Financial Information
Tuition, fees, residence and dining plan rates, and any previous balance must be paid in full each semester before the payment deadline. Invoices are mailed to registered students’ permanent or billing addresses several weeks before the start of the semester. Payments made in advance of registration should be directed to Student Accounting Services, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-1390.
The University does not accept credit cards as payment of tuition, fees, residence and dining plan, or the like. Checks must be made payable to Boston University.
Although the University does not offer its own deferred payment plan for full-time students, arrangements for financing can be made through private agencies. This should be done well before the start of the academic year. Information on such plans may be obtained via the Student Accounting Services website, under Your Bill and then Payment Plans.
The University assumes no liability for failure to provide educational or related services arising from causes beyond the reasonable control of the University. The University will exert reasonable efforts to provide comparable or substantially equivalent services, but its inability to do so shall not subject it to liability. The Trustees of the University reserve the right to change tuition rates, fees, and residence and dining plan rates at their discretion when it is deemed advisable.
Tuition and Mandatory Fees
It has been and remains the policy of Boston University to withhold all diplomas, degrees, official transcripts, and other official recognition of work done at the University from students with respect to whom there are any outstanding overdue debts to the University, including, but not limited to, amounts owed in satisfaction of tuition, loan agreements, fees, and charges as well as monies owed for occupancy in University-owned or operated residences and for dining service. No student may withdraw from the University in good standing or graduate from the University unless all current obligations to the University are paid in full.
Full-Time Students
(enrolled for 12 to 18 credits)
Tuition: $40,848 per year.
Graduate Student Fees
George Sherman Union Fee: $202 per year.
Health Fee: $216 per year.
In figuring total expense, the student must add to the above tuition and fees his or her residence and dining plan rates, medical insurance, and any special fees, personal expenses, or other charges the student may incur. Current costs for such items are given in the pages that follow.
Part-Time Students
(enrolled for ½ to 11½ credits)
Tuition: $1,276 per credit.
Registration Fee: $40 per semester.
Medical Insurance
The 2011/2012 cost of the Boston University medical insurance plan for full-time students (U.S. citizens and international) is: Boston University Student Basic—$1,914; Boston University Student Plus—$2,647.
Massachusetts law requires all students carrying at least 75 percent of the full-time curriculum to be covered under a qualifying medical insurance plan. If the student does not wish to participate in the Boston University medical insurance plan, he or she must annually file a Medical Insurance Waiver form that certifies coverage under a comparable medical insurance plan. The Medical Insurance Waiver via the Student Link. Please note that a Waiver must be filed each Academic Year.
Part-time students are also eligible to purchase Boston University medical insurance. For information, contact Student Accounting Services, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215-1390. The insurance premium is subject to change.
Other Expenses
The estimated cost of books and supplies is $1,188 per year. Approximately $1,836 to $3,994 should be allowed for incidental expenses, which vary with individual circumstances, such as transportation, laundry, clothing, recreation, and miscellaneous expenditures.
Following are other charges that may form part of the cost of attending Boston University:
Application for Admission: $70
Late Fee: A minimum late fee of $150 for full-time students and $75 for part-time students may be assessed to those students who complete their official registration during the late registration period.
Transcripts: To request an academic transcript of grades and coursework, a student should submit a Transcript Request Form to the University Registrar’s office. Letter requests will be honored if they are signed and give complete information about attendance, including enrollment dates, college(s) of registration, and degree(s) earned. Official transcripts are mailed approximately two weeks after receipt of the request. The transcript fee is $6 per copy, and payment must accompany the request. For transcripts sent express mail, add $15 per address. The express mail charge is subject to change depending on the carrier used. Unofficial transcripts for student use may be obtained from the University Registrar’s office on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Replacement of Boston University Identification Card (Terrier Card): $30
Apartment Rentals
Below are estimated monthly rates for privately owned, unfurnished apartments in the Boston University area.
Furnished room (shared kitchen and bath): $650 and up per month.
Studio: $1,050 and up per month.
One-bedroom: $1,275 and up per month.
Two-bedroom: $1,900 and up per month.
Withdrawals and Refunds
Mere absence from classes does not reduce a student’s financial obligation or guarantee that a final grade will not be recorded. Students who officially withdraw or take a leave of absence will have their tuition and fees canceled in accordance with the University’s refund schedule, which is published by the University Registrar’s office and is available at www.bu.edu/reg. The procedure for withdrawing or taking a leave of absence is explained under “Withdrawal, Leaves of Absence, and Reinstatement” in the “Policies” section of this bulletin. Graduate degree candidates wishing to request an exception to the refund schedule must do so in writing to the Associate Dean’s office of the Graduate School.
Students who remain registered, but reduce their course loads during the first five weeks of the semester, will have their accounts adjusted for the difference between the original and reassessed tuition charges.
A credit balance (overpayment) resulting from withdrawal, cash payment, and/or other adjustment will be refunded upon written request or a personal visit to Student Accounting Services, 881 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences follows a uniform refund policy for all institutional aid. A student who receives scholarship aid and who withdraws or takes a leave of absence after the beginning of classes will have the institutional aid canceled. This includes but is not limited to Teaching Fellowships, Research Assistantships, and Graduate Scholarships. Graduate School policy states that University aid will not cover the cost of a course dropped with a W grade.
Students with any federal financial aid should contact the Graduate School Financial Aid office.
