College Expenses
Students will receive eBills monthly while they are attending Mount Mercy. It is the student’s responsibility to check their eBill online each month. Fall tuition, room and board fees must be paid in full by August 15th and Spring tuition, room and board fees by January 15th, unless the student enrolls in the Mercy Payment Plan. If the student is not enrolled in the Mercy Payment Plan and their tuition, room, and board is not paid in full, all future course registrations and financial aid will be cancelled. If additional financial aid is received after the full payment has been made, the student may request a refund of the credit balance of his/her account. Payments may be made by cash, check, debit, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Discover).
Other charges, for example bookstore purchases and additional food charges, are payable in full by the due date indicated on the monthly statement (i.e. they are not eligible for the Mercy Payment Plan). If payments are not received by the due date, a late fee will be added to the student’s account. Late fees can only be waived due to University responsibility causing a delay in payment or the failure to act by a student because of sudden disabling illness or accident.
Late Fees
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| $500 - $1,000 Outstanding Balance | $10 Late Fee |
| $1,000 - $2,500 Outstanding Balance | $25 Late Fee |
| $2,500 - $5,000 Outstanding Balance | $50 Late Fee |
| $5,000 - $7,500 Outstanding Balance | $75 Late Fee |
| $7,500 - $10,000 Outstanding Balance | $100 Late Fee |
| >$10,000 Outstanding Balance | $150 Late Fee |
Because of rapidly changing economic conditions, it may become necessary to alter tuition and fee structure before the next edition of this Catalog is published.
Tuition, Room and Board and Other Fees 2015-16
Full-time students
A student is considered full-time if she or he is registered for 12 or more hours per semester. Enrollment in more than 16 credit hours will result in additional tuition being charged at a rate equivalent to the part-time tuition rate per hour.
| Full-time Fees | Fall semester | Spring semester | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition (12-16 hours) | $14,113 | $14,113 | $28,226 |
| Room & Board* | $4,300 | $4,300 | $8,600 |
| Total | $18,413 | $18,413 | $36,826 |
| * | Blue Meal Plan (avg. 2 meals per day) and Double Occupancy Room. |
Mount Mercy has a two year residency requirement because it considers the residential program integral to the educational experience. Students are expected to live in campus housing during their first four semesters of full-time college attendance (typically freshmen and sophomores). These students will automatically be charged for room and board.
Students may request an exemption from this requirement if the student:
- Lives with parents
- Has “independent status” with regard to federal financial aid regulations
- Turned 21 years old before July 1st of the current year
An exemption request must be approved by the Office of the Vice President of Enrollment and Student Life. Upon approval of the exemption request, the room and board charges will be removed from the student’s account. Exemption request forms are available from the Admissions and Student Services Offices. Exemption forms will be available at registration.
Winter Term Tuition
Winter term tuition for three credit hours is included in the full-time tuition rate for students who are enrolled full-time in both fall and spring semesters. Students must be enrolled and billed as a full time Mount Mercy student in both semesters. (This does not apply to students in Accelerated, Graduate, or Online programs). Students enrolled in a winter term course that are not full time in both the fall and spring will be billed at the part time tuition rate. Students taking more than three credit hours will be responsible for the cost of the additional credit hours. Students who are full time in both fall and spring and are taking a winter term course(s) at no additional charge, are still responsible for any course related fee such as lab fees. There will be no refund of tuition or room and board for winter term if a full time student chooses not to enroll in winter term.
Part-time Students
A student is considered part-time if he or she is enrolled in less than 12 hours per semester. Tuition for part-time students is assessed based upon the number of hours for which a student is registered.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Part-time tuition (1-11.5 semester hours) | $768/semester hour |
Accelerated Program Students
Tuition for students in the Accelerated Program is due the first night of class. If you are reimbursed by your employer, and you have a completed Deferred Payment Plan Enrollment Form on file in the Student Financial Services Office, tuition is due 45 days from the end of each block. Please refer to the Adult Accelerated section of this Catalog for a description of this program for non-traditional, working students.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Accelerated | $445/semester hour |
| PREP and TEACH Program | $445/semester hour |
Online Program Students
Tuition for students in the Online Program is due the first night of class. If you are reimbursed by your employer, and you have a completed Deferred Payment Plan Enrollment Form on file in the Student Financial Services Office, tuition is due 45 days from the end of each block. Please refer to the Online section of this Catalog for a description of this program.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| Online Program | $465/semester hour |
Graduate Program Students
Tuition for students in the Graduate Program is due the first night of class. If you are reimbursed by your employer, and you have a completed Deferred Payment Plan Enrollment Form on file in the Student Financial Services Office, tuition is due 45 days from the end of each block. Please refer to the Graduate Programs section of this Catalog for a description of these programs.
| Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| MBA, MSL, MSN | $570/semester hour |
| MA in Criminal Justice / Education / Marriage & Family Therapy | $445/semester hour |
Room and Board Options
Academic Year:
Students have a number of options regarding both room and board. Please note that the charges below are adjustments to the room and board charges previously detailed.
Residence Halls:
| Room Type | Amount per semester |
|---|---|
| Regina Double and McAuley Triple | $2,100.00 |
| Single Room, Regina | $2,465.00 |
| Single-in-double McAuley, Andreas House, and Lower Campus | $4,015.00 |
| Double, Andreas House, Lower Campus, and McAuley | $2,465.00 |
| Double-in-triple McAuley | $2,465.00 |
Board Plans:
| Board type | Amount per semester |
|---|---|
| Blue Plan - an average of 14 meals per week | $2,200.00 |
| Gold Plan - an average of 19 meals per week | $2,350.00 |
| Mustang Plan - an average of 7 meals per week | $1,800.00 |
Other Board Options
Summer Housing: Current Mount Mercy students (were enrolled spring semester) who are enrolled in summer courses or have pre-enrolled for fall semester classes may choose to live on campus in either Andreas or Lower Campus. There is no board plan for the summer. Summer housing rates:
| Room Type | Amount per semester |
|---|---|
| Double, Andreas House, and Lower Campus | $1,370.00 |
| Single-in-double, Andreas House, and Lower Campus | $1,650.00 |
If the student ceases enrollment during the summer, he or she will be asked to move out of campus housing. Students new to Mount Mercy must be enrolled in summer courses in order to choose summer housing on campus.
12-month Housing: Students may sign a 12-month housing contract. A student who elects this option is not required to be enrolled in summer courses; however, the student must have been enrolled in spring semester courses and be pre-enrolled for fall semester classes. The 12-month contract begins in May and is in effect until the end of the following spring semester in May. Students who choose this option will be able to live in their current housing until their preferred room is available. 12-month contracts receive a 5% discount on total room rates for summer and academic year, based on room type selected.
Please contact Residence Life for more information on either of these options.
Special Fees
(All fees are non-refundable except where noted.)
| Student Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application Fee (payable on application by all except non-degree special students) | $25 |
| Art Fees | Varies by course, see individual course description |
| Assessment of Prior Learning Experience Assessment Fee | $60 per semester hour |
| Audit Fee for a Regular Course | $500 |
| Audit Fee for Activity or Lab Course | $550 |
| Challenge Exam Fee | $15 per semester hour |
| Housing Damage Deposit (refundable if conditions met) | $50 |
| Lab Course Fee (applies to all lab courses except Nursing and Biology) | $25 |
| Lab Fee - Biology | $50 |
| Medical Laboratory Science Fee | $100 |
| Mercy Payment Plan Enrollment Fee | $50 per semester |
| Mount Mercy I.D. Card Replacement Fee | $25 |
| Music Lesson Fee | Refer to Curriculum/Music section of catalog |
| Nursing Fee - Sophomore | $500 per semester |
| Nursing Fee - Junior | $400 per semester |
| Nursing Fee - Senior | $500 per semester |
| Official Transcript | $7 |
| Parking Fees | See the Good Book |
| Replacement Diploma | $75 |
| Returned Check | $25 |
| Room Contract Cancellation Fee | $500 |
| Tuition Deposit for all Full-time Students (paid at time of acceptance and credited to tuition) | $200 |
| Other student costs include: | |
| Books and Supplies | est. $1,200 |
| Transportation (full-time students living on campus) | est. $1,400 |
| Transportation (full-time students living with parents) | est. $2,280 |
| Transportation (full-time students living off campus) | est. $3,360 |
Mercy payment plan
The Mercy Payment Plan allows each semester’s tuition, room, and board to be paid in 4 equal installments due on the 15th of August, September, October, and November for fall semester and the 15th of January, February, March, and April for spring semester. The Mercy Payment Plan can only be used for the payment of tuition, room, and board. All other charges, for example bookstore purchases and additional food charges, are payable in full by the due date indicated on the monthly statement. Students who have not paid their account in full by September 15 for the Fall semester or by January 15 for the Spring semester will automatically be enrolled in the Mercy Payment Plan. There is an enrollment charge of $50 per semester to participate in this plan.
All enrolled students are eligible for the Mercy Payment Plan unless:
- The student is enrolled in the Accelerated, Online, or Graduate Programs.
- The student is reimbursed by their employer.
- The student's account is considered delinquent (see below).
- A student at anytime has declared bankruptcy in which a Mount Mercy account has been written off.
Delinquent accounts
All students, except those receiving employer reimbursement, are required to have their entire account paid in full by the end of the term (November 15th for fall semester, April 15th for spring semester, and by the end of the term for all other sessions). Any balance remaining after the above dates will be considered delinquent.
Students who are reimbursed by their employers are required to have their entire account paid in full within 45 days from the end of class or their account will be considered delinquent.
Students with delinquent accounts may be subject to the following actions until the balance is paid in full.
- All current and future registrations will be cancelled.
- All financial aid for future terms will be cancelled.
- All student account privileges will be revoked.
- Student will no longer be able to reside in student housing.
- Student will not be able to obtain official transcripts.
- Reimbursed students will be required to have their account paid in full before class starts.
- Interest of 18% per annum will be assessed on the unpaid balance.
- Delinquency may be reported to a credit bureau.
- Account may be referred to a collection agency for the full amount due plus all collection costs and legal fees.
Graduation Policy
No diplomas will be issued and no official transcripts will be released until all financial obligations to Mount Mercy have been paid in full. Graduating seniors who have an outstanding balance will not be allowed to participate in the commencement ceremonies.
Refunds
Tuition and Fees
Fall and Spring Semesters
A student’s final bill will be determined on the last day to add classes for each semester. This is generally 7 days after the beginning of the semester and is referred to as the final bill date. Before the final bill date students may adjust their class schedules without incurring add/drop fees. Students who drop classes after the final bill date will not be eligible to receive a refund of any of the tuition charged for that class unless they withdraw from Mount Mercy.
Students who withdraw from Mount Mercy after the final bill date may be eligible to receive a refund of a portion of the tuition charged for the semester. The tuition refund schedule follows the federal financial aid guidelines. Please contact the Student Financial Services Office for more information regarding tuition refund amounts.
Winter Term and Summer Sessions
A student’s final bill will be determined on the last day to add classes for each term which is generally one to two days after the beginning of the term (final bill date). Students may adjust their class schedules without incurring add/drop fees before the final bill date.
Students who drop classes after the final bill date will not be eligible to receive a refund of any of the tuition charged for that class unless they withdraw from Mount Mercy.
Room and Board
The room and board terms and conditions are stated in the contract signed by the student. During the semester there may be a proportional refund of room and board charges if the student officially withdraws from Mount Mercy or moves off campus with the approval of the Director of Residence Life. There is a $500 contract cancellation fee that will be imposed on any student who does not fulfill the room and board contract.
Transcripts
Official transcripts will not be released until student account charges (tuition, room & board, and miscellaneous charges) have been paid in full.