Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 Academic Catalog 
    
2012-2013 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Expenses and Financial Aid


 

Tuition and Fees for 2012–2013

Tuition $40,628
Full Meal 5,110
Room 4,504
Student Activities 376
   
TOTAL $50,618
The College reserves the right to increase the rates charged with due notice

Payment of Fees

An advance tuition deposit of $200 is required of all students. For newly admitted students, the deposit is credited to the student’s account when she or he enters Grinnell. For returning students, the deposit is prerequisite to room draw and preregistration. Notification of the due date for this payment is given to students and parents in March of each year. Students granted a leave are required to pay the deposit, which will be applied to their account on their return semester. The advance tuition deposit is nonrefundable.

After advance payments are credited to the student’s account, the remaining charges for tuition and fees are due approximately one month before the start of each term. If an account is not paid in full by those dates, the College regards the student’s account as delinquent. Students whose accounts are delinquent are not entitled to meals, room, registration, admission to classes, or issue of transcripts. Delinquent balances are subject to a monthly finance charge of 1.5 percent from the date the account is considered delinquent. Grinnell College reserves the right to recover all costs involved with the collection and/or litigation of delinquent accounts.

For parents who prefer to pay college expenses in monthly installments, the College offers an option administered by an outside agency. For further information, contact the Office of the Cashier.

Refunds

The College engages its faculty and assigns residence hall space in advance of each semester in accordance with the number of students who have signified intent to be enrolled. When students withdraw during the semester, they leave vacancies that cannot be filled. The following rules concerning refunds protect Grinnell from losses when students withdraw.

A student withdrawing from the College within the first six weeks of the semester is held responsible for tuition, room, meal plan, and other fees on a prorated basis as of the date the student withdraws. If a student withdraws after six weeks into the semester, no tuition, room, meal plan, and other fees will be refunded. The same policy applies to emergency leaves.

Tuition, room, meal plan, and other fees will not be refunded for students suspended or dismissed for academic or conduct reasons during the semester.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: After withdrawal adjustments to tuition, required fees, room, and meal option, funds are returned to payment sources in the following order:

  1. Unsubsidized FFELP loans
  2. Subsidized FFELP loans
  3. Federal Perkins loans
  4. FFELP PLUS loans
  5. Federal Pell grants
  6. Federal Academic Competitiveness grants
  7. National SMART grants
  8. Federal SEOG grants
  9. Other Title IV aid
  10. State loans
  11. State grants
  12. Private grants
  13. Institutional loans
  14. Institutional grants
  15. Other payment sources
  16. Student

A prescribed federal refund calculation governs students who receive federal Title IV financial assistance. Examples of federal refund and repayment calculations are available from the Office of the Cashier.

Meal Plan Options for 2012–2013

  1. Listed below are the meal plan options available to students living in the residence halls and their charges per year:

First-year students

A. Full Meal Plan (20 meals per week)—Meal Plan 01 $5,110

Returning/Transfer students living in residence halls

A. Full Meal Plan (20 meals per week)—Meal Plan 01 $5,110
B. Any 15 meals per week plus—Meal Plan 02 $5,110
C. Any 15 meals per week—Meal Plan 03 $4,710
D. Any 10 meals per week plus—Meal Plan 04 $4,820
  1. Students living in College-owned housing, excluding the residence halls, have a variety of options, ranging from no meal plan to the full 20 meals per week (Meal Plan 01). Meal plan options are distributed in the spring of each year for the following fall semester.
     
  2. Students living in Cowles Apartments are required to participate at a minimum in Meal Plan 6, 65 meals plus per semester, $1730 per year.
     
  3. Students living in noncollege housing off campus may purchase any meal plan option from the Office of Dining Services.

Music Fees per semester 

Studio instruction, for each area of private instruction:  
Music 120, 220 $390
Music 221, 420 $655
Studio instruction, for each area of small-class instruction:  
Music 122  $305
These fees cover individual instruction, use of the music library, use of a college musical instrument for regular practice, and use of practice room facilities.

 Special Fees

 

  • Alumni Course Fee (Grinnell College graduates are eligible to enroll for credit. Enrollment is limited to one course per semester on a “space available” basis.)
$167 per course
  • Ninth Semester Teaching Fee
$225
  • Application fee, payable on first application for admission and not refundable
$30
  • Key deposit—Room key
$50
  • Monthly finance charge for late payment of fees
1.5% / month
  • Penalty for late registration
$60
  • Tuition, auditing courses without credit, per credit (not charged to regularly enrolled students)
$41
  • Tuition, registration for more than 18 credits (except studio instruction in theatre and music and PHE 101), per credit
$1,270
  • Tuition for special students, per credit
$1,270
  • Tuition for students not in residence as regular students but doing work for credit under the supervision or instruction of a Grinnell College faculty member, per credit
$1,270

Contingent Charges

All Grinnell students make a $100 damage deposit that is separate from the advance tuition deposit and is included in the first-semester billing. The deposit is applied to any fines or outstanding bills at the end of each semester. Before registration each fall semester, students must restore the damage deposit to $100. Any unused portion of the deposit will be returned upon graduation or withdrawal from Grinnell.

Tuition and Fees for Off-Campus Study Programs

Grinnell College charges its own tuition and a handling fee for any student enrolling in an off-campus program for which the tuition and required fees are equal to or less than Grinnell’s tuition. For off-campus programs for which the tuition and fees exceed those of Grinnell, the College charges students the tuition and fees of those off-campus programs. Board, room, program fees, travel, and other miscellaneous expenses are billed according to the charges from each individual program.

The family contribution is determined by using the same federal and institutional formulas for on- campus and OCS programs.  Grinnell makes every effort to meet student’s demonstrated institutional need for off-campus study.  However, based on the comprehensive cost associated with attending an off-campus program, students may have to borrow additional funds or contribute more then they would if they remained on campus.

Tuition and Fees for Ninth Semester Teacher Certification

Tuition will be waived for those approved for the ninth semester. For those who teach full time for two years within five years following completion of the program, 50 percent of the tuition will be forgiven. For those who teach three years within five years following completion of the program, 100 percent of the tuition will be forgiven. Otherwise, the tuition will be payable on the fifth anniversary of program completion at the going rate in effect at the time of study in the ninth semester. Each student is responsible for a $225 student-teaching fee due at the beginning of the semester.

For purposes of the tuition forgiveness policy, teaching includes teaching in an accredited school; teaching experiences in Grinnell-sponsored programs such as in Nanjing, China, Nepal, and Lesotho; and in some Peace Corps programs. Students should consult with the Cashier’s Office for information about whether teaching (other than in an accredited school) will count toward fulfilling this expectation.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

In 2011–12, the College allotted more than $48 million for scholarships, grants, and other aid. Furthermore, more than 85 percent of Grinnell’s students received some type of financial assistance.

Most financial aid is awarded on the basis of need; however, need is not considered when determining a student’s eligibility for admission to Grinnell. If a student qualifies for admission, the College makes every effort to meet the demonstrated institutional financial need.

Awards are generally mailed at the time of the admission decision. The College requires admission before an award is offered. Financial aid is awarded on an annual basis and may be adjusted in subsequent years if the family’s financial situation or number of family members in college changes, the financial aid application deadline is missed, or satisfactory academic progress is not maintained.

Scholarships, Grants, Employment, and Loans

Institutional grants and scholarships form the largest part of Grinnell’s financial aid funds and are available as a result of great generosity and stewardship over many decades and involving many alumni, parents, and other friends. After your graduation, please plan to contribute financially to your alma mater so future generations of Grinnell students can also afford the wonderful education available here.

The federal and state governments also provide gift assistance to eligible students. Most of these grants are established for very high-need students.

In addition to the financial aid offered by Grinnell College, there are many private sources of scholarships, grants, and loans. Be sure to apply for outside scholarships, as they often reduce loans. Many printed and online resources are available, including: <www.fafsa.ed.gov>, <www.collegenet.com>, <www.finaid.org>, and <www.fastweb.com>.

Student jobs on campus are funded by Grinnell and the federal government. Grinnell offers jobs first to students with demonstrated financial need. Students who work eight hours a week can expect to earn about $2,200 during the academic year.

Grinnell awards educational loans primarily from the federal loan programs. These programs provide students and their parents with long-term, low-interest loans.