Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid
For current tuition and fees, students should consult the Office of Student Accounts web page at www.umw.edu/studentaccounts.
In-State Tuition Eligibility
The Code of Virginia, Section 23-7.4, governs eligibility for in-state
tuition rates at Virginia public institutions of higher education. In general, an
independent student, or the parents or legal guardians of a dependent student,
must have been legally domiciled in the Commonwealth of Virginia for one
full and continuous year immediately before the first official day of class
within the period of the student’s program and must have paid Virginia state
income tax on a full-time salary for that full year. Living in the state simply to
attend school does not constitute legal domicile. Certain exceptions are made
for military personnel and nonmilitary spouses who are employed full time.
Detailed questions about domiciliary status are part of each application for
admission.
Questions about residency status should be directed to the Office of
Student Accounts at (540) 654-1250.
Payment Policy
Students should refer to the appropriate Guide to Registration or the Office of Student Accounts web page at www.umw.edu/studentaccounts for payment of tuition and fees deadlines. Checks, money orders, and credit cards (MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) are acceptable for tuition payments. Students whose tuition and fees are being paid in full or in part by an employer must include a completed and signed billing authorization with the course registration form. Students may contact the Office of Student Accounts at (540) 286-8058 for information concerning deferred payment plans.
Refund Schedule
Degree, nondegree, and certificate students are entitled to refunds based on the current policies established by the Office of Student Accounts and published in the Guide to Registration and on the Office of Student Accounts web page at www.umw.edu/studentaccounts.
Senior Citizen Fees
A legal resident of Virginia 60 years of age or older shall be permitted,
under regulations prescribed by the State Council of Higher Education for
Virginia (SCHEV), (1) to register for and enroll free of charge in courses
as a full-time or part-time student for academic credit if such citizen has a
taxable income not exceeding $15,000 for federal income tax purposes for
the year preceding the year in which the enrollment is sought; (2) to register
for and audit courses offered for academic credit; and (3) to register for and
enroll in noncredit courses in any state institution of higher education in this Commonwealth on a space-available basis.
Such senior citizens shall pay no tuition or fees except fees established for
the purpose of paying for course materials, such as laboratory fees, but shall be
subject to the admission requirements of the institution and a determination
by the institution of its ability to offer the course or courses for which the
senior citizen registers. SCHEV shall establish procedures to ensure that
tuition-paying students are accommodated in courses before senior citizens
participating in this program are enrolled. However, the state institutions of
higher education may make individual exceptions to these procedures when
the senior citizen has completed 75 percent of the requirements for a degree.
A legal resident of Virginia 60 years of age or older with federal taxable
income exceeding $15,000 may audit credit courses or enroll in noncredit
courses without paying general University tuition and fees, but must pay
general University tuition and fees to take courses for credit. An application fee
is charged to an applicant whose taxable income exceeds $15,000. Additional
information is available through the Office of the Registrar at (540) 654-1063.
As established by the institution, certain contracted technology courses
and programs are exempt from this policy.
Veterans Benefits
Students who have questions about Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits prior
to admission should address inquiries to the Veterans Inquiry Unit at the
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office, 210 Franklin Road S.W.,
Roanoke VA 24011, (888) 442-4551, www.gibill.va.gov.
Students who have questions about VA benefits after admission should
address inquiries to the Veterans Affairs Liaison, University of Mary
Washington, College of Graduate and Professional Studies, 121 University
Boulevard, Fredericksburg VA 22406, (540) 286-8075.
Virginia Military Survivors and DependentsEducation PrograM
The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program
(VMSDEP) provides education benefits to spouses and children of military
members killed, missing in action, taken prisoner, or who became at least 90
percent disabled as a result of military service in an armed conflict.
VMSDEP provides educational benefits for children of certain Virginians
who served in the Armed Forces of the United States. Eligible children
attending public colleges and universities in Virginia are admitted free of
tuition and all required fees.
Additional information is available through the Office of Student Accounts at (540) 654-1250, with reference to Code of Virginia, Section 23-7.4:1.
Financial Aid
The University of Mary Washington offers financial aid to students
without regard to physical ability, political affiliation, marital status, sex,
color, race, religion, age, or national origin. Each year, UMW administers
over $18 million in financial assistance, including educational loans totaling
$14 million, for students at both the Fredericksburg and Stafford campuses.
Through a comprehensive program of grants, scholarships, loans, and student
employment from federal, state, institutional, and private resources, the Office
of Financial Aid strives to assist applicants with various aid sources to pay for
college expenses. Financial assistance, including scholarships, offered through
the Office of Financial Aid, is need-based and requires results from the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Scholarship selection may include various academic and personal criteria, in addition to need, as determined from the results of the FAFSA. Typically,
non-Virginia students with an Expected Family Contribution or EFC of $2000
or more can expect to receive Federal Stafford student loans, possible student
employment, and, if eligible, Pell grants. Students with the highest need may
qualify for institutional need-based scholarships. In addition, students with
need who are residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia, may be eligible for
Virginia state scholarships and grants. Priority for all scholarships and grants
is given to students who maintain a minimum 2.000 UMW cumulative gradepoint
average. Many programs require a higher grade-point average.
New students must complete the FAFSA or file online before March 1.
Returning students must file by March 15. The Federal School Code for the
University is 003746. Consideration for UMW endowed scholarships also
requires that the Scholarship Information Form be submitted by mid-May.
Current students selected for verification and all first-time students, as well as
parents of those dependent students, must submit copies of their federal tax
returns to the Office of Financial Aid in early May. Students not meeting filing
and submission dates are considered for assistance AFTER on-time filers. Since
funds are limited, this may result in otherwise eligible students not receiving
awards. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to receive aid.
Students enrolled in programs with two eight week-sessions per semester,
must take courses in both session to receive financial aid. Students who
withdraw from the second session prior to the end of its second week are
required to return financial aid that has been disbursed.
Financial Aid and Satisfactory Academic Progress
To receive financial aid in subsequent years, students must complete a
minimum of 75 percent (rounded up to the nearest whole number) of the
credit hours attempted in an academic period. For example, full-time students
enrolled for 30 credit hours during an academic year must successfully
complete a minimum of 23 credits. By the same standard, part-time students
enrolled for a total of 12 credits must complete nine or more credits.
Enrollment is verified approximately three weeks after the start of classes.
During the fall and spring semesters, enrollment is verified approximately
three weeks after the start of classes.
The credit-hour level and cumulative grade-point average (CGPA) for
courses at UMW is as follows:
30-45 credit hours, minimum 1.800 CGPA
46-59 credit hours, minimum 1.900 CGPA
Over 59 credit hours, minimum 2.000 CGPA
Graduate level, minimum 2.000 CGPA
Students who reduce their course loads or completely withdraw from
UMW may owe refunds to federal, state, or institutional programs. The return
of federal funds is calculated in accordance with federal guidelines and is
prorated based on the actual days the student attended classes. For example,
a student who withdraws after 30 days of attendance in a 105-day semester is
entitled to 29 percent of aid disbursed. The return of state funds is based on the
same percentage as the federal calculation. UMW refunds are determined by
program agreements. Students who withdraw prior to enrollment verification
may have all aid returned.
Course work accepted from other institutions is included in the total
number of credit hours, but is not factored into the CGPA. Satisfactory
Academic Progress is checked at the end of the spring semester. Students who
do not meet the above criteria may request reevaluation at the end of summer
sessions or the fall semester if additional courses have been completed to
meet these requirements. Students’ financial aid awards are determined at the
appropriate grade level for the academic year when awards are made.
Detailed information regarding financial aid and Satisfactory Academic
Progress is available at the Office of Financial Aid, Lee Hall, by phone at (540)
654-2468, or at www.umw.edu/financialaid. Specific information for students
at the Stafford campus is located in the ‘CGPS Financial Aid Supplement’,
under ‘2009-2010 Financial Aid Information & Forms’.