Tuition, Fees and Living Expenses
A catalog supplement, the Financial Information Bulletin, is issued each academic year. It provides the general authority and reference for SMU financial regulations and obligations, as well as detailed information concerning tuition, fees and living expenses. The supplement can be accessed at www.smu.edu/bursar (“Policies and Forms” link).
Continuing students registering must ensure that payment for the full amount of charges is posted to their account by the payment due date showing on their bill. The due dates are also published on the Bursar website.
Billing notifications are sent to the student’s SMU email address and to the designated authorized payer(s) email address when a bill is generated. The billing notification will provide instructions on how to view the bill online through SMUpay. If notification is not received two weeks prior to the due date, the student and/or designated authorized payer(s) should contact the Office of the University Bursar.
Payments made in person or mailed must be received by the Office of the University Bursar, located on the first floor of the Laura Lee Blanton Student Services Building, no later than 4 p.m. on the payment due date. Payments made online via electronic check or credit card must be posted no later than 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on the payment due date. Students and/or those paying on behalf of students who pay online automatically receive an electronic confirmation of payment; students and/or designated authorized payer(s) paying through other methods can also verify receipt of payment online.
Students enrolling after the payment due date must pay at the time of enrollment. Students whose accounts are not cleared by the payment due date or at the time of enrollment are subject to a late payment fee of $50 for balances between $250 and $999.99, and $150 for balances between $1,000 and $5,000. Balances more than $5,000 are charged 3 percent of the outstanding balance, not to exceed $750. Also, after the monthly payment due date has passed, a 1.5 percent past due fee will be assessed on the unpaid student and/or miscellaneous account each month until the balance is paid. The enrollment of students whose accounts remain unpaid after the payment due date may be canceled at the discretion of the University. Students are individually responsible for their financial obligations to the University.
All refunds except federal parent PLUS loans, prepayment accounts, the SMU Monthly TuitionPay Payment Plan and international wires will be made payable to the student. A credit card payment will only be refunded to the student if federal student loans have been applied to their account. International wires will be refunded by wire to the originating wire account less a $35 wire-processing fee. The PLUS loan borrower can request the refund to be processed to the student by submitting a Parent PLUS Release form, located on the Bursar website. If the refund is issued by check, the student may request, in writing, that the refund be sent to another party.
Any outstanding debts to the University will be deducted from the credit balance prior to issuing a refund. Any outstanding debts to the University that include Title IV funds must have an Authorization to Credit Account form and/or an Authorization to Credit Account Parent form on file in order to transfer funds to cover current award year debts. Students need to sign the ACA form and the federal parent PLUS loan borrower needs to sign the ACAP form.
Any outstanding debts to the University that do not include Title IV funds will be deducted from the credit balance prior to issuing a refund. All other debts should be paid directly by the student.
A student whose University account is overdue or who in any other manner has an unpaid financial obligation to the University will be denied the recording and certification services of the Office of the Registrar, including the issuance of a transcript or diploma, and may be denied readmission until all obligations are fulfilled. The Division of Enrollment Services may stop the registration, or may cancel the completed registration, of a student who has a delinquent account or debt, and may assess all attorney’s fees and other reasonable collection costs (up to 50 percent) and charges necessary for the collection of any amount not paid when due. Matriculation in the University constitutes an agreement by the student to comply with all University rules, regulations and policies.
Arrangements for financial assistance from SMU must be made in advance of registration and in accordance with the application schedule of the Division of Enrollment Services, Financial Aid. A student should not expect such assistance to settle delinquent accounts.
During the registration process, students will be prompted to read and agree to the Student Rights and Responsibilities, which provides information regarding financial rights and obligations, SMU’s Honor Code, the Code of Conduct, and the student appeals and complaints process.
Students who elect to register for courses outside of their school of record will pay the tuition rate of their school of record.
Refunds for Withdrawal from the University
Note: No refunds are made without an official withdrawal. Policies for official withdrawal, including medical and mandatory administrative withdrawal, are found under Withdrawal From the University in the Academic Records and General and Enrollment Standards section of this catalog.
Reduction of tuition and fees is determined by the effective date of the withdrawal and is based on the schedule listed in the Financial Information Bulletin, which can be accessed online at www.smu.edu/bursar (“Policies and Forms” link).
Note: For students receiving financial aid (scholarships, grants or loans), when the withdrawal date qualifies for reduction of tuition and fees charges, the refund typically will be used to repay the student aid programs first and go to the student/ family last. Further, government regulations may require that SMU return aid funds whether or not the University must reduce its tuition and fees (based on the Financial Information Bulletin); hence, a student whose account was paid in full prior to withdrawal may owe a significant amount at withdrawal due to the required return of student aid. Therefore, students who receive any financial aid should discuss, prior to withdrawal, the financial implications of the withdrawal with the Financial Aid Advising Office.
Medical withdrawals and mandatory administrative withdrawals allow a prorated refund of tuition and fees.
Payment Plan Options
SMU Monthly Payment Plan
The SMU TuitionPay Payment Plan administered by Higher One allows term charges to be paid in monthly installments. Students can enroll in a payment plan at www.tuitionpaymentplan.com/smu. Higher One consultants are available at 877-279-6092 to answer questions or help with the online enrollment process.
Annual payment plans are available in 12-month, 10-month and eight-month formats. Term payment plans are available in four-month, five-month and six-month formats. The summer payment plan is three months. Payment plan options are not available for intersession terms including JanTerm, MayTerm and August terms.
SMU Prepayment Plan
The SMU Prepayment Plan (a single payment up front for all terms) allows families to avoid the effects of tuition and fee increases by paying for two, three or four years in one single payment at the current rate of tuition and fees. Questions should be addressed to the Division of Enrollment Services, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750181, Dallas TX 75275-0181; phone 214-768-2799.
Graduate and Professional Student Aid
University grants, scholarships, fellowships and assistantships are awarded in the school or department in which the graduate student will enroll. Schools and departments that offer master’s or Ph.D. degrees offer a significant number of tuition scholarships and teaching or research assistantships each year. For more information, students should contact the appropriate school or department.
Grants and loans for Texas residents, private and federal loans, and employment programs may be available by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA may be completed online at www.fafsa.gov. The SMU Title IV school code number is 003613.
More information is available online at www.smu.edu/financial_aid.
Residence Accommodations
The University prides itself on offering a full living and learning experience for its resident students. The mission of the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing is to advance the goals and objectives of the University by creating residential communities that empower residents to value learning, citizenship and leadership. To this end, RLSH seeks opportunities to promote an intellectual culture in SMU’s residential communities that complements an already flourishing campus social culture. RLSH is responsible for residence halls, 11 Residential Commons and 10 SMU-owned Greek chapter houses. This responsibility includes making sure that facilities are well maintained and that students have opportunities to grow personally and excel academically.
Housing Policy for all Students
All incoming first-year undergraduate students are required to live on campus during their first two years at SMU. Exceptions may be granted on the basis of a financial, medical or personal hardship at the discretion of the dean of RLSH to those students from Dallas/Fort Worth who live with a parent or legal guardian in the primary residence of the parent or guardian. For housing purposes, the two years means the first two years of college. Incoming transfer students who are over the age of 16 and under the age of 20 are required to live on-campus for their first year at SMU. For 2016–2017, upperclass and graduate students are not required to live on campus but may apply on a space-available basis.
Applications for Residence
New graduate students should submit the completed application and housing license agreement to RLSH with a check or money order for $100 made payable to Southern Methodist University for the nonrefundable housing deposit. Notification of assignment will be made by RLSH. The housing license agreement is for the full academic year (fall and spring terms). Room charges for the fall term will be billed and are payable in advance of the term for students who register before August 1, and room charges for the spring term will be billed and are payable in advance of that term for students who register before December 1. Students who register after these dates must pay at the time of registration. Room charges for the full academic year will be due and payable should a student move out at any time during the school year. Accommodations for shorter periods are available only by special arrangement with RLSH before acceptance of the housing license agreement. It is important that applicants become familiar with the license agreement, as it is a legally binding document.
Graduate Residence Accommodations
The Department of Residence Life and Student Housing operates one apartment residence hall designated for graduate students. Hawk Hall, a one-bedroom-apartment facility, houses single graduate students and married students (graduate and undergraduate) with families. Families with no more than two children may be housed in Hawk Hall.
Special Housing Needs
Students having special housing needs because of a disability should contact the SMU Office of Disability Accommodations and Success Strategies in order to establish eligibility for accommodations. When applying for housing, students should also submit information to RLSH regarding a request for accommodations. DASS and RLSH will work together with the student on their specific situation to make necessary accommodations.
General Housing Information
Each apartment is equipped with a telephone, local telephone service, voice mail system and wireless Ethernet connections to the University’s computer system. All residence halls are air-conditioned and some have individually climate-controlled rooms. Washing machines and dryers are located in all residence halls. Meal plans are not required in the graduate hall. For more information, students should visit www.smu.edu/housing or contact the Department of Residence Life and Student Housing, Southern Methodist University, PO Box 750215, Dallas TX 75275-0215; phone 214-768-2407; fax 214-768-4005; housing@smu.edu.
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