Office of Student Financial Services

Explanation of Fees

When you receive your bill, your charges and any credits (such as financial aid) will be listed on it. To help you understand what you're paying for, detailed descriptions of our fees are available below.

Do you have questions about the bill? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions! You may also contact us at 413-662-5230 or StudentAccounts@mcla.edu

Main Fees

Tuition* - Tuition is often thought of as the whole bill, but is only just one part of it. Students are charged either In-State Tuition or Out-of-State Tuition. Residency is determined by the Office of Admission upon acceptance to MCLA. The In-State Tuition rate is set by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The Out-of-State Tuition rate is set by the Board of Trustees.

  • Students determined eligible for the New York Advantage or the NEBHE/New England Tuition Reduction Programs are charged Out-of-State Tuition, but have a credit on the account to reflect the discount. 
  • Students who are deemed Out-of-State but have become permanent Massachusetts residents for at least twelve consecutive months prior to the first day of classes are eligible to appeal their tuition rate. Documentation showing Massachusetts residency from twelve months prior is required, as well as a copy of your (and your parent's if dependent) federal and Massachusetts tax returns. For dependent students, residency is based off of their parent's residency. Living on-campus in the dorms does not count towards permanent residency. For more information or the form, contact Student Financial Services at 413-662-5230.

Campus Support Fee* - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts determines the amount of tuition charged by MCLA; but unfortunately, just the Tuition per student does not cover the cost of running the campus. The Campus Support Fee is to make up the difference and is required of all students. The dollars collected from this fee are used by the academic departments and college administration to budget the College's needs. This fee is assessed to all students regardless if they are from Massachusetts or any other state and it is pro-rated based on the number of credits that a student is enrolled for.

Technology Fee* - The Technology Fee supports the maintenance and enhancement of hardware, software, and networking used on the MCLA campus. This fee is pro-rated by credit hour and charged to all students.

Capital Improvement Fee* - The Capital Improvement Fee supports the construction, renovation, and maintenance of major capital projects on the MCLA campus. This is a mandatory fee assessed to all students based on registered credit hour

Student Activity Fee* - The Student Activity Fee is used to fund undergraduate student clubs, organizations, and special interest groups.

Wellness Fee* - The Wellness Fee supports the fitness center building fund. This fee is pro-rated by credit hour and charged to all students.

Health Insurance - The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires all undergraduate students enrolled for 9 or more credits and all graduate students enrolled for 7 or more credits to have health insurance.

  • If Health Insurance appears as a charge on your invoice and you are already covered by an existing health insurance policy, please provide your policy's information by completing the waiver. You can deduct the charge from your balance due by noting your confirmation # when you submit your payment. You will NOT receive a corrected invoice from MCLA. This information must be completed each academic year that you are enrolled at MCLA.
  • If you need to purchase the Health Insurance Plan offered by MCLA, you can enroll at through University Health Plans, our provider. This form will be available after July 1 for fall new students, and after December 1 for spring new students.

Campus Housing Charge - Students living on campus will see a charge for their room on the bill.  Questions regarding housing assignments should be directed to Residence Life & Housing at 413-662-5249.  

Residence Life Program Fee - The Residence Life Program Fee is charged to students living on campus and goes towards the funding of events in the residence halls. 

Laundry Fee - Each residence area has a designated laundry area for on-campus students to use. This fee goes toward the unlimited use and maintenance of the laundry equipment within the residence areas.

Meal Plan - Students living in the residence halls are required to have a meal plan for the 2022-2023 academic year. Meal plans are automatically assigned based on residency requirements.  Questions regarding the meal plan should be directed to Student Financial Services at 413-662-5230. For more information about the plans, visit the MCLA Dining website.

MassPIRG - (Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group) This fee is optional and can be waived by initialing and returning the top portion of your bill or submitting this form. The MassPIRG waiver can also be waived on Banner Self Service. You can then deduct the $9.00 fee from your bill. For more information regarding MassPIRG please visit their site at masspirgstudents.org.

 

Other Fees

Late Payment Fee - Total payment or payment arrangements must be in place by the due date on the statement or subject to a $75.00 Late Payment Fee(s).

Returned Check Fee - For each check/ACH payment that is returned by your bank, a $25.00 Returned Check Fee will be added to your account.

Enrollment Fee / Campus Matriculation Fee - Upon the first semester of matriculation to MCLA, students are charged this fee to support the Orientation and First Days programming. This one-time fee is mandatory, regardless of whether the student lives on on-campus or commutes. (Please note: this is separate from the Admission Deposit which appears as a credit/payment on the bill.) 

Credit Overload Fee - This fee only applies to full-time, undergraduate students who enroll in 19 or more credit hours in a single semester. Undergraduate students are charged an additional $200.00 per credit hour beginning on their 19th credit. This fee is assessed to applicable students after the add/drop period ends. More information on the course overload per credit charge policy is available here.

Photocopies / Course Packet - To minimize costs for students, some professors prepare and distribute course packets in lieu of traditional textbooks. To cover the cost of printing, this fee is assessed to applicable students after the add/drop period ends. Students are billed based on the class roster/CRN provided to Student Financial Services by the professor.

CPR / First Aid Fees - Students registered for a First Aid or CPR course are charged an additional fee for the processing of Red Cross (or other) certifications. Students registered for a class with CPR/ First Aid Fees will see these charges when they receive their bills after pre-registration.

Radiology Fees / Lab Fees - Students in the Health Sciences major with the Radiologic Technology concentration are charged additional fees for certain courses. These fees are charged to cover the costs associated with the use of medical space, lab equipment, and personnel. Students registered for a class with Radiology Fees / Lab Fees will see these charges when they receive their bills after pre-registration.

Parking Fines - Unpaid parking fines from MCLA's Public Safety are referred to Student Financial Services for billing. Parking fines are typically $15.00 per ticket. Questions regarding these fines or appeals should be directed to Public Safety at 413-662-5284.

Damage Billing / Improper Check Out - Students in the residence halls may be assessed these fines by Residential Programs & Services for various reasons. This could be due to damages to the dorm room/dorm furniture, extra cleaning, lock changes, or not following the check out procedure. Questions regarding these fines or appeals should be directed to Residential Programs & Services at 413-662-5249.

Alternative/Prior Learning Credits - Any student who has completed a portfolio for credit for prior learning will submit the portfolio to the Associate Dean for Graduate & Continuing Education. The Associate Dean will communicate to Student Accounts the total amount of the per-credit fee to be assessed and direct the student to pay the fee before the portfolio can be sent to the faculty reviewer.

Educational Intervention Fee - Students may be assessed this fee from Student Affairs as part of a disciplinary sanction if they are found in violation of College policy. Questions regarding these fines or appeals should be directed to Student Affairs at 413-662-5231.

Wire Transfer Fee - International students who elect to pay their MCLA invoice are subject to a Wire Transfer Fee.


*Fees with this symbol are considered mandatory fees are not waivable. These fees are charged to all undergraduate students based on the number of registered credit hours.