TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and Fees*

Tuition and fees are payable in U.S. currency on dates designated by the College.

Students failing to meet published payment deadlines may be dropped from courses.

Description Of Fees

Technology Fee:

The purpose of the fee is to enrich Morton College students’ educational experience with technology. The fee is used for continued technology enhancements throughout the College including software, client hardware, and infrastructure to support services offered to Morton College students. These services include student e-mail, local and online learning resources, and network access.

Comprehensive Fee:

The purpose of the fee is to enhance students’ overall experience on campus. The fee is used to fund various student club organizations, performances and special events, library resources excluding technology, restoration and maintenance of various student and academic facilities, and the maintenance of parking facilities and campus security.

Late Registration Fee:

Students will be accessed a late registration fee if: students register after the course has begun, students are dropped for non-payment and wish to re-register, or if students are dropped for non-attendance and wish to re-register for courses with consent of the instructor.

Payment of Tuition and Fees

Students will receive a tuition bill at the time of registration. Students are responsible for all tuition and fees. The college will refund tuition and fees if the student completes the official withdraw procedures within the published refund schedule. Requests to withdraw from courses are not taken by phone. It is the student’s responsibility to officially withdraw from classes. Note: Students who do not pay their tuition and fees by the due date may be dropped from the courses. Students dropped for non-payment may re-register without a guarantee they will enroll for the same course schedule.

Students who fail to meet their financial obligation to the college will be excluded from future enrollment. Furthermore, all records and transcripts will not be released until the financial obligation has been completed. If necessary, student accounts will be turned over to a collection agency.

Residency

RESIDENCY POLICY

For tuition purposes, proof of residence must be submitted by all students enrolling at Morton College each semester.

The student must meet the following criteria to be considered a resident of the district:

One must have occupied and/or owned a dwelling in the district for 30 days immediately prior to the start of classes and must demonstrate district residency by providing one of the following documents: Illinois driver’s license, current voters’ registration card, current bank statement, utility bill, State of Illinois photo ID card, or a Morton High School East or West transcript that proves the student attended an in-district high school within the last two calendar years. (Must be issued to the student’s in-district permanent address provided on the admission application). A student who is homeless may present a signed letter on letterhead from an in-district homeless shelter confirming residency in the shelter.

District residency does not apply to international students on visas.

Students changing their residence during a semester are required to report their new address to the Office of Admissions and Records. Students may update their residency at any time; however, a change in residency less than 30 days prior to the start of the term and once the term has begun will not be reflected in the current terms tuition rate. Classification for admission and tuition will be made according to the regulations listed on the following pages.

IN-DISTRICT STUDENTS

Morton College District 527 includes the suburbs of Berwyn, Cicero, Forest View, Lyons, McCook and Stickney. The college is located west of Chicago and south of Oak Park, which is six miles from Chicago’s Loop.

To be eligible for the in-district tuition rate, one of the following criteria must be met:

• Applicants who are 18 years of age or older and have established legal permanent residence in District 527 for a minimum of 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who are under 18 years of age and live at home must demonstrate that their parents or legal guardians have legal residence within District 527 for at least 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who are under 18 years of age and emancipated (a minor who is legally independent from parental or guardian supervision), or married must demonstrate that they have established legal residence in District 527 for at least 30 days immediately preceding the first day of the semester.
• Applicants who will be attending Morton College through the Dual Credit or Dual Enrollment Programs.

Students shall be classified as residents of the Morton College District 527 without meeting the 30-day residency requirement of the district if they are currently residing in the district and are students:

• who are currently under the legal guardianship of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCSF) or have been recently emancipated from the Department and had a placement change into a new community college district. The student, caseworker, other personnel of DCFS, attorney, or guardian ad litem shall provide the district with proof of current in-district residency.
• who are utilizing benefits under the federal All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program or the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any subsequent variations of that Act.
• who move from outside the state, obtain residency for other than going to college, and demonstrate a verifiable interest in permanent residency.
• who are considered members of the armed services stationed in Illinois.

OUT-OF-DISTRICT STUDENTS

Any person whose legal place of residence lies outside Morton College District 527 but within the boundaries of the State of Illinois.  This includes full-time students attending a post-secondary educational institution who have not demonstrated, through documentation, a verifiable interest in establishing permanent residency.

Students shall be classified as residents of the State without meeting the general 30-day residency provision if they are:

• federal job corps workers stationed in Illinois;
• inmates of State correctional/rehabilitation institutions located in Illinois; or
• employed full time in Illinois.

OUT-OF-STATE STUDENTS

Any student who is a resident of another state will be considered an out-of-state student and will be charged the rate established by the Board of Trustees.

OUT-OF-COUNTRY (INTERNATIONAL) STUDENTS

Any student who is a resident of a foreign country will be considered an out-of-country student and will be charged the rate established by the Board of Trustees.

IN-District Employee Tuition Rate

Employees of profit and nonprofit businesses or agencies located within the College district may enroll in Morton College courses at the in-district tuition rate with written approval of their employer. Verification of employment must be on company letter-head and indicate employee works at least 35 hours per week. The verification must also include supervisor name, title of supervisor, contact phone number of super-visor, and student’s position. To be eligible for this special tuition rate, employment verification must be presented at the time of initial registration for the semester. Verifications must be presented each semester and cannot be duplicates from previous semesters.

IN-District Senior Citizen Tuition Waiver

Morton College is committed to the principle of life-long learning and, therefore, waives tuition and the registration fee for its senior citizens (age 62 or older at time of registration) for credit and non-credit courses. Laboratory and other fees will be assessed where applicable. Additionally, the cost of books and personal supplies for classes are not covered by this waiver.

Refund Policy

Refunds for tuition and fees only occur when official withdrawal procedures are properly completed within the advertised Tuition Refund Table located in the current Morton College course schedule. Telephone requests to be withdrawn from courses are not accepted. The college does not grant refunds to students who:

• voluntarily enlist in military service following the close of the refund period
• are dismissed for disciplinary reasons
• are financially obligated to a college department or office at the time of withdrawal
• withdraw from courses after the posted deadline

The college may award 100% refunds and late withdrawals to students who present documented extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances include: serious illness or injury to the student that required extended recovery, death or serious illness of an immediate family member, significant trauma in the student’s life that impaired the student’s emotional and/or physical health. Third-party verifiable documentation is required to have a refund request considered by the committee. Refund requests must follow the Student Complaint and Grievance Procedures. Completed packets must be submitted to the Dean of Student Services via the Academic Advising Department located in the One Stop Center, 1st floor of B Building. All requests must be completed within 30 college-business days of the end of the term in question.

Morton College reserves the right to approve or deny any claims. Appeals to the decision must be made, in writing, to the Provost.

100% refund - within 10 calendar days from the start of the course for courses that are 10-16 weeks in length (excluding holidays)

100% refund - within 5 calendar days from the start of the course for courses that are 6-9 weeks in length (excluding holidays)

100% refund - within 3 calendar days from the start of the course for courses that are 2-5 weeks in length (excluding holidays)

100% refund - before first day of class for courses that are less than or equal to 1 week in length (excluding holidays)

Enrollment Verification

Students in need of enrollment verification for such purposes as health insurance coverage, good student standing, loan deferment, or employers must fill out and submit the Information Release Form available at the Office of Admissions and Records.

Income Tax Deduction

Federal income tax regulations permit a tax deduction for educational expenses under-taken either to maintain or improve skills required in one’s business or employment, or meet the requirements of an employer or of a law or regulation to keep one’s salary, job status or employment. Morton College cannot determine whether educational expenses qualify as a tax deduction in any particular case. Students wanting to know whether the courses they have taken at Morton College are eligible for a tax deduction should consult with the Internal Revenue Service or a tax consultant.

Alumni Tuition Waiver

A Morton College graduate with an associate’s degree may register for a one-time single course, not to exceed five (5) credit hours, at no tuition charge within three (3) years following graduation, at no tuition charge but must pay fees. Graduates cannot qualify for a tuition waiver for a course in which they are currently registered. This waiver applies to the fall and spring semesters only. It may not be used to audit a course.

Applications for Alumni Tuition Waivers and further information may be obtained from the Office of Admissions and Records located in the One Stop Center on the first floor of Building B. Laboratory and other fees will be assessed where applicable. Under the provisions of this waiver, graduates cannot register for the course until 1 week prior to the start of the course. Short-term courses may have separate deadlines based on start dates. In order to receive the waiver, registration must be done in the Office of Admission and Records. 

Retake Policy Fees

Course retake fees ($30 per credit hour) are assessed when students take a course more than the number of times approved by the Illinois Community College Board.

For most courses:

• Students will be assessed a course retake fee in addition to the tuition and course fees if they have already enrolled in the course two or more times and did not with draw before the end of the refund period, or if they are retaking the course after having received an A, B, C, or P (passing) grade.
• Students retaking a course after receiving an A, B, C, or P grade will receive no additional academic credit. (See specific associate degree program requirements for exceptions to this policy.)
• If a student retakes a course, the highest grade will be applied to his/her Morton College grade point average.

Exception: Some courses (referred to as “repeatable” courses), may be taken several times for college credit. Course descriptions in the Morton College Catalog identify these courses along with the maximum number of times the course may be repeated for college credit. Students who enroll in a repeatable course more than the maximum number of times will also be assessed a course retake fee in addition to the tuition and course fees.

Students who plan to retake a course should first consult with an academic advisor and a financial aid advisor. Students planning to transfer to another college are urged to check that college’s course retake/repeat policy as it may differ and your transfer admission grade point average could be different.