Tuition & Fees and Refunds

Tuition & Fees **

Residency

The tuition amount is determined by where a student lives. For registration purposes, a student’s residency status is determined as of the date of enrollment and may subsequently change from semester to semester. A student is required to maintain a current address of residence with the Student Enrollment Center. Any student who moves during the semester must report the address change within five school days.

Hunterdon/Somerset County Resident - A student is considered a Hunterdon/Somerset County resident if he or she maintains a permanent, legal residence in Hunterdon or Somerset County.

Out-of-County Resident - A student is considered an out-of-county resident if he or she maintains a permanent, legal residence in New Jersey but outside Hunterdon or Somerset County. If a student is an out-of-county resident, his or her home county may pay part of the student’s tuition through a Chargeback. For more information, students should contact the county college located in the county in which they reside.

Out-of-State Resident - A student is considered an out-of-state resident if he or she does not reside in New Jersey.

Waivers for out-of-county residents employed in Hunterdon or Somerset County - The Board of Trustees of Raritan Valley Community College will grant a waiver of $10 per credit of tuition charged at the out-of-county rate to students who provide verification  of current employment in Hunterdon or Somerset County. Proof of employment, such as an affidavit from the employer’s Human Resource department or other documentation, will be required by the College.

Tuition and General Registration Fee*

Tuition is subject to change at any time as authorized by the Raritan Valley Community College Board of Trustees.

Tuition

(A waiver of $10 per credit is granted to students who provide verification of employment in Somerset or Hunterdon County)

A noncredit course with a three-credit hour equivalent on the course offering brochure would be identified as 3NC (3-no-credit). Where credit hour equivalents are listed, they are charged in the same manner as credit hours.

High School students will pay tuition of $150 for the first course taken in each semester; no fees are charged for the first course. Any additional courses in the same semester will be subject to full tuition and fees at regular rates.

Students enrolled in RVCC or NJ Virtual Community College online courses will pay tuition of $125 per credit hour or equivalent credit hour for the 2010-2011 academic year for those courses. No fees are charged.

All students are assessed a general registration fee per credit hour or credit hour equivalent for all courses except online or Early College Program courses.

In addition to tuition and the general registration fee, courses with laboratory or studio components (or similar activities) have special fees for equipment, supplies or instructional assistance. This fee is $60 per course, however, certain courses may have higher or lower fees. The course/lab fee amount is indicated in the course offering brochure available during registration.

This fee helps the College add and replace computers and software, maintain and support open computer laboratories, provide e-mail and full Internet access and other items for student use.

A $200 processing fee per semester will be charged to international students. (F-1 students who are full-time.)

A $15 fee per semester will be charged to students taking one or more developmental course.

A $250 processing fee per semester will be charged to nursing students who enroll in required courses in the Nursing Program.

Other Fees (non-refundable)*

*The College reserves the right to change tuition, fees and deposit schedules herein stated at any time by action of the Board of Trustees of Raritan Valley Community College with 30 days notice prior to the start of each semester.

**All tuition and fees are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees of Raritan Valley Community College.

***The Late Registration fee will be effective starting two weeks before the first day of the semester or part of term.

Special Tuition Programs*

Hunterdon/Somerset County Gold Card Senior Citizens or individuals with Unemployment Tuition Waivers may attend Raritan Valley Community College for fees only on a space-available basis, which is determined five business days prior to the first day of the respective course’s part of term. Senior Citizen Gold Card registration is for audit only; no credit is awarded. Students must apply for financial aid before applying for an unemployment tuition waiver. The waiver will be applied to any remaining tuition that is not paid by a federal or state grant. If financial aid does not cover the full cost of the course(s), students must still pay any fees, as well as the cost of books.

Members of the New Jersey National Guard and New Jersey National Guard Reserves may attend for fees only (tuition-free) for up to 16 credits per semester. Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Medical Personnel pay fees only and receive a tuition waiver of up to a maximum of $600 per year and $2,400 over a lifetime. Students qualifying for these two programs may enroll with their tuition waivers at any time during the in-person registration period. If the student has reached one or more of the maximum tuition waiver limits, the student is responsible for the tuition and fees balance.

Students qualifying for the special tuition programs listed above should present their tuition waivers while enrolling in person at the Student Enrollment Center. Registrations not submitted according to the proper procedure will be subject to full tuition and fees, with no retroactive application of waiver status.

In addition, family members of September 11 victims pay fees only, and should visit the Financial Aid Office.

*The College reserves the right to change tuition, fees and deposit schedules herein stated at any time by action of the Board of Trustees of Raritan Valley Community College with 30 days notice prior to the start of each semester.

Payment of Financial Obligations

Each semester has a payment deadline when full tuition and fees are due. See the RVCC Finance webpage at http://www.raritanval.edu/admin/finance/index.html and click on the Payment Deadlines & Options link. After the posted deadline, full payment of tuition and fees is expected at the time students register for classes, except for:

• Financial Aid Students – If students with completed awards have bills that exceed the amount of their award, they must pay the balance of their bills at registration and prior to the first day of the semester for their registration to be considered complete.
• Tuition Pay Monthly Payment Plan Participating Students – The students would need to contact Sallie Mae, the payment plan provider, by visiting https://tuitionpay.salliemae.com/raritanval upon registering for each semester (available only for fall and  spring). The student would need to submit a completed application for the semester to Sallie Mae, including the plan amount (the amount due from your RVCC Schedule/Bill), and remit the Tuition Pay enrollment fee to Sallie Mae along with any payments  due per Sallie Mae’s payment schedule to be considered a Tuition Pay Monthly Payment Plan participant.
• RVCC will accept payment in cash, check, Discover, MasterCard and/or VISA or a payment can be made with an ACH (online only). Refunds of tuition and fee transactions made on credit cards will be made by College check, not by credit to the student’s credit card account. Once tuition and fees have been charged, the cardholder is liable to the card company for the amount charged. Refunds are paid directly from the College by check to the student during the published refund period.

No student can be enrolled, given grades, transcripts or a diploma until all financial obligations are met.

Required Hospitalization Insurance

All full-time students are required to have hospitalization insurance. For students without hospitalization insurance, the College has arranged to provide coverage for a modest fee. Students who already have coverage must be prepared to show proof (company name and policy number) at the time of registration or be billed for the required coverage (payment will be refunded upon subsequent timely submission of proof) and complete an insurance waiver form.

Optional Hospitalization Insurance (Part-Time Students)

Any part-time student taking 6 to 11 credits now has the option to purchase the same plan that is required for full-time students (24-Hour Accident and Sickness Coverage). If you currently have adequate hospitalization insurance coverage you may not need this coverage.

If you are eligible to enroll and wish to purchase this insurance coverage, you must apply for coverage directly with T. L. Groseclose Associates, Inc., the administrator, during its specified application period. Please refer to the RVCC Finance webpage at http://www.raritanval.edu/admin/finance/index.html and click on the Student Hospitalization Insurance link for more information, including brochure, application form and cost.

Refunds

Refunds, including payments made by credit card, will be made by College check in the name of the student and mailed to the address of record. RVCC begins mailing refunds 30 days after the first day of classes.

Cancelled Course

Students enrolled in a course that is cancelled by the College will be offered the opportunity to enroll in another course, or receive a full refund of all tuition, general registration fee, and course/lab fees pertaining to the cancelled course. Refunds will be made during the scheduled refund period.

All Other Refunds

To apply for a refund, a student must withdraw from classes through web registration or file a withdrawal (DROP/ADD) form that can be obtained from the Student Enrollment Center. The student should review and maintain a copy of any validated form and/or revised schedule following any registration transaction as proof of the transaction. Refunds are determined by the date the form is stamped in the Student Enrollment Center or the date of the web transaction.

No refund will be made to a student who:

1. does not complete the withdrawal form or drop the course online,
2. is dismissed by administrative action, or
3. is withdrawn for non-attendance (after notification by an instructor to the registrar) regardless of the withdrawal date.

Refund Period

A100 percent refund of tuition, general registration and course/lab fees will apply to complete withdrawals prior to the beginning of the second full week of the semester or session for regularly scheduled courses, and prior to the second meeting of special late-starting modules or courses. All financial aid offers will be cancelled.

During the first 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) of a regular College semester or a corresponding prorated period for modules, late start, or other sessions, a percentage refund of tuition and any course/lab fees will be made  according to the following schedule. All other fees are non-refundable.

Refund Percentage Schedule*

(Tuition and course/lab fee only)

* Schedule is prorated for summer, modules and late-start sessions.

No refunds will be granted after the first two weeks of a regular College semester or a corresponding prorated period for other sessions or special late-starting modules or courses.

The College reserves the right to change the refund policy stated above at any time by action of the Board of Trustees of Raritan Valley Community College.

Other Costs

Books and materials total approximately $1,200 per year for full-time students. Commuting expenses and the cost of meals for about 30 weeks should be added to obtain an estimated yearly expenditure.

Nursing students are required to purchase their own uniforms.

Fines

Prior to fall and spring registrations, students who have obligations to the College, such as overdue books, unpaid parking tickets, etc., will be notified by mail. Students must satisfy their obligations to the College at the time of notification. These obligations are checked at registration and students with outstanding obligations are not permitted to register.

Educational Opportunity Fund

The Raritan Valley Community College Educational Opportunity Fund Program (EOF) is a state-funded program that provides additional economic and academic assistance to students who demonstrate need. Economic assistance consists of grant money each semester the student is enrolled. Academic assistance consists of advisement, assistance with registration, and monitoring of academic performance to determine appropriate counseling and support services for academic success. In addition, students participate in career preparation activities. An EOF student who transfers to another college continues to receive EOF support services at the new institution.

The EOF program attracts a diverse student population, including recent high school graduates, non-traditional age students, and single parents. Incoming EOF students begin their academic development during an intensive six-week summer session, where they complete appropriate English or Mathematics courses based on placement testing.

To qualify, applicants must:

• Have earned a high school diploma or GED
• Have resided in New Jersey for at least one year
• Be eligible for the Tuition Aid Grant (TAG)
• Demonstrate economic eligibility, evaluated on the New Jersey State eligibility scale
• Maintain full-time enrollment
• Be US citizens or permanent residents

To apply, applicants must complete an RVCC application, the FAFSA, and provide current tax returns. Please visit the EOF office or call (908) 218-8875 to set up an appointment.