Financial Information
It is the policy of Berry College to keep charges to students to a
minimum,
and the college carefully selects those to whom it will offer admission.
To balance the difference between actual educational costs and the
amount a student pays, Berry College provides approximately half of the
cost annually for each full-time student.
Many students are offered work opportunity through which they can earn a
portion of their college expenses. They are paid regularly by check.
Scholarships, grants, loans and other awards also are available under a
comprehensive
financial-assistance program. Further information is provided later in
this section.
Regular Charges for 2009 -2010
| Tuition (12-18 semester hours) |
$23,160
|
| Technology Fee |
$50
|
| Student Activity Fee |
$150
|
| Total Tuition and Fees |
$23,360
|
| Room and Board |
|
|
| First-Year Students |
Traditional Hall Room w/ the Unlimited meal plan
|
$8,340
|
| |
First year students normally reside
in one of the traditional residence halls. Additional costs apply if
a first year student resides in alternative housing. All first year
residential students are required to have the Unlimited meal plan.
|
|
| Second-Year Students |
Traditional Hall Room w/ the Any 10 meal plan
|
$7,800
|
| |
Second year students normally reside in one of the
traditional residence halls. Additional costs apply if a second year
student resides in alternative housing. All second year residential
students are required to have at least the Any 10 meal plan. They may
also upgrade to the Unlimited plan (+$540). |
|
| Third and Fourth-Year Students |
Choose one of the following:
|
|
| |
Traditional Hall Room w/ the Any 7 meal plan
|
$7,180
|
| |
All third and fourth year
residential students living in a traditional hall room are required
to have at least the Any 7 meal plan. They may also upgrade to the
Any 10 (+$620) or the Unlimited (+$1,160) meal plans.
|
|
| |
Townhouses & Thomas Berry Suites w/ Flex Bucks meal plan
|
$6,122
|
| |
All third and fourth year
residential students living in the townhouses or Thomas Berry Suites
are required to have at least the Flex Bucks meal plan, but may
upgrade to the Flexible 80 (+$820), the Any 7 (+1,900), the Any 10
(+$2,520) or the Unlimited (+$3,060) meal plans.
|
|
| |
New Residence Hall (Suites) w/ Flex Bucks meal plan
|
$7,294
|
| |
All third and fourth year
residential students living in the New Residence Hall are required to
have at least the Flex Bucks meal plan, but may upgrade to the
Flexible 80 (+$820), the Any 7 (+1,900), the Any 10 (+$2,520) or the
Unlimited (+$3,060) meal plans.
|
|
| Commuter Students |
Flex Bucks Meal Plan |
$620
|
*These regular charges become effective at the beginning of the 2009
fall semester. Some or all charges may necessarily be increased in
2010-2011. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to change any
charge (regular or other) at any time.
Note: A reduced meal plan is available to students who work at least 10 hours per week in Dining Services.
Tuition
For each semester hour in excess of 18, an additional charge of $772
per hour will be made. Students enrolled for fewer than 12 semester
hours are charged $772 per hour.
Auditors (students enrolled in one or more classes on a noncredit
basis) are charged tuition at the rate of $386 per semester hour.
A portion of tuition is applied toward the costs of student
publications (Cabin Log, Campus Carrier and Ramifications), athletic
activities, campus motion pictures and cultural-affairs performances,
student-government activities and student-center operations. A
fall-semester student not registering for the spring semester may
obtain a Cabin Log, if one is available, by paying a prorated amount of
the per-copy price for the semester in which tuition is not paid.
Room
Room charges for students returning early and for students remaining
at Berry during vacations are additional and are computed at the rate
of $22.19 per day in the residence halls, $22.19 per day in Dorothy
Cottage, $26.20 per day in the townhouses and Thomas Berry suites, and
$31.78 per day in the new residence-hall suites. Residence halls are
completely closed at Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks. When space is
available, students may request private rooms through the office of
residence life. Additional charges apply for these requests. For rooms
identified as doubles, triples or quads which are converted to lower
occupancy rooms at the request of the resident(s), an additional charge
of $466 per year will apply. Also, for any student residing in a room
identified as a single, an additional charge of $233 per year will
apply.
Board
First-year students living on campus must purchase the Unlimited
Plan. Second-year students living on campus must purchase at least the
Any 10 Plan. All other traditional residence hall occupants must
purchase at least the Any 7 Plan. All other suite residents and all
full-time commuter students must purchase at least the Flex Bucks Plan.
Meals not included in a plan may be purchased on a casual basis. In
addition, a la carte service is available in Valhalla (our food court).
Meal plan charges cover only those meals and Flex Bucks that are made
available within an academic semester. Unused meals and Flex Bucks do
not roll over from semester to semester.
We provide a variety of foods to satisfy students with special diets.
We can provide most special diets if recommended by the student’s
physician. If, after receiving documentation and having conversations
with the student’s physician, it is deemed by our dietician and the
director of dining services that we are unable to meet the dietary
need, then the director of dining services can exempt an individual
from the meal plan rules above.
Other Charges
Application for admission fee .....................................................................$50
Technology fee.............................................................................................50
Student Activity fee ...................................................................................150
Joint enrollment per credit hour ................................................................386
Enrollment deposit (see below) ................................................................150
Residence-hall room deposit (see next page) ...........................................100
Orientation fee (SOAR and Viking Venture)
Freshman residents ..................................................................................135
Transfer students and commuters.............................................................. 75
Late clearance............................................................................................ 50
Student vehicle registration (per year)....................................................... 25
Graduation fee (including keeper cap and gown)........................................40
Transcript of record .......................................................................................5
Emergency request for transcript ................................................................20
Certain courses, including music lessons, require special fees
for materials or facilities use or other particular costs. See
the Berry Intranet or the Berry Web site for details.
Returned-check fee (each transaction) .......................................................40
Credit-by-examination fee, per credit hour .................................................30
Replacement of student-identification card ................................................ 25
Continuing-education program fees set by the department
SPECIAL FEES ARE NOT REFUNDABLE.
Enrollment deposits and room deposits are refundable only if written
notice of cancellation is received by May 1 from applicants for the
fall semester and two months before the date of registration from
applicants for spring semester. The enrollment deposit is not a
prepayment of tuition and fees; rather, it serves as a reservation
deposit to be retained until the student graduates or withdraws. For
continuing students, refund of the deposit will be made when formal
withdrawal is accomplished by their class-selection date of the current
semester and all financial obligations have been met.
Room deposits are not prepayments to be applied to residence-hall
charges but will remain on deposit with the college to be refunded,
provided the student’s accounts with the college are cleared, upon
change of status from residence-hall student to commuting student,
formal withdrawal or graduation. However, the room-deposit refund will
be permanently forfeited in the event of a change to commuting status
or formal withdrawal occurring after the class-selection date of the
current semester.
Textbooks and supplies each semester cost approximately $600. Personal expenses, of course, vary with the individual.
Graduate Studies Charges
Charges for graduate studies are listed in the Graduate Catalog.
Financial Obligations to the College
A student who is delinquent in payment of any financial obligation
to Berry College may be removed from classes; may not be allowed to
register at the college for another semester until such delinquency is
satisfied; may not be issued official transcripts or a diploma; and may
be subject to further disciplinary action. In addition, in the event
that an unpaid obligation is submitted to a collection agency or an
attorney at law, all costs of collection, including reasonable
attorney’s fees, will be paid by the student.
Payment of Charges Each Semester
Each student who has preregistered is billed in advance with an
itemized statement of charges for the semester; financial-aid credits
applied, if any; and the net amount due to complete registration.
Net charges are due and payable on or before the fee payment date or the student will not be “cleared” to attend classes.
The student Deferred-Payment Plan is available for those who wish to
pay charges for each semester in monthly installments. A service charge
will be assessed students who choose the Deferred-Payment Plan.
Clearance to Attend Classes
A student will not be permitted to attend classes, and professors
will not admit students to class, until the business services office
has received the net amount billed or the first installment under the
Deferred-Payment Plan for the semester and all scholarship, loan and
other financial-aid forms and/or checks have been signed.
Refund of Charges
All students who withdraw during a semester will be charged tuition
and room and board, if applicable, at the rate of 10 percent of the
semester charge for each week, or fraction thereof, of enrollment. If a
recipient of financial aid withdraws and is scheduled to receive a
refund, all or part of this refund will be used to reimburse the
financial-aid program from which the student received funds. Other fees
are nonrefundable.
Students receiving Title IV Federal Financial Aid (Stafford, Plus or
Perkins Loans, Pell Grant, SEOG, etc.) who withdraw during a semester
will be subject to the refunding of all or a portion of their financial
aid to the respective loan or grant, according to Federal Regulations.
Information on these withdrawal procedures and the Federal Regulations
that apply are available in the Student Business Services Office.
Work Experience
Join the nation’s premier work experience program. Berry offers
meaningful work to every student in more than 120 departments and
locations. Each year 85% of the student body chooses to work in a
variety of jobs. Most first-time student workers start in entry-level
positions and then progress to more advanced positions. Many students
eventually have the opportunity to supervise other students and manage
departments or one of our student-run businesses.
The Berry work experience extends, complements, and enriches the
academic experience. Students develop leadership and human relations
skills, learn good work habits, build self-reliance, and gain experience
in useful vocations and avocations.
Freshmen typically work 10 hours per week and are allowed to work no
more than 15 hours per week. Upperclassmen often work between 10 and
20 hours per week. Upperclassmen can apply to the Dean of Student Work
to work more than 20 hours per week during the academic year. Students
also have the option to work up to 40 hours per week during the
summer.
The Dean of Student Work assigns positions to incoming freshmen based
on individual preferences and institutional needs. Sophomores, juniors
and seniors are encouraged to seek the jobs of their choice. Open jobs
are posted at https://studentwork.berry.edu Students having difficulty finding jobs should contact the Student Work Office in Krannert 302.
Freshmen working 15 hours per week during the academic year can earn
approximately $3,480. Upperclassmen working 20 hours per week during
the academic year can earn approximately $4,760. Students working 40
hours per week during the summer have the opportunity to earn up $4,500
and those working approximately 500 hours can earn an additional $700
credit toward fall tuition.
Student earnings for on-campus jobs are paid by check issued by the
college every two weeks. Earnings are subject to state and federal
income taxes and in some cases FICA taxes. New students are required to
complete payroll withholding and I-9 (verification of citizenship)
forms prior to receiving work assignments and therefore should have a
social-security card or certified birth certificate and one other
government-issued picture identification (usually a state-issued
driver’s license) in their possession when they arrive on the campus. A
valid U.S. passport is an acceptable substitute for the social
security card, birth certificate, and the identification card.
Financial Aid
Berry College is committed to assisting students and their families
in securing resources to attend the college through the use of
institutional, federal and state funding. Every student is encouraged
to apply for financial aid by filing the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority date for receipt of the financial-aid
forms is April 1 each year. Late applications will be considered on a
funds-available basis.
To meet general eligibility requirements to be considered for financial aid, a student:
- Must be admitted to Berry College as a regular-admitted, degree-seeking student;
- Must be a U.S. citizen, eligible non-citizen, U.S. national or have an acceptable immigrant visa;
- Must not be in default on prior education loans, nor owe repayment of federal grant programs;
- Must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress toward graduation as defined in this Catalog.
In addition to these general requirements, individual programs may
have additional requirements specific to that particular program.
Examples of these additional requirements are specific grade-point
averages needed to maintain the program, or a minimum level of
enrollment required to be eligible to receive funding. Students should
be familiar with the actual requirements for specific programs which
apply to them.
Applying for Financial Aid
Information about applying for financial aid can be found by going
to the Berry College Office of Financial Aid’s Web site. The Web site
also provides links to the state programs for Georgia residence and the
federal Web site for filing the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid online. All students both new and retuning should notify the Berry
College Financial Aid Office of any scholarship awards they will
receive from outside sources.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Submission of this form (or the renewal FAFSA for continuing students)
is required for consideration of eligibility for any need-based
assistance as well as for participation in the federal family loan
program (student and/or parent loans). All students are encouraged to
submit the FAFSA to the federal processing center through the Internet
using FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov).
Once the student’s FAFSA is processed, the results are released
electronically to the college, provided the student includes the
college’s code (00155400) on the FAFSA. The electronic information must
be received by the financial-aid office, along with supporting
documentation as requested by that office, before federal loans or
other need-based aid can be awarded.
Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant Application.
This form is required for the state residency (tuition-equalization)
grant and may be completed by going to www.GAcollege411org.
HOPE Scholarship Application. Eligible HOPE scholars must complete this application by going to www.GAcollege411org.
Common Financial-Aid Sources
The most common sources of financial assistance are federal, state and institutional aid.
Federal Programs. These programs provide the
foundation for financial aid for students who demonstrate financial
need. Initial application for federal aid is made by submission of the
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The federal programs
available through Berry to qualified students include Federal Pell
Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, Academic
Competitive Grants, SMART Grants, Federal Work-Study and Federal Family
Education Loans. (Note: The Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan
and the Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students are loans
created to assist families who do not qualify for need-based aid or who
need additional funds to replace their expected family contribution.
Eligibility for these loan programs also require submission of the
FASFA.)
State Programs. The state of Georgia provides
the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant to eligible state residents who
attend Berry as full-time undergraduate students. In addition to the
Tuition Equalization Grant, the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship Program
is available to help eligible students with their educational needs.
Continuation of the HOPE scholarship is based on maintaining the
required 3.0 grade-point average on all attempted hours of course work
after high-school graduation. The grade point average is reviewed after
attempting 30, 60 and 90 hours and at the end of each spring term.
Upperclassmen may be eligible to enter the scholarship program with the
required grade-point average after having attempted 30, 60, or 90
credit hours.
The HOPE PROMISE Teacher Scholarship Loan is a part of the HOPE
Program made available in the junior and senior years for education
majors who plan to teach in a Georgia public school and who have
maintained a 3.0 grade-point average. If unable to complete the program
or meet the teaching obligation, the student must repay a loan. The
HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loan is another component of the HOPE Program
that provides forgivable loans to students seeking advanced education
degrees in critical shortage fields. Applications for the PROMISE and
HOPE Teacher Scholarship Loans can be obtained online at
www.GAcollege411.org. For more information on HOPE programs and current
regulations governing these programs, contact Berry’s financial-aid
office or contact HOPE directly at 1-800-546-HOPE or on the Web
(www.gsfc.org).
Institutional. Students are expected to be enrolled
full time to receive institutional funding. Changes to the enrollment
level placing a student below full-time status will require an
adjustment to the aid package. In addition, institutional funds are
limited to four years (eight semesters) of enrollment or completion of
128 semester hours whichever comes first.
The admissions office awards all academic scholarship and opportunity
grants. Academic scholarships and opportunity grants are awarded only
to entering first-year or transfer students. For eligibility
information, prospective students should contact the admissions office.
A number of Berry awards are limited to Direct Costs which are defined as tuition, fees, room and board. Specific conditions will be provided in your initial Award notification.
The required grade-point average to renew academic merit
scholarships and opportunity grants is 2.50 after two terms and 3.00
thereafter. However, students receiving a Presidential Scholarship will
be required to have achieved a 3.00 grade-point average at the end of
their first two semesters of enrollment and must maintain a cumulative
3.20 after those first two terms. Academic scholarships and opportunity
grants are reviewed at the end of each spring or summer term to
determine eligibility for the next academic year. Only course work
completed at Berry is used to compute continued academic scholarship
and/or opportunity grant eligibility. Scholarships and/or grants lost
may be renewed at the end of each academic year if the required
cumulative grade-point average is met at that time.
A number of disciplines (ex., music and theatre) on campus, offer
scholarships. Prospective students should contact the appropriate
department chair for further information.
Grants and scholarships are also awarded to students to assist in
meeting financial need. The financial-aid office must receive the
electronic results of the FAFSA, the Institutional Student Information
Record (ISIR), to determine eligibility for need-based aid. Grants and
scholarships are awarded on an annual basis subject to the information
provided on the FAFSA. Need-based grants/scholarships may be adjusted
if students receive additional aid after a Berry grant/scholarship has
been awarded.
An alternative loan opportunity program (other than federal) may be
offered to qualifying students to assist in meeting their educational
expenses.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards
In order to receive financial aid from the federal Title IV
assistance programs, state grants or institutional aid other than work
opportunity, the student must exhibit satisfactory academic progress.
For purposes of this financial-aid requirement, a full-time
undergraduate student must earn 24 semester hours of credit each
academic year. A full-time graduate student must earn 18 semester hours
of credit each academic year. Part-time undergraduate or graduate
students must satisfactorily complete at least 70 percent of any
attempted course work.
Students receiving financial aid must complete their degree
requirements within a reasonable time. Normally 124 semester hours are
required to earn a bachelor’s degree at Berry College. Therefore, an
undergraduate student shall be deemed in good standing and eligible to
receive federal financial aid until he/she has attempted 165 semester
hours or completes degree requirements, whichever comes first. This
number includes hours attempted at all schools attended. Master’s-level
students will be allowed to receive federal financial aid until they
have attempted 40 graduate semester hours at all schools attended.
At the end of each semester, the academic record of each aid
recipient will be reviewed and recorded. The review will include all
academic-year semesters of attendance and all degree-credit courses
completed at Berry, whether or not aid was received for those courses.
Students with deficiencies at the end of fall semester will be notified
so that additional courses may be scheduled to remove the deficiencies
before the end of spring semester. The review at the end of the
academic year (spring semester) will determine satisfactory progress for
that year. Students with an average of fewer than 12 credit hours per
semester will not be considered as making satisfactory progress, and
financial assistance will not be offered until the deficiency is
removed. Deficiencies may be removed by completing the necessary hours
without financial aid. Once the hours are successfully completed, the
student will again be eligible for financial aid.
Successful completion of courses means the student has received a
grade of A through D, H, or P. Receipt of grades of F, I, W, WF, WS, X,
or NR does not constitute successful completion.
For purposes of receiving financial assistance, a student must
maintain satisfactory progress with regard to grades and work
completed. Undergraduate students completing 60 or more hours must have
a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA on academic work at ALL schools attended
to receive financial aid. Students academically dismissed who are
allowed to return to Berry after one semester or one year are not
considered in good standing for financial aid until the academic
deficiency is removed.
Students who experience mitigating circumstances such as personal
illness or injury; or illness, injury or death of an immediate family
member that requires the student either to withdraw temporarily from
college, reduce the semester class load, stop out, or receive grades of
incomplete or W may have a one-semester extension of time in meeting
the foregoing requirements. To request the extension, the student must
provide a personal statement and/or other documentation as required by
the director of student financial aid. The director, in consultation
with the Enrollment Management Committee and/or other college
officials, as appropriate, will decide whether an extension is
warranted.
These standards are issued in compliance with The Higher Education
Act of 1965 as amended by federal regulations effective January 1,
1992.