Tuition & Fees
2012-2013 Tuition and Fees
Each student is charged a tuition fee that covers about two-thirds of the cost of services provided by the College. The balance of these costs is met by income from endowment and by gifts from trustees, parents, alumni, other friends, corporations, and foundations interested in the type of education that this institution provides.
The expenses of students at Occidental are shown in the schedules that appear below. The College reserves the right to change fees, modify its services, or change its program should economic conditions or national emergency make it necessary to do so.
The College will charge all full-time students $43,490 per year. If the student resides on campus, an additional charge will be assessed per the room-and-board schedule below. Books and supplies, special fees, and personal expenses will vary with the individual. The College estimates they will total approximately $3,635 per year.
2012-2013 Tuition and General Fees (Per Semester)
Please see explanations below regarding certain of these items:
| Full-time (12 or more units) | $21,745.00 |
| Part-time per unit rate | 1,810.00 |
| Room | 3,540.00 |
| Single Room Premium; large room | 1,230.00 |
| Single Room Premium; small room | 875.00 |
| Board (Plan A — alternate board plans listed below) | 2,900.00 |
| Student Body Fee | 139.00 |
| Renewable Energy & Sustainability Fee | 10.00 |
| Student Health Insurance—mandatory | 391.25 |
Tuition and Commitment Deposit: Tuition is the charge for instruction and general services of the College, including privileges of the library, gymnasium, swimming pool, and health center; admission to all athletic events sponsored by the College; and graduation.
Upon acceptance for admission to Occidental, a commitment deposit of $500 is required. The deposit will be forfeited should enrollment at Occidental not occur. Commitment deposits are non-interest bearing.
The commitment deposit will be credited toward the student’s account at the end of the last academic semester in attendance. In the event that the student elects not to return to the College, and therefore does not graduate, the deposit will be released at the time of declaration not to return. Deposits will be held for students on official leave of absence from the College, pending their return.
Room and Board: All students who hold a room contract for traditional campus housing must purchase one of the three room-and-board contracts available per semester (board plans are optional for residents of Berkus House, SAE and the Food Justice House):
Room | Board | Total | |
| Plan A ($2,920 in Meal Money) | $3,540 | $2,900 | $6,440 |
| Plan B ($2,655 in Meal Money) | 3,540 | 2,685 | 6,225 |
| Plan C ($2,325 in Meal Money) | 3,540 | 2,375 | 5,915 |
| Plan D ($2,100 in Meal Money) (Plan D is not available to first-year students.) | 3,540 | 2,130 | 5,670 |
Meal plan changes are available on-line through the first Friday of classes each semester. On-line changes are free, Changes after this date require a visit to the Card Office, and a fee of $5 (cash or check only) will apply. The deadline for meal plan changes each semester is 5 p.m. on the Friday of the second full week of classes. For complete information on meal plan policies, please see the Campus Dining website:
http://www.oxy.edu/CampusDining.xml.
Change in Meal Plan 5
Replacement of lost ID card with same photo 20
Replacement of lost ID card with new photo 25
ID card - replacement - 5th - 9th card (ever) - additional fee 45
ID card - replacement - 10th card or higher (ever) - additional fee 55
ID card - rush - additional fee * 40
*ID cards without rush are produced and available at a set time each weekday
Board charges will be prorated to the date of change in status, except that adjustments will not be made for an absence of one week or less nor for the first week of a prolonged absence.
Student Body Fee: The student body fee is required of all students. (Exchange students from Caltech and the Art Center College of Design are exempt.) The fee is established and collected by the College for the support of student body organizations and activities, including publication of a weekly newspaper and production of the yearbook. Student body funds are administered by the Associated Students of Occidental College. In extraordinary circumstances, the president of the College is authorized to take whatever action is deemed necessary with respect to the expenditure of these funds or the use of student body facilities and properties.
Renewable Energy & Sustainability Fee ─ Money for the Renewable Energy and Sustainability Fund will be raised by a ten (10) dollar per student per semester Renewable Energy and Sustainability fee on ASOC members, as part of the student body fee. The student body at a general election may increase this fee by majority vote. Money not spent or invested at the end of each year will accrue in savings and be available to the Fund in future years.
Student Health Insurance (Mandatory)
If you have specific questions regarding the coverage or need assistance with filing your insurance claims, please contact Julie Gordon, UnitedHealthcare's on-site Student Insurance Coordinator at (323) 259-2836. You can also log onto http://www.gallagherkoster.com/Oxy for coverage information and claims status, to download ID cards, and for other services.
Payment of Student Accounts
Tuition and fees may be paid according to one of the following payment plans:
Number of Payments | Payment Due Dates | |
| Semester Plan | Two payments | August 1, 2012 January 2, 2013 |
| Monthly Payment Plan* (Available for full-time students only) | Ten Payments | First of each month beginning August 1, 2012 through May 1, 2013 |
*Requires a deferred payment fee of $50 per semester.
Prior to registration, students will be requested to provide information on meal plan selection, full- or part-time status, payment plan, etc.
Based upon this information, tuition and fee charges will be calculated and billings mailed prior to the appropriate payment due date for the semester. Credits to the student’s account for financial aid and sponsored assistance will be prorated by semester.
Payments must be received by the due dates indicated to obtain final clearance to register and to avoid a late payment assessment. If an individual writes two checks to the College returned for non-sufficient funds, that individual will lose check writing privileges at the College. The College always accepts cashier’s checks and money orders. Checks written by an Occidental student to a College department that are returned by the bank for any reason will be applied to the tuition account of that student. Actual charges will be calculated from academic registration information. Each semester, all accounts are reviewed by the Business Office and must be current in order to have enrollment confirmed.
The College will not register a student, confer a degree, nor provide a final transcript to any student or former student who has a financial obligation to the College (other than a loan not yet due). All graduating seniors must satisfy all financial obligations to the College with the Business Office by May 15. Failure to do so will cause the diploma and final transcript to be withheld.
Tuition Insurance Plan
This elective insurance plan provided by A.W.G. Dewar Inc. increases the refund adjustments provided by the College’s refund policy. Students can receive up to a 75% refund of semester tuition and insured fees in the event of withdrawal for medical or psychological reasons. Enrollment forms and descriptive materials are mailed to students in June. The plan provides coverage for tuition, room, meals, and student body fee.
Special Fees
| Application | $60 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Auditors | |||||||||||||||||||
Lecture Course (per semester unit) | 905 | ||||||||||||||||||
Laboratory and Creative Art Course (per semester unit) | 1,810 | ||||||||||||||||||
Change in Meal Plan
| 5 20 25 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Course Exemption by Examination | 30 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Credit by Examination (based on individual study) (per semester unit, for students enrolled in 11 or fewer units) | 905 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Monthly Payment Fee (per semester) | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Duplicate Diploma Fee | 50 | ||||||||||||||||||
Graduate Study In Education (students admitted through the Graduate Office)
| |||||||||||||||||||
Graduate Study, Other
| . 1,810 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Karate | 125 |
| Late Add/Drop (by petition, per week starting with the second week of classes to add a 4-unit class) | 30 |
| Late Add (by petition, per week starting with the eighth week of classes to add a 1- or 2-unit class) | 30 |
| Late Payment on Account | 25 |
| Late Clearance Fee | 100 |
| Music Group Instruction | 195 |
| Music Private Instruction Lessons per semester | 375 or 750 |
| Occidental Abroad Application | 40 |
| Teacher’s Credential Counseling Service for non-Occidental students | 300 |
| Thesis Candidate Status (Graduate Students) | 60 |
| Thesis for M.A./M.A.T. Degree, binding, per copy | 15 |
| Official Transcript | 10 |
*Transcripts of credits are ordered through the Office of the Registrar and are released if outstanding obligations to the College have been paid in full, or satisfactory arrangements with the Business Office have been made.
**One week’s time is normally required for processing requests.
Tuition Adjustment Policy
Since faculty engagements and other commitments are made by the College for the entire year in advance, the following tuition adjustment schedule has been established in order that the College and the student may share the cost equitably when it is necessary for a student to drop a course or withdraw from the College.
Status Change From Full-Time To Part-Time: The College refund policy for students dropping from full-time status to part-time status is effective only for the first five weeks of the semester. Students who register at the beginning of the term as full-time and elect to drop to part-time status will be billed on a per-unit basis (eleven or fewer units) in addition to the following assessment fee:
- At the end of the second week of classes—$670
- During the third, fourth, and up to the end of the fifth week of classes—$1,780
- After the fifth week of classes, no adjustment will be made and the student will be billed at the regular full-time rate.
Part-time Status: To be considered part-time, a student must petition the Registrar’s Office and be approved. Attending courses with 11 or fewer units without an approved petition from the Registrar does not constitute part-time status and the student will be subject to full-time tuition and fees.
Withdrawal from the College: Students who withdraw during the semester may be eligible for refunds, depending upon the time of the withdrawal. Students must give written notification to the Registrar of their decision to withdraw and complete all withdrawal procedures to be eligible for any refunds (see tuition insurance plan).
Eligibility for tuition refunds is as follows:
| Withdrawal During | Amount of Tuition Refunded |
| First five days of classes* | 90% |
| Sixth through 10th day of classes* | 80% |
| 11th through 15th day of classes* | 70% |
| 16th through 20th day of classes* | 60% |
| 21st through 25th day of classes* | 50% |
| After 26th day of classes* | 0% |
*Days of classes are defined as any business day when any classes are held.
Board charges will be prorated to the date of change in status, except that adjustments will not be made for an absence of one week or less nor for the first week of a prolonged absence.
Adjustments to room charges will be made only in accordance with the terms of the room contract.
No adjustment will be made to student body, and health insurance fees.
No adjustment except for board will be made for a student who is suspended, dismissed, expelled, or asked to leave the College for any reason. Student scholarship aid will be prorated according to published guidelines and government regulations.
Graduate Programs: Graduate students officially accepted into the Education Credential or M.A.T. programs must confirm their enrolled units with the registrar by published deadlines. Students will be billed on a per-unit basis for the units for which they register at the beginning of the semester. After the fifth week of classes, no adjustment other than assessing additional units will be made. If the enrolled units form is not completed, the student will be charged full-time tuition at the graduate education rate.