Financial Issues: Tuition, Fees, Loans, & Scholarships

Tuition

Tuition Deposit

Some graduate and professional schools at the University of Pittsburgh require tuition deposits to secure the admitted student's place in the incoming class. These deposits are nonrefundable and are applied toward the student's first term tuition costs. The schools that require deposits and the specific amounts are as follows:

Full Tuition

Graduate students enrolled for 9 to 15 credits during the fall and spring terms are considered full-time and pay a flat tuition rate. Students enrolled for 1 to 8 credits are considered part-time and pay for individual credits. Students enrolled in the summer term also pay for individual credits, regardless of how many credits are taken. (The Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business is an exception: full-time MBA students pay a flat rate in the summer term.) See Deferred Payments and Payment section below for information regarding the optional payment plan.

Tuition rates are school specific. Students pursuing two degrees or a degree and a certificate simultaneously must list one as the primary academic program and may list the other as a secondary academic program on the registration form; students are billed at the tuition rate of the primary academic program. Please refer to the tuition rate for the school in which you are 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 (see Eligibility for Reduced Tuition below). Eligibility is determined by criteria outlined in the University of Pittsburgh Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Reduced Tuition Rates, available online at www.bc.pitt.edu/students/tuitionguide.html.

Financial Obligation of Students

The University of Pittsburgh has the right to withhold services if a student defaults on any financial obligation until repayment arrangements have been made that are satisfactory to the office or department to which the debt is owed.

Fees

Mandatory Fees

The following are mandatory fees assessed to students each term (current rates are available online at www.bc.pitt.edu/students/tuitionguide.html):

Special Service Fees

These fees may be charged for University transactions that are processed beyond deadlines, due dates, and specified time limits.

Course Fees

Certain courses have fees associated with enrollment in the course. These courses are identified in the Schedule of Classes and Course Descriptions. The Schedule of Classes is online at www.pitt.edu/~srfsweb/crinPgCrsInfo.htm.

Program Fees

Certain graduate and first-professional programs have fees associated with enrollment in the program. These are typically fees for equipment or required insurance. Individual schools list these on their Web sites.

Financial Aid

Financial assistance for graduate students can be provided in the form of teaching and research appointments, fellowships, traineeships, tuition scholarships, and loans. The type of aid available depends on the school or program to which the student is admitted and more information is available on school and program Web sites. Admission to graduate study does not necessarily carry any implications concerning the award of financial aid.

Deferred Payments

Aid Deferrals

Payment of all, or a portion, of the Total Amount Due may be deferred when expected sources of payment are not included on an eBill. Documentation of the expected source of payment must be provided before the due date indicated on the eBill. The documentation and, if applicable, payment of the difference between the amount due and the deferred amount can be made online in PittPAY, or should be included if payment is mailed.

Some examples of expected sources of payment typically not included on a statement are payments authorized by third parties, scholarships awarded by departments, agencies, or organizations other than the University's Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, and financial aid that will be awarded in the future by the University's Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

Optional Payment Plan

Students who do not have an active financial hold 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 $40 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 their 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.

Payment

University eBills may be paid by cash, check, or electronic check (e-check); however, cash cannot be mailed or dropped into the Student Payment Center depository. The University does not accept credit card payments for tuition, fees, and room and board that appear on eBills. However, we have arranged for a third-party vendor to accept American Express, Discover Card, and MasterCard (credit and debit) when payment is made online through PittPAY. The vendor will charge a 2.75 percent service fee for each credit card transaction. Tuition-related payments and room and board payments may be mailed to: University of Pittsburgh, P.O. Box 643029, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3092. Payment may be made in person at the Student Payment Center, G-7 Thackeray Hall. Credit card and e-check payments can be made online at http://my.pitt.edu.

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 a late payment fee for students without a valid deferral.

If students who have a tuition scholarship (for example, via a TA/TF/GSR/GSA appointment) receive an eBill indicating that their tuition has not been paid, they should immediately contact the school or department administering the scholarship for assistance in correcting the error.

Check and Credit Card Adjustments

Adjustments in charges can occur when students add or drop courses. If a refund is due as a result, and if payment was made by check, the refund will be sent directly to the student. If payment was made by credit card, the University is required to make the adjustment to the payer's credit card account, and the credit will be reflected on the monthly credit card statement.