Tuition and Fees

Notice of Possible Changes

All tuition charges and fees listed herein, or in any registration material issued by The Graduate Center, are subject to change by action of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York without prior notice. In the event of any increase in tuition charges and fees, payments already made to The Graduate Center will be treated as a partial payment, and notification will be given of the additional amount due and the time and method of payment. The University regrets any inconvenience this may cause.

Payment Schedule

Full payment of tuition and fees is due by the first day of classes. Charts outlining the tuition rate and a list of fees are below. All payments are to be made to the Bursar. Make checks payable to CUNY Graduate Center. Checks, cash, and money order payments may be made in person at the Bursar’s Office. Online payments can be made via electronic check. Credit card payments can be made through Nelnet and are subject to a service fee.

Warning Regarding Bounced Checks or Nonpayment

If a check tendered to any unit of the City University in payment of any obligation is not honored by the bank upon which it is drawn, a reprocessing fee of $20 will be assessed.

If students do not make full payment on their tuition and fees and other college bills and their account is sent to a collection agency, they will be responsible for all collection costs, including agency fees, attorney fees, and court costs, in addition to whatever amounts they owe the college. In addition, nonpayment or a default judgment against the student’s account may be reported to a credit bureau and reflected in the student’s credit report.

Tuition Rates: Doctoral Students (and nonmatriculated students)

Notes to Tuition Rate Tables: Doctoral Students

*A student may attain full-time status for financial-aid purposes either by registering for a minimum of 7 academic units or by receiving certification for an equivalent academic commitment composed, in part or entirely, of Weighted Instructional Units (WIUs), which are assigned for such activities as teaching, exam preparation, and research. Level I doctoral students whose combined total of course credits and WIUs is 7 or greater are required to pay full-time tuition. Note: Should an academic program deem it necessary for a student to register for a course on an audit basis as part of the student’s required course of study toward the degree, WIUs shall be added, which will be applied toward the calculation of the student’s financial aid and tuition. Additionally, the student will incur a tuition charge, based upon the credit value of the audited course, in accordance with Graduate Center billing rules.

**Movement to Level III tuition status results from advancement to candidacy. The Advancement to Candidacy Form must be executed by the head of the student’s program and filed in the Registrar’s Office by the end of the third week of classes for verification. Level III students registered for courses for credit (with the exception of 90000-level courses) will be charged $530 per credit for New York State residents and $905 per credit for nonresidents; no charges will be imposed for courses registered as audits.

Tuition Rates: Master’s Students

Regulations of The City University of New York require master’s students to be registered in the semester during which they are taking any language or qualifying examinations and in the semester preceding graduation. If all course work was completed before the graduation semester or if students wish only to sit for an exam during a specific semester, students must register to maintain matriculation. Master’s students enrolled in 9 or more credits are considered full-time students.

Applicable to all students admitted before Fall 2018 and students in the following programs regardless of admission date: M.A. in Biography and Memoir, M.A. in Classics, M.A. in Comparative Literature, M.A. in Linguistics, M.A. in Philosophy, M.A. in Political Science, M.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies.

Out-of-State Residents

Applicable to all students admitted Fall 2018 or later in: M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience, M.A. in International Migration Studies, M.A. in Liberal Studies, M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, M.S. in Data Science, M.S. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, M.S. in Data Analysis and Visualization, M.A. in Digital Humanities.

Out-of-State Residents

University Fees

Doctoral and Master’s Application Fee $75.00
Readmission Fee $20.00
Student Activities Fee $42.20*
Technology Fee (per semester), $125.00 (full time) / $62.50 (part time)
University Consolidated Services Fee (per semester) $15.00
Late Registration Fee $25.00
Late Payment Fee $15.00
Change of Course Fee $18.00
Transcript of Record Fee $7.00
Duplicate Receipt Fee $5.00
Duplicate ID Card Fee $10.00
Duplicate Diploma Fee $30.00
Returned Check Fee $20.00

Academic Excellence Fee $100/credit: Applicable to all students admitted Fall 2018 or later in: M.S. in Cognitive Neuroscience, M.A. in International Migration Studies, M.A. in Liberal Studies, M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies, M.S. in Data Science, M.S. in Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences, M.S. in Data Analysis and Visualization, M.A. in Digital Humanities.

*The student activities fee, consolidated services fee, and technology fee are not refundable at any time unless a student’s registration is canceled before the first day of classes.

Note: Doctoral candidates have copyright in their dissertations. If the author wishes to do so, he or she may register the copyright. Information on this procedure may be obtained from the U.S. Copyright Office, Washington, DC 20559. The University is prepared to effect the registration for a fee of $55. This includes the cost of registering the dissertation with the Copyright Office in the author’s name. Students should contact the Dissertation Assistant at the Mina Rees Library to determine the requirements in force relating to the form and position of copyright notice.

Other Costs of Attendance

The costs of pursuing full-time doctoral study are not, of course, restricted to the tuition and fee charges alone. An expense budget for the academic year, September–May, drawn from government data in accordance with both federal and University regulations, appears below.

Single, Independent Student

Books and Supplies – Academic Year $1,179

Housing (including rent/utilities) – Academic Year $14,850

Food – Academic Year $3,000

Transportation – Academic Year $986

Personal – Academic Year $5,031

Levels: Doctoral Students

Doctoral tuition charges are based on a student’s “level,” which is determined by a combination of the number of graduate credits completed (including, in the case of transfer students, credits accepted by the student’s degree program and the Office of the Registrar) and specific academic accomplishments.

Level I – Students who have completed fewer than 45 credits of graduate work (including approved transfer credit) and/or who have not passed the First Examination. At Level I only, students who are New York State residents and enrolled on a part-time basis (total of credits and Weighted Instructional Units or WIUs do not exceed 6) are billed on a per-credit basis. In addition, at Level I, both full-time and part-time out-of-state and international students are billed at the per-credit rate for all credits/WIUs.

Note: For billing purposes, courses taken by Level I students on an audit basis will be treated the same as courses taken for credit and will be included in the assessment of tuition charges.

Level II – From the semester following the completion of 45 credits (fully earned and evaluated and including approved transfer credits) and passing of the First Examination, to advancement to candidacy.

Level III – From the semester following advancement to candidacy. Level III students registering for courses for credit other than 90000 will be charged additional tuition on a per- credit basis. Level III students do not incur additional tuition charges for courses audited.

Tuition and fees are due by the first day of classes. Any student who has not paid the total fees and tuition by the time indicated could be barred from future registration.

The student activities fee, consolidated services fee, and technology fee are not refundable at any time unless a student’s registration is canceled before the first day of classes.

Petition for a Change of Level

Students are responsible for ascertaining that their tuition level has been properly established. Students questioning their level for billing purposes must petition the Registrar’s Office and the Vice President for Student Affairs in writing by the end of the third week of the semester in question. Unless a written petition is filed with the Registrar by the deadline and the Vice President for Student Affairs is notified in writing of the pending petition, no retroactive changes in level can be made.

New York State Residency

For the purposes of determining tuition charges, a student is considered a resident of the state of New York if he or she has his or her principal place of abode in the state of New York for a period of at least 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes for the semester with respect to which the residency determination is made, states an intention to permanently live and maintain a principal place of abode in New York State, and is not in the United States on any temporary visa. International students cannot qualify for resident tuition because the U.S. government requires an international student to maintain a permanent home overseas to which he or she intends to return.

Determination of Resident Rate of Tuition for Nonresidents of New York State, Including Undocumented and Out-of-Status Immigrants: Chapter 327 of the New York State Laws of 2002, codified in Section 6206(7)(a) of the New York State Education Law, mandates that the payment of tuition by any student who is not a resident of New York State, other than those in lawful nonimmigration statuses, shall be at a rate no greater than that imposed for students who are residents of the state, provided that they meet one of the following three conditions:

First, they have attended an approved New York high school for two or more years, graduated, and applied to attend CUNY within five years of receiving the New York State diploma.

Second, they have attended an approved New York State Program for General Equivalency Diploma (GED) exam preparation, received the GED issued within New York State, and applied to attend CUNY within five years of receiving the New York State GED.

Third, they were enrolled in CUNY in the Fall 2001 semester or quarter and were authorized by CUNY to pay tuition at the resident rate. Thus, a student who attended CUNY in the Fall 2001 semester and paid the resident rate does not have to satisfy either condition 1 or 2 above.

It should be noted that any student meeting one of the three conditions set forth in the law does not need to prove residence in New York State. In addition, students without lawful immigration status must file an affidavit (notarized) with CUNY stating that they have filed an application to legalize their immigration status or will file such an application as soon as they are eligible to do so. (The form is available in the Office of the Registrar.)

Petition for a Change of Residency

All students requesting a change of residency status must submit a "City University Residency Form“ (City-University-Residency-Form.pdf (cuny.edu)) (also downloadable from the “Registration” page on The Graduate Center website) to the Office of the Registrar along with sufficient supporting documentation no later than the end of the third week of classes of the semester for which the change is to be effective. Unless a written petition is filed with the Registrar by the deadline and the Vice President for Student Affairs is notified in writing of the pending petition, no retroactive changes in residency can be made.

Refunds for Withdrawal and Leave of Absence

Each student registration, once classes have begun and regardless of whether or not the student has paid tuition at the point of registration, constitutes a financial obligation to the State of New York that cannot be rescinded. Any leave of absence or withdrawal from an academic program or individual courses must be requested by the student in writing. All students who are administratively withdrawn from classes will receive a grade of “WA” and are fully tuition liable. Withdrawal requests submitted after classes have begun but before the deadline for program changes will entitle the student to a partial adjustment in tuition, according to the City University’s established remission policies.

Remission of Tuition and Fees

Student liability and refund policy: Students are liable for the full amount of their tuition and fees, regardless of whether they receive expected financial aid, loans, or other financial support. The student activities fee, consolidated services fee, and technology fee are not refundable at any time unless a student’s registration is canceled before the first day of classes. Refunds of tuition must be based upon a timely written official withdrawal from classes. Such refunds are allowed only in accordance with a limited schedule established by City University policy. A student not entitled to a refund—even if withdrawn from classes—is fully liable for any unpaid tuition and fees.

A student is entitled to a full refund of tuition and noninstructional fees (where applicable) in the event that courses are canceled or a student’s registration is canceled by The Graduate Center or one of the senior colleges. In the event of a student’s withdrawal, a proportionate refund of tuition may be granted if valid reasons for withdrawal are presented. Formal application must be made. Upon approval of a written application, proportionate refund of tuition may be made as follows:

Withdrawal from a course:

• before the official starting day of classes for the semester—100%

• within one week of the official starting day of classes for the semester—75%

• within two weeks of the official starting day of classes for the semester—50%

• within three weeks of the official starting day of classes for the semester—25%

• subsequent to the third week of the official starting day of classes for the semester—none

This schedule is not applicable to withdrawals due to military, Peace Corps, or leaves for other national service, and is subject to change by action of the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York.

Special Provisions for Students in the Military

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

For students called up to the reserves or drafted before the end of the semester:

Grades. In order to obtain a grade, a student must attend 13 weeks (five weeks for summer session). Refunds. A student called up to the reserves or drafted who does not attend for a sufficient time to qualify for a grade is entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and all other fees except application fees.

For students who volunteer (enlist) for the military before the end of the semester:

Grades. In order to obtain a grade, a student must attend 13 weeks (five weeks for summer session). Refunds. The amount of the refund depends upon whether the withdrawal is before the fifth week of classes. If the student withdraws before the beginning of the fifth calendar week (or third calendar week for a summer session), he or she is entitled to 100% refund of tuition and all other fees except application fees. If the student withdraws thereafter, he or she is entitled to a 50% refund.

Other provisions for military service: Resident Tuition Rates. These lower rates are applicable to all members of the armed services, as well as their spouses and their dependent children, on full-time active duty and stationed in the state of New York. Reenrollment of Veterans. Veterans who are returning students are given preferred treatment in the following ways:

(1)Veterans who were former students with unsatisfactory scholastic records may be readmitted with a probationary program. (2) Veterans, upon their return, may register even after normal registration periods, without late fees. (3) College credit is granted for for appropriate military and armed services instructional courses. (4) Veterans returning too late to register may audit classes without charge. Late Admissions. Veterans with no previous college experience are permitted to file applications up to the date of registration, and are allowed to begin classes pending completion of their application and provision of supporting documents. Readmission Fee. Upon return from military service, a student will not be charged a readmission fee to register at the same college. Veterans Tuition Deferrals. Veterans are entitled to defer the payment of tuition pending receipt of veterans’ benefits. New York National Guard Tuition Waivers. Active members of the New York National Guard, who are legal residents of New York State and who do not have a baccalaureate degree, are eligible for a tuition waiver for undergraduate study.

In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), the following additional provisions have been adopted for any students using U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits, while payment to the institution is pending from the VA. This school will not:

• Prevent nor delay the student’s enrollment;

• Assess a late penalty fee to the student;

• Require the student to secure alternative or additional funding;

• Deny the student access to any resources available to other students who have satisfied their tuition and fee bills to the institution, including but not limited to access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities.

However, to qualify for this provision, such students may be required to:

• Produce the Certificate of Eligibility by the first day of class;

• Provide written request to be certified;

• Provide additional information needed to properly certify the enrollment as described in other institutional policies.