Financial Information

Fort Valley State University receives a portion of its operating funds from state appropriations through the Board of Regents, University System of Georgia. This arrangement enables the University to offer high quality educational programs to its students at a reasonable cost. Registration for classes is considered complete only after students have paid their tuition and all general fees that are required. Students are permitted to attend classes once their financial obligations have been met. Fort Valley State University reserves the right to withhold all records (diplomas, transcripts, etc.) and/or revoke enrollment of students who fail to meet financial obligations to the University. Fees and charges may be paid by cash (Do Not Mail Cash), cashier’s check, certified check, money order, travelers check, Visa or MasterCard. Remittance should be made payable to Fort Valley State University and addressed to the Fort Valley State University, Attn: University Cashier, 1005 State University Drive, Fort Valley, GA 31030.

Enrollment Classifications

Students with an academic schedule of four or more semester hours must pay a per hour matriculation fee along with mandatory student fees. Students enrolled in fewer than four hours are not required to pay the health, activity, and transportation fees. The per hour matriculation fee is assessed up to the Board of Regents policy defining a full load of 9 semester hours.

Tuition and Fees

Because Fort Valley State University is a unit of the University System of Georgia, tuition and fee rates are set by the University System of Georgia. The University reserves the right to change its fees/charges at the beginning of any semester. It is the student’s responsibility to know the fees in effect for the semester during which he/she is enrolled. For up-to-date fee information, contact the Office of the Business and Finance.

e-Tuition – Per-credit fee charged for all fully online classes regardless of whether the student is in-state or out-of-state.

Books - The cost of books varies with the graduate program in which the student is enrolled.

Late Registration Fee -This fee is charged when students enroll after the announced enrollment date(s). A late fee of $100.00 is payable on the first day, increasing $10.00 per day on the second and each subsequent day.

Auditing Fee - Any regular student may elect an audit grading status enrollment. The fee assessment is the same as for regular enrollment status.

Transcript Fees - Students who wish to obtain copies of their academic records should direct requests to the Registrar’s Office. The student is entitled to one free transcript per academic year. Each additional transcript is $3.00, with a charge of $2.25 for the required online request. Expedited delivery is $15.50. A transcript request form is available at: http://www.fac.fvsu.edu/aa/admissions/index.htm.

Vehicle Registration - An annual fee is required for all motor vehicles operated or parked on the campus: $50.00 per semester for students.

Graduation Fee - Graduation fees for graduate students are $60.00. In the event that the applicant does not meet all degree requirements for the commencement for which the graduation fee was originally paid, the student must reapply for graduation and pay another graduation fee.

Late Graduation Application Penalty - Students who do not complete their applications for graduation by the published deadline will be assessed a penalty of $35.00 the first day and an additional $10.00 per day thereafter, not to exceed $65.00.

Post Office Box Rental - A fee of $20.00 is charged to rent a campus post office box.

Returned Check Penalties - The maker/student will be assessed $25.00 or five percent (5%), whichever is greater, for handling the returned check. If the returned check involves the payment of FVSU registration fees, a $100.00 late registration fee will be assessed.

Refund Policy

Fees will be recalculated and appropriate adjustments made for students who register and then find it necessary to add a course before the end of the schedule change period. No refund will be made for a reduction in credit hours after the schedule change period. (Students should bear this in mind when registering for Mini-mester I and the full term but also planning to take classes in Mini-mester II.) Students who formally withdraw from the University on or before the official first day of classes will be entitled to a complete refund of all registration fees.

The following regulations apply to the regular fees when formal withdrawal is approved (Section 704.04 Board of Regents Policy Manual). Students withdrawing from all courses after the official first day of classes will be entitled to a refund of the matriculation fee, non-resident fee, activity fee, health fee, and athletic fee according to the following schedule:

Enrollment is defined as the scheduled number of official class days for the semester. Refunds are based on the withdrawal date of the semester class days, not the number of times individual classes have met.

A refund of all semester non-resident fees, matriculation fees, and other mandatory fees shall be made in the event of death of a student during an academic semester. A student who officially withdraws from all classes after the first official day of classes must complete the University’s formal withdrawal procedures to obtain a refund.

Any student who wishes to withdraw from the institution must secure a withdrawal form from the College of Graduate Studies and obtain signatures from each office noted on the form, including the Business Office and the Office of Financial Aid. No refund will be made to students who drop a course. Fully online students should contact their academic advisor for instructions.

Students attending an institution for the first time who receive assistance under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended are entitled to a pro-rated refund of that portion of the tuition, fees, room and board, and other charges assessed the student by the institution equal to that portion of the period of enrollment for which the student has been charged that remains on the last day of attendance by the student up to the sixty percent (60%) point (in time) in the period of enrollment. Refund proceeds from Federal loans will be returned to the applicable lending institution per Federal regulations.

Residential Status

A Georgia Resident is a U.S. citizen who has been legally domiciled in the state continuously for a period of not less than 12 months prior to the date of registration. It is expected that the person will maintain continued residence in the state of Georgia even during periods when he/she is not enrolled at the University. Evidence that Georgia is a student’s legal residence may be provided using the following:

• Payment of Georgia income taxes;
• Payment of property (ad valorem) taxes;
• Ownership of home or real estate property;
• Long term military commitment in Georgia;
• Admission to a licensed practicing profession in Georgia.

Changing Resident Status. Students who are not legal residents of Georgia are required to pay non-resident rates (except for fully online classes). If their visas or parents’ states of legal residence change, students may file a petition for changing their residence status. The burden of proof is the student’s responsibility. The Petition for Georgia Residence Classification and supporting documentation must be filed at least one month in advance of the semester in which enrollment with a change in residence status is desired. Failure to meet this deadline does not guarantee that a decision will be made in time for registration. If the residence petition is approved, classification as a legal resident for fee payment purposes will not be retroactive to previous periods of enrollment. The Petition for Georgia Residence Classification can be obtained for the Office of Admissions.

Regents’ policies do not recognize the following as evidence of residency: voter registration card, leases for living quarters, automobile registration, addresses on driver’s licenses, in state bank accounts, or positions in which students are often employed.

Military Personnel. Fort Valley State University may waive out-of-state tuition and assess in-state tuition for military personnel and members of the Georgia National Guard, their spouses, and their dependent children stationed in Georgia and on active duty. The waiver can be retained by the military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children if the military sponsor is reassigned outside of Georgia, as long as the student(s) remain(s) continuously enrolled and the military sponsor remains on active military status.” (Board of Regents Policy Manual, Section 704.041) Note: It is advisable to request the waiver immediately upon applying.