Student Account Billing Process

  • Timing
    • Tuition set up for the upcoming semester typically begins approximately one month prior to registration.  Tuition charges will appear on the student account when the tuition calculation feature is turned on in Campus Connection:  Fall = late-July (after the start of the new fiscal year), Spring = late-November , Summer = mid-April.

      Non-tuition related charges such as dormitory, meal plans, parking permits, and books will appear shortly before the start of the semester.  The rates for each of these services will be published on each department’s respective webpage months before the start of the semester (e.g. dormitory rate are established annually).  

      Most charges are directly related to student activity.  For example, tuition and student fees directly correlate to the student’s registration activity in Campus Connection and bookstore charges are the result of purchases made at the NDSU Bookstore.

  • Differential Tuition
    • Colleges charging differential tuition can expect to receive from C.A.S. in the fall and spring semesters a roster of students being charged at the higher rate.  The College is expected to review this student list for accuracy and notify the Office of Registration & Records of any discrepancies prior to fourth week census.

      In order for differential tuition to be charged to a specific major, the appropriate plan code (e.g. MS-BME) must be tied within Campus Connection to the differential tuition structure.  The differential tuition rate is not associated to the student’s assigned college – it is strictly based on the plan code.  For this reason, it is C.A.S. will reach out to various department contacts periodically to request that the plan code list tied to the differential tuition rate be reviewed for accuracy.  Departments may feel free to contact our office at any time to request an updated copy of their list to review.

  • Program Plan (i.e. Major) Changes
    • A student’s tuition charges directly correlate to their declared program and plan.  Changes made to the student’s program/plan that are made prior to the semester start will be effective in that semester, however, changes made mid-semester may not go in to effect until the following term.  Program/plan changes may be facilitated by the student via their advisor (https://www.ndsu.edu/advising_resource_center/how_to_change_majors/) or by the College when the student is accepted in to their professional program. 

  • Multiple Majors
    • Students with multiple declared majors will be billed at a single tuition rate.  This tuition rate will be charged on all credits; tuition is not charged by class.  If one of the declared majors is within a college that has been approved to charge differential tuition, the differential rate will be charged.  In instances where both declared majors are within colleges assigned differential tuition, the greater of the two will be charged.  

  • Multiple Careers
    • Students enrolled in multiple careers (e.g. both undergraduate and graduate) may be billed separately for each and the tuition cap does not apply.

  • Tuition Waivers
    • Students may be awarded a tuition waivers which apply directly towards their tuition charges and reduce their personal financial responsibility.  Tuition waivers cannot pay housing or miscellaneous charges.  Each waiver has specific and unique eligibility criteria and are either SBHE-mandated, required by statute, or at the discretion of the University.  Department-specific tuition waivers are funded by the department.  Additional information may be found here:  https://www.ndsu.edu/onestop/tuition-waivers

  • Course Fees
    • With the implementation of a new tuition model in Fall 2018 semester, most course fees were eliminated.  A list of the remaining and allowable course fees may be found below. 

      Equine

      Field/Study Trips

      Study Abroad

      Student Teaching Practicums

      Music Lessons

      Aviation

  •  What is a course fee?  A unique and supplementary fee charged to all students enrolled in a specific course.  The fee provides funding to the department to offset the added costs associated with providing this extraordinary experience to the student.  
  • NDSU departments should contact Customer Account Services to:
    • Add a new course fee,
    • Request changes to an existing course fee,
    • Delete an existing course fee, or
    • Temporarily suspend a fee.

    All of the above actions will require documentation and approval, including signatures from the Department Head, Dean, and/or Provost, and should be completed several months in advance to the start of the semester.  Please contact Customer Account Services to request the appropriate forms for these changes.  Copies of course fee approvals will be stored by Customer Account Services and our office will set up the fees in Campus Connection each semester. 

  • Departments that have received approval to charge a course fee will be sent a list of course fees to be charged in the upcoming semester to review for accuracy.  This list is based on a query from Campus Connection.  Course fees will not appear as active on the query if the associated class is set up differently than the course fee in Campus Connection.  For example, if a course fee is created with Component=LEC but it is changed to Component=FLD in a later semester the fee will stop being automatically charged.  For this reason, it is important that departments notify C.A.S. of any changes to class set up or if any anticipated fees do not appear on the query.

  • Field trips broadly fall into three categories:
    • Mandatory field trips that are part of the class curriculum, as depicted on the syllabus, that are charged to all students enrolled in the class.

      Optional field trips offered to select groups of students (e.g. class groups, student organizations) where participation is not required.  Fees are not charged via the student account and may be collected by alternative means such as Marketplace. 

      Study abroad trips are facilitated by the International Student and Study Abroad Services department.  Select sections of specific classes are marked as Study Abroad and the associated course fees charged reflect the actual cost of the program.  Only student that are approved to participate in the Study Abroad program are allowed to enroll in these classes/sections.

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