Finance

Financing Your Education

The cost of an education from Belmont University is among the lowest to be found in any accredited private senior university in the South and compares favorably with the total expenses of other accredited colleges and universities. The low costs have been made possible by substantial gifts by alumni and friends. Therefore, the actual cost of educating a student at Belmont University is considerably greater than the amount charged and all students attending Belmont share in this savings. Belmont University reserves the right to alter fees and tuition at the beginning of any semester of the academic year if, in the judgment of the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees, such change is necessary.

The university cost estimator page under the Student Financial Services (SFS) web link is the definitive listing for university costs. Any differences below defer to the SFS cost listing.

Expenses

Note: The Office of Student Financial Services (SFS) is Belmont’s source for current tuition, fees, and other applicable charges particular to the student’s enrollment. The information below is checked for accuracy however any discrepancy in the information below is superseded by information posted on Belmont’s SFS website.

Tutition (2018-2019)

Consolidated Undergraduate Fees (non-refundable)

Student Fee

The funds generated by this fee directly impact the overall campus experience for Belmont students, including such important areas as emergency services, campus safety, mail services, parking, maintenance, career services, library services, student activities, and technological advancements.

Enrollment Deposit

Upon approval to Belmont, all new students are required to pay a $250 enrollment deposit to reserve a place in the semester for which the student applied. Payment of the enrollment deposit is necessary before any new student may register for classes.

The enrollment deposit will be credited to the student’s account and will be used to offset the expenses accrued in the first semester of studies at Belmont. If the student resides on campus, the housing deposit will be pulled from the enrollment deposit.

There is a $250 orientation fee that will be deducted from the enrollment deposit. The enrollment deposit includes a deposit for housing, which is nonrefundable.

Campus Housing

During the Fall and Spring Semesters the Residence Halls will remain open for all breaks and holidays with the exception of Christmas and the period between Summer Session and Fall Semester. Limited summer housing is available. Please contact the Office of Residence Life or visit the SFS website for additional information.

Meal Plan Charges

The University Dining Hall is closed during Fall Break, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break; however, during those breaks, other on-campus food service options may be available to students. Food service options during breaks may NOT be included in the meal plan cost.

Selecting Meal Plans

All meal plan meals are all served in the dining hall. Meal plans with extra credit consist of meals served in the dining hall and the additional credit which can be used in the Curb Cafe, What’s Bruin and Corner Court.

Course Fees

Some courses at Belmont require additional special fees for materials or specialized instruction used in the course. These fees are listed as part of the individual course description and are listed in the class schedule each term. These fees are non-refundable.

Costs/Arrangements/Terms

Payment Policy

Financial arrangements for all student charges must be settled by the published payment deadline. It is the student responsibility to make this payment even is a statement has not been received.

If a student has any financial obligation to Belmont, the student will not be allowed to register for any subsequent semester, or reserve housing, until the account is paid in full. Belmont reserves the right to withhold the diploma and official transcript from students with delinquent accounts.

Statement of Liability

Should a student leave Belmont University owing on his/her account, he/she will be liable for all fees associated with collections. In addition to this the student will be responsible for collection agency/attorney fees of 33.33% - 50% of the unpaid balance.

Class Changes (Drop/Add Period)

Adjustments will be made to accounts during the drop/add period if the total number of credit hours is decreased or increased, i.e. less than 12 hours, more than 16 hrs. After the drop/add period, there is no credit to the account for decreasing the total number of credit hours, regardless as to when the course first meets.

Refund Schedule - Complete Withdrawals

Registration at the university is considered a contract binding the student for the entire semester. Many commitments of the university are based upon the enrollment anticipated at the beginning of the semester.

Any student refusing to conform to the disciplinary rules of the university or being suspended for academic reasons would forfeit all claim for any refund.

Note: Refund of tuition is not applicable when withdrawing from individual courses. (See “Class Changes Drop/Add Period” above for exceptions).

After late registration, there will be no refund of Academic Enrichment Fee, Student Activity Fee or Course Fees.

When a student officially withdraws from all courses (Fall or Spring), through submission of a university withdrawal form, any refund of tuition will be governed by the following policy calculated from the first official day of classes. However, additional cancellation fees may be assessed.

No refund will be considered past the fifth week of classes in any semester.

For possible refund of housing charges contact the office of Residence Life.

Refund Appeal

Students who believe they have individual circumstances warranting an exception to published refund policies may appeal the application of the policy. Appeals must be submitted to:

Office of Student Financial Services
Student Accounts Appeals Committee
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212-3757

Students choosing to appeal should submit a written letter of appeal accompanied by supporting documentation. This letter must be submitted within 30 days of the completion of the semester for which they are appealing. Appeals are reviewed monthly by an established committee.

Financial Aid Programs

The purpose of financial aid at Belmont University is to provide assistance to students who need help in meeting the cost of education. Belmont believes that the primary responsibility for providing educational expenses rests with the student and parents. Financial Aid should assist in providing the difference between the expected family contribution and the cost of education or the student’s financial need. (Cost of education minus expected family contribution equals estimated financial need.) All resources other than family contributions are considered financial aid. All financial aid information can be found on the Student Financial Services site.

How Do I Apply?

To be considered for financial aid, an applicant should:

1. Complete application procedures by December 1. Students not completing the application process by December 1 will be considered for aid by date of completed application.
2. Apply and be accepted for admission to Belmont University.
3. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA (for previous Federal Aid applicants) and request that Belmont University receive a copy of the analysis. The FAFSA requires approximately six weeks for processing and should be filed much earlier than the December 1 priority deadline.
4. All Tennessee residents should complete the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA to be considered for Tennessee Student Assistance Award and the TELS Award.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

In order to receive federal financial aid, students must be making satisfactory academic progress. We are required to apply standards that are both qualitative and quantitative. These standards will apply for periods of enrollment beginning on or after August 1, 1998.

Eligibility for federal programs will be evaluated as part of the initial application process and again at the end of the spring semester of each academic year. In the evaluation process, all grades of “W” (Withdrawn) and “I” (Incomplete) will be counted as hours attempted but not passed. Repeated courses will count as hours attempted. Entering students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress.

Students cannot receive aid after attempting 150% of the hours required for completion of their academic program. Hours accepted for transfer credit will reduce this time frame.

Undergraduate Students

Qualitative - Students must be accepted for admission and be eligible to enroll for classes. Students must also achieve and maintain a cumulative 2.0 grade point average on all course work attempted including accepted transfer coursework.

Quantitative - Students must average passing 66.67% of all hours attempted.

Appeals

Students failing to meet these standards for satisfactory academic progress may feel that there are mitigating circumstances which contributed to their failure. In such cases, students may choose to appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility based on these unique circumstances. Students must explain the reasons for not meeting the satisfactory academic progress standards as well as include a plan of action to be reviewed by the committee. An allowable basis for an appeal includes the following:

• Personal illness or injury
• Personal crisis
• Illness or death of a family member
• Original grade was lower than current changed grade
• Second degree, double major, change of major (maximum timeframe only)
• Other unexpected circumstances beyond the control of the student

Steps to File an Appeal

1. Complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal and Academic Action Plan Form
2. Attach a one-page Explanation Statement and relevant supporting documentation
3. Attach a copy of your complete DegreeWorks Audit. Update, review and print your DegreeWorks Audit and/or Degree Works Planner as required
4. If this is not your first SAP appeal, then you must also attach the DegreeWorks Planner signed by your advisor
5. Submit all documents to the Office of Student Financial Services

Appeals must be submitted in writing and should be addressed to:

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS APPEALS COMMITTEE
Office of Student Financial Services
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212

Decisions of the committee are final and will be communicated in writing.

Withdrawal and Return of Federal Title IV Funds

When a student who received federal Title IV financial aid withdraws from the university, the unearned portion of these awards must be returned to federal Title IV financial aid programs. Federal Title IV financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Federal Perkins Loan, the Federal Stafford Loan, and the Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS).

In order to determine the unearned portion of federal financial aid, first subtract the number of days remaining in the academic term after the withdrawal date (federal regulations define the withdrawal date as the date on which the student initiates the withdrawal process) from the total number of days in the academic term. The remainder is divided by the total number of days in the academic term. The resulting percentage is applied to the total of federal Title IV federal aid awarded to the student for the term in order to determine unearned Title IV aid.
The federal government has prescribed the order in which unearned aid is returned to federal Title IV programs. The responsibility for the return of unearned federal Title IV financial aid is shared by the student and the university.

Students and parents should note that the requirement to return federal Title IV funds may result in a balance due to Belmont University subsequent to withdrawal.