College Expenses

Tuition and Fees

Residence and Meal Plan Rates

Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy

Billing and Payments

Special Course Fees and Additional Program Costs

Other Administrative Fees and Charges

Financial Petitions

Refunds

2013–14 Graduate Tuition and Fees

Students must pay in full or arrange payment via a payment plan for all semester charges (minus applicable financial aid) by August 1, 2013, for the fall semester and January 2, 2014, for the spring semester. Students are responsible for monitoring their account balance and for verifying payments regardless of who is handling the finances.

Charges that are incurred after the term begins are added to the student account when the action occurs and are due immediately. The College reserves the right to change fees at the beginning of any semester.

Full-Time Graduate Tuition and Fees

Part-Time Graduate Tuition and Fees

Auditor Fees
Full-time students are not charged for auditing classes. Part-time Mills students are charged $500 per audited course. Non-Mills students are charged $750 per audited course.

¹Tuition
Students enrolled in 2 or more credits will be charged the full-time tuition rate (except MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP, joint MPP/MBA and English). Students enrolled in fewer than 2 credits will be charged the per-course-credit rate (except MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP and English). MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP and English students enrolled in 3 or more credits will be charged the MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP or English full-time tuition rate.

MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP and English students who have applied for part-time enrollement (fewer than 3 credits) will be charged the MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP ,joint MPP/MBA or English part-time flat rate. MBA, joint MBA/MA, MPP and English students who have not applied for part-time enrollment will be charged the full-time per-credit rate regardless of being enrolled in fewer than 3 credits.

Students enrolled in dual degree programs that have different tuition rates will be charged the higher of the two rates.

²Campus Comprehensive Fee
The Campus Comprehensive Fee supports basic medical services at the Mills Student Health Center, the technology infrastructure, graduate activities, and some public safety services such as the Mills shuttle and on-campus parking. Each Mills student is allowed one parking permit and the use of the Mills shuttle free of any additional charge. No portion of the Campus Comprehensive Fee can be waived or petitioned.

³AC Transit Fee
The graduate students voted to participate in the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit EasyPass program, which allows all graduate students an unlimited bus pass. Students are charged this fee in exchange for the bus pass. This fee cannot be waived or petitioned.

⁴Student Health Plan
The Student Health Plan consists of medical coverage provided by Kaiser Permanente and dental insurance provided by MetLife. Fall semester insurance coverage runs from August 15–January 14. Spring semester insurance coverage runs from January 15–August 14.

All enrolled graduate students are charged for the Student Health Plan. The health plan charge may be waived with proof of comparable insurance coverage and when a Student Health Plan Waiver is completed online at the StudentNet website during the open enrollment period, July 1–August 31 for the fall semester or December 1–January 31 for the spring semester. Student Health Plan Waivers may be accepted up to 10 days after the published deadline with a late health plan waiver fee of $150, but no waivers will be accepted after the 10-day late period. International students are required to purchase the Student Health Plan.

Students in "In Progress" status are not charged for medical services nor may they opt to buy in.

All Mills students are required to waive or enroll in the Student Health Plan each fall term by going to the StudentNet website during open enrollment. Students returning from a leave of absence or who are readmitted or reinstated to Mills must waive or enroll in the Student Health Plan at the StudentNet website during open enrollment of the semester that they return to Mills. Students who are readmitted/reinstated after open enrollment closes must contact the Manager of Wellness and Community Outreach in the Division of Student Life. These students will be granted an extension of 10 days beyond the closure of open enrollment to waive or enroll in the plan through the director of wellness and community outreach. Students who fail to do so will be enrolled in the Student Health Plan and charged for the full semester. Students who are readmitted/reinstated beyond the 10-day grace period will be automatically enrolled in the Student Health Plan and their student accounts will be charged for the full semester. If a student's health insurance provider changes, she/he must submit new insurance information with her/his new health insurance provider's coverage information to the director of wellness and community outreach in the Division of Student Life within 30 days of the change.

Students who have a waiver on file and wish to reverse it due to loss of coverage may submit a Student Health Plan Enrollment/Change form to the director of wellness and community outreach in the Division of Student Life. The date of enrollment will be the day following the termination date from the prior plan. Students who enroll for coverage in the fall term after September 11 or in the spring term after February 15 will pay the appropriate semester health plan charge, which will be prorated. Waiver reversals may be submitted anytime throughout the year.

Dependent Rates*

The student must be enrolled in the student health plan to be eligible to add dependents or partner/spouce coverage.

*All rates are in addition to the Student Health Plan charge and will be assessed to the student's account. Dependent coverage includes medical through Kaiser only. Dental is not included.

Summer Tuition and Fees
The MBA Program offers summer courses to continuing and new students enrolling for fall at a rate of $2,000 per course.

The Leadership Program in Early Childhood (LPEC) offers summer courses to graduating and entering cohorts at a rate of one-quarter their respective academic year's full-time tuition rate. The School of Education offers summer education courses outside the LPEC Program at a rate of $2,000 per course.

Mills offers a limited number of academic opportunities for other programs during the summer. The nonrefundable, administrative costs for these opportunities are:

• Course credit: $2,000
• Independent Study: $1,500
• Internship: $1,500
• Directed Research: $1,500

Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy

Leave of Absence or Withdrawal
All students considering a leave of absence or withdrawal should refer to the Leave of Absence and Withdrawal sections in the Academic Regulations part of this catalog for the official procedure. All financial aid recipients considering a leave of absence or withdrawal should also review the Return of Federal, State, and Institutional Financial Aid Policy in the Financial Aid section of this catalog.

The leave of absence/withdrawal date is the date that students provide official notification to the M Center of their intent to take a leave of absence or withdraw from the College. Once a student has completed the procedure for a leave of absence or withdrawal from the College, a tuition adjustment will be applied to the student's account which, in turn, may or may not result in a refund to the student. A student will receive a refund only if there is a credit balance on the student's account after the tuition adjustment has been made and after federal, institutional, and/or state financial aid has been returned to the programs, according to the Return of Federal, State, and Institutional Financial Aid Policy.

As of the first day of instruction, all mandatory fees such as the campus comprehensive fee, AC Transit fee, and installment fees if enrolled in a payment plan will not be credited.

Tuition charges will be adjusted as follows:

This policy is only for tuition and fees related to your registration. Residential students who take a leave of absence or withdraw from the College will be released from their obligation to pay housing charges only if they are released from their Residence Agreement prior to the commencement of the occupancy period (see Deposits and Refunds). Meal plan charges are adjusted based on the date of check-out from the assigned residence. 

Change in Enrollment Status

Full-time students who drop from full time to part time or part-time students who reduce credits or drop courses will have their tuition charges adjusted according to the below schedule. Financial Aid may also be adjusted to reflect a change in enrollment status. Students should consult with a financial aid counselor before changing their enrollment status. This adjustment may or may not result in a refund to the student. The change in enrollment status may also impact the student's ability to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements to maintain financial aid eligibility for future semesters.

The campus comprehensive fee, AC Transit and Student Health Insurance fees are not prorated for part-time status.

Billing and Payments

Billing Statements
Registered students will receive an electronic bill one month prior to the payment deadline for each semester. New and continuing students who have not registered will receive an estimated bill based on their designated enrollment status.

eBilling enables students to view, print, and download their billing statements from the web. Students may authorize any third party to receive a copy of their eBill by creating an authorized user account, which permits Mills College to release information regarding their student account to parents, spouses, and other designated individuals. 

Students and authorized users are notified by email when an eBill is available for viewing. Paper bills will no longer be sent unless special arrangements are made with Student Accounts. A writen request will need to be made to stuaccts@mills.edu. There will be a $25 per semester per address charge for requesting paper bills. The charge will appear on the student's account.

Students who take a leave of absence from the College and who have an outstanding balance will be billed within 50 days of their official leave of absence. Students who have withdrawn from the College and who have an outstanding balance will be billed by Mills College Collections.

Payments in Full
Students wishing to pay their tuition and fees in full can pay by cash, check, foreign currency bank transfer, wire transfer, or electronically through a checking or savings account. Payments by electronic checking or savings accounts can be made online. All fees are payable in US dollars.

Payments by Installment
Students who prefer to pay their balance in installments may set up a monthly payment plan online through the Mills Resource Portal. Each semester, students pay an enrollment fee and then equal monthly installments, by automatic bank withdrawal, check, cash, or credit card. All fees are payable in US dollars. Students who do not meet the installment payment deadlines may be assessed a late payment fee each month.

Late Payments
Students who do not meet the payment deadlines will not be allowed to register for classes, or occupy on-campus housing. Accounts with past due balances are subject to late payment fees. 

Mills College reserves the right to place a hold on a student's account for overdue balances. This hold will prevent students from accessing services such as registration, ordering transcripts, and receiving their diploma or certificate. Students' accounts must be paid in full before a diploma, transcript, or certificate can be issued.

Students on leave of absence who do not pay their outstanding balance by the due date on their first bill will be assessed a quarterly late fee that starts at $25 and increases by $25 increments, e.g., $25, $50, $75, $100, etc. All College services, including transcripts and readmission, will be withheld until the student account is paid in full.

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Special Course Fees and Additional Program Costs

Book Art
Book art studio fees for individual courses range from $100 to $250. If a student drops a studio class by the add deadline the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account. Students in the Book Art and Creative Writing MFA Program pay an additional fee of $450 per semester.

Dance
Graduate students in dance should expect to incur additional expenses related to their graduate performances and thesis concert. Contact the department for additional information.

Education (Teacher Education)
An additional program fee of $250 per semester is required of all students enrolled in the teacher education credential program (multiple and single subject credential) during their first year. If a student officially takes a leave of absence or withdraws from Mills by the add deadline, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student’s account.

Early Childhood Education MA
An additional program fee of $50 a semester is required of first year students enrolled in the early childhood education master's degree programs (including child life in hospitals and the early childhood special education credential). If a student officially takes a leave of absence or withdraws from Mills by the add deadline, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account.  Student fees may change due to insurance requirements for the college.

Infant Mental Health
An additional program fee of $25 a semester is required of students enrolled in the two-year infant mental health master's degree program. If a student officially takes a leave of absence or withdraws from Mills by the add deadline, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account.

For those students enrolled in the Infant Mental Health 4+1 program, the program fee is $25.  Student fees may change due to insurance requirements for the college.

Education Leadership
An additional program fee of $100 is required of first year students enrolled in the educational leadership master's and doctoral degree programs. If a student officially takes a leave of absence or withdraws from Mills by the add deadline, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account.

MBA Program
Students who take prerequisite courses for the MBA Program when they are not yet officially admitted into that program are charged at the rate of $3,500 per course credit.

MPP Program
Students who take prerequisite courses for the MPP Program when they are not yet officially admitted into that program are charged at the rate of $3,500 per course credit.

Music
Individual instruction fees, which are in addition to the course credit fee, provide for 14 hours of lessons for voice and insruments, and 7 hours for composition lessons. Fees range from $700 to $2,000, depending on the instructor. A list of instructors and their fees is available from the Music Department. Practice rooms may be rented for $60 per semester.

Graduate students in the Electronic Music and Recording Media MFA Program should budget for additional materials required for work in this medium. An average of $600 per semester is required to cover the cost of recordable compact discs and DVDs, hard drives, software, and electronic supplies.

Physical Education
Course fees are charged for classes that result in American Red Cross certification ($45–$100) which include textbooks, training materials, and ARC fees. The nutrition course has a materials fee of $75. If a student drops a class by the add deadline, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account.

Equestrian classes have a fee payable to the stables ($450–$500). Sailing classes have a fee payable to the boathouse on Lake Merritt ($75–$80). Fees payable to outside vendors are subject to the vendor's refund policy.

Studio Art
Students in the Studio Art MFA Program are provided with on-campus studios and are charged a mandatory supplemental art studio fee of $500 per semester. An additional materials fee is required for graduate studio art classes in ceramics, electronic arts, photography, video, ARTS 205 Concentrations in Ceramics, Painting, Photography, Sculpture/Intermedia, ARTS 287 Topics in Contemporary Art and ARTS 288 Contemporary Art and Critical Thinking. The fee varies for each area of concentration ($100–$300). If a student drops by the add deadline a class that has a course materials fee, the fee will be reversed; otherwise, the fee will remain on the student's account.

Thesis Binding
All students submitting a thesis to the library are required to pay a $45 Thesis Binding Fee. This nonrefundable fee will be charged to the student's account when a Petition for Candidacy form is submitted.

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Other Administrative Fees and Charges

¹Late Fees
Any late fees that are reversed due to a student's status changing from active to inactive may be reinstated if the student becomes active again.

²Returned Payment Charge
There is a charge for each returned payment. After a payment is returned for insufficient funds, the College will only accept payment via guaranteed funds (cash, cashier's check, money order, or electronic transfer) for one calendar year.

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Financial Petitions

The Financial Petition Committee reviews all petitions that relate to the late payment fee, late registration fee, and tuition adjustments related to leave of absences or withdrawals. Petitions must be submitted to the M Center in writing during the semester in which the charge has been assessed or it will not be reviewed. Students may not re-petition the same charge once a decision has been made unless new information is presented. The financial petition form is available online.

Late health plan waiver fee petitions are available through the Health Programs Office in the Division of Student Life. If the Student Health Plan Waiver was not submitted by the published deadline, the Student Health Plan charge cannot be petitioned.

Traffic fines must be appealed directly to Public Safety.

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Refunds

If there is a credit balance on a student's account, a refund may be issued.

Credit balances resulting from financial aid disbursements will be refunded automatically without a request from the student.

Credit balances resulting from cash, check, or payroll/stipend overpayments will be refunded to students upon request to stuaccts@mills.edu. The College reserves the right to hold a refund resulting from a check overpayment for 14 days. Credit balances resulting from credit card transactions will be credited back to the original card and are not refundable in the form of a check.

Students who would like their refund deposited directly into their bank account can enroll in eRefund in the portal. Paper checks are issued and mailed by the Finance Office. Electronic and paper refunds are issued weekly. A fee is charged to the student account for any refunds that are returned due to inaccurate bank account information or reissued due to non-receipt.

Tuition adjustments caused by an official leave of absence, withdrawal, or change in enrollment status may or may not result in a refund to the student. Please review the Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy for detailed information.

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