Expenses

Tuition and Fees

Statutory tuition and certain fees at Texas state universities are established by legislative enactment. Designated tuition and other fees are established within statutory limitations by the SFA Board of Regents.

Stephen F. Austin State University reserves the right to change tuition and fees in keeping with acts of the Texas Legislature or the SFA Board of Regents. All charges are subject to corrections. For the most current information regarding tuition and fees, visit the Business Office webpage.

Expenses and Method of Payment

Tuition, fees and deposits as shown in this section are obligations of each student. Following is a summary of acceptable methods of payment on student accounts:

Online payments are made through eBill, SFA’s electronic billing system. The eBill system is accessed by logging into mySFA at mySFA. Forms of accepted payment online are e-check, credit cards and debit cards. Credit card payments processed online will be assessed a non-refundable, 2.75% fee. No credit cards are accepted at the Business Office windows or via telephone. Forms of payment accepted at the Business Office windows are cash, personal check, cashier’s check, money order and debit card.

Payment Deadlines

EBill is SFA’s electronic billing system. Prior to and throughout each semester or term, billing notifications are emailed to students’ SFA email addresses alerting them that their bills are available for viewing online. No bills are mailed through the post office.

Students who register during the regular registration period (as listed in the Schedule of Classes): Full payment of current amounts due must be made by the due date designated in the Schedule of Classes.

Students who register, add or change classes during the late registration period (beginning with the first class day of the term): Full payment of the current amount(s) due must be made by the university’s designated drop date. Students will be subject to the university’s refund policy for courses dropped for insufficient payment. (See Refund of Tuition and Fees in this section.) Specific dates and deadlines are posted on the Business Office website.

Students enrolling in classes during the late registration period incur a financial obligation immediately and must officially withdraw from the university if they decide not to attend, even if they have not yet paid.

Students who enroll in the installment payment plan or opt to receive a short-term loan will be subject to additional payment deadlines. These payment deadlines will be communicated to students when they sign up for these options. These deadlines also are published on the Business Office website.

Late Registration and Late Course Addition Fees

Students registering for class on or after the first class day of the semester or summer term are subject to a late registration fee. This fee is assessed to all students who register during the late registration period (first through official census day of a regular semester and summer term). Students may add classes during this period without being assessed the late registration fee provided they initially enrolled prior to the first class day and were not dropped for non-payment.

The last day to register is found in the Schedule of Classes. Enrollment or adding courses after the last day to register will be permitted only in extraordinary circumstances and at the university’s sole discretion. Students who register or add classes after that date will incur a late add fee. The late add fee is charged on a per-credit-hour basis. Refer to the Business Office website for the most current information regarding these charges.

Reinstatement Fee

In extraordinary circumstances, the university, at its sole discretion, may allow a student to be reinstated in classes from which she/he has been dropped for non-payment. In this case, a reinstatement fee will apply. The reinstatement fee is charged on a per-credit-hour basis and will apply after the census day drops for each semester or term. Students are advised to contact the SFA Business Office at (936) 468-6960 to determine the total amount due for reinstatement.

Installment Payment Plan for Tuition, Fees, Room and Board

In accordance with Tex. Ed. Code 54.007, tuition and fees for fall and spring semesters may be paid using one of the following two alternatives. In addition, the university offers these same payment alternatives for the summer term and for room and board payments:

1. Full payment of tuition, fees, room and board in advance of the beginning of the semester/term, or
2. One-fourth of tuition, fees, room and board plus all non-mandatory fees (e.g., parking, yearbook, administrative fee, property deposit, student identification card, post office box) in advance of the beginning of the semester/term. Each of the remaining installments will be approximately one-fourth of tuition, fees, room and board. The exact amounts due and specific due dates will be dependent upon when the student enrolled in the installment plan and will be shown on the installment plan detail in the eBill system.

Enrollment in the installment payment plan is each semester/term through mySFA. To enroll, all balances from prior semesters/terms must be paid in full. Students will be charged a fee each semester/term the student enrolls in the installment payment plan.

The university will email students notifying them prior to each installment due date via SFA’s eBill system. Students who fail to make full payment by the due dates will be placed on delinquency status and will incur a late installment fee for each missed payment date.

Tuition and Fees for Doctoral Students

Through the first 99 hours of doctoral studies, a student will be subject to the same tuition and fees as all other graduate students, depending upon the doctoral student’s residency status. Following the semester in which a student completes a total of 100 or more doctoral hours, that student will be subject to paying tuition and fees in an amount commensurate with the current out-of-state tuition and fees, or the equivalent of full-cost-of-education as determined by Stephen F. Austin State University. For more information, see Policy 6.11, Doctoral Students: Allowable Credit Hours and Completion Times.

Exemptions and Waivers from Tuition and Fees

In accordance with Texas legislation, some exemptions and waivers are offered to students who meet certain eligibility criteria. These exemptions and waivers are listed below. For the specific eligibility requirements for each exemption and waiver offered by the university, see the Business Office Exemptions and Waivers website.

Additional information is available on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s College for All Texans website.

All exemptions are subject to change at any time by the Texas Legislature. Additionally, if there is any discrepancy between the information published below or on the university’s website and the actual legislation or the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s rules, the legislation and rules shall prevail.

Exemptions:

• Adopted students formerly in foster or other residential care
• Blind/deaf students
• Certain survivors of deceased public servants
• Children of disabled or deceased firemen, peace officers, game wardens, and employees of correctional institutions
• Children of prisoners of war or persons missing in action
• Firefighters enrolled in fire science courses
• Good Neighbor Scholarship program
• Members of state military forces
• Participants in military funerals (tap performers)
• Peace officers enrolled in certain courses
• Preceptor for professional nursing education program or their children
• Senior citizens
• Students under conservatorship of the Department of Family and Protective Services (foster care)
• Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan (formerly the Texas Tomorrow Fund)
• Texas veterans (Hazlewood Act exemption)

Waivers

• Competitive scholarship waiver
• Economic Development and Diversification Waiver
• Faculty and dependents waiver
• Foreign Service officers
• Graduate research assistants or graduate teaching assistants
• Military personnel and dependents
• NATO agreement member and families
• Non-resident tuition rates at certain universities (border states)

Continuation Requirements for Students Receiving Exemptions or Waivers

Texas Educational Code Section 54.2001-2002 requires students receiving certain exemptions for the payment of tuition and/or fees to maintain a GPA that satisfies the university’s GPA requirement for making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate in accordance with the university’s policy regarding eligibility for financial aid. Currently, those requirements are published in Policy 6.16, Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients.

More information about the continuation requirements also can be found on the Business Office’s exemptions and waivers website.

Residents of Bordering States (Sec 54.0601 Tex. Ed. Code)

In lieu of non-resident tuition, students from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma will be charged the resident rate plus $80 per semester credit hour. Application for the reduced non-resident rate shall be made in the Office of Admissions.

Refund of Tuition and Fees (Sec. 54.006 Tex. Ed. Code)

Note: These policies to return funds due to withdrawal or dropped courses may be modified at any time without prior notice in order to comply with laws, regulations, policies or guidelines.

Withdrawal Refunds

(Also see Academic Programs and Policies - Withdrawal from the University .)

A student officially withdrawing from the university is eligible for refund of tuition and certain fees according to the following schedule:

Dropped Course Refunds

(Also see Registration - Adding and Dropping Courses .)

A student dropping a course is eligible for a full refund of tuition and fees for the course dropped, as follows, provided the student remains enrolled at the university for that semester or term:

• Regular semester - must drop within the first 12 class days
• Summer term - must drop within the official census date of the part of term for which the course is being dropping

Graduation Fee

Each time a student applies for a degree from the university, she/he must pay a graduation fee. If the degree candidate plans to participate in commencement exercises, she/he may obtain a cap and gown at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore, located in the Baker Pattillo Student Center. For additional information, contact the registrar’s office or review the information online.

Thesis and Dissertation Fees

Graduate students at SFA completing a thesis or dissertation as part of their degree requirements must pay the cost of binding and shipping. Fees for these services may be found at sfasu.edu/graduate, or you may call the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at (936) 468-2807

Room and Board

Students who reside in university residence halls will be billed for room and board as listed on the Residence Life website. Students living in rooms that have a full kitchen may be exempt from the meal plan.

Installment Payment of Room and Board

Room and board may be paid in installments during the fall, spring or summer terms. (See Installment Payment Plan for Tuition, Fees, Room and Board earlier in this section.)

Deposits

Residence Life

A student who lives on campus must maintain a $100 deposit with the Residence Life Department for as long as she/he lives on campus.

General Deposit (Sec. 54.502 TEX. ED. CODE)

Each student enrolled in the university must make a general deposit of $100. This deposit is subject to charges for property loss, damage and breakage for which the student is responsible, and to cover any other amounts owed by the student to SFA. The deposit, less charges, will be returned to the student within 180 days of withdrawal or graduation, or upon request if the student is no longer enrolled at SFA. Any general deposit that remains without call for refund for a period of four years from the date of last attendance of the student making the deposit shall be forfeited.

Books and Supplies

Students must provide their own textbooks and supplies. The university has contracted with Barnes & Noble to operate its bookstore.

Miscellaneous Expenses

Expenses for laundry, transportation, entertainment and personal incidentals are in addition to the expenses listed in this section.

Returned Payments

A charge will be assessed for each payment returned to the university. This includes any form of payment returned for any reason. Refer to Policy 3.27, Returned Payments, for additional information.

Past Due and Delinquent Accounts

A student’s account is past due when the amount due is not paid by the due date. Holds may be placed on past-due accounts, which will prevent the student from registering for classes, making course changes and receiving transcripts.

Delinquent accounts and accounts in default will be subject to Policy 3.28, Student Accounts Receivable, and may include reporting the delinquent student’s account to the state for a treasury warrant hold and/or to a credit bureau(s). Any costs associated with collection of delinquent accounts will be assessed to the student, including collection agency fees and/or attorney fees.