Tuition, Fees, and Expenses

Tuition And Fees

Tuition and fees are based on the number of credits in which a student is enrolled as of 5:00 p.m. on the 10th day of class. Maximum charges start at 12 credits for undergraduate and veterinary medicine students. Maximum charges start at 9 credits for graduate students.

Students who are not residents of Iowa pay a higher tuition rate each semester. Nondegree undergraduate students and noncollegiate students pay the same fees as undergraduates. Tuition and fees are assessed in accordance with regulations of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. Information about these regulations are found in this catalog under Admissions and Registrar.

All tuition, fees, expenses, and policies are subject to change without notice by Iowa State University and the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. For the most current and complete information see http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/fees/

Residency Classification for Admission and Tuition Purposes

These criteria are contained in the Policy Manual, Board of Regents, State of Iowa and or the Iowa Administrative Code: Board of Regents, State of Iowa. For additional information regarding the administrative code addressing residency classification: Section 681--1.4 "Classification of residents and nonresidents for admission, tuition, and fee purposes" https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/aco/chapter/681.1.pdf (Chapter 1, pg. 4).

GENERAL INFORMATION

A. A person enrolling at one of the three state universities shall be classified as a resident or nonresident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes by the registrar or someone designated by the registrar. The decision shall be based upon information furnished by the student and other relevant information.

B. In determining resident or nonresident classification, the issue is essentially one of why the person is in the state of Iowa. If the person is in the state primarily for educational purposes, that person will be considered a nonresident. For example, it may be possible that an individual could qualify as a resident of Iowa for such purposes as voting, or holding an Iowa driver's license, and not meet the residency requirements as established by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, for admission, tuition, and fee purposes.

C. The registrar, or designated person, is authorized to require written documents, affidavits, verifications, or other evidence deemed necessary to determine why a student is in Iowa. The burden of establishing that a student is in Iowa for other than educational purposes is upon the student. A student may be required to file any or all of the following:

1. A statement from the student describing employment and expected source of support

2. A statement from the student's employer

3. A statement from the student's parents verifying nonsupport and the fact that the student was not listed as a dependent on tax returns for the past year and will not be so listed in future years

4. A statement from the student’s spouse related to sources of family support, length of residence in Iowa, and reasons for being in the state of Iowa

5. Supporting statements from persons who might be familiar with the family situation

6. Iowa state income tax return.

D. Applications for resident classification for a given semester or session are due no later than the fifteenth class day of that semester or session. Applications received after the fifteenth class day of that semester or session will be considered for the next semester or session. Appeals of any nonresident classification decision resulting from applications for resident classifications are due no later than midterm of that semester or session. Change of classification from nonresident to resident will not be made retroactive beyond the term in which application for resident classification is made.

E. A student who gives incorrect or misleading information to evade payment of nonresident fees shall be subject to serious disciplinary action and must also pay the nonresident fees for each term previously attended.

F. Review committee. These regulations shall be administered by the registrar or someone designated by the registrar. The decision of the registrar or designated person may be appealed to a university review committee. The finding of the review committee may be appealed to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

GRADUATE ASSISTANTS

Graduate students appointed to a graduate assistantship appointment of 1/4-time or more for at least 3 months in fall and spring terms and for 4 weeks in summer term, are assessed tuition at the full-time resident (in-state) rate for the fall and spring term. Nonresident students with graduate assistantships of 1/4-time or more retain their nonresidency classification, but are assessed resident tuition and fees as long as the graduate assistantship is continued.

The spouse of a 1/4-time or more graduate assistant who is a nonresident is eligible for resident tuition and fees during the period of the assistantship appointment. Iowa residency is not granted, but a waiver of nonresident tuition and fees is in effect. When the graduate assistantship ends, the tuition and fee waiver for the spouse is terminated. (Board of Regents, State of Iowa, Minutes March 15, 1995, p. 801).

The graduate student must request the resident tuition assessment by midterm of the term in question. The benefit will not be granted retroactively.

GUIDELINES

The following guidelines are used in determining the resident classification of a student for admission, tuition, and fee purposes:

1. A financially dependent student whose parents move from Iowa after the student is enrolled remains a resident provided the student maintains continuous enrollment. A financially dependent student whose parents move from Iowa during the senior year of high school will be considered a resident provided the student has not established domicile in another state.

2. In deciding why a person is in the state of Iowa, the person's domicile will be considered. A person who comes to Iowa from another state and enrolls in any institution of postsecondary education for a full program or substantially a full program shall be presumed to have come to Iowa primarily for educational reasons rather than to establish a domicile in Iowa.

3. A student who was a former resident of Iowa may continue to be considered a resident provided absence from the state was for a period of less than 12 months and provided domicile is reestablished. If the absence from the state is for a period exceeding 12 months, a student may be considered a resident if evidence can be presented showing that the student has long-term ties to Iowa and reestablishes an Iowa domicile. A person or the dependent of a person whose domicile is permanently established in Iowa, who has been classified as a resident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes, may continue to be classified as a resident so long as domicile is maintained, even though circumstances may require extended absence of the person from the state. It is required that a person who claims Iowa domicile while living in another state or country will provide proof of the continual domicile as evidence that the person:

(1). Has not acquired domicile in another state;

(2). Has maintained a continuous voting record in Iowa; and

(3). Has filed regular Iowa resident income tax returns during absence from the state.

4. A student who moves to Iowa may be eligible for resident classification at the next registration following 12 consecutive months in the state provided the student is not enrolled as more than a half-time student (6 credits for an undergraduate or professional student, 5 credits for a graduate student) in any academic year term, is not enrolled for more than 4 credits in a summer term for any classification, and provides sufficient evidence of the establishment of an Iowa domicile.

5. A student who has been a continuous student and whose parents move to Iowa may become a resident at the beginning of the next term provided the student is dependent upon the parents for a majority of financial assistance.

6. A person who has been certified as a refugee or granted asylum by the appropriate agency of the United States, who enrolls as a student at a university governed by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, may be accorded immediate resident status for admission, tuition, and fee purposes where the person:

(1). Comes directly to the state of Iowa from a refugee facility or port of debarkation, or

(2). Comes to the state of Iowa within a reasonable time and has not established domicile in another state.

Any refugee or individual granted asylum not meeting these standards will be presumed to be a nonresident for admission, tuition, and fee purposes and thus subject to the usual method of proof of establishment of Iowa residency.

7. An alien who has immigrant status establishes Iowa residency in the same manner as a United States citizen.

8. At the Regent institutions, American Indians who have origins in any of the original people of North America and who maintain a cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition with one or more of the tribes or nations connected historically with the present state of Iowa, including the Iowa, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, Missouri, Ojibwa (Chippewa), Omaha, Otoe (Otto), Ottawa (Odawa), Potawatomi, Sac and Fox (Sauk, Meskwaki), Sioux, and Winnebago (HoCak/Ho-Chunk), will be assessed Iowa resident tuition and fees. (Board of Regents, State of Iowa, Minutes October 15-16, 1997, p. 299)

**Section B below is under revision. For current information, go to https://www.registrar.iastate.edu/students/in-state-tuition-benefit.

B. Additional guidelines are used in determining the resident classification of a veteran, qualified military person, and dependent children and spouses of a veteran or qualified military person for purposes of admission and undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees:

1.  A person who is stationed on active duty at the Rock Island arsenal as a result of military orders, or the dependent child or spouse of such person, is entitled to resident status for purposes of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees. However, if the arrival of the person under orders is subsequent to the beginning of the term in which the dependent child or spouse is first enrolled, nonresident fees will be charged in all cases for the dependent child or spouse until the beginning of the next term in which the dependent child or spouse is enrolled. If the qualified military person is transferred, deployed, or restationed while the person’s spouse or dependent child is enrolled in an institution of higher education under the control of the board of regents, the spouse or dependent child shall continue to be classified as a resident under this subparagraph until the close of the fiscal year in which the spouse or dependent child is enrolled.

2. A veteran who is domiciled or moves to the state of Iowa and who is eligible for benefits, or has exhausted benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, is entitled to resident status for purposes of undergraduate tuition and mandatory fees. The dependent child or spouse of a veteran who meets these requirements is entitled to resident status for undergraduate tuition.  However, if the arrival of the veteran in Iowa is subsequent to the beginning of the term in which the dependent child or spouse is first enrolled, nonresident fees will be charged in all cases for the dependent child or spouse until the beginning of the next term in which the dependent child or spouse is enrolled.

3. A person who is moved into the state as the result of military or civil orders from the government for other than educational purposes, or the dependent child or spouse of such a person, is entitled to resident status. However, if the arrival of the person under orders is subsequent to the beginning of the term in which the dependent child or spouse is first enrolled, nonresident fees will be charged in all cases until the beginning of the next term in which the dependent child or spouse is enrolled. Legislation, effective July 1, 1977, requires that military personnel who claim residency in Iowa (home of record) will be required to file Iowa resident income tax returns.

FACTS

A. The following circumstances, although not necessarily conclusive, have probative value in support of a claim for resident classification:

1. Reside in Iowa for 12 consecutive months, and be primarily engaged in activities other than those of a full-time student, immediately prior to the beginning of the term for which resident classification is sought.
2. Reliance upon Iowa resources for financial support.
3. Domicile in Iowa of persons legally responsible for the student.
4. Former domicile in the state and maintenance of significant connections therein while absent.
5. Acceptance of an offer of permanent employment in Iowa.
6. Military orders, if for other than educational purposes.
7. Other facts indicating the student's domicile will be considered by the universities in classifying the student.

B. The following circumstances, standing alone, do not constitute sufficient evidence of domicile to affect classification of a student as a resident under these regulations:

1. Voting or registration for voting.
2. Employment in any position normally filled by a student.
3. The lease of living quarters.
4. Admission to a licensed practicing profession in Iowa.
5. Automobile registration.
6. Public records; for example, birth and marriage records, Iowa driver's license.
7. Continuous presence in Iowa during periods when not enrolled in school.
8. Ownership of property in Iowa, or the payment of Iowa taxes.

Fee Payment

The Accounts Receivable Office bills students for tuition, room, meal plan, and various other university charges. A statement of new charges is available on the first of each month on Access Plus and each student will receive an email message at that time at their Iowa State e-mail address telling them that their bill is available. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the university has a correct e-mail address and to regularly check their Iowa State e-mail account. Students who do not receive a billing statement before the term begins or are unable to use AccessPlus to view their bill, should contact the Accounts Receivable Office to learn the amount of their account balance due. Failure to receive a billing statement or view their account on AccessPlus will not exempt students from late penalties or from having a hold placed on their registration. Payments for fall semester are due August 20. Payments for spring semester are due January 20. Payments for summer semester are due May 20.

Students may pay their university bill by direct debit through AccessPlus. They may also pay by mail by sending a check or money order (along with the bottom portion of the billing statement printed from AccessPlus) to Iowa State University, Treasurer's Office, 1220 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, IA 50011-2103. Payments may also be made in person by taking the personal check or certified funds to the drop box that is located behind the Student Answer Center on the ground floor of Beardshear Hall.

Credit Type - Audits and zero credit courses: Assessed according to contact hours; maximum charge for zero credit courses is three credit hours.

Credit Type - Partial credits: (.5) assessed on the next larger whole number of credits, e.g., 6.5 credits is assessed as 7 credits.

Credit Type - R credit: Assessed for the minimum fee only if no other credits are taken.

Deferred Billing Plan (payment over three months): This $20 administrative charge (fall, spring, and summer) is assessed to those students who do not pay their full tuition, room and board charges on or before August 20 for fall semester, January 20 for spring semester, and May 20 for summer session. This permits students to spread payment over three installments. The administrative fee helps defray the extra IT and mailing costs involved in carrying and billing the charges over a longer period of time, as well as the extra personnel required in the Treasurer's Office to handle the traffic involved with three tuition payments per semester instead of one.

Iowa State University offers a deferment option for employees of businesses and organizations that provide tuition reimbursement programs. To enroll in the Employer Reimbursement Deferment Plan, please complete our online form found on AccessPlus in the following location: AccessPlus>Student tab>Account/U-Bill>Empl Reimb Defer. With successful enrollment in the deferment plan prior to each semester, all applicable charges will be due 30 days after grades are presented.

A non-deferrable $35 enrollment fee will be assessed to the student U-Bill after successful enrollment into the deferment plan. Students will be responsible for payment of any non-deferred charges on their U-Bill in accordance with statement due dates.

Iowa State University employees will need to submit a tuition reimbursement request prior to the posted deadline, via AccessPlus>Employee tab>Tuition Reimburse, and obtain approval through University Human Resources. For additional information about eligibility requirements and semester application periods for the Tuition Reimbursement Program, please visit University Human Resources' website.

For more information about the Employer Reimbursement Deferment Plan, contact Holly Hohanshelt in the Accounts Receivable Office at (515) 294-4786 or hho@iastate.edu. 

Installment Payment Plan: This administrative charge is assessed to those who elect the Iowa State University Installment Plan. This plan will allow students to pay tuition, room, board, fees, and accounts receivable costs in twelve equal monthly installments. The $50 annual application fee will defray the extra IT and mailing costs associated with carrying the charges over a longer period of time, as well as the bank fees associated with the direct debit of payments.

Past Due Accounts: If students have past due accounts receivable charges prior to the beginning of classes, they may be dropped from enrollment if these past due charges are not paid by the Friday before the first day of class. Students that are subject to being dropped will be notified via their Iowa State e-mail account.

Refunds: Refunds are available for students who cancel or withdraw their registration within the appropriate time period. To cancel their registration, students must notify the Office of the Registrar before the first day of the semester to avoid tuition assessment. Beginning on the first day of the semester, it will be necessary for students to formally withdraw from the university to terminate their registration. More information about canceling registration and withdrawing from classes can be found at http://www.registrar.iastate.edu/registration/responsibilities.shtml.

Tuition adjustments for all students are made for withdrawals of registration according to the following schedule:

Withdrawal Date/Student Pays

Before first day of classes: 0%
During class days 1-5: 10%
During class days 6-10: 25%
During class days 11-15:  50%
During class days 16-20: 75%
After the twentieth day of classes: 100%

Students who wish to appeal tuition and fee assessment for withdrawals should contact the Scheduling & Fees area of the Office of the Registrar. Decisions of the Office of the Registrar will be based on the existence of extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student.

Students who wish to appeal the decision of the Office of the Registrar must do so in writing within 10 calendar days after receiving the decision. Such appeals will then be reviewed by the Tuition Appeals Review Committee. Students who wish to appeal the decision of the Tuition Appeals Review Committee may make a request to do so in writing to the Office of the Provost.

Fee refund for students with a reduction in credits below full-time: 100 percent if change is made through the 10th day of classes. No adjustment is made after the 10th day of classes. Prorated adjustments in the tuition adjustment schedule are made for summer session courses, or any courses which are less than one semester in length (79 days).

Workshop and Short Courses Refunds: Students who drop workshops or short courses of one or two weeks on or before the first class meeting receive a 100% tuition adjustment for the course. No tuition adjustment will be made after the first day of classes. Students who drop three-week courses receive a 100% adjustment if they drop on or before the first day of classes, a 90% adjustment if they drop on the second day of classes, and no adjustment after the second day of classes.

Veterans and Eligible Dependents Receiving Educational Assistance

In accordance with the requirements of the Servicemembers Improved Transition through Reforms for Ensuring Progress Act (SIT-REP Act, December 31, 2018), the University will not impose any late fee, deny access to classes or facilities, or assess any other penalty to a Veteran or eligible dependent due to a late payment from the Veterans Administration (VA).

This policy is only applicable to Veterans or eligible dependents who are receiving educational assistance under Chapters 31 (VR&E) or 33 (Post 9/11 and Fry Scholarship) of title 38, United States Code (U.S.C.). In accordance with the SIT-REP Act, students receiving VA educational benefits from Chapter 31 or 33 must provide a certification of eligibility for entitlement of educational assistance to the Office of the Registrar. Nothing in this poicy precludes the University from assessing a late fee, denial of access, or any other penalty in relation to payments due the University that are not covered under the SIT-REP Act.

For purposes of this policy, the following terms will be defined as:

• Late Fee: A financial penalty, equal to 1% of the outstanding balance, charged to discourage late payment of university bills.
• Denial of Access: To prohibit entry, participation, or attendance to an event or facility otherwise afforded to all registered students.
• Any Other Penalty: Any other fee, prohibition, or assessment levied upon a student for failure to pay required tuition and fees.