Costs and Financial Assistance

Tuition and Fees

Course costs are based on the number of credits per course. All payments must be made by bank money order, postal money order, cashier’s check, personal check, Discover*, MasterCard*, VISA*, or American Express*. Only U.S. currency accepted. No cash is accepted unless it is $10 or under for official transcripts, course descriptions, etc. Costs below are current as of the publication date of this catalog and are subject to change.

*Note: Effective July 1, 2017, credit and debit card payments for educational expenses will be charged a 2.5% service fee.  To avoid this fee, consider paying online via e-check, mail check, money order or bank check or pay in person by check, money order, or bank check.

This fee is not assessed by Westfield State University, nor does the university receive any part of the service fee.  The university contracts with a third party payment processing company, CORE Business Technologies.  The fee is being charged by CORE Business Technologies to cover the cost of transaction fees assessed by credit card companies.  To learn more about the fee, visit http://www.westfield.ma.edu/tuition-financial-aid/credit-card-fee-faqs .

* Tuition waivers are based on $105.00/GR credit-tuition waiver forms must be submitted at time of registration for waiver credits; retroactive credit is not allowed
** May be waived online: www.universityhealthplans.com - excludes online courses

* Before semester starts, no refund made on $75 registration fee. After semester starts, but before first class meeting, no refund on $75 Registration Fee and $75 Educational Service Fee.

Physician Assistant Program

In addition, there will be no refunds made on the following fees after the semester begins:

Late Payment Fee, Delayed Payment Fee, and Student Identification fee.

This policy is in accordance with the 1998 Financial Aid Reauthorization Act. It will be reviewed annually by the Vice President of Finance and the Board of Trustees. This policy also is subject to change without prior written notification.

Competitive Program Deposit for Masters of Arts in Counseling, Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis, and Master of Social Work

Due to the competitive nature of these programs, we require a nonrefundable “competitive program deposit” of $150.00 within 10 days of acceptance. This deposit is used to ensure your space in the program. The deposit is applied to your first registration as a matriculated student in the Fall semester immediately following your acceptance. If we do not hear from you within 10 days, we will assume you have selected an alternate direction, and we will close your matriculation.

Installment Payment Plan

The College of Graduate and Continuing Education offers a “installment payment” plan for matriculated students that allows for payment of tuition over a period of time during the semester. Students must meet the following requirements to participate in the program:

1. Matriculation in a degree program through the Collegeof Graduate and Continuing Education.
2. Application to Installment Payment Plan and payment of processing fee (non-refundable).
3. Ability to pay within 60 days of registering into a regular semester and within three weeks into any summer semester. First payment due at time of registration & includes the $100 non-refundable fee. The remaining payments are as follows: Fall: Last Friday in September, October, and November   Spring: Last Friday in February, March and April  Summer: Midpoint in term
4. Students must follow all regulations regarding withdrawals as stated in the College’s refund and withdrawal policy, and are responsible for total payment even if students withdraw before the end of the semester and regardless of grades achieved.
5. No student may apply for the Installment Payment Plan who has been sent to a Collection Agent or placed in Administrative Withdrawal.
6. Consequences of non-payment:
   • $100 late payment fee applied to account
   • Placement in Administrative Withdrawal (no grades, transcripts or diplomas will be released and students may not register for further classes at the University until their obligation has been satisfied.)
   • Student accounts turned over to a Collection Agent will be charged an additional 20% of their unpaid balance.

Financial Aid

The primary purpose of the Financial Aid Office at Westfield State University is to assist eligible students in meeting their educational expenses through a variety of federal, state, institutional and private programs.

The Financial Aid Office serves to assist students throughout the financial aid process. For a full understanding of financial aid programs and policies please visit westfield.ma.edu/financialaid.

For additional information, call (413) 572-5218, e-mail financialaid@westfield.ma.edu.

Policies and Criteria:

· To receive financial aid, including a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan for graduate students, a student must have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file at the university.

· The FAFSA is available starting each October 1 for the following academic year. The FAFSA can be completed www.studentaid.ed.gov

· For FAFSA completion, students will need to use an FSA ID to sign the FAFSA. Students can obtain an FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.

· To be eligible for most forms of financialaid, students must be enrolled in a degree or certification granting program as a regular student and maintain a course load of half-time or more.

· To continue to be eligible for financial aid, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress towards their degree and remain in good academic standing with the university.

· To receive federal loans, students cannot be in default on any previous federal student loans.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

At the graduate and professional level of study, all Title IV eligible students, regardless of their financial need, will be eligible to receive a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan in the amount of up to $20.500 each academic year.

Students can supplement this loan with a Federal Direct Graduate Plus loan and/or private educational loans.

Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan

The Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loans allows students to borrow additional funds up to their full cost of attendance, including living expenses. To apply for a Federal Direct Graduate Plus Loan a student must go to studentloans.gov and sign in using their FSA ID.

Private Student Loans

Students can apply for additional private or alternative student loans. Most students will need a credit worthy co-signer to apply with them. We use elmselect.com and credible.com as ways to assist students in selecting a lender. The Financial Aid Office at Westfield State University does not endorse any one private educational loan lender over another and can certify eligible loans from lenders not listed on Elm Select or Credible.com

Please visit http://www.westfield.ma.edu/tuition-financial-aid/loan-programs to learn more about loan options, including Private Loan Options.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Westfield State University has developed guidelines for students to maintain or re-establish eligibility to receive financial aid. Federal regulations require that Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) measure a student’s academic progress using both quantitative and qualitative measures.

Students enrolled through the College of Graduate and Continuing Education must complete 75% of enrolled credits. Students who fail to meet this requirement at the end of the spring semester will be notified by the Financial Aid Office and will be ineligible for financial aid for the next academic year. Students who are deficient in credits may use the summer following the academic year to earn additional credits in order to meet the satisfactory progress standard.

Appeal Process

Students who experience extenuating circumstances, beyond the normal demands of student life, may submit a letter of appeal. The letter must include the following:

1. Basis of appeal

2. Why the student failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress

3. What has changed that will allow the student to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress at the next evaluation

Appeals regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress and financial aid eligibility may be submitted to the Satisfactory Academic Status Committee, attention Michael Mazeika, Director of Financial Aid. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on SAP probation for one semester and will be awarded financial aid. The financial aid award will be made on a funds-available basis. The student may be required to work with staff to develop an approach for overcoming whatever is preventing him or her from progressing academically. At the conclusion of the probationary period, the student must have regained Satisfactory Academic Progress, or have an approved plan in place, in order to receive financial aid in the subsequent

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships are awarded through the College of Graduate and Continuing Education to students who have superior academic records, are matriculated in a graduate degree program, and are registered for a minimum of six semester hours per semester (fall and spring).

There are two types of placements for graduate assistants:  Graduate Program Placements are designed to serve the needs of the University’s graduate programs, and Campus Support Placements support academic and administrative departments throughout campus.  Both types of placements are designed to contribute to the student’s academic and professional development. The duties of a Graduate Assistant may be to assist in instruction, research or administrative duties and will vary according to the department’s individual needs.

Most assistantships are full-year assistantships, and appointments are generally decided before registration for fall courses begins in July.  Infrequently there may be a spring semester assistantship available.  Half-time assistantships carry a $1,000 stipend and up to 6 credits of tuition and instructional fees per semester (5 for MSW students), and the student is required to provide 7 ½ hours of assistance to the department per week; full-time assistantships provide a stipend of $2,000 and up to 12 credits of tuition and instructional fees per semester (10 for MSW students), and the student must provide 15 hours of assistance per week to their assigned department.  Graduate Assistants pay Registration and Educational Service Fees.

Withdrawal and Refund Policy

WITHDRAWAL AND REFUND SCHEDULES:

(excludes PA program)

Withdraw and Refund Schedule for Fall and Spring (Full Term Courses):

*There are no refunds on the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

**After the semester begins, there is no refund on the following fees: non-refundable registration fee, educational service fee, late payment fee, late registration fee, installment payment plan fee, student identification fee.

Course Withdraw and Refund Schedule for accelerated Fall/Spring and Summer Sessions:

*There are no refunds on the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

Course Withdraw and Refund Schedule for accelerated Winter Session:

*There are no refunds on the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

Refunds, if any, are based on the date and time of receipt of a student’s withdrawal, regardless of registration date or attendance. All students who wish to withdraw from a course or courses must do so in writing. It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from courses or a “Failure to Withdraw” grade of “F” will result. Non-payment or non-attendance is not a withdraw.

Students may drop a course without notation on their academic record during the published add/drop period. A withdrawal after the published add/drop period requires the student to obtain the signature of the faculty member, undergraduates require their advisor signature too. A “Course Withdrawal Form” is available online and must be submitted within the published withdrawal dates as outlined in the academic calendar. Winter and Summer sessions do not have an Add/Drop period due to the accelerated format.

Choosing to withdraw is a serious matter which may adversely affect a student’s status, financial aid, veteran benefits, and degree progress. Students should consult with their course instructor, advisor, and/or respective office prior to dropping or withdrawing from a course.

For specific information see the CGCE Semester Course-Offerings Catalog published each semester.