Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Tuition and Fees
  
  • Tuition and Fee Rates
  • Special Tuition Classifications
  • Classification for Tuition and Fee Purposes
  • Registration and Refunds
• Financial Aid
• Graduate Assistantships
• Billing and Payment of Student Accounts

Tuition changes annually. For current tuition and fees consult the following website: 
http://www.usd.edu/finance-and-administration/business-office/graduate-tuition.cfm or contact the Business Office at (605) 677-5613 or on campus in 207 Slagle Hall.

Tuition and Fee Rates

FEES

Specific criteria and program regulations are available from Financial Aid/Registration for any of the special tuition classifications listed below.

Minnesota Tuition Reciprocity

The tuition rate paid by undergraduate or graduate students from Minnesota is based upon the higher of two state rates: a) the tuition and fee rate at the institution attended, or b) the weighted average tuition and fee rate of the four-year public institutions in Minnesota. First-time freshmen entering directly from high school will automatically be granted reciprocity. Students who transfer, are re-admitted, or enter as non-traditional, must apply for reciprocity to the Minnesota Higher Education Services Office, in St. Paul, MN.

Minnesota residents who attend first professional degree programs will not pay more than 150% of the resident rates. Application must be made to the Minnesota Higher Education Office in St. Paul, MN.

Senior Citizens

Resident individuals who are at least 65 years of age or who will be 65 years of age during the calendar year in which they take courses pay tuition at the rate of one-fourth the cost of resident tuition. Students who qualify for this special rate must request the tuition adjustment and provide proof of age (driver’s license or birth certificate) to Registration during the first two weeks of the semester.

Vocational Rehabilitation Clients

All persons who are receiving tuition support from the South Dakota Department of Vocational Rehabilitation are entitled to pay tuition at resident rates.

Members of the South Dakota National Guard

SD National Guard members may be eligible for a reduction equal to 50% of the resident state-support tuition rate.

Eligible Air National Guard will be charged a reduced rate equal to 50% of the resident rate.

State Employees

Employees of the State of South Dakota who meet all of the following criteria are entitled to pay tuition for up to six credits each semester at the University of South Dakota at one-half the regular tuition rate. Tuition reduction for self-support classes at UCSF, UCRC, and CUC is also available for those meeting the criteria below. This benefit does not apply to self-support internet courses.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Continuously employed by the State of South Dakota for one year or more (disregarding any leave without pay)
    
2. Resident of the State of South Dakota
    
3. Grade point average is 2.00 or greater
    
4. Received a merit rating of competent or better in the most recent merit appraisal or is otherwise certified as competent
    
5. A benefit-eligible employee

This program is on a space-available basis.

Teachers

Vocational, elementary, and secondary teachers who meet all of the following criteria will pay tuition at one-half the regular tuition rate for up to six credit hours each academic year.

Eligibility Criteria:

1. Residents of South Dakota
    
2. Employed by an accredited school in South Dakota as a teacher
    
3. Required to attend college as a condition of employment or to maintain a certificate to teach
    
4. Certified by the school district as eligible for this program
    
5. Grade point average is 3.00 or better

This program is on a space-available basis and does not apply to self-support tuition or fees.

Graduate Assistants

Graduate assistants and graduate student fellows shall be assessed one-third of the resident graduate tuition rate.

ROTC

South Dakota residents who are junior or senior students and who are contracted senior Reserve Officer Training Corp cadets in good standing will pay 50% of the undergraduate resident tuition rate. Those students may not be receiving an ROTC scholarship or be a member of the simultaneous membership program.

Free Tuition

The South Dakota Legislature has approved the following programs entitling certain individuals to free tuition (and in some cases fees). This benefit does not apply to self-support tuition or fees.  Self-support tuition is offered at a reduced tuition rate.

1. Veterans and others who performed war service
    
2. Children and spouses of National Guardsmen who were disabled or died in the line of duty
    
3. Visually impaired persons
    
4. Children of residents who died during service in the armed forces
    
5. Dependents of prisoners of war or those missing in action

Students enrolling in any of the state institutions shall be classified as either a resident or nonresident student for admission, fee, and tuition purposes by an appropriate institutional officer. The decision shall be based upon information furnished by the student and all other relevant information. The officer is authorized to require such written documents, affidavits, verifications, or other evidence necessary to establish the residence of the student, including proof of emancipation, adoption, or appointment of a guardian. Students have the burden of establishing residency by clear and convincing evidence. For purposes of tuition, residence means the place where a person has a permanent home and intends to remain for an indefinite period.

Resident Classification:

Persons shall be classified as South Dakota resident students if they have continuously resided in South Dakota for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding the first scheduled day of university classes at the University of South Dakota or at another institution of higher learning. Physical presence while attending a college, university, or other institution of higher learning does not count towards the twelve consecutive months required for establishing South Dakota residency. However, absence from South Dakota to pursue post-secondary education does not deprive a bona fide resident of resident student status within the regental system. International students whose visas permit them to establish domiciles in the United States or its territories or protectorates may qualify for resident tuition in the same manner as United States citizens.

Residence of Unemancipated Persons:

The residence of unemancipated persons [under twenty-four years of age and under the care, custody and support of parent(s)] follows that of the parent(s) or of the legal guardian(s). The parent(s) of the student are not required to reside in South Dakota twelve months prior to the student’s enrollment for the students to be classified as residents; however, the parent(s) must remain in South Dakota for a minimum of twelve months in order for students to retain residency status.

Retention of Residence While in Military Service:

Persons in military service who list South Dakota as their “home of record” and who, immediately upon release, return to South Dakota to enter college shall be classified as residents.

Nonresident Classification:

Students are considered nonresidents if they did not reside in the state for twelve months prior to enrolling at a Board controlled institution. Again, physical presence in South Dakota for the predominant purpose of attending a college, university, or other institution of higher education does not count in determining the twelve-month period of residence.

Changes of Classification:

The following factors shall be considered relevant in evaluating a requested change in the student’s nonresident status and in evaluating whether the persons’ physical presence in South Dakota is for the predominant purpose of attending an institution of higher education controlled by the Board of Regents (The existence of one or more of these factors does not require a finding of resident student status, nor does the nonexistence of one or more require a finding of nonresident student status. All factors shall be considered in combination and resident student status may not result from the doing of acts which are required or routinely done by sojourners in the state or which are merely auxiliary to the fulfillment of educational purposes.) :

1. The residence of an unemancipated student’s parent(s) or guardian(s)
    
2. The status of the source of the student’s income
    
3. To whom a student pays taxes, including property taxes
    
4. The state in which a student’s automobile is registered
    
5. The state issuing the student’s driver’s license
    
6. Where the student is registered to vote
    
7. The marriage of the students to a resident of South Dakota
    
8. Ownership of property in South Dakota and outside of South Dakota
    
9. The residence claimed by the student on loan application, federal income tax returns, and other documents
    
10. Admission to a licensed profession
     
11. Membership in civic, community, and other organizations in South Dakota or elsewhere; and
     
12. The facts and documents pertaining to the person’s past and existing status as a student
     
13. Any person who is a veteran as defined by §§ 33A-2-1 and 33A-2-2

Classification appeal procedure:

Students may appeal the original classification decision by written petition to the Residency Appeals Committee within 30 days after registration for that semester. After twelve months of continuous presence in South Dakota without enrollment, students who were initially classified as nonresidents may petition the Board of Regents for reclassification. If a petition for reclassification is granted, the reduced tuition rate shall become effective with the first semester or session following the date on which the petition is granted. Students who fail to request resident status prior to a particular semester or session or to pursue a timely appeal shall be deemed to have waived any claim for reduced tuition for that semester or session.  Access the residency appeal form at  http://www.usd.edu/registrar/forms.cfm.

Refund Policy

The end of the drop/add period for standard (those that conform to the regular semester schedule) and non-standard courses offered in a semester is the date the first 10 percent of the term ends or the day following the first class meeting, whichever is later.

Refunds for Dropped Course

A student receives a 100 percent refund of tuition and per-credit-hour fees for courses dropped within the drop/add period. No refund shall be provided for courses dropped after that time, except by administrative action. Any course meeting within a standard semester but for less time than the standard semester shall be treated as a non-standard semester course for refund purposes. Courses offered during summer school session and correspondence courses are considered non-standard courses.

Students who withdraw, drop out, or are expelled within the drop/add period receive a 100 percent refund of tuition and per-credit-hour fees. Students who withdraw, drop out, or are expelled after the drop/add period for which they are assessed may be entitled to a pro-rated refund as set forth herein.

Refunds for Withdrawals

Students who withdraw from the University may be entitled to a refund of tuition and fees and institutional charges calculated through 60 percent of an enrollment period. The refund shall be determined by computing the percentage of an enrollment period remaining after the date of withdrawal multiplied times the tuition and fees originally assessed the student. At no time will refunds be awarded after the 60 percent point of the enrollment period.

Students who receive a refund and are receiving Title IV aid may be required to repay the appropriate Title IV aid program from which they received assistance for any sums that have not been retained by the University for services rendered or that will no longer be required to support other ongoing expenses for attending the University. Specific information about possible repayment obligations may be obtained through the Financial Aid Office. Payment options are available through the Business Office.

Cancelled Registration

If a student’s registration is cancelled, no tuition and fee payment is due. If payments have been made, a student is eligible for a full refund.

Extensions and Waivers

The University president, or a designee, may extend or waive the time periods in the following circumstances:

1. The death of the student;
    
2. The student’s disabling condition or severe illness;
    
3. The death, disability, or severe illness of immediate family members causing severe financial hardship to the student;
    
4. Other extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control.

Refunds for Residence Hall Fees

Students with a room contract who withdraw from the institution will receive a proportional refund at the time of withdrawal up to the 60 percent point, after which no refund is available.

Refund for Food Service Fees

Students with a food service contract who withdraw from the University will receive a proportional refund at the time of withdrawal up to the 60 percent point, after which no refund is available. Unused flex dollars for the current semester are returned at 100%.

Military Service - Withdrawal without Penalty

Students required to withdraw from the University before completing a semester may receive credit or refund privileges if they are regularly enrolled and belong to a military unit called for duty or are drafted and not eligible for deferment, and the discontinuance of class attendance is on the last practicable day before reporting for duty as determined by the University. Eligible students who are required to report for military duty not earlier than four calendar weeks prior to the date a semester ends as stated in the official catalog of the institution, or after completion of at least 75 percent of the enrollment period in a non-standard semester course, may, when authorized by the instructor, be given full credit for all courses in which they have an average of “C” or better. Eligible students who receive credit or an incomplete, in progress, or normal progress grade for any course in which they are enrolled shall not be entitled to any refund of tuition or fees paid. Eligible students who do not receive an incomplete, in progress, or normal progress grade, or credit for a course in which they are enrolled shall be entitled to a full refund of tuition and academic fees.

Options for Final Grades and Refunds

			Weeks Still Remaining in Standard Semester
Course   Grade			More Than 4 Weeks	Less Than 4 Weeks
	A		Refund	A or Refund
	B		Refund	B or Refund
	C		Refund	C or Refund
	D		Refund	Refund
	F		Refund	Refund
	S		Refund	S or Refund
	U		Refund	Refund
	I, IP, NP		Refund	I, IP, NP or Refund
***Course grade is as determined by the instructor, either the grade to date or the final earned grade to date. SDBOR 5:7

Military Service- Eligibility for Continued Enrollment- Students who belong to a military unit called for duty or who are drafted and not eligible for deferment and who are not required to withdraw from state supported institutions before completing an academic program to which they have been duly admitted will be eligible to resume work on the program after their release from active duty.

The Student Financial Aid Office assists students who lack financial resources to support their education. Students may apply for Title IV financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA, http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/).  The FAFSA must be completed every year the student wishes to receive federal assistance and is available after January 1st. To be eligible for a financial aid award in any term (Fall, Spring, or Summer semester), graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of five credit hours (considered half time). Students with Special Student - Graduate Status are not eligible for financial aid. There are a limited number of scholarships available in various departments. Contact the appropriate department for further information.

Procedures to Apply

To apply for a Graduate Assistantship (GA), applicants complete an assistantship application. Applications are submitted to the Graduate School for processing; however, each hiring unit makes independent hiring decisions and notifies the Graduate School accordingly. Appointments may be for any duration up to 12 months. Renewal is not automatic; rather it depends upon the academic performance of the student, the number of credits in which the student is enrolled, the quality of work performed, and the needs of the University. The Graduate School reviews eligibility each term and is responsible for coding GA’s which in turn, informs billing.
 

The hiring unit offering the assistantship determines the level and type of assistantship that is awarded based on the available tuition remission credit hours allocated by the Graduate School or available assistantship support paid by research grants. Faculty and staff supervisors are responsible for monitoring the graduate assistant’s performance and work hours. Graduate Assistants are expected to provide a value-added service during the academic semester awarded and during working hours as agreed upon by both the supervisor and student.

Minimum Requirements for Graduate Assistants

1. Graduate Assistants must be regularly admitted graduate students in good academic standing in their degree program and the Graduate School.
    
2. International students must meet admission requirements and may have select departmental requirements depending on the type of assistantship.
    
3. Graduate Assistants must maintain active status and be registered for at least 9 credit hours during the fall and spring semesters and, if their assistantship responsibilities continue during the summer, 1 credit hour during any summer session. (See further discussion below on required enrollment.) Summer enrollment is not required to maintain an Assistantship in the Fall and Spring semesters.
    
4. If selected as a Graduate Assistant, students must successfully pass a criminal background check and sign an intellectual property and confidentiality agreement. Passage requirements for the background check are determined by Human Resources and the Graduate School and may be based on appointment type and expected duties

Tuition Reduction

The following represents the University and Board of Regents’ policy for the Graduate Assistantship program.

Per Board of Regents Policy 5:22, Graduate Assistants receive partial tuition funding for all credits enrolled and they become eligible for a special tuition rate for their remaining tuition owed. For on-campus, South Dakota resident and non-resident students, there is a 2/3 tuition reduction provided (not including fees); students are responsible for 1/3 of in-state resident tuition rate regardless of state of residency. Graduate students enrolled in USD’s online courses are eligible for a special discounted tuition rate. Graduate Assistants must be hired by the semester’s 100% refund deadline to receive the tuition discount. The PDC program, through the School of Education, is managed uniquely in that online courses are grandfathered as state-support courses. Please note, not all graduate credit hours are eligible for the tuition remission or the discounted rate. Off-campus, face-to-face courses (courses with section numbers higher than U840) will not receive a discount.

Tuition reduction will be awarded based on notification from the hiring unit to the Graduate School.

There are two types of summer Graduate Assistantships. Again, summer enrollment is not required to maintain an Assistantship for the Fall and Spring semesters.

A.  Assistantships which provide the reduced tuition rate for summer credits without a stipend and without a work or service requirement. To be eligible for this type of Assistantship, the graduate student must have been on an Assistantship the previous fall and spring semesters where there was a stipend and service/work requirement. The stipend and work/service requirement of the fall and spring semesters suffices for the summer semester. However, use of this option is at the discretion of the hiring unit based on their budget decisions.

B.  Assistantships which include the reduced tuition rate for all summer credits, a summer stipend, and a work/service requirement. Again, this option is at the discretion of the hiring unit based on their budget decisions.

Required Enrollment

Graduate Assistants at USD are required to enroll in a minimum of 9 credit hours for fall and spring semesters and, if they are awarded an Assistantship during the summer (either option A or B noted above), they must enroll in at least 1 credit hour in the summer semester (all inclusive: May through August).

The Graduate School offers a few justified exceptions to the 9 credit hour requirement. For example, Teaching Assistants in English may enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours for the fall and spring semesters. Also, students who provide evidence that fewer than 9 credit hours remain for graduation will be granted exceptions by the Graduate Dean or designee. Students requesting this exception may email their request to grad@usd.edu  A completed and signed Program of Study form should be included if the student has not already submitted one to the Graduate School.

Graduate Assistants need approval from the Graduate Dean to enroll in more than 12 credit hours, unless a program’s curriculum was approved by the Graduate Council to require more than 12 credit hours per term for degree progression. 

If a graduate student fails to meet his/her academic assistantship obligations and/or resigns from the position, the assistantship will be terminated and the tuition charges re-billed for the semester at the non-reduced rate. If the GA falls below the “approved minimum” required number of credit hours for the semester, the GA will be non-renewed in the subsequent semester. The Graduate Dean may grant exemptions in response to a departmental request.

Work Requirements

A GA work/service component is expected for an Assistantship award for the greater good of the student learning experience and the University, with the exception of the Summer Option A described above. Thus, a teaching or grading assignment would be required for an awarded Teaching Assistantship, research would be required for a Research Assistantship, and administrative service would be required for an Administrative Assistantship. Graduate Assistants may not work more than 50% FTE. The primary purpose of a Graduate Assistantship is to provide students with professional experience and the necessary financial resources to attend a graduate program.

Per BOR policy, a stipend for each student is required and each year the Board of Regents establishes a minimum rate for a stipend. Graduate Assistants are expected to work a full semester, defined with the supervisor before the start of the semester, at their assigned percent of FTE (percent of 40 hours per week or equivalent for the semester) in order to receive a semester’s worth of compensation or the full four-week summer session to receive the full four-week summer session compensation. The dollar amount of the stipend may be prorated accordingly if the GA does not work the full semester or summer session. Again, Summer Option A allows for the fall/spring stipend and work requirement to suffice for the summer semester.

Academic Standing

A graduate student must be fully admitted to both the Graduate School and an academic program. Students admitted provisionally may not be Graduate Assistants. Students admitted contingently for any other reason than receipt of official transcripts are not eligible. Moreover, a Graduate Assistant must make satisfactory academic progress each term toward completion of the graduate degree being sought. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress are subject to academic probation. If the cumulative GPA of graduate students receiving Assistantships falls below a 3.0, the student will not continue to receive the Assistantship without the expressed approval of the Graduate Dean.

Personnel Rules

There are three classifications of Graduate Assistants

 1.  Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA) may be awarded in four categories. Regardless of category, the stipend is paid as a salary over the course of the semester in which the student is employed.
 

• Classroom Instructors are engaged in direct teaching. They are responsible for instructional delivery and are the teacher of record for the course.

• Instructional and/or Laboratory Support personnel provide instructional support to an instructor or lead instructor in a team-teaching situation. They are generally responsible for a variety of instructional support duties such as proctoring exams, preparing course materials, and/or setting up labs. They support, rather than replace the instructor and are not the teacher of record for the course.

• Grading or Other Paperwork Support personnel provide only grading and paperwork support for an instructor. They are not responsible for any other instructional support or teaching activities.

• Non-credit bearing, instruction-affiliated, or academic-related activities and projects.

2.  Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA) are assigned to research faculty to assist in the research process. The GRA stipend is paid as a salary over the course of the semester in which the student is employed.

3.  Graduate Administrative Assistantships (GAA) work with department heads, deans, directors or other administrators to perform administrative and/or technical tasks/projects. They may be assigned undergraduate mentoring responsibilities. They are not responsible for any instructional support, teaching, or research activities. The GAA stipend is paid as an hourly wage calculated as the stipend offered for the semester divided by the number of hours the student is expected to work during the semester. GAA’s are required to complete and submit electronic time sheets. The total stipend amount attainable must meet the minimum standard set by the BOR.

Graduate Assistants are not required to work on official state employee holidays or during regular academic breaks. Departments may require students to make up hours lost due to state holidays and academic breaks.

The University of South Dakota is an equal employment opportunity employer.

Accommodation for students with disabilities will be made per the University’s Disability Services Policy.

Graduate Assistants are considered temporary employees and are not employed in a permanent classification. Any grievance arising from this employment relationship shall be brought under non-faculty exempt procedures (Policy 4.8).  Graduate Assistants are not eligible for benefits including sick and annual leave, health and life insurance, and retirement.

For more information about Graduate Assistantships, contact the Graduate School at grad@usd.edu or 1-800-233-7937.

Scholarships Available

Students who are interested in scholarships should contact the program in which they enroll.

The University of South Dakota provides an electronic billing and payment system known as SDePay. Students can retrieve their billing statements online and make payments through WebAdvisor with either an electronic check or a credit card as part of SDePay.

The student’s tuition and fee bill will be available on SDePay after they are registered for classes. Students will not receive a paper billing statement in the mail. An email will be sent from SDePay to the student’s official USD email address and the authorized payers email address, announcing their billing statement is ready to be viewed and paid online. This email will be sent each time a new tuition and fee statement is generated. However, the student and authorized payer may view the current account balance at any time through SDePay. Payment is due in full by the assigned due date. The due date for the bill will appear on the most current billing statement.

The student can set up their parents or guardians as authorized payers on SDePay by logging into WebAdvisor, accessing SDePay and granting them access. The authorized payer will receive a link in an email notification that will take them directly to SDePay, where they can safely log into the system by using the username and password assigned to them by their student. Authorized payers may view and print student’s e-bills and make electronic payments (e-check or credit card) on the student’s behalf. Authorized payers may also set up their accounts to receive emails each time a new billing statement is posted for the student.

Payment on student accounts can also be made in person at the Business Office or through the mail. The Business Office is located in Slagle Hall Room 207 and accepts cash, check, money order or certified check made payable to “USD.” If the payment is mailed, please include the student id number on the bottom of the check to insure the amount is posted to the correct account.

Tuition and Fee Payment occurs during the first three days of class in the Fall and Spring Semester. Times and locations are posted to the USD Business Office website and an email will be sent to your USD email account to notify you of the current semester’s procedures.