Tuition and Fees

Office: Student Account Services 

Location: Lucas Administrative Center 235

Telephone: 859-572-5204

Fax: 859-572-6087

Email Address: studentaccountservices@nku.edu

Web Address: http://studentaccountservices.nku.edu

Director: Brandon Billiter

Other Key Personnel:

Associate Director of Student Account Services: Jessica Brooks & Kristine West

The Office of Student Account Services is responsible for assessment and collection of student tuition and fees. Hours are subject to change as necessary and are posted outside the office and on the Student Account Services website.

Please visit the website for complete tuition information. Students should be certain to note that there are different tuition classifications for graduate students: resident, metro, and nonresident rates. There also are different rates for specific programs or sites.

Information about fees is included on the Student Account Services website. Below is a list of some of the fees that students may encounter after enrolling at NKU:

• Course fees - Information concerning specific class fees can be found by clicking the class fee list under the Course Fees section on the Tuition and Fees page (http://studentaccountservices.nku.edu/tuition.html).
• NKU Installment Plan enrollment fee - $90 Enrollment fee for 4 payment Installment Plan each fall and spring semester for those that enroll in the plan.
• Account maintenance fees - Any outstanding balances at the end of each month will be assessed a 1.5 percent account maintenance fee.
• Returned check fee - Students whose E-check or payment gets returned by their bank to Student Account Services as unpaid will be charged a fee.
• Graduation Application fee - Students are charged a fee at the time they apply to graduate.
• Commuter Meal Plan Fee - All graduate students that are not enrolled in an online program and are enrolled in 6 or more credit hours are charged a mandatory commuter meal plan fee each fall and spring semester.
• Campus recreation fee - All students are charged an additional, per credit hour student recreation center fee as approved by the Student Government Association and NKU’s Board of Regents.

Due Dates

Tuition, housing and fees are due the first day of each semester.  If you register for a course after the initial tuition due date, that tuition is due upon registration.

Note: Accelerated Online Majors tuition is due in full at the beginning of the first session for all courses registered for that semester.  If you decide to register for the second or third session later in the semester, then tuition payment is due when that session begins. Due to the brevity of the sessions, Accelerated Online students are not eligible for the NKU Installment Plan. 

Please refer to Accelerated Online Major Students Only FAQ’s website located at https://inside.nku.edu/studentaccountservices/faq/online-program.html.  There are billing-related issues specifically for the AP online majors that are addressed on the website.   

Registration Agreement

By registering for classes, you (the student) enter into a legally-binding contract to pay all tuition and fees, including any non-refundable fees.  Please refer to the NKU Registration Agreement - Terms and Conditions, which is acknowledged by acceptance upon class registration, at the following website: http://studentaccountservices.nku.edu/agreement.html. 

Account Statements

Account statements are sent to the student’s NKU email address. Account statements are not sent via the U.S. Postal Service.. Students should be sure to regularly check their NKU email accounts. Failure to read the email statement does not relieve the student of the financial obligation to the university.

Payment Methods

1. Online via myNKU - Biller Direct Tab: E-Check Payments (No Fee) and Credit Cards (VISA, Master Card, AMEX and Discover) Accepted (2.5% service fee)
2. By Mail - Student Account Services, 5320 Campus Drive AC 235, Highland Heights, KY 41099.
3. In Person - The office is located on the second floor of the Lucas Administrative Center. Credit card payments are not accepted in the office. We can only accept $2,500 in cash each semester.

NKU Installment Plan

Students have the option of enrolling into the NKU Installment Plan each fall and spring semester. Students must enroll themselves on MyNKU each semester that they wish to participate.

The NKU Installment Plan splits the semester balance due into 4 payments. The $90 Installment Plan enrollment fee is non-refundable and due with the first installment. Any changes to charges or financial aid will affect the monthly installments. Students must decide whether or not they are opting in by that semester’s tuition due date.

NOTE:  The NKU Installment Plan is not available for Accelerated Online Students.

Cancellation of Classes for Non-payment

Drop for non-payment is the administrative process by which students are unenrolled from classes when they do not fulfill their financial obligation to the university for an academic term.

How to avoid being dropped for Non-Payment

1. Pay full balance by the initial due date OR sign up for the NKU Installment Plan, if eligible.
2. Complete financial aid process and have sufficient estimated financial aid approved and displayed on the student account statement to cover full balance.
3. Pay any past semester balance prior to the start of the next semester.

Past Due Notices

Any student whose bill is not paid before the end of the month will be sent a past due notice to his or her NKU email address.  If the account remains unpaid after the student has completed that semester’s courses, the student will receive a final warning letter at the student’s standard address on file with the Registrar as well as at their NKU email address. This is the final warning to a student before the account is turned over to a professional collection agency. Students should make necessary financial arrangements with the Student Account Services Office before an account is turned over to a collection agency because additional fees are incurred once the account is turned over for collection.

Collections

The student is responsible for all outstanding debts and contracts with the University, including but not limited to institutional charges for tuition & fees, room & board, parking citations and registration, library fines, course books, insurance, class resource materials etc. The University reserves the right to assess financial penalties on any indebtedness. By accepting the Registration Agreement, the student agrees to reimburse NKU the fees of any collections agency (regional or state), which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 33.3% of the debt; all fees, costs and expenses, including attorney’s fees that NKU may incur in such collection efforts on my behalf.  Any past due accounts may be referred to an outside collection agency which could result in such fees for collection.  Any accounts sent to collection are assessed a collection fee on their full unpaid balance and are reported as a delinquent account to the credit bureaus. If the account remains unpaid at the collection agency, the account will be sent to the Kentucky Department of Revenue for collection.

Refunds

7-Day Hold

All refunds are subject to a maximum 7-day hold before disbursement. This period is used to ensure that funds have been received by the university, allow for adjustments, and ensure accuracy of the refund being disbursed. Students who fail to receive a refund within seven days should contact Student Account Services Office at 859-572-5204.

Refund Calculations

Any refund is subject to the last day to cancel classes and receive tuition refunds for each term as published on the NKU academic calendar on the Registrar website.  A reimbursement of some or all tuition depends on when a student drops a class, or several classes, and whether the student adds other classes. Refunds are calculated based on the number of financially equivalent hours, not academic hours. This means that a student who drops and adds the same number of credits does not necessarily end up with the same tuition bill as he or she would have gotten for the initial set of courses. For example, if a student originally had 15 credit hours and dropped 5 credit hours during the 50 percent tuition adjustment period, the student would be charged for 12.5 hours (15 credits less half of 5 credits = 12.5 credits). If the student added five credits at the same time, the student would be charged for 17.5 hours. The formula to determine financial equivalent hours follows:

Previous academic hours - (dropped hours * tuition adjustment percent) + added hours = financial equivalent hours charged.

To determine refund eligibility, calculate:

New tuition charge - previous tuition charge = difference.

If the difference is negative, the student is due a refund; if the difference is positive, the student owes money to the university.

Direct Deposit

Students are encouraged to use their checking account to sign up for direct deposit to receive refunds. In myNKU, click on  Manage Bank Accounts, Add Accounts, Enter Bank Account Details, check box for Account to Refund, click Review, click Confirm. Full instructions are available on the Student Account Services website. Direct deposit refunds are processed three times per week.

1098-T

NKU now electronically provides students with the Internal Revenue Service required 1098-T Tuition Statement form. The electronic 1098-T form may be used for all income tax purposes and is sanctioned by the Internal Revenue Service. The 1098-T form will be available for viewing and printing from myNKU online portal system on or before January 31st of the year following the tax year reported.  Students will receive an e-mail notification each January when the electronic 1098-T form is available. Electronic delivery will remain in effect each year unless the student opts out and specifically requests a hard copy by emailing studentaccountservices@nku.edu. 

Tuition Reimbursement for Employed Students

In order to comply with federal regulations surrounding Truth-in-Lending disclosures, Northern Kentucky University does not have an Employer Reimbursement Plan. If a student is receiving tuition reimbursement from their employer, the student will initially be responsible for paying the first semester up front through a variety of options (i.e. government loans by filing the FAFSA, alternative loans, savings, etc.) or any combination of these and other financial resources. Once they complete their first semester, they can use the reimbursement that they receive from their employer to pay for the next semester, and continue this process for subsequent semesters until the final employer reimbursement is made, at which time those funds can go to pay off any loans that were taken out and/or replenish any savings that were depleted to fund the first semester. At the end of each semester, the employer will usually ask for a copy of an account statement indicating the balance has been paid and by what means. The student may print off their account statement via their myNKU account, click on Tuition and Payment Statement. To avoid any additional fees, the balance will need to be paid in full by the tuition due date each semester. Students are automatically enrolled in the NKU Installment Plan if they have not paid their account balance by the tuition due date.

Matriculated Student Tuition Policy

NKU students enrolled in an undergraduate program of study will be charged for all classes at the undergraduate rate. NKU students enrolled in graduate programs of study (including provisional) will be charged for all classes at the graduate rate. NKU students dually enrolled in two different degree level programs of study (i.e. undergraduate and graduate or graduate and professional) will be charged at the highest degree level of courses registered. NKU students enrolled in the law program of study will be charged law program rates for all courses registered. Any NKU student changing their primary enrolled program after the published full session drop/add period for that term will be charged for that semester at the original enrolled program of study rate: i.e. undergraduate program to graduate program, graduate program to undergraduate program, as well as graduate program to professional program, professional program to graduate program.

Financial Audit

All student account activity is subject to financial audit at any time. If the result of an audit indicates a change is needed, it may include an administrative adjustment. This could result in the student owing the university more money, or it may result in the student receiving a refund, depending on the outcome of the audit. 

Financial Assistance

Approved financial assistance is applied directly to a student’s account. If the assistance is not showing, the student should contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 859-572-5143 or toll free at 888-225-4499 or by email at ofa@nku.edu.

Students who fail to have their financial aid in estimate status and viewable on the student’s myNKU account when the semester begins will be responsible for paying their bill and will later receive their financial aid as a reimbursement.

Third-Party Billing

Students who have a tuition sponsor (such as an embassy, government program, or any other agency/business outside Northern Kentucky University) billed on behalf of or for all their tuition and fees must provide an official authorization.

The official authorization:

• Must be on agency letterhead
• Must have an official signature
• Must include the billing address of the sponsor
• Contain the name and phone number of a contact person
• Specify the length of the sponsorship
• Specify what fees or portion of fees the sponsor will pay

Once the documentation is provided, the student account will be credited and the sponsor will be billed directly.  If authorization is not received, the student will be required to make the full payment by the due date.

Note: Changes to the student’s schedule may affect the authorized payment amount. A student should contact Student Account Services immediately if changes to the schedule affect the tuition and fees charged.

Veterans’ Benefits

Students eligible for veterans’ educational benefits should contact the Veterans’ Resource Station in University Center Room 131, 859-572-7867 or at veteransresource@nku.edu prior to registration.

Official Withdrawal from the University

When a student determines that he or she will NOT be attending NKU for the upcoming semester, the student must drop all of his or her classes through the myNKU portal adhering to all academic calendar deadlines. It is recommended that the student complete the Formal Withdrawal Request form on the registrar’s office website.

IF THE STUDENT DOES NOT OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM THE UNIVERSITY, THE STUDENT MAY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL TUITION AND FEES AND MAY ALSO RECEIVE FAILING GRADES FOR COURSES IN WHICH THE STUDENT IS CURRENTLY REGISTERED.

Academic Common Market

The Academic Common Market is a cooperative tuition-reduction agreement among 16 Southern Regional Education Board states. The program allows Kentucky students who are interested in an academic program not offered at a public/state-funded university in Kentucky to pay in-state tuition at participating public/state-funded colleges and universities. The list of programs included in the ACM is revised periodically to reflect the changing needs and offerings of participating states. The 16 states that participate in the ACM are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida (graduate-level only), Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina (graduate-level only), Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (graduate-level only), Virginia, and West Virginia. For more information, contact: Academic Common Market Institutional Coordinator, Founders Hall 508, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, KY 41099, 859-572-6578 or the Council on Postsecondary Education, Kentucky ACM Coordinator, Frankfort, KY 40601, 502-573-1555.