cost to those who enroll in the plan prior to the semester.

Refund Checks Issued in Error

The Business Office makes every effort to issue refund checks as quickly as possible. Due to this emphasis, on rare occasions, amounts are refunded in error. The University has the right and will reclaim these funds.  Electronic refund is the required method at CSU and students must sign up for this service through MyCSU.  CSU does not have access to this information and therefore cannot take this information directly from the student.  Refunds begin processing after the last date of drop/add when charges have been finalized and financial aid has been disbursed.  Processing may take up to two weeks from the date a credit is produced on the individual student’s account.

Refunds

Refunds of tuition are made only for students who formally withdraw from the University, during major semesters, as follows:

• 100 percent refund for withdrawals through the last date of drop/add.
• 25 percent refund for withdrawals between first day after last day to add and end of first quarter of the term. See the Academic Calendar for specific dates.

Demand for residence hall space routinely results in denial of this privilege to some students. Thus, no refund of room fees will be made after the drop/add date. Students who officially withdraw from the residence hall will receive a prorated refund for meals not taken after their withdrawal.

Return of Federal Financial Aid

Federal financial aid funds are awarded with the expectation that students will complete the entire period of enrollment. Students “earn” a percentage of the funds they are disbursed with each day of class attendance. When a student who has received federal financial aid (Title IV funds) leaves school before the end of the semester or period of enrollment, federal law requires the University to calculate the percentage and amount of “unearned” financial aid funds that must be returned to the federal government. This calculation may have the effect of requiring the student to repay funds that have already been disbursed to the student.

Once a student has completed more than 60 percent of the enrollment period, students are considered to have earned all funding received. The University will not reduce the amount owed simply because of the loss of eligibility of financial aid. Thus, withdrawal prior to completion of 60 percent of the semester may result in the student having to pay from personal funds a larger portion of the money owed to the University. Students are urged to consider these financial implications prior to making the decision to withdraw from school.

Residence Hall Room Deposit

1. A residence hall room deposit of $200.00 shall be required for all new incoming students planning to live in campus housing.  This deposit is refundable up to 60 days prior to the Fall semester.  Within 60 days of the semester starting the deposit becomes nonrefundable.
2. A nonrefundable residence hall room deposit of $100.00 shall be required for each academic semester from all returning students planning to live in campus housing.
3. Resident students entering in the spring semester must pay a $100.00 nonrefundable deposit by December 15.
4. Fall residents who do not plan to reside in campus housing during the following spring semester (e.g., December graduates, students transferring or withdrawing), and who are not required to live in campus housing, must receive the approval of the Dean of Students before December 15. Students required to move off-campus due to disciplinary sanctions shall not be eligible for refunds. After December 15, all Spring semester deposits shall be nonrefundable.

Class Deposit

1. A $100.00 nonrefundable class deposit is required of all newly accepted full-time commuting and residence hall applicants regardless of financial aid, scholarships or loans. This fee assures class reservations and is credited toward the student’s bill at registration, as are any financial awards the student may receive. The check or money order should be made payable to Charleston Southern University and submitted to the Enrollment Services Office within thirty days of official acceptance.
2. To best ensure that any deposit is properly credited to a student’s account, the student’s name and identification number should be printed on the check or money order.

Returned Check Policy

For each check, paper or online, returned because of insufficient funds or stop payment, a charge of $30.00 will be assessed.  The University maintains the right to refuse additional personal checks from (1) any party who cashes or remits to the University, for any reason, a “non-sufficient funds” check or (2) any party who places a “stop payment” on a personal check without University approval. This policy will not apply if a statement from the bank, on letterhead stationery, is submitted to the Business Office verifying that the check was returned due to the bank’s error.

Identification Cards

A Charleston Southern University Identification Card (“student I.D.”) is required for all students (new and returning; full-time and part-time). New students are issued Charleston Southern University Identification Cards upon arrival. These cards are necessary for admission to all official school functions, for cashing checks, for using the meal plan, for checking books out of the library, for using University equipment, for buying books from the bookstore, for voting in campus elections and for purchasing tickets for Student Activities concerts. I.D. cards can be replaced for a fee of $10.00.