Tuition is based on the classification of the student and the course: undergraduate or graduate, lower or upper division, resident or nonresident of Michigan. Tuition rates and fees are set by the Board of Trustees. The rates listed here are for the 2024-2025 academic year and can also be found online at gvsu.edu/tuition. A per credit hour or per course surcharge will be assessed for certain classes to offset higher costs. For more information about special course charges, go to gvsu.edu/tuitionExt.htm. Tuition for lower division (0-54 earned credits) undergraduate students who are Michigan residents taking anywhere from 12 to 15 credit hours is $7,314 per semester. Tuition is $614 per credit hour for fewer than 12 credits and for each credit over 15. Tuition for upper division (55 or more earned credits) undergraduate students who are Michigan residents taking anywhere from 12 to 15 credit hours is $7,664 per semester. Tuition is $644 per credit hour for fewer than 12 credits and for each credit over 15. For lower division (0-54 earned credits) nonresident undergraduate students, tuition is $10,410 total per semester for anywhere from 12 to 15 credits and $874 per credit for fewer than 12 credits and for each credit over 15. For upper division (55 or more earned credits) nonresident undergraduate students, tuition is $10,744 total per semester for anywhere from 12 to 15 credits and $903 per credit for fewer than 12 credits and for each credit over 15. Master's-level tuition ranges from $762-$834 per credit hour. Doctoral-level tuition ranges from $934-$963 per credit hour. Rates are based on academic program and there are no separate rates based on residency status. Visit gvsu.edu/tuition for a listing of graduate and doctoral program tuition rates. The previously listed tuition rates apply to all students registering for credit courses, including guests, visitors, and all categories of students who are not pursuing a degree at Grand Valley State University. Rates for noncredit courses in special programs apart from the regular university curriculum are published with the announcements of such programs. Rates of tuition and fees are those in effect at the time of publication of the Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog. They are subject to change at any time by Grand Valley's Board of Trustees.
Late registration (allowed only in the first five days of the semester) requires a $50 late fee. Fees for resident and nonresident are the same. Schedule revision, or drop/add, is held concurrently with all registrations. A student may drop or add any course for which prerequisites have been met and capacity permits. Additional tuition charges are due when a student adds a credit. Under exceptional circumstances, a student may be allowed to add a course after the deadline. The completed transaction, accompanied by support from the instructor, department chair, and collegial dean, must include a $25 late add fee and any additional tuition. Specific dates and times for all registrations are set by the registrar and listed in the schedule of courses. For more information on financial regulations regarding late registration and dropping or withdrawing from classes, click on the Policies section on the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website at gvsu.edu/financialaid.
Students wishing to park on either the Allendale or Grand Rapids campuses must purchase a parking permit. Permits can be ordered electronically at gvsu.edu/parking. The permit costs range from $210 to $240 per semester, depending on the student's choice of parking permit. The permit charge will be billed directly to the student account and the charge will be based on the credit hours enrolled per semester.
Because students normally come to Grand Valley State University for the primary or sole purpose of attending the institution, rather than establishing a domicile in Michigan, those who enroll as nonresident students will continue to be classified as such throughout their attendance unless they demonstrate that they have permanently abandoned their previous home and permanently established Michigan residency. See section on Michigan Residence Requirements for Grand Valley's policy for determining residency.
Students who reduce their number of credit hours or withdraw from Grand Valley may be eligible, upon application to the office of the registrar, to receive a refund of tuition. The amount of refund will be based on the following schedule: 1. Students withdrawing before the start of the semester and during the first week of classes are eligible for a full 100-percent refund of the applicable credit hours assessed. All financial aid awarded to the student will be reduced based on the required federal Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation. Students should expect to have a portion of their financial aid returned. (See Financial Aid and Complete Enrollment Withdrawal section.) 2. Students withdrawing during the second week of classes in a shortened session (spring or summer) and in the second, third, and fourth weeks of classes in a full session are eligible for a 75-percent tuition refund of the applicable credit hours assessed. 3. Students withdrawing after the second week of classes in a shortened session (spring or summer) and the fourth week of classes in a full session are not eligible for a tuition refund. 4. Students who withdraw completely and are eligible for a 100-percent refund of tuition will be eligible for a full refund of their assessed credit hours and other mandatory fees. Students withdrawing completely during the 75-percent refund period will be eligible for a 75-percent refund of their assessed credit hours and other mandatory fees. There will be no refund of these fees after the last date for a 75-percent refund as stated in the Annual Class Schedule online. Students who have financial aid should talk to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before dropping/withdrawing from classes to understand how their aid will be affected. A specific schedule of refunds, with qualifying dates, is published each semester in Grand Valley's official Annual Class Schedule. The refund is based on the date of receipt of the completed class drop or withdrawal form in the office of the registrar. If a course does not begin during the first week of the start of the semester, refunds will be based on the date of the first class meeting. When Grand Valley State University cancels a course or when it is determined that a student has registered for a course they were not eligible to take, a full refund will be made regardless of the date. In cases in which financial aid was used to pay for all or part of tuition, the refund will be used to repay the sponsor first and then the student, when appropriate. Refer to the Repayment of Unearned Federal Student Aid section of this catalog for details of this procedure.
Student applications for refund of tuition are reviewed weekly by the Tuition Refund Appeals Committee. The applicant is notified in writing following the meeting. Approved refunds will follow the normal refund process returning federal and institutional funds as dictated by policy. More information can be found at gvsu.edu/registrar/tuition-refund-appeal-committee-128.htm.
For any student who officially withdraws, federal regulations require that any unearned funds be returned based on the withdrawal Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after being notified of your complete withdrawal. This federal calculation must be completed within 30 days of the official withdrawal and will determine the amount of unearned federal financial aid funds that must be returned to the Department of Education. The statute makes clear that federal funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student ceases academic attendance before the end of that period, the student has not earned all of the federal financial aid and therefore may not be eligible for the full amount of the federal funds awarded. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships must determine that the student began attendance in the courses for which they were paid Title IV aid. Examples of academic activity or engagement which show that the student commenced attendance include attending class, completing an assignment, participating in an online discussion, etc. The amount of federal funds earned by the student is determined by multiplying the percentage of the enrollment period completed by the total amount of federal loans and grants disbursed. If a student completely withdraws before 60 percent of the semester is completed, the student may be required to repay a portion of the federal financial aid. If the percentage of the enrollment period completed is more than 60 percent, the student has earned 100 percent of the aid. Students who completely withdraw will be billed for any institutional charges that remain as well as the amount of the unearned federal student aid that has been given to them. If the student officially withdraws during the drop/add (100-percent refund) period, Grand Valley will return all financial aid funds prior to releasing any refund of tuition. A student may contact our office to request an R2T4 calculation for the purposes of receiving earned Title IV aid up to the date of withdrawal. This request must be made in time for us to perform the calculation before the 30th day following official notification of withdrawal. For each applicable course, the student must submit written documentation confirming that academic activity began. In cases where a student owes a balance, we will complete the calculation, if requested, and apply any earned aid toward their semester balance if applicable. Students who stop attending all courses but do not officially go through withdrawal procedures are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. If an unofficial withdrawal is determined to have taken place, federal regulation requires that we complete a federal Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation to determine the amount of unearned federal financial aid funds that must be returned to the Department of Education. The calculation will be completed within 30 days of identifying the unofficial complete withdrawal. In many cases, this would be the end of the semester after grades have been reported by faculty and are published. Grand Valley faculty report a last date of academic activity or engagement (LDAA) for all students who completely withdraw. Our office will use the LDAA to calculate the amount of unearned aid.
Grand Valley State University is a great place for students to invest in their futures. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships can help you maximize your investment by working with you to determine how to most effectively meet your unique needs. Even though Grand Valley believes that the responsibility for financing a college education rests with students and their families, large amounts of aid are available. A student who receives a scholarship or grant may need to be willing to borrow and work to cover the remainder of his or her educational costs. In fact, because no one aid program can cover all college expenses, aid programs are usually combined in "packages" suited to the student's needs. This means that students receive aid in a variety of forms. Rarely would a student receive all one type of aid, such as a grant. Instead, they may receive a combination of types of aid in the form of grants, scholarships, student employment, and loans.
To be considered for aid, students must be admitted as degree-seeking students. The financial aid students receive is based on their enrollment status each semester. Financial aid awards will be adjusted based on the number of enrolled credits. The majority of financial aid programs require at least half-time enrollment (six credits per semester for undergraduate students and four and one-half credits per semester for graduate students).
To maintain and renew aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress. For most federal, state aid, and institutional aid, need must be demonstrated by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students are encouraged to visit studentaid.gov to file the FAFSA online and utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to import their tax information. Contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships if you need assistance in accessing or completing this application.
All financial aid is awarded for the academic year beginning with the fall semester. Students must reapply for financial aid every year.
We encourage students to file the FAFSA for the following academic year by the Grand Valley State University priority deadline of March 1. Students who file after March 1 may not receive full grant funds (see application dates in the next section). An individual must be a degree-seeking student to be eligible to receive financial assistance. Most aid is awarded to students attending at least half-time (six or more credit hours for undergraduate students), although students attending less than half-time may be considered for the Federal Pell Grant program. Continuing education students (part-time, nondegree-seeking students) are not eligible for federal financial aid; however, they may apply for and receive some types of alternative loan programs. These students, and all others, can also utilize the Grand Valley State University tuition payment plan offered by the Student Accounts office. For additional information on alternative loan programs, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Financial aid for international students is limited based on federal guidelines.
Additional aid may be awarded for the spring/summer session depending on the availability of funds. If you are seeking a spring/summer award, you must complete the spring/summer application, which is available on the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website each February at gvsu.edu/financialaid/summer.
If you wish to be considered for financial aid, please refer to the deadline dates listed and follow the four basic steps outlined here.
1. If you are a new student, you must submit application forms for admission to Grand Valley. It is recommended that you submit a complete application for admission by March 1 for the fall semester.
2. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form must be completed by you and/or your parents and/or your spouse. Applications must be submitted online at studentaid.gov. For us to receive your FAFSA, you must list Grand Valley State University among your choice of schools. Our federal school code is 002268. The FAFSA is the only application for aid that Grand Valley requires.
3. In some cases, you or your parent may be required to submit additional information to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to verify the accuracy of your financial aid application. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships may request additional information if, upon reviewing data you have presented, we believe further clarification of your financial situation is needed. Such additional information may include information about your household size, assets, or income.
4. Award notifications for new students will be delivered electronically beginning in mid-January. Returning students will receive their award notification in May.
October 1
January
February
March 1
May
July 1
November 1
Before applying for financial aid, students and parents should assess all costs associated with attending Grand Valley. The following tables estimate the typical nine-month (two-semester) academic year expenses for single residents (living anywhere on or off campus except with parents or relatives) and commuting undergraduate students (living with parents or relatives). Some of the following expenses are discretionary (personal and miscellaneous, transportation, books, and supplies), therefore an average is used to determine the costs associated for such expenses. For more information regarding costs for graduate and doctoral level students, please visit gvsu.edu/financialaid/budgets.
Residential Students
On-Campus
Off-Campus
Tuition and fees* (Michigan resident)