Tuition and Fees

Return to: Student Services 

• Tuition and Fees
• Your Student Account
• Paying your Student Account
• Due Dates, Late Fees and Interest
• Nonpayment Penalty
• Graduating or Exiting Students
• Refunding
• Description of Tuition and Fees
• Other Mandatory Fees
• Miscellaneous Fees
• Tuition and Fees - Extended Education

Student Business Office, 360-650-2865
www.wwu.edu/sbo

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees include tuition, mandatory fees, course fees and additional fees. All fees are subject to change as the result of action by the state Legislature or the board of trustees. See the Description of Tuition and Fees section below for a detailed explanation of each fee.

By registering for classes, a student incurs a legal obligation to pay tuition and fees to Western Washington University. This debt may be canceled only if the student officially withdraws from Western before the quarterly deadline published on the Registrar’s website under Dates and Deadlines. You are responsible for paying your account regardless as to whether or not there is an account statement available.

At Western the various expenses of an undergraduate who is a resident of the state of Washington are about $7,740.25 each quarter.

        *Includes for students enrolled at least 6 or more credits: $85 health services fee, $39 nonacademic building fee, $35 technology fee, $99 recreation center fee, $26.25 transportation fee, $1 legislative action fee, and renewable energy fee of $0.70 per credit to a maximum of $7 per term.

         For students enrolled in less than 6 credits $17.50 technology fee and renewable energy fee of $0.70 per credit.

The table below shows the actual tuition rates by credit and student category. (Room and board and financial aid at Western are discussed in later sections of this catalog.)

A tuition calculator can be assessed by selecting “Student Services”, “Student Business Office”, “Tuition & Fees”, then “Tuition Calculator” from the main WWU Website to assist in projecting the amount of tuition and fees that will be due the University.

See the University Academic Policies section of this catalog for an explanation of full-time status and how that affects financial aid, athletic eligibility, and veterans’ benefits.

Your Student Account

Tuition and fees are charged to a student’s account at the time they register for classes. Students are responsible for reviewing their account and for paying the balance due. Western processes electronic statements and offers the option of paying student account charges online. Statement and account details are available at your Student Account Online.

If courses are added after the statement date or after financial aid has been disbursed, it is important to check your account online or with the Student Business Office to determine if additional payment is required.

Student account information is confidential (see Appendix E in the Appendices section of this catalog). Release of account information may be authorized by completing a Release of Financial Information form online through the Student Business Office Important Forms.

Currently enrolled students will be sent an electronic notification to their assigned University e-mail account. A second notification can be sent to another email address by setting up an authorized payer. No paper bills will be sent. For more information see our webpage at www.wwu.edu/sbo or the Student Business Office in Old Main room 110.

The University uses e-mail as its official form of communication; this is intended to meet the academic and administrative needs of the campus community.

The University expects that such communication will be received and read in a timely fashion.

Students are responsible for monitoring their student e-mail account and maintaining current contact information with WWU, including current address and telephone information.

Paying your Student Account

E-Pay (online payment using credit card or bank information associated with your checking, savings or debit card). Available 24 hours a day with immediate update to the student’s account. Payment may be made online with these credit cards, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. A 2.75 percent convenience fee will be charged for using a credit card. Payment also may be made online with an E-check (an electronic check). E-checks are not subject to convenience fees.

To pay online, students log in to your myWestern, then Web4U and follow the links to your Student Account Online. Parents or other third parties who will be paying an account must be set up as an Authorized User by the student in order to access student account information and make payments online. Instructions are available online at www.wwu.edu/sbo or by visiting the Student Business Office in Old Main 110.

Mail checks to the Student Business Office, 516 High St., MS-9004, Bellingham, WA 98225. Do not use campus mail for payments.

Allow seven to ten business days for mail to reach Western. Payments are credited when received, not when mailed.

Remember

• Write your WWU ID number on the check and make it payable to WWU
• Canadian checks must be made payable in U.S. funds
• There is a $25 charge for the first returned check and a $50 charge for each subsequent returned check

Pay in Person at the Student Business Office, located in Old Main 110 (9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. M-F). Payment may be made with cash, check or a debit card. 

Financial Aid - All aid types will be applied to current quarter charges on the student’s account. Only after University charges have been paid will a refund of excess aid be given to the student. If a student incurs additional registration charges after financial aid has been applied to their account, the student is responsible for paying the additional charges by the tuition due date without notification.

Miscellaneous Charges - Miscellaneous purchases charged to a student’s account, such as bookstore purchases, health center charges or athletic health fees, will not be paid by financial aid unless a student signs a form authorizing the University to use financial aid to pay these miscellaneous charges. Fill out an Authorization for Miscellaneous Charges form online to allow financial aid to pay these charges.

Due Dates, Late Fees and Interest

Tuition, fees, and housing charges are due on the first day of each term. After the 3rd Friday of each quarter and the third Friday of each month thereafter a late fee and a 1 percent interest charge will be assessed to all past due accounts.

Late Fees and Interest are assessed at the close of business on these Fridays:

Fall — October 10, November 21, December 19
Winter — January 23, February 20, March 20
Spring — April 17, May 15, June 19
Summer — July 10, August 21, September 18

Tuition due dates are posted on the Student Business Office website and the Registrar’s Office website.

Nonpayment Penalty

The University may withhold admission or registration privileges for students who fail to meet financial obligations to the University. The University may also withhold the issuing of official transcripts.

Unpaid balances mean your account will be placed in collection status with the Student Business Office. A service fee will be added to the amount you owe.

Accounts with past due unpaid balances may be forwarded to a contracted outside collection agency. Additional collection costs of 33.3% - 50% will be assessed. If necessary, it may include costs of litigation and may result in a judgment and/or wage garnishment.

Graduating or Exiting Students

Students who had a federal loan or federal Teach Grant disbursed while attending the University are required to complete exit counseling. The exit counseling requirement is designed to acquaint students with their rights and responsibilities regarding their student loans. Exit counseling should be completed before graduation, before withdrawing from Western, or when a student’s credit load drops to less than half time. Exit counseling is a federally mandated requirement.

Course Withdrawal

Students who drop courses may be entitled to a credit for a portion of the tuition and fees for a given quarter depending on the time of the quarter the transaction is completed.

• Courses dropped prior to the sixth day of the quarter may be entitled to a full tuition credit
• Courses dropped beginning on the sixth day of the quarter and within the first 30 calendar days may be entitled to one-half tuition credit
• Courses dropped after the 30th calendar day will not receive a tuition credit

10-18 credits are considered flat rate tuition, refer to the Tuition and Fee Schedule on our webpage at www.wwu.edu/sbo. See also Withdrawal from a Course in the University Academic Policies section.

Official School Withdrawal from the University

To officially withdraw from Western for the quarter, a student must contact the Registrar’s Office and make a written request to withdraw. To enroll in courses after an official school withdrawal a student will need to re-apply to Western and be re-admitted before registering for any courses.

Students who officially withdraw from Western prior to the sixth day of the quarter may receive full credit of tuition and fees. See the sections under University Academic Policies  for information on withdrawing from the University. The $250 enrollment fee is nonrefundable.

Students who officially withdraw beginning on the sixth day of the quarter and within the first 30 calendar days may be entitled to one-half tuition credit. After the fifth day of instruction, the health services, building, technology, recreation, transportation and renewable energy and course and audit fees are nonrefundable.

Students who withdraw after the 30th calendar day of the term will receive no credit.

The deadlines for each quarter are published on the Registrar’s website.

Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters only (refer to the Summer Session website for summer quarter withdrawal policy).

A statutory pro rata return of financial aid is required for students who received Title IV federal financial aid.

Also refer to the following resources:

• Financial Aid Bulletin: 
  ‘Withdrawing’ section
  http://www.finaid.wwu.edu/bulletin/
• Federal Aid Repayment: 
  ‘Leaving Early’ section
  https://studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/understand
• State Aid Repayment:
  ‘SNG Repayment’ Policy search                                           
  http://www/hecb.wa.gov/index.asp

Refunding

Payments made to your student account, including financial aid disbursements (Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, scholarships, grants and waivers) and other support are applied to tuition and fees, University housing, and miscellaneous charges (if the Miscellaneous Charges form has been completed). If financial aid does not pay everything the student owes, the student is responsible for paying the balance by the tuition due date. If the payments to the account results in a credit balance the excess funds will be disbursed by ACH Direct Deposit into the student’s personal checking or savings account. For direct deposit refund enrollment information see our website at www.wwu.edu/sbo

Description of Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates and service and activities fees are set by the board of trustees within the parameters of the state Legislature. Tuition consists of the operations fee and the capital building fee. In addition, 4.0% of the operating fee, 3.5% of the capital building fee, and 3.5% of the services and activities fee collected is allocated to fund student financial aid.

The operations fee, with the state’s general fund appropriation, is used to support the University’s primary mission, the education of its students. This money funds instruction, library, student services, administrative and maintenance functions.

The capital building fee is used for the construction of academic facilities. It is not used for both housing and dining buildings or to support the University’s operating budget.

Other Mandatory Fees

Service and Activities Fee

The service and activities fee ($195 per quarter) is used to amortize, in part, residence halls, dining halls and student activities facilities; to provide the Associated Students administration; and to support student activities such as theatre, forensics, musical activities, intramural and intercollegiate activities, et cetera.

Enrollment Fee
A one-time $250 enrollment fee is charged to all newly matriculated students, not including extension or graduate students, upon registration for their first quarter of attendance. This fee is nonrefundable.

Green Energy Fee   
A student initiated fee assessed to all students at $.70 per credit hour to a maximum of $7.00 per quarter with the goal of promoting sustainable practices at Western Washington University. The fee goes towards the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates to offset 100% of the electrical consumption of the university as well as the Green Energy Fee Grant Program which funds innovative student-driven projects that aim to reduce the campus’ environment impact.

The following fees are assessed each quarter to all students registered for 6 or more credits on the Bellingham campus and are nonrefundable after the fifth day of the quarter.

Health Service Fee 
$85 per quarter

The Health Service fee is used to establish a standard of health care for Bellingham’s campus and as a contingency for emergency services. For more information contact the Student Health Center at 360-650-3400.

Student Recreation Fee 
$99 per quarter

The student recreation fee is used for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Wade King Student Recreation Center. For more information, visit www.acadweb.wwu.edu/recreate/.

Non-Academic Building Fee 
$39 per quarter

This fee is used to fund the improvement and development of the Viking Union Complex on the Bellingham campus. For more information, visit www.as.wwu.edu.

Technology Fee 
$35 per quarter for students enrolled in 6 or more credits, $12.50 enrolled in 1-5 credits per quarter

This fee is used to upgrade and expand the University’s technology equipment, facilities, and software on the main WWU campus. For more information, visit www.wwu.edu/stf/.

Alternative Transportation Fee 
$26.25 per quarter

This fee is used to provide transportation resources, including WTA bus passes and daily late night student shuttle service. For more information, visit http://www.wwu.edu/transportation or contact the Sustainable Transportation Office by phone at (360) 650-7960 or email transportation@wwu.edu

Legislative Action Fee
$1 per quarter

In 2014, the Associated Students voted in favor of this fee structure change to provide stability and support. The fee increases student representation and advocacy efforts at the campus, local, state and federal levels.

Miscellaneous Fees  

Parking Permits 
For parking and traffic regulations, see Appendix I. Quarterly Rates.  All parking rates are subject to change. Rates do not include sales tax. www.wwu.edu/ps/.

Student Health Center  
An optional medical insurance plan is available to eligible students. Contact the Student Health Center for details.

Special Examination Charges 
Course challenge, $100 per credit.

Intern Substitute Teacher Certification
$88 teacher certificate application fee.

Residency Teacher Certification
$118 teacher certificate application fee.

Residency Principal Certification
$118 administrator certificate application fee.

Residency Educational Staff Associate Certification
$118 educational staff associate certificate application fee.

Residency Principal Certificate Renewal
$93 administrator certificate renewal application fee.

Residency Educational Staff Associate Certificate Renewal
$93 educational staff associate certificate renewal application fee.

Professional Administrator Certification
$108 principal or program administrator certificate application fee.

Professional Educational Staff Associate Certification
$108 educational staff associate certificate application fee.

Initial Superintendent Certification
$118 administrator certificate application fee.

Additional Teaching Endorsement
$98 additional endorsement application fee.

Certification fees include Washington State and WWU processing fees.

Official Transcripts
$10

Requests should be submitted to the Registrar’s Office one week in advance of need. The university may withhold transcripts for students who fail to meet financial obligations. Unofficial faxed transcripts are $15.  There are additional fees and charges for FedEx transcript orders.  Transcript ordering information and options may be found on the Registrar’s website.

Degree Application Fee 
$43 degree application fee

Other Special Course Fees 
Students registering in certain courses are charged additional fees for purchase of special laboratory and studio supplies and for special services such as music practice room rentals. These fees are listed with each course in the online Timetable of Classes.

Audit Fees
Full fee-paying students (10 or more non-audited, main-campus credits) may audit a course without an additional fee (excluding course fees). Part-time students may audit courses for $10 per credit.

Late Registration/Late Course Adds 
$12 per credit

A fee of $12 is charged if a student registers initially after the fifth day of instruction in a quarter. A fee of $12 per credit is charged if a student adds a class after the second week of instruction. Either action requires written permission of the course instructor, department chair, and Registrar.

Tuition and Fees - Extended Education

Summer Session 2014 tuition and fees as approved by the Board of Trustees on December 13, 2013.

All self-supporting tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. Variable course fees apply to the Professional Certificate programs, workshops and special courses. Contact Extended Education and Summer Programs for current rates.

Fee reductions and tuition waivers are not applicable to self-supporting extension courses.

Self-Supporting Tuition and Fees Refund Policies

A full refund of all tuition and fees paid are given if a class is canceled or a registration is not accepted. All requests for refunds must be in writing (e-mail requests are acceptable).

Credit and Online Courses

Full refund — same as regular Western policy or before the second class meeting, whichever is later.
50 percent refund — same as regular Western policy
No refund — same as regular Western policy. No refunds are given after the first 30 calendar days following the first day of Western’s Bellingham campus quarter.

Independent Learning course
(including correspondence and contract courses)

No refunds are given after 30 days from the date of registration. If assignments have been submitted, a prorated service fee is deducted from the refund. The registration fee is nonrefundable.

Non-credit and Professional Development Courses

Full refund – is available until registration closes. After the 1st class and before the 2nd class, a full refund (minus registration fee and processing fee) is available.
No refund – will be given except in cases of documented personal/family, health, or unavoidable job issues after the 2nd class. Such refunds will be prorated based on attendance.

Summer Session

See Summer Session website for the refund policy for summer fees.

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