Fees and Expenses

Special Note: The fees listed below reflect charges at press time. For up-to-date information on fees at any given time, contact the Office of the Bursar, 610-436-2552.

Fees and expenses are subject to change without notice. Tuition rates and some fees shown here are in effect for the academic year 2022-2023 and apply to fall and spring semesters only. Tuition changes for 2023-2024, if approved, would occur after the printing of this catalog.

Students who will be utilizing financial aid can review their Cost of Attendance (undergraduate or graduate) in order to review both billable and non-billable expenses.

Undergraduate Tuition Rates

Tuition and fees can be paid by check, electronic check (e-check), money order, or cash. The University does not accept credit cards for tuition and fee payment except through the Web-based QuikPAY system. If the student chooses to pay via credit card, a fee will be assessed for this service. Refer to the Office of the Bursar's webpage for payment instructions.

Undergraduate Tuition for Legal Residents of Pennsylvania

Full-time students (between 12-18 credits) $3,858.00 per semester
Part-time students (11 credits or less), or per credit hour for each credit over 18 $322.00 per credit hour

See the Office of the Registrar for residency requirements. 

Undergraduate Tuition for Out-of State Students

Full-time students (between 12-18 credits) $9,645.00 per semester
Part-time students (11 credits or less), or per credit hour for each credit over 18 $805.00 per credit hour

Graduate Tuition Rates

Tuition and fees can be paid by check, electronic check (e-check), money order, or cash. The University does not accept credit cards for tuition and fee payment except through the Web-based QuikPAY system. If the student chooses to pay via credit card, a fee will be assessed for this service. Refer to the Office of the Bursar's webpage for payment instructions.

Graduate Tuition (full-time/part-time students)

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $516.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $774.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state Distance Education $526.00 per credit hour

M.A. in Speech-Language Pathology; M.Ed. in School Counseling; M.S.W. (Social Work); M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling; M.S. in Higher Education Policy and Student Affairs

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $568.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $851.00 per credit hour

M.S. in Physician Assistant Studies

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $671.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $890.00 per credit hour

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $671.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $684.00 per credit hour

Doctor of Public Administration

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $645.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $658.00 per credit hour

Doctor of Education

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $645.00 per credit hour
Our-of-state students $968.00 per credit hour

Doctor of Psychology

Legal residents of Pennsylvania $671.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students $1,006.00 per credit hour

Undergraduate General Fee

The general fee of $1,190.36 per full-time student (12 credits or more) or $99.19 per credit hour for the part-time student (11 credits or less is a mandatory charge that covers the services indicated below):

  • Sykes Student Union Fee ($85.31): This fee pays for the operation and use of the Sykes Student Union Building. The part-time rate is $7.11 per credit hour.
  • Health Center Fee ($198.84): This charge is for the use of the University Health Center. The part-time rate is $16.57 per credit hour.
  • Student Services, Inc. (SSI) Fee ($195.25): The SSI fee funds student activities, services, clubs, and sports.  The part-time rate is $16.27 per credit hour.
  • Auxiliary Enhancement Fee ($60.00): This fee supports the recent renovation of Sykes Student Union. The part-time rate is $5.00 per credit hour.
  • Educational Services Fee ($409.70): Students pay this fee in lieu of specific department charges. These funds are used for instructional equipment and supplies for professors, maintenance of library circulation materials, and supports academic computing services. The part-time rate is $34.14 per credit hour.
  • Parking Improvement Fee ($83.57): This fee is dedicated to improved the quality and availability of campus parking for students. Improvements include new student parking spaces, improved shuttle service between North and South Campus, and various safety improvements. The part-time rate is $6.96 per credit hour.
  • Student Recreation Center Fee ($157.69): This fee supports the operation of the on-campus Student Recreation Center, including debt-service payments. This building includes an extensive fitness area on two levels, elevated walking/jogging track, two-court gym, multi-activity court, spinning room, aerobic studios, racquetball/squash courts, a three-story climbing wall, social lounges, and a "hydration station" for refreshments. The part-time rate is $13.14 per credit hour.

Graduate General Fee

The general fee of $1,329.81 per full-time student (nine credits or more) or $148.98 per credit hour for the part-time student (eight credits or less) is a mandatory charge that covers the use of the following services:

  • Sykes Student Union Fee ($85.31): This charge is for the operation and use of Sykes Student Union. The part-time rate is $9.48 per credit hour.
  • Student Health Center Fee ($198.84): This charge is for the use of the University Health Center. Part-time graduate students (registering for fewer than nine graduate credits) may elect to have the Student Health Center Fee ($22.09 per credit hour) waived. Acceptance or rejection of this option must be made at the time of initial registration for each semester or summer session. This choice cannot be changed until the time of the next registration. Students who elect to have this fee waived will not have services of the Student Health Center available to them for the semester or summer session involved. Payment of the Student Health Center Fee is a prerequisite for part-time graduate students who wish to purchase University-approved health insurance.
  • Auxiliary Enhancement Fee ($60.00): This fee supports the recent renovation of Sykes Student Union, which features new and improved student services. The part-time rate is $7.00 per credit hour.
  • Graduate Student Association Fee ($10.00): This fee funds the activities of the Graduate Student Association. The part-time rate is $2.00 per credit hour with a maximum charge of $10.00.
  • Educational Services Fee ($734.40): Students pay this fee in lieu of specific department charges. The part-time rate is $81.60 per credit hour.
  • Parking Improvement Fee ($83.57): This fee is dedicated to improve the quality and availability of campus parking for students. The fee will provide for new student parking spaces, improved shuttle service, and safety improvements. The part-time rate is $9.29 per credit hour.
  • Student Recreation Center Fee ($157.69): This fee supports the operation of the on-campus Student Recreation Center, including debt-service payments. This building includes an extensive fitness area on two levels, elevated walking/jogging track, two-court gym, multi-activity court, spinning room, aerobic studios, racquetball/squash courts, a three-story climbing wall, social lounges, and a "hydration station" for refreshments. The part-time rate is $17.52 per credit hour.

Graduate Differential/Doctorate General Fee

The general fee of $1,574.61 per full-time student (nine credits or more) or $176.18 per credit hour for the part-time student (eight credits or less) is a mandatory charge that covers the use of the following services:

  • Sykes Student Union Fee ($85.31): This charge is for the operation and use of Sykes Student Union. The part-time rate is $9.48 per credit hour.
  • Student Health Center Fee ($198.84): This charge is for the use of the University Health Center. Part-time graduate students (registering for fewer than nine graduate credits) may elect to have the Student Health Center Fee ($22.09 per credit hour) waived. Acceptance or rejection of this option must be made at the time of initial registration for each semester or summer session. This choice cannot be changed until the time of the next registration. Students who elect to have this fee waived will not have services of the Student Health Center available to them for the semester or summer session involved. Payment of the Student Health Center Fee is a prerequisite for part-time graduate students who wish to purchase University-approved health insurance.
  • Auxiliary Enhancement Fee ($60.00): This fee supports the recent renovation of Sykes Student Union, which features new and improved student services. The part-time rate is $7.00 per credit hour.
  • Graduate Student Association Fee ($10.00): This fee funds the activities of the Graduate Student Association. The part-time rate is $2.00 per credit hour with a maximum charge of $10.00.
  • Educational Services Fee ($979.20): Students pay this fee in lieu of specific department charges. The part-time rate is $108.80 per credit hour.
  • Parking Improvement Fee ($83.57): This fee is dedicated to improve the quality and availability of campus parking for students. The fee will provide for new student parking spaces, improved shuttle service, and safety improvements. The part-time rate is $9.29 per credit hour.
  • Student Recreation Center Fee ($157.69): This fee supports the operation of the on-campus Student Recreation Center, including debt-service payments. This building includes an extensive fitness area on two levels, elevated walking/jogging track, two-court gym, multi-activity court, spinning room, aerobic studios, racquetball/squash courts, a three-story climbing wall, social lounges, and a "hydration station" for refreshments. The part-time rate is $17.52 per credit hour.

Distance Education Access Fee

Students enrolled in any distance education course will be charged an access fee of up to 15% of the tuition for that course along with the educational services fee.

International Student Service Fee

This $75.00 per semester fee applies to all inbound international students to support compliance with requirements of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Undergraduate Technology Instructional Fee

This mandatory instructional fee will be used to enhance classroom technology.  All charges are per semester.

Legal Residents of Pennsylvania

Full-time undergraduate (12 or more credits) $239.00
Part-time undergraduate (per credit hour) $20.00

Out-of-State Students

Full-time undergraduate (12 or more credits) $364.00
Part-time undergraduate (per credit hour) $30.00

Graduate Technology Tuition Fee

This mandatory instructional fee will be used to enhance classroom technology. All charges are per semester.

Legal residents of Pennsylvania (full-time/part-time students) $28.00 per credit hour
Out-of-state students (full-time/part-time) $40.00 per credit hour

Housing Fee

North Campus Residence Halls

This fee entitles the student to occupancy of a standard double room in any University owned residence hall with one roommate.

Per Student $2,897.00 per semester

South Campus Apartment Complex

 This fee entitles the student to occupancy of a four- or five-person apartment that is University owned with the following bedroom occupancy. Rates are per student.

Single occupancy bedroom $3,451.00 per semester
Double occupancy bedroom $3,169.00 per semester

College Arms Apartment Complex

This fee entitles the student to occupancy of various living arrangements that are University owned with bedroom occupancies indicated below. All rates are per student.

Single apartment - single occupancy $4,594.00 per semester
1-bedroom apartment - double bedroom $3,827.00 per semester
1-bedroom apartment - triple bedroom $3,254.00 per semester
1-bedroom apartment - quad bedroom $2,966.00 per semester
2-bedroom apartment - single bedroom $4,212.00 per semester
2-bedroom apartment - double bedroom $3,541.00 per semester

Students in WCU managed housing losing their roommates could be assigned a roommate, be relocated, or charged an additional room fee if they choose to occupy the room alone. These options are available on a limited basis; however, available spaces will be used if demand requires.

Students may also obtain housing through University Student Housing, which operates four housing facilities on campus (Allegheny, Brandywine, Commonwealth, and University halls, as well as The Village at WCU). WCU hires, trains, and supervises the residence life staff for each location and handles all student issues. University Student Housing is responsible for occupancy management (leases), as well as facility-related issues. Information about applying for these facilities is available by sending an e-mail to housing@wcupa.edu, logging on to wcupa.edu/residencelife, or calling 610-436-2368.

Housing Deposit

All new and returning students who wish to live in University-owned housing (residence halls, College Arms Apartment Complex, and the South Campus Apartment Complex) are charged $200.00. The deposit is credited against the student’s housing fee and is nonrefundable if a student cancels housing, withdraws, transfers, is released from their occupancy agreement, or cancels their acceptance.

Meal Fee

All students residing in a North Campus residence hall (including affiliated housing) must be on the University meal plan as a condition of occupancy and must choose one of the three meal plans indicated below. Students with medical problems who cannot meet this requirement may request a meal waiver.

14 meals per week, plus $250.00 flex $1,548.00 per semester
10 meals per week, plus $300.00 flex $1,451.00 per semester
Unlimited meal plan, plus $250.00 flex $1,925.00 per semester

Residents of the College Arms Apartment Complex, South Campus Apartment Complex, The Village, off-campus students, and commuters may purchase, in addition to any meal plan listed above, either of the following four meal plans indicated below. These students also have the option to obtain meals at the transient rate. The plans below are not permitted for students residing in North Campus residence halls.

120 Block Plan, plus $350 flex $1,288.00 per semester
75 Block Plan, plus $350 flex $969.00 per semester
30 Block Plan, plus $180 flex and $120 Vouchers $676.00 per semester
Flex Only $150.00 minimum

Diners can choose any combination for meals. For all meal plans except flex, the meal week runs from Saturday brunch through Friday late night. Unused meals will carry over week to week until the end of each semester. However, there are no refunds for unused meals. Each plan includes a minimum flex amount with an option to add $25.00 increments. Unused flex will carry over until graduation; however, there are no refunds for unused flex.

For additional information regarding meal plans and meal zones that apply only to the unlimited meal plan, contact Dining Services at 610-436-2730.

All meal plans may be used in the following locations: Commons Dining Hall; Chickie’s & Pete’s; C-Stores prepared foods; the Ram’s Head Food Court and most On-campus national brands, such as Chick-fil-A, Einstein’s Bagels, and Freshens but not Starbuck’s.  Flex and Ram Bucks are permitted in all locations and is a dollar-for-dollar equivalent.  Students in North Campus residence halls will select from the Ultimate, Gold or Purple plans and have their meal plan cost included in their University bill. Off-campus, commuter, College Arms, and South Campus Apartment/Village students can sign up for any meal plan through the dining self-service portal.  Any meal plan changes must be submitted within the first two weeks in the beginning of each semester. After that deadline, the Associate Vice President for Student Affairs must approve any change requests. The meal plan holder is permitted to use two meal plan cash equivalency per transaction. Meal plan holders of the Ultimate plan may use up to three cash equivalency per day.  Ultimate, Gold and Purple meal plan holders have 5 guest meals per semester.

Other Fees

Acceptance Fee

All newly accepted and readmitted undergraduate students pay $200.00 as proof of intention to enroll at the University. This is a nonrefundable fee, which will be credited to the student’s account upon enrollment.

All newly accepted and readmitted graduate students pay $100.00 as proof of intention to enroll at the University. This is a nonrefundable fee, which will be credited to the student's account upon enrollment.

All newly accepted Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) students pay $400.00 as proof of intention to enroll at the University. This is a nonrefundable fee, which will be credited to the student’s account upon enrollment.

All newly accepted Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies students pay $1000.00 as proof of intention to enroll at the University.  This is a nonrefundable fee, which will be credited to the student's account upon enrollment.

Application Fee

Undergraduate: $45.00 is charged to all prospective students for the processing of their applications to the University. The fee is nonrefundable and is not credited to the student's account.

Graduate: All prospective students are charged a $50.00 application fee for the processing of their applications to the University. This fee is nonrefundable and not credited to the student's account. 

Art + Design Portfolio Fee

Electronic Portfolio Upload $10.00

Commencement Fee

The University charges $99.00 to all students enrolled in a degree program who will have fulfilled their degree requirements by the end of the semester.This fee is paid after the student applies for graduation via their myWCU account and is approved for graduation.

Course Audit Fee

Students who audit courses pay the same fees as students taking the courses for a letter grade.

Credit by Examination Fee (Undergraduate)

A charge is made to all students who register for a Credit by Examination through the Office of the Registrar. Each Credit by Examination course costs $92.00 or equivalent cost of the College Level Examination Program (CLEP).

Damage Fee

Students are charged for damage or loss of University property. This fee varies, depending on the extent of the damage.

Fees for Health and Physical Education Majors

Students in the B.S. degree program in health and physical education must purchase an HPE T-shirt for activity classes and a WCU-logo polo shirt for teaching field experiences.

Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Fee

Full-time students are charged $200.00 per semester; part-time students are charged $100 per semester.

Identification Card Fees (RAMeCARD)

The RAMeCARD will serve as a ticket to the offerings at Lawrence Food Court, Campus Corner, Convenience Stores, and Sykes Ram’s Head Food Court. The University charges a $25.00 fee to issue an identification card to each full- or part-time student. If this card is lost, stolen, or damaged, the student will be charged $25.00 for a replacement card. This fee is payable at the Student Services, Inc. (SSI) service center located on the ground level of Sykes Student Union.

Late Payment Fee

Students who fail to pay or submit their semester bills by their due date will be assessed a $50.00 late payment fee. Non-receipt of a bill does not relieve students of the responsibility of paying or submitting their bill by the due date. For those paying by mail, please allow sufficient time for payment to reach the University by the due date. Financial aid students who fail to confirm their attendance by the due date, even if no payment is due, will also be liable for this fee.

Late Registration Fee

All students who schedule during the late registration period are charged a $35.00 nonrefundable late registration fee.

Lost Key Replacement

Students who lose the key to their University-owned residence hall room, College Arms Apartment Complex rooms, or South Campus Apartment bedroom are charged a nonrefundable fee of $30.00 to replace the lock.

Music Audition Fee

Scheduling Fee $20.00
Video Fee $10.00

Music Instrument Rental Fees

Each student renting a musical instrument for a semester is charged $20.00 per instrument. Each student using a pipe organ for practice for one period each weekday is charged $36.00 per semester.

New Student Fee

All newly admitted undergraduate students, including transfers, will be assessed a one-time fee of $145.00 to attend orientation related services.

Parking Fees

The University charges a nonrefundable parking fee to students who are eligible to purchase a permit to use University parking lots. The current parking fee is $30.00 per year. Parking permits are available at the Department of Public Safety or on the Web at https://www.wcupa.edu/dps/parkingservices/parkingPermits.aspx. Parking fines are assessed at $20.00 up to $40.00 depending on the violation.

Portfolio Assessment Fee

Equal to 50 percent of the per credit hour rate, this fee is charged to have a faculty member assess a student's prior knowledge in a particular course.

Recording Fee

A $75.00 per hour recording fee will be charged for non-instructional recording, mixing, and editing services provided by the Wells School of Music, such as promotional CDs, fund-raising projects, or recordings by nonacademic groups, e.g., barbershop quartets. No charge will be made for faculty/student recitals, ensemble performances, final theory/composition projects, or demonstration tapes for graduate school applications.

Study Abroad Application Fee

This $100.00 fee applies to students completing an online application to study or participate in an internship abroad. It will support resources for pre-departure advising, health, and safety assurances.

Transcript Fee

The fee for transcripts is $7.00 per copy. Transcript request forms are available in the Office of the Registrar.

Undergraduate Credit Crossover Registration

Students who are admitted to graduate study and need to take undergraduate course work to correct academic deficiencies are advised to enroll in undergraduate courses exclusively, and they will be billed undergraduate fees. Graduate students who are enrolled in graduate and undergraduate courses during the same semester will pay graduate fees for all course work. Further, all such courses or combinations are to appear on a single graduate transcript that includes a code or legend which differentiates between undergraduate and graduate courses.