7.2 Tuition and Fees

Related Minnesota State Board Policy: Policy 5.11 Tuition and Fees

Related Minnesota State Board Procedure: Procedure 5.11.1 Tuition and Fees

Purpose: As prescribed by Minnesota State Board Policy 5.11, Normandale Community College is authorized to assess tuition and fees that are approved by the Minnesota State Board annually, through the required consultation, review and approval process detailed in Procedure 7.2.1 and related Operating Guidelines. This policy identifies tuition and fees assessed by Normandale Community College, describes the purpose for each fee, use of the fee revenue, and the individuals who will be assessed the fees. An annual schedule of fee rates is published and is available on the Normandale.edu website.

Part 1: Tuition

Base Tuition is assessed at per credit rate for credit bearing courses.

Differential tuition rates are charged by course or program when special circumstances exist. Differential tuition is charged for two academic programs, Nursing and Dental, and online courses. Differential tuition is a fixed per credit rate in addition to the base tuition rate.

Reciprocity tuition is recognized for North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Midwest Student Exchange (MSEP) States, and Manitoba.

Market driven tuition may be charged in continuing education and customized training (CECT) offerings.

All tuition shall include the cost of consumable supplies used in the classroom or laboratory.

Part 2. Fees

As required by the Minnesota State Board Policy 5.11, Normandale annually reviews fees to be charged for goods, services and other permissible purposes.

Subpart A. Required Fees

Senior Citizen fee in lieu of tuition- Students 62 years or older who register on or after the first day of the semester, are eligible for Normandale’s reduced senior citizen rate, on a space available basis. Minnesota State Board Operating Instruction 5.11.1.3 Senior Citizen Charges and Fees provides guidelines for consistent charging of fees to senior citizens.
Parking fee, permits or charges- Normandale charges students and employees a Campus Access, Parking and Security fee. Normandale operates as a physical campus in addition to providing virtual services. This fee supports campus infrastructure, operations, and resources that serve all students and employees by making the campus safe and accessible for those who attend college or access services provided by campus-based employees and service units. campus access, parking, and security need to be supported by a dedicated fee-based fund. This fee is also classified as a Revenue Fund fee. Normandale Policy 5.7 College Access, Parking and Security (CAPS) details the process to assess this fee.
Late fee- This fee is charged to any individual or organization with an outstanding account balance after the payment deadline has passed.
Payment plan fee-an administrative fee to cover the costs of providing payment plan options that allow students to pay their tuition and fees over a specified period of time, applicable to Nelnet Payment Plan, Nelnet Past Due Payment Plan, and internal payment plan.
Statewide Student Association Fee-The LeadMN fee, assessed to all students, supports of the statewide student association. LeadMN provides training and development for campus student leaders, and lobbying of student interests with the legislative and executive branches of the State of Minnesota as well as at the national government level.

Subpart B. Campus Discretionary Fees

Credit for prior learning assessment fee-reflects the cost of services provided in assessing the learning and awarding credit as described in Normandale Policy 3.35 Credit for Prior Learning (CPL).
Student life/activity fee- The Student Life/Activity Fee supports a wide array of student resources, services and programs across the college that foster student development and engagement. Some of the departments and initiatives that are fee supported include: student clubs and organizations, leadership development, wellness resources, the Student Life department, the Diversity Center, the Student Resource Center, the Campus Cupboard, the Center for Experiential Education, and the college’s annual commencement ceremony.
Special event fee -is charged to individuals (students, employees, community members) who voluntarily participated in the activities and events. The events may include, but are not limited to, seminars, workshops, lectures, enrichment events, concerts, and theatre events.
Technology fee- The Technology fee, assessed to all students, supports on-campus and virtual technology resources, including physical and virtual computer labs, IT service desk assistance, online learning platforms, campus Wi-Fi, and printing.

Subpart C. Personal Property Charges, Service Charges and Assessments

Normandale charges service charges to students and others based on the actual cost of the property retained by the individual, charges to discourage certain behaviors; and additional service charges.

Bookstore Service Charges

Textbooks and academic materials-Textbooks and supplies are available in the Normandale Bookstore. Textbook costs are published for pre-purchase viewing at http://www.normandalebookstore.com.
Inclusive Access (Digital) course materials-Inclusive access charges are assessed as a course fee on specific courses where inclusive access materials (electronic books and materials) have been adopted by instructors. Inclusive access charges may be lower than traditional textbook costs. Courses using inclusive access materials are clearly marked in eServices, and the course fee amounts are posted in the course notes. This charge fee is included in tuition and fees billing on the students’ accounts.
PSEO Unreturned/Damaged Material-PSEO Students will be charged the used price for textbooks and materials borrowed from the Bookstore that are not returned or are returned in damaged condition.
Unreturned/Damaged Rental Material-Students will be charged the price difference between the published purchase price and the rental rate of textbooks and materials rented from the Bookstore that are not returned or are returned in damaged condition.
Business Office (Financial Services) Service Charges & Fees
Late Fee (Required)- This fee is charged to individuals with an outstanding account balance after the payment deadline has passed. Late fees may also be charged for late payment under an approved payment plan.
NSF/Returned Check Service Charge—Checks and online payments (e-checks) presented to the college for payment that are returned by the bank due to non-sufficient funds (NSF), account closure or stop payment are assessed this service charge.
Replacement Check Service Charge-Assessed for the cost to create a duplicate check to student who lost the original disbursement check.
Emergency Loan Service Charge-Assess for the administrative cost to draft and manage the application, review, disbursement and collection of emergency loans.
Records & Registration Fees
Transcript Fee
- Transcripts requested through the National Student Clearinghouse are subject to the current rate charged by the Clearinghouse.
- Transcripts not requested through the National Student Clearinghouse are charged $8 per transcript for each transcript that is requested to be mailed or picked up in person within three business days and $15 per transcript for rush/immediate transcript requests.
- No fee is charged for unofficial transcripts.
Other Service Charges, Fees and Fines
ID Replacement Card Fee-Fee charged to cover the cost of replacing a student's ID card.
Library Fine-Patrons are charged for all unreturned or damaged library materials.
Parking Fine-Parking citations are issued to students, employees and visitors who do not comply with parking regulations.

Academic Course Fees and Service Charges

Course fees and service charges are assessed to cover the cost of instructional services that are not included in tuition for equipment, supplies, special testing, other instructional services, and non-instructional services that are for the personal benefit of the student. See Operating Instructions 7.2.1.1

Subpart D. Revenue Fund Fee

Campus Access, parking and Security Fee - As described in Subpart A, this fee supports campus infrastructure, operations, and resources that serve students and employees by making the campus safe and accessible for those who attend college or access services provided by campus-based employees and service units. By policy, the expenses incurred to maintain campus access, parking, and security need to be supported by a dedicated fee-based fund to assure Normandale can meet the debt obligations of the Revenue Bonds that were used to build the parking infrastructure. See Policy Normandale Policy 5.7 College Access, Parking and Security (CAPS) for full details.
Student Union Facility Fee- The Student Union Facility Fee supports the Kopp Student Center, which provides offices for student clubs and organizations and Student Life staff, lounge spaces, meeting rooms, bookstore, retail store, study and computer spaces, and dining space. Staff and services in the Kopp Student Center serve all students by providing virtual and in-person services. The Student Center bookstore provides the electronic and physical course materials required by all students. The fee not only supports operational costs but also the debt service payments on the state loan that made the construction of the facility possible.

Policy History: New

Department Owner: Administration (Finance)

Date of Adoption:

Date of Implementation: May 2023

Date and Subject of Revisions:

Next Review Date (3 years): May 2026