Fee Policies

Policy on Residency for Fee Purposes

Because Missouri State is a public, state-assisted institution, the fees for Missouri residents are lower than those for non-residents. A student's residence status is determined at the time of admission according to a policy established by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education and adopted by the Missouri State Board of Governors. Current students seeking a change in their residence classification should contact the Office of Admissions. The complete policy is available on the Admissions Office web site at: www.missouristate.edu/admissions/residency.htm

My Payment Plan

Missouri State University allows students in good financial standing to make charges on their accounts for required student fees, residence hall charges, Taylor Health Center Charges, parking permits and fines, bookstore charges, library fines and other charges and pay for those charges in installments under My Payment Plan. Charges incurred for and during the Fall semester may be paid in three monthly installments beginning August 25 and ending October 25. Spring semester may be paid in three installments beginning January 25 and ending March 25. Two monthly installments may be made for Summer charges, beginning June 25 and ending July 25. Missouri State students, faculty, and staff will be allowed to use their identification numbers to charge tuition, fees, residence hall charges, and miscellaneous charges and fines, including Taylor Health and Wellness Center charges, Missouri State Bookstore charges, and library fines. If all charges for the semester are not paid by the last business day of the month in which the semester begins, a Finance Charge will be applied.

Fee payment deadlines are published in the semester Registration Guide and appear on each student's online account summary. The  tuition, fees and residence hall charges, if applicable, must be paid in monthly installments with the balance being paid in full by October 25 for the fall semester, March 25 for the spring semester and July 25 for the summer semester. Use of My Payment Plan does incur the assessment of finance charges.

The terms and conditions of My Payment Plan are available on Missouri State’s website at http://www.missouristate.edu/financialservices/deferredpaymentplan.htm. Students who violate the terms and conditions will be removed from participating and will be required to pay fees in full by the due date.

Fee Payment Guidelines

Students who have had the privilege of participating in My Payment Plan revoked by the Financial Services Office must pay full fees according to the Fee Payment Deadlines based on date of initial registration. Students may appeal to the Financial Services Office to be reinstated to My Payment Plan. Payments must be received by the Missouri State Bursar's Office, not simply postmarked by the due date specified. In addition, students who withdraw from the University will continue to owe fees if the withdrawal is not requested in writing on or before the 100 percent refund deadline for the course(s) enrolled. Refer to the "Refund Policy for Drops and Withdrawals" section below for further information. Financial aid, employee waivers, graduate assistant fee waivers and/or credit balances are not always automatically applied towards outstanding fees. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that aid or waivers are applied properly or to request a credit balance from a previous semester be applied to the appropriate fees prior to the applicable deadline(s).

Students who do not complete payment of current semester  charges by the deadline will:

1. Have their future registration(s), if any, cancelled (thereby making those classes available to other students)
2. Be removed from My Payment Plan
3. Will have a Hold placed on their record until paid

Fee Payment Methods

Policies Regarding Payment of Fees

The purpose of this section is to inform students of the actions which may be taken when fees assessed by the University are not paid in a timely fashion.

All charges assessed by the University are due and payable within 30 days of the date the debt was incurred. If a student makes payment by check and that check is not honored by the student's bank, the student will be notified and must make restitution within ten days from receipt of notification.

When a student has unpaid charges which are over 30 days past due or has otherwise failed to make satisfactory arrangements for the settlement of a University account, the University may: place an encumbrance on the student's record which will prevent registration for future semesters and the release of transcripts and diplomas, as well as access by the student to other University services except where an emergency medical situation may exist; offset the student's payroll checks (for student employees) or refunds issued through University offices until the debt is repaid; assess a late registration fee (when a check for required student fees is not honored by the student's bank); remove the student from University housing; and/or disenroll the student. Failure to repay short-term loans by the specified date could make a student ineligible for future financial assistance. Charges which remain unpaid after an extended period of time may be reported to the Credit Bureau of Springfield for credit reporting and collection purposes. The reported data are compiled on the debtor's permanent credit file. Past due charges may also be reported to the Missouri Department of Revenue to be offset against the debtor's Missouri income tax refund.

Inquiries regarding unpaid charges should be directed to: Financial Services Office, Missouri State, 901 South National, Springfield, Missouri 65897, phone (417) 836-5632.

Should a student feel that a notification of indebtedness is incorrect, the student may submit a written appeal, citing the grounds for the appeal, through the Vice President for Student Affairs Office within ten school days from the date of notification.

Refund Policy for Drops and Withdrawals

Students who withdraw from the University or drop a course may receive a partial refund of tuition (or a change in their fee assessment if all fees have not been paid) provided they complete the formal drop or withdrawal process by the established deadlines appropriate to the length or delivery method of the class. Students who are enrolled in the My Payment Plan are responsible for the amount of unpaid fees after the refund or re-assessment.

If a student receives a scholarship, grant, or loan from the University the refund is used to repay the scholarship, grant, or loan. A refund is made to the student only if the refund exceeds the amount of the award from the University. For students who are recipients of Federal Title IV student aid, refunds will be made in accordance with all applicable federal regulations. Examples of refund calculations for Title IV aid recipients are available in the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Refer to the "Academic Regulations" section of this catalog for information regarding the drop and withdrawal policies and procedures.

The date used in determining the refund of fees shall be the date the student completes the transaction online or submits an official withdrawal request to the Office of the Registrar or the postmark date of withdrawal requests submitted by mail. If a student drops or withdraws from a full semester length class prior to the ninth week, the refund shall be of follows:

• On or before the fifth day of the semester: 100% of Basic Fees-Tuition
• Days 6 through 10 of the semester: 75% of Basic Fees-Tuition
• Days 11 through 20 of the semester: 50% of Basic Fees-Tuition
• Days 21 through 40 of the semester: 25% of Basic Fees-Tuition
• After the 40th day of the semester: No refund

Refunds for all other class lengths including the summer session are proportionate to the length of the above refund periods. Specific dates and deadlines are published in the semester Registration Guides.

Student Services Fees are not refunded based on a percentage of the amount paid. Rather, students are responsible for the liable billing hours (i.e., the hours in which they remain enrolled.)

Note: Students who drop courses during the Change of Schedule period will  receive a credit on their account in accordance with the Required Student Fee Refund Schedule. Because courses are not supposed to be added after the Change of Schedule period, dropped courses and added courses (including section changes) will result in an additional financial obligation for the student. Exceptions may be granted when the department of the course(s) dropped and added provides written verification to the Office of the Registrar stating that the change was required or recommended by the department.

Student Appeals for Exceptions to the Fee Refund Policy

Appeals must be submitted in writing to the Office of Registrar, 320 Carrington Hall, and must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation.  A Refund Exception Form is available in PDF format on the Office of the Registrar web site.  Appeals must meet one or more of the following criteria to be considered and approved:

• Written documentation of an illness, accident, injury or situation that could not be influenced, planned for, or prevented by the student or the institution and which subsequently caused a change in the student’s enrollment, thus changing the assessment. 

• Written documentation of substantiated circumstances involving deadlines where a student has in good faith relied on information provided by a named University official, or the official’s interpretation of the text of a University document or publication, and was consequently misled or mistaken about its terms.
• In individual cases and when it is in the best interest of the student and the institution, the Refund Exception Committee may grant an exception that is not deemed to be served appropriately by the exception criteria stated elsewhere in this document. 

Students should review the complete guidelines before submitting an appeal for an exception to the refund policy.

Courses which are offered through the Missouri State Online Program (Internet-based instruction) and are self-paced or off-sequence in regard to the regular semester schedule will utilize a special refund schedule adapted to the specific time frames of the individual courses. The administrators of the online program will maintain a refund schedule and authorize refunds for such courses.

Courses in the Master of Science in Computer Information Systems program, which combine an intensive on-campus residency and distance learning in an extended semester format, will utilize a special refund schedule adapted to the specific time frames of the individual courses. The College of Business Administration will maintain the refund schedule and authorize refunds for such courses.