Student Expenses

Full-Time Tuition and Fees for 2023-2024

The below tuition and fees are based on a full time (12-16 credits) student with double occupancy in a residence hall and the 21 meal plan. Room and board rates vary; options are listed on Business Services’ Cost of Attendance page.

Part-Time Tuition and Fees for 2023-2024

• 9-11 credits: $1,460 per credit
• 5-8 credits: $1,050 per credit
• 1-4 credits: $620 per credit
• Activity fee for students with 6 or fewer credits: $75

Other Fees

• Tuition beyond 16-credit load: $620
• Enrollment Deposits:
  • Refundable upon graduation or withdrawal from the college if all other fees and charges have been paid in full
  • Degree-seeking students: $300
    • Students who register for fall or spring semester and subsequently non-return will forfeit the deposit
    • Students who do not enroll will forfeit the deposit
    • Failure to complete a non-return form by the end of the fourth week of the succeeding semester will result in the forfeiture deposit. Financial impacts of withdrawing are listed in the Withdrawal section below. Procedures for withdrawing or non-returning are listed on the Academic Policies  page.
  • Non-degree-seeking students: $100
• Orientation fee for incoming students: $120
• FOCUS program fee: $550
• International program fee: $215
• Certain classes require payment of fees to cover the costs of special materials, travel and activities provided during instruction. These fees generally range from $50 to $550 per class and are in addition to the general tuition and fees.

Notices Regarding Expenses and Refunds

Cost of courses dropped before the drop/add deadline for the term will be refunded. After the drop/add deadline, and up to 10 weeks into the semester, courses can only be withdrawn from for a W grade and no refund will be issued.

Changes of board plans can be made through the first week of class. Changes after the first week of class will be considered with dietitian and/or physician recommendations.

Hope College reserves the right to increase tuition, room, board and fees at any time.

Payment of Bills & Late Payment Fees

All bills are due and payable in advance of the beginning of each semester. All student bills will be available in CashNet and plus.hope.edu. Email notification of when a new bill is available will be sent to the student, and students will have the option to set up notifications for their parent(s) or other trusted, authorized persons by providing their email address. A late payment fee will be added to accounts not paid in full by August 29, 2023 for the fall semester and by January 8, 2024 for the spring semester:

• $1,001 to $2,000 balance: $50
• $2,001 to $3,000 balance: $75
• $3,001 or more balance: $100

In accordance with standard practice at colleges and universities, students are required to make satisfactory arrangements with Business Services for the settlement of all financial obligations before final examinations, graduation diplomas, the issuance of transcripts, or registration for a succeeding term. A service charge of 1.5% per month (annual percentage rate of 18%) will be added to the unpaid balance of the accounts of all students who are no longer enrolled at Hope College.

Hope College offers a payment plan to assist you in managing your payments. This plan allows you to make five monthly payments each semester. The enrollment fee is $25 per semester.

Withdrawal from Hope College

Hope College has established a refund policy for all students who find it necessary to totally withdraw from the college. Withdrawing from college has, among other factors, important financial considerations for a student to be aware of. A withdrawal may affect the amount of charges a student will be responsible to pay and the amount of financial aid a student receives.

To initiate the withdrawal process and determine the financial implications, a student must complete a Withdrawal Form. Contact Business Services if you have questions regarding the financial aspects of full withdrawal. Policies and procedures regarding withdrawing are listed on the Academic Policies  page.

Contractual arrangements are made in advance with members of the faculty and staff, and other provisions for education and residence, to accommodate each registered student for a full academic year. Should a student withdraw before the end of a semester the following refund policies will apply:

ROOM CHARGES - Housed students who non-return by the full-semester course drop/add deadline (posted on the Academic Calendar) will be given a 75% credit of room charges. Students who withdraw from the college after that date will be responsible for the full cost of their room for the entire semester. Prorated adjustments will be granted only to those students who officially withdraw for reasons of health.

BOARD CHARGES for students officially withdrawing from the college will be prorated.

TUITION CHARGES for students who officially withdraw from college, or are suspended, will be credited as shown in the table below.

FINANCIAL AID - The term “refund” in conjunction with financial aid under this section is defined as the cancellation of unearned financial aid and the return of these funds to the source.

Fall Semester 2023 Refund Dates

• August 29 - September 6: 100%
• September 7-13: 80%
• September 14-20: 60%
• September 21-27: 40%
• September 28 - October 4: 20%
• After October 4: No Refund

Spring Semester 2024 Refund Dates

• January 8-17: 100%
• January 18-24: 80%
• January 25-31: 60%
• February 1-7: 40%
• February 8-14: 20%
• After February 14: No Refund

Federal Title IV Student Financial Aid

The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 mandate the formula for calculating the amount of aid a student and school may retain when a student withdraws from all classes during a semester. In general, a student “earns” disbursed federal financial aid awards in proportion to the number of days in the semester prior to the student’s complete withdrawal. If a student completely withdraws from school or fails to earn a passing grade in at least one class during a semester, the school must calculate, according to a specific formula, the portion of the total disbursed financial assistance that the student has earned and is therefore entitled to retain, until the student withdraws. If a student receives (or the college receives on the student’s behalf) more assistance than the student earns, the unearned funds must be returned to the applicable federal aid program. Students who initiate a complete withdrawal and have not completed the federal verification process will be ineligible to receive any Title IV financial aid.

Students who withdraw prior to completing more than 60% of an enrollment period will have their eligibility for federal aid recalculated based on the percent of the term completed. Students who withdraw after completing 60% will not undergo any federal aid recalculation. Students who fail to earn a passing grade in at least one class are considered unofficial withdrawals and will have their federal aid recalculated based on 50% of the term completed.

1. This policy applies to all students who completely withdraw (officially or unofficially), dropout, or are expelled from Hope College and receive financial aid from Title IV funds:
   1. Federal Title IV Student Financial Aid consists of Federal Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans, Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), and TEACH Grants. For the purposes of this policy, it does not include Federal Work Study(FWS).
   2. A student’s withdrawal date is:
      1. The date the student began the withdrawal process
      2. The midpoint of the period of enrollment for unofficial withdrawals or a student who leaves without notifying the College or
      3. The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity
2. Prorated adjustments on all institutional charges, including tuition & fees, will be calculated using the College Refund policy.
3. Title IV aid is earned on a prorated basis up to and including the 60% point in the semester. After the 60% time of attendance is reached, Title IV aid is viewed as 100% earned.
   1. The percentage of Title IV aid earned is calculated as follows:
      
      Number of days completed by student= Percent of Term Completed
      
      Total number of days in Term*
      
      The percent of term completed is the percentage of Title IV aid earned by the student
      
      *The total number of calendar days in a term of enrollment includes weekends and breaks less than five days, but excludes any scheduled breaks of more than five days.
   2. The percentage of Title IV aid unearned (i.e., to be returned to the awarding program)shall be 100% minus the percent earned.
   3. Unearned aid shall be returned first by Hope College from the student’s account calculated as follows:
      1. Total institutional charges X percent of earned aid = amount returned to the program(s)
      2. Unearned Title IV aid shall be returned to the programs in the following order:
         1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
         2. Federal PELL Grant
         3. Federal Direct Loan
         4. Federal SEOG
         5. Federal Perkins Loan
         6. Federal Direct PLUS Loan
         7. Other Federal programs
            
            NOTE: No program can receive a refund if the student did not receive a disbursement from that program.
   4. When the total amount of unearned aid is greater than the amount returned by Hope College from the student’s account, the student is responsible for returning unearned aid to the appropriate program(s) as noted in section (c.)
4. Adjusted statements will be sent to the student’s permanent address on file. Students are responsible for any remaining portion of their institutional charges after Title IV funds are returned. Credit balances will be paid to the student within 14 days after the adjustments are posted.
5. College and student responsibilities for the return of Title IV funds.
   1. Hope College is responsible for:
      1. providing each student with the information given in this policy
      2. identifying students who are affected by this policy and completing the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for each student and returning any Title IV funds that are due the Title IV programs
   2. The student is responsible for:
      1. becoming familiar with the Return of Title IV policy and how complete withdrawal affects the eligibility of Title IV financial aid
      2. returning to the Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible to have received via the Return of Title IV Funds calculation
6. The fees, procedures and policies listed above supersede those previously published and are subject to change at any time
7. Students who are making a complete withdrawal during a semester must complete a Withdrawal Form (obtained at the Office of the Registrar)

State of Michigan Aid

Michigan Competitive Scholarship or Tuition Grant

If a student withdraws and is eligible for a full tuition refund, any Michigan Competitive Scholarship or Tuition Grant award will be canceled. If the student is eligible for a partial refund, his/her award will be reduced based on the percent of the tuition and activity fee originally paid by the award.

Hope College Grants, Scholarships & Outside Scholarships

A student will retain a percentage of all other financial aid based on the following formula:

• 100% - (% of tuition credited) = % of aid to be retained
• Outside scholarships will be refunded to the agency that provided the funds
• Examples of financial aid recalculations due to early withdrawals can be requested by contacting Business Services