4 Expenses

4.1 Student Charges

Charges for the 2023-2024 academic year are as follows:

These are the annual charges billed by the College. Students and their parents, however, should plan for expenditures associated with books, travel, parking, and other personal items. In addition, the College will bill for unpaid library fines, Worth Health Center fees, and other fees and fines not collected at the source.

Students engaged in independent projects away from the College for which regular academic credit is anticipated are expected to register in advance in the usual way and pay normal tuition. If the student is away from the College for a full semester, no charge for room and board will be made. However, if a student is away for only a part of a semester, the preceding charges may be made on a pro rata basis. 

Students who have not satisfied their financial obligations (except for any obligation covered as a result of veterans benefits beneficiaries using Ch. 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill® or Ch 31 VR&E benefits) will not be permitted to return to campus, attend any classes, live in campus housing, have a meal plan, register via add/drop (or any other method) for any classes, enroll for the following semester, participate in the room lottery, obtain a transcript, or be permitted to be graduated. Late fees of 1.5 percent per month will accrue on all past-due balances. 

The regular College tuition covers the normal program of four course credits per term as well as variations of as many as five course credits or as few as three course credits. Students who elect to carry more than five course credits incur a unit charge for the additional course credit ($7,750) or half-course credit ($3,875), although they may within the regular tuition vary their programs to average as many as five course credits in the two semesters of any academic year. For the academic year, regular tuition covers the normal program of up to 10 credits earned over the Fall and Spring terms. College policy does not permit programs of fewer than three course credits for degree candidates in their first eight semesters of enrollment. After the first eight semesters of enrollment, students are eligible to pay the unit charge for each course credit.

4.1.1 Approved Global Engagement (GEO):  Study Abroad/Domestic Study Away Programs 

Students who wish to receive Swarthmore credit for approved study abroad and domestic study away programs must, for the semester or year of participation, pay the full Swarthmore charges (excluding the student activities fee). Financial aid is normally applicable. Students should begin working with their academic adviser and the Global Engagement Office well in advance for academic and administrative planning.

4.2 Payment Policy

Semester bills will be sent in early July, 2023 and again in early December, 2023. Payment for the first semester is due by July 17, 2023 and for the second semester by January 3, 2024. A 1.5 percent late fee will be assessed monthly on payments received after the due date. Many parents have indicated a preference to pay College charges on a monthly basis rather than in two installments. For this reason, Swarthmore offers a monthly payment plan, which provides for payment in installments without interest charges. 

4.3 Withdrawal Policy

Charges for tuition and fees will be reduced for students who withdraw for reasons approved by the dean before or during a semester. Reductions in charges will be made in the following ways:

* Board plan reductions may incur additional reduction based on the number of Points and/or Swat points that have been spent from your plan.

4.3.1 Withdrawal from Approved Off-Campus Study

If a student elects to withdraw from an Off-Campus Study abroad program, or is required by the College to withdraw from the program, either before the program begins, or after the program is underway, the student also assumes financial responsibility for the expenses that the College has either paid out or obligated on behalf of the student. Unrecoverable expenses may include, but are not limited to, the payment of tuition, room and board, and travel allowances. The student must repay any unrecoverable expenses and any travel, meal, and/or lodgings allowances that have been advanced, before he or she will be permitted to re-enroll at the College, receive an official transcript, or be graduated from the College. Financial aid will not be available for the purpose of covering these costs. Once the obligated and unrecoverable amounts have been met by the student, College charges will be reduced in a manner consistent with the charge reduction/withdrawal policy for tuition, room, and board set forth in section 4.3.

4.4 Housing Fines

Anytime a student cancels their housing contract, room and board charges will be reduced following the process outlined in 4.3.

4.5 Inquiries

All correspondence regarding payment of student charges should be addressed to Linda Weindel, Student Accounts Manager, or phone 610-328-8396.