Student status
New and continuing students at Portland State University should plan their study programs and workloads with a knowledge of the fee and tuition schedules of the institution. The Portland State Board of Trustees reserves the right to change the schedule of tuition and fees without notice. Additionally, certain charges set by the University are also subject to change.
Most laboratory and class materials are included in the tuition and fees payment, but certain classes do require special deposit charges, surcharges, or costs to cover materials. These charges are listed in the class descriptions under the PSU Class Schedule registration page located at sa.pdx.edu/soc/.
An admitted student is defined as a resident or nonresident undergraduate, post baccalaureate, or graduate student enrolled for 1 or more credit and currently admitted to the University. Admitted students will be assessed tuition and fees based on enrollment status. Admitted students are entitled entry to PSU home athletic events (with the exception of playoff games and social events), and use of University resources, including the Library, Center for Student Health and Counseling (SHAC), and Student Recreation Center. Students taking 5 or more credits will be billed a health service fee as part of their tuition and fees. No reduction in the total charge is made to those students who do not intend to use specific resources or services. Student taking 5 or more credits are also entitled to Student Health Insurance at an additional cost. More information can be found at pdx.edu/health-counseling/insurance.
All non-admitted part-time students, taking 1 to 8 credits, pay tuition and fees according to the level of the course(s) in which they enroll. Courses numbered 499 or below are assessed at the undergraduate rate; courses numbered 500 and above are assessed at the graduate rate. Part-time students enrolled in 4 or less hours are not entitled to health services or insurance. Residency and admission requirements are waived for students in this category. Visit pdx.edu/registration/enrollment-status for more information.
Tuition and fee schedules/Regular tuition schedule
All students registered for coursework on or after the first day of the term have a financial obligation to the University. For more, information please see the Terms & Conditions of Payment at pdx.edu/student-financial/sites/www.pdx.edu.student-financial/files/Terms%26ConditionsofPayment.pdf.
Students should consult the tuition and fee listing at pdx.edu/student-financial/tuition-and-fees for up-to-date information and applicable tuition and fees. Students who enroll are financially responsible for all classes and credits in which they are registered on or after the first day of the term. All classes dropped are subject to the refund schedule as outlined at pdx.edu/student-financial/refunds.
Account statements are available monthly in electronic format to currently enrolled student with a balance due. Notices are emailed to pdx.edu email addresses on the 16th of every month. All tuition and fees may be paid online, by mail, or at Cashier’s Office located in Student Financial Services. Specific deadlines are available at pdx.edu/student-financial/the-psu-payment-plan.
Tuition and fees must be paid in full each term. At the start of each term, students must pay the balance in full or opt-in to the PSU Payment Plan by the first payment due date. After the due date, students with a balance will be enrolled in the Payment Plan and incur a late fee. Additional information is available at pdx.edu/student-financial/the-psu-payment-plan. Students may access their individual financial account balances by logging onto my.pdx.edu.
Tuition and fee calculation (Admitted) – One credit or more
Admitted students taking one credit or more are assessed tuition and fees according to their undergraduate/graduate and residency status. The level of courses in which students enroll is immaterial.
Restricted Differential Tuition and noncredit
Enrollment in these courses may not be combined with regular PSU credit courses for fee calculations. Restricted Differential Tuition courses have fees that are assessed in addition to any other tuition paid to the University.
Senior citizen fee schedule
Senior citizens are defined as persons age 65 or older who do not wish to earn course credit. Senior citizens who are Oregon residents are authorized to attend classes on a space-available basis without payment of tuition. Charges for special materials, if any, must be paid.
Incidental and Health Service fee privileges are not provided and the University does not maintain any records of enrollment. The registration receipt may be used to obtain a PSU ID Card.
Late fees
Late payment fees will be charged on all missed payments.
Other special fees
Special fees and fines are subject to change. Up-to-date information on special fees and clarification of charges can be obtained from the Student Financial Services office, 503-725-3440 or by visiting pdx.edu/student-financial.
Terms and Conditions
Terms and Conditions can be viewed at pdx.edu/student-financial/sites/www.pdx.edu.student-financial/files/Terms%26ConditionsofPayment.pdf
In the event of withdrawal, any refunds due are applied to the outstanding balance, and any remaining balance due remains payable. Failure to pay in full may also result in denial of registration, graduation, and transcripts as well as additional assessment for collection charges and attorney’s fees.
Health Insurance
The health insurance fee is non-refundable. For specific deadlines and questions, see www.pdx.edu/health-counseling/insurance.
Graduate Assistants
Graduate assistants (GAs) are fully admitted graduate students appointed to assistantships while working toward an advanced degree. Appointments must be for at least .15 FTE per quarter. GAs are exempt from the payment of the instruction fee on the first 9 credit hours per quarter. (Employing department will provide a tuition credit.) All GAs must register for a minimum of 9 graduate credits. Hours in excess of 9 per quarter are assessed at the normal rate and may be paid at the discretion of the department. GAs are responsible for paying the Building, Health, Incidental, Rec Center and any course specific fees.
Withdrawals and fee refunds
Complete withdrawal or dropping of courses can be done through my.pdx.edu or in person with the Office of the Registrar. For tuition and fee impact, see refund schedule at www.pdx.edu/student-finance/refunds. Refund consideration is automatic; no special request is necessary.
Refunds of special course fees must be approved by departments. Complete withdrawal or dropping coursework does not cancel a student’s obligation to pay a student loan, balance of account, or any other financial obligation owed the University. Students with such outstanding obligations will have any refund due them applied against the obligation.
1. Official withdrawals
Students receiving financial aid who need to completely withdraw from classes during a term should officially withdraw (see the instructions in the Schedule of Classes). By using the official withdrawal procedures, students will have tuition refunds calculated by the Student Accounts Department. Regardless of “official withdraw” or Financial Aid, Student Financial Services will still calculate any possible refunds.
Students receiving financial aid who completely withdraw up to the 60 percent point of a term, will be identified. Financial aid staff will use the federal Return of Title IV Funds formula to calculate the percentage of financial aid earned versus the percentage of aid that must be returned to federal aid program accounts. In some cases, the Return of Title IV Funds calculation may take all of a student’s tuition refund to repay federal aid accounts. In addition, students may be responsible for repayment of federal financial aid program funds. Funds are returned to the financial aid programs from which they were awarded, starting with the loan programs.
Students who are considering withdrawing from a term should contact staff in the Office of the Registrar.
2. Unofficial withdrawals
Students who stop attending without officially withdrawing from Portland State University are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. Students who unofficially withdraw may receive all X or M grades at the end of a term. A grade of X is defined as no basis for grade or non-attendance. A grade of M designates a missing grade.
Students who receive financial aid for a term and unofficially withdraw are identified at the end of each term. Each student receiving financial aid who has unofficially withdrawn must provide proof of attendance for the term(s). Students who provide proof of attendance may be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds policy. Students who fail to provide proof of attendance will have all financial aid received repaid to federal accounts (including PLUS loans) and a university accounts receivable will be established.
Refund calculations are based on total tuition and fees. Special fees are nonrefundable. Refunds are computed from the date of official withdrawal or drop; they are not based on when attendance in class ceased. Students who are delayed in withdrawal process for reasons beyond their control may petition for an earlier drop date via a Deadline Appeals petition obtained through the Office of the Registrar. Refund consideration is automatic; no special request is necessary. Action to process a refund cannot begin until after the end of the fourth week of the term.