Student Expenses
As part of the Connecticut State System of Higher Education, Western Connecticut State University offers high quality degree programs at a reasonable cost. Details of expenses for full-time and part-time, in-state and out-of-state students appear below.
A full-time student is defined as one who has been accepted as a degree candidate by the Admission Office and enrolled for 12 or more semester hours. A part-time student is one who is enrolled for fewer than 12 semester hours of course load credit. All students, when they register, must inform the registration clerk that they are either full-time or part-time.
The schedules of fees, tuition, methods of payment and refund policies provided below are valid at the time of publication of this catalog and are subject to change as necessary.
2011-2012 Full-Time Undergraduate Annual Expenses
| In-State | Out-of-State | |
| Tuition * | $4,124 | $13,346 |
| Fees | 3,980 | 5,382 |
| Housing (dorm double) ** | 6,042 | 6,042 |
| Meal Plan (required for Midtown dorm students) | 4,379 | 4,379 |
| Estimated Books & Supplies | 750 | 750 |
| Sickness Insurance *** | 1,087 | 1,087 |
| Total | $20,362 | $30,986 |
In addition to text books, students must furnish their own notebooks, writing implements, and art supplies. Students should also be prepared to pay for field trips and regional study tours since these activities are an integral part of the education program.
All students taking applied music lessons pay the following fees:
Half-hour lesson (MUS 182/183): $100 per semester
Hour lesson (MUS180/181/186/187/390/391/392/393): $150 per semester
*Full-time students will be charged $373 per credit hour for each credit hour over 18 credits at the course fee rate. This fee is non-refundable.
** See Office of Residence Life for a complete list of room rates.
*** Domestic students may waive sickness insurance if covered by a private policy.
Binder and Deposit: Nonrefundable
- Admissions Binder: $200 due May 1, or within 15 days of billing. Applied to state university tuition.
- Housing Deposit: $250 due within 15 days of billing. The admissions binder may be transferred from Western Connecticut State University to other constituent units of the Connecticut system of public higher education. Enrollment in another unit must occur within 60 days of the beginning of the semester for which the binder was paid to Western Connecticut State University. Students requesting transfer should notify the Admissions Office of the institution they will be attending.
Payment of Tuition and Fees
Returning and new students for the fall semester must make the fall tuition and fee payment no later than July 15, 2011. Returning and new students for the spring semester must make the spring tuition and fee payment by December 16, 2011.
Failure to pay tuition and fees by the required dates will result in cancellation of classes.
Students may pay tuition and fees by cash, check, money order, or credit card. VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER are accepted.
Re-registration Fee
Any student who is dropped for non-payment and wishes to re-register will be subject to a $100 non-refundable re-registration fee.
Late Fee
A $50 late fee will be assessed to accounts that fail to pay the balance due by the payment deadline.
Refund Policy
A. For Students Who Are Not Title IV Recipients
Non-refundable fees include the application fee, admissions binder, housing deposit and participation fee. In order to be eligible for a refund, a full-time student must formally withdraw from the university. A refund of tuition, university and student activity fees, and the balance of the housing fee, excluding binder and deposit, will be issued according to the schedule below. The refund amount is determined by the official date of withdrawal.
| Prior to and including the first day of classes | 100% refund |
| Within the first week of the semester | 90% refund |
| Within the second week of the semester | 60% refund |
| Within the third through fourth week of the semester | 40% refund |
| No refund after the fourth week of university-wide classes |
Housing Refund Policy for students that withdraw from the university
| Prior to the first day of classes | 100% refund |
| Within the first two weeks of the semester | 60% refund |
| Within the third and fourth week of the semester | 40% refund |
| No refund after the fourth week of university-wide classes |
Housing Refund Policy for students that withdraw from housing but remained enrolled in the university
Upon withdrawal from a residence hall up to and including the first day of classes, 100% of the balance paid less the housing deposit and the housing cancellation fee, if applicable, will be refunded.
No refunds will be made after the first day of classes
B. For Students Receiving Title IV Assistance:
Both full-time and part-time students who formally withdraw from the university and are recipients of Title IV funds should contact the Financial Aid Office to see if they are entitled to a pro-rated refund.
Meal Plan Refund
This fee is refundable on a pro-rated basis upon withdrawal from the university.
2011-2012 Part-Time Undergraduate Tuition
| Tuition - In State | $172 per credit hour |
| General Fee – In State | $201 per credit hour |
| Tuition – Out of State/NE Regional | $175 per credit hour |
| General Fee – Out of State/NE Regional | $201 per credit hour |
| Registration Fee –– each semester | $55 |
| Student Activity Fee (per credit hour) | $3 (fall/spring terms only) |
| Online (in-state) | $373 per credit hour |
| Online (out-of-state/NE regional) | $394 per credit hour |
| Online Registration Fee | $50 per course |
Students may pay for part-time tuition by cash, check, money order or credit card (VISA, MASTERCARD and DISCOVER only).
Refund Policy for Part-time Students Fall and Spring Semesters – Courses greater than eight weeks in length
A tuition refund for part-time students withdrawing from classes will be issued on the following basis:
| Withdrawal during first week of the semester | 100% refund |
| Withdrawal during second week of the semester | 60% refund |
| Withdrawal during the third and fourth week of the semester | 40% refund |
| No refunds are issued after the fourth week of the semester. The registration fee is non-refundable. The university is not allowed to make exceptions to the refund policy. | |
Connecticut Resident Senior Citizen Waiver
Any Connecticut resident 62 or over who is a full-time student is exempted from the state tuition charge and the state university fee. General fees and student activity fees are not waived.
Senior citizens attending the university as part-time students pay a $55 nonrefundable registration fee, student activity and transcript fee when taking any continuing education courses. Note: Part-time online tuition is waved at 25 percent.
Senior citizens must be Connecticut residents and show proof of residency.
Acceptable forms of identification needed to verify residency:
Connecticut Driver's License or
Current automobile registration or
Federal and state income tax return
Foreign Exchange Policy
Central/Eastern/Southern/Western Connecticut State University settles all accounts in United States dollars and does not assume any liability for losses that may result from foreign exchange rate differences under any circumstances. In the event of an error to a student’s account, Western Connecticut State University’s liability is limited to the correction of the error in United States dollars.
Student Insurance Requirements
Accident Insurance: As part of the general fee, all full-time students are covered under an accident insurance plan, 24 hours a day, on and off campus, from August 1 to July 31 or until full-time enrollment is terminated during this period. Benefits under the accident plan are paid on an excess basis. This means no expense is covered if it would be covered by another health care plan in the absence of this insurance. This insurance supplements, but does not replace, other health care coverage.
Sickness Insurance: The Connecticut State University System requires that all full-time students have sickness insurance to cover medical care not provided by Health Service. The university is able to offer its students comprehensive health care coverage at a very affordable cost. Coverage under this plan includes both inpatient and outpatient services for medical, surgical and mental health needs.
All full-time students will be automatically enrolled in and billed for this sickness insurance plan unless they submit a signed waiver to the cashier’s office indicating alternative coverage. Waivers may be submitted online at www.wcsu.edu/insurance. In reviewing present insurance coverage and deciding whether or not to carry this student insurance, remember that many sickness insurance plans (e.g. local HMOs or IPAs) provide appropriate or effective coverage which may, however, be based at considerable distance from the campus. This has caused problems in providing medical services for students at the university. In addition, many insurance plans may have age limits for dependents. Students with known health problems are advised to consider this insurance in addition to their family coverage, especially if the latter does not cover 100 percent of medical expenses. All parents must inform students which outpatient laboratory, x-ray, emergency room or hospital they must use, if necessary, in order to have costs paid by their HMO plan.
Currently, the WCSU student insurance plan is Aetna Student Health. This is subject to change as we approach a contract year. Insurance information is available at www.aetnastudenthealth.com.
New England Regional Student Program
WestConn participates in the New England Regional Student Program of the New England Board of Higher Education. This arrangement offers residents of the other New England states the opportunity to enroll at WestConn for Connecticut resident tuition rates (plus $2,062 per year) in courses not available in their home states. Similarly, Connecticut residents may avail themselves of programs, offered by schools in other New England states, not available at the Connecticut State University.
Detailed information about the Regional Program can be obtained through the Office of University Admissions at WestConn, from any secondary school guidance office, or from the New England Board of Higher Education, 45 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111; (617) 357-9620.
New England Regional Program at WestConn
| Bachelor Degree Programs | Open to Residents of: |
| American Studies | Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Communications/Media | Maine, Rhode Island |
| Community Health Education | New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Criminal Justice/Criminology | New Hampshire, Rhode Island |
| Earth Science (Astronomy focus) | Rhode Island, Vermont |
| Health Education | Vermont |
| Management Information Systems | Maine |
| Meteorology (Forecasting) | Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island |
| Meteorology (Science) | Maine, Rhode Island |
State Rehabilitation Programs
State Rehabilitation Commissions frequently offer generous educational services to persons with a disability or a handicap. A student with a disability or handicap should contact a commission office to determine eligibility.
