BOARD OF TRUSTEES

I. Objective

To provide for the consistent administration of student fees and charges.

2. Introduction

1. This policy applies to student fees, fines, room and board, and other charges students may incur while attending or applying for admission to a University of Tennessee campus. The policy identifies the highest level of approval needed to enact a new fee or to change an existing fee.
2. Fee waiver and fee discount programs established by state statute provide reduced fees for specific groups of students. The University shall implement these programs in accordance with state laws, rules, and regulations. The Board of Trustees must approve any student fee discount other than one established by statute.
3. The University recognizes that adjustments to original charges may be appropriate based on dropping a course or a student’s withdrawal from the University. Campuses have the authority to establish refund procedures for this purpose.
4. Students with outstanding debts are not permitted to register for subsequent terms until all outstanding debts are paid or arrangements have been made with the University to pay the debt.

3. Factors to be Considered when Developing Recommendations to Increase Tuition and Mandatory Fees

The following factors shall be considered when developing recommendations to increase tuition and mandatory fees:

1. Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) binding tuition and mandatory fee increases ranges;
2. Level of state support;
3. Total cost of attendance;
4. Efforts to mitigate the financial effect on students; and
5. Other factors deemed appropriate by University administration such as student demand; campus enrollment goals; market factors; and cost factors related to general campus operations, programs of study, or individual courses.

4. Student Course-Related Fees

Student Course-Related Fees represent the University’s core charges for instructional offerings. The following Student Course-Related Fees are approved by the Board of Trustees:

a. Maintenance Fees

A Maintenance Fee is assessed to students enrolled in credit courses, including courses in which the student is enrolled only on an audit basis. A Maintenance Fee is established for undergraduate students, and a separate Maintenance Fee is established for graduate students. All students, both in-state and out-of-state, are assessed the established Maintenance Fee.

b. Out-of-State Tuition

Out-of-State Tuition is an additional fee assessed to undergraduate and graduate students who are classified as non-residents of the State of Tennessee for fee assessment purposes and who are enrolled in credit courses, including courses in which the student is enrolled only on an audit basis.

c. Differential Tuition

Differential Tuition is a per-credit-hour fee assessed for a specific course or group of courses as dictated by increasing demand for educational excellence in specific areas. Examples include specific Business, Engineering, and Nursing courses. Differential Tuition proposals and requests should be prepared and submitted according to the same schedule as other fee requests each year. Once approved, future percentage increases in Maintenance Fees automatically apply to the Differential Tuition for these specific courses. Increases to Differential Tuition exceeding the percentage increases proposed for Maintenance Fees must be approved by the Board of Trustees.

d. Professional Program Fees

Professional Program Fees apply to specialized programs that prepare students for professional careers. These fees include both the Maintenance Fee and Out-of-State Tuition components as applicable. Examples include Executive and Professional MBA Program fees and the fees assessed to students in the College of Law; the College of Veterinary Medicine; and the Health Science Center Colleges of Medicine, Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Graduate Health Sciences.

e. Online and Distance Education Course Fees

Online and distance education courses are provided for undergraduate and graduate students. Each of these modes of delivery may have different Maintenance Fee and Out-of-State Tuition rates and additional fees. The additional fees are generally assessed based on the location of the course/program and delivery mode and are currently called Online Support Fee, Distance Education Fee and Access Fee.

5. Dedicated Student Fees

The following Dedicated Student Fees are mandatory student fees that fund specific activities of the University. Dedicated student fees are approved by the Board of Trustees:

a. Student Programs and Services Fee

The Student Programs and Services Fees are dedicated to supporting student-related services, including, but not limited to, student activities, student health clinics, debt service for designated buildings, and student government association activities. Student input on the use of fee revenues is desired, but it is not necessary to have a student referendum or other vote to effect a fee request. Campuses are authorized to assess, use, and allocate a student activity fee only in accordance with the Board of Trustees Policy on a Student Programs and Services Fee, which is published at https://universitytennessee.policytech.com/dotNet/documents/?docid=406.

b. Other Dedicated Student Fees

Other Dedicated Student Fees include, but are not limited to, the following fees: Athletic Fees, Technology Fees, Facilities Fees, Transportation Fees, Library Fees, Study Abroad Fees and Yearbook Fees.

Revenues from these fees provide additional resources and services to the students as designated by the assessed fee. Student input on the use of fee revenues is desired, but it is not necessary to have a student referendum or other vote to effect a fee request.

6. SPECIAL COURSE FEES

Special Course Fees are approved by the President, or his/her designee, each year. These fees cover additional instructional costs not covered by the Maintenance and Out-of-State Tuition. Examples include fees charged for labs, music lessons, field trips, international travel, and program materials and equipment.

7. APPLICATION FEES

Undergraduate and graduate Application Fees are approved by the President, or his/her designee. An application fee, which is non-refundable, must be submitted with the first-time admissions application before an individual will be permitted to become a University of Tennessee student or attend classes. This fee is not required for undergraduate program transfers within the University. Campuses may assess a re-admissions fee.

8. ROOM AND BOARD

Room and Board rates are established at the campus level and approved by the Board of Trustees.

a. Student Housing

Institutional residential facilities are available to students, which include rooms and apartments.

b. Meal Plans

Students may choose from a variety of meal plans, or dining options, at the beginning of each semester.

9. OTHER STUDENT FEES

Other Student Fees are approved by the campus or institute chief executive officer. Other Student Fees include fees and charges based on a student’s specific needs or individual program requirements.

a. Housing Deposits

In addition to signing a housing contract, students must pay a housing deposit before a residence hall assignment will be made.

b. Room Damages

Residents are responsible for the condition and care of the accommodations to which they are assigned and shall reimburse the University for damages to their room. Charges for damages and cleaning will be assessed to the student.

c. Non-credit Fees

Fees are established for various non-credit courses and programs based on the delivery cost of the course or program.

d. Contractual Course Fees

The University may enter into contractual agreements with customers for the delivery of credit courses and programs. Prior to offering a contractual course, the department shall consult with the chief business officer or his/her designee to review the financial feasibility of offering the course.

e. Returned Check Fees

Each returned check is subject to a University administrative fee. In addition to the returned check administrative fee, late payment fees may be assessed as of the date the check is redeemed. Returned check fees cannot exceed the maximum amount established in accordance with the applicable state statute.

f. Miscellaneous Student Fees

Miscellaneous Student Fees include, but are not limited to, late registration fees, add/drop fees, late exam fees, special exam fees, ID replacement, orientation fees, diploma fee, parking fees, motor vehicle registration, student insurance, housing application fee, collection fees, payment processing fees, and program deposits or seat fees for programs such as Law, Nursing, Social Work, and Architecture at UT Knoxville and Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy at UT Chattanooga.

10. FINES

Fines include traffic fines, parking fines, parking fine late fees and library fines. Fines must be promulgated as “rules” under the Tennessee Uniform Administrative Procedures Act and require approval by the Board of Trustees. Rules of the University of Tennessee are published in Chapter 1720 of the Tennessee Rules and Regulations.

11. REFUNDS

The campus or institute chief executive officer shall develop appropriate refund procedures and publish these procedures in catalogs or online. The procedures shall include, at a minimum, the following provisions:

a. A percentage of Maintenance Fees, Out-of-State Tuition, Differential Tuition, and any Mandatory Dedicated Fees will be charged unless the student officially drops courses or withdraws from the University by the deadline set by the campus or institute. The drop/add procedure cannot be used to withdraw for a semester, and withdrawal does not cancel fees or charges already incurred.

b. Refunds and repayments to the Title IV programs (Return to Title IV Aid) shall be determined according to the formula published in the current “Federal Student Financial Aid Handbook,” located in the Financial Aid office of each campus and institute, which is responsible for calculating the amount of the refund and/or repayment and for distributing the correct amount back to the financial aid program(s) according to the Refund/Repayment Allocation Policy.

c. University of Tennessee campuses and institutes shall follow the applicable federal policy and procedures for calculating refunds and repayments for financial aid. For this purpose, refunds are defined as the portion of the Maintenance Fee, Differential Tuition, and/or Out-of-State Tuition and University housing/meal charges due when a student withdraws or drops a portion of class hours. Once a refund is determined to be appropriate, any amount will be applied toward other outstanding fees owed to the University at the time the refund is issued.

12. REPORTING CAMPUS-APPROVED AND CAMPUS-SPECIFIC FEES

The campus or institute chief executive officer shall file with the President a report of campus-approved fees for each coming academic year. The report shall contain all campus-approved fees except the charges for non-credit courses and contractual courses. The report shall also include all campus-specific fees requiring approval by the Board of Trustees. The report will be presented to the Board of Trustees for information at the annual meeting each year.

13. ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENTS

The President, or his/her designee, may make administrative adjustments to this policy if necessary to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements, to ensure the policy is carried out with the Board of Trustees’ direction, and to ensure the policy is consistent with other University policies.

History:

Adopted	3/6/2007
Revised	2/26/2015; 6/22/2018 (effective 7/01/2018); 11/02/2018

[See the Appendix on the following page for an Approval Matrix.]

APPENDIX

POLICY ON APPROVAL OF STUDENT FEES APPROVAL MATRIX

FEE	Board	System	Campus
4. STUDENT COURSE FEES
a: Maintenance Fee	X	X	X
b: Out-of-State Tuition	X	X	X
c: Differential Tuition	X	X	X
d: Professional Program Fees	X	X	X
e: Online and Distance Education Courses	X	X	X
5. DEDICATED STUDENT FEES
a: Programs and Services Fees	X	X	X
b: Other Dedicated Student Fees	X	X	X
6. SPECIAL COURSE FEES		X	X
7. APPLICATION FEES		X	X
8. ROOM AND BOARD
a: Student Housing	X		X
b: Housing Deposits			X
c: Room Damages			X
d: Meal Plans	X		X
9. OTHER STUDENT FEES
a: Non-credit Fees			X
b: Contractual Course Fees			X
c: Returned Check Fees			X
d: Miscellaneous Student Fees			X
10. FINES	X	X	X
11. REFUNDS			X
13. ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUSTMENTS		X