Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

The tuition and fee schedules are published each year in the Spring for the following year. A tuition and fee schedule for the current academic year is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Advanced Practice Education Associates (APEA) Fee - Variety of exams, learning resources, and remediation tools to assure success on boards and in the clinical setting.

Clinical Fees – Charges for expenses beyond what tuition covers.

Educational Benchmarking Inventory (EBI) Fee - Assessments used to help identify where improvement efforts should be focused.

Graduation Fee - Expenses associated with graduation including diploma and hooding/commencement ceremony.

Lab Fee – Expenses associated with supplies and equipment used during lab sessions.

Late Registration Fee – Charged to students who register for courses after registration has ended.

Library Fee - Provides nursing and other health related resource materials at the Carl R. Ferris Library and HCA Knowledge Center.

Online Education Fee – Expenses associated with the cost of online education including state approval, learning management system, and technology support.

Simulation Fee – Expenses associated with supplies, equipment, and technology used during simulation sessions.

Surgireal Supplies Fee – Expenses associated with suture lab including suture training kits and maintenance of suturing anatomical parts.

Syllabus Copying Fee – Fee for providing copy of course syllabus.

Technology Fee - Provides access to computers and other technology resources.

Typhon Fee (NPST) – Expenses associated with complete and secure electronic student tracking system, including comprehensive clinical skill logs and report, an evaluation and survey tool, scheduling, electronic portfolios and student/preceptor/clinical site database.

Business Office

Payment Policy

Full tuition and fees, including housing, are due at the time of registration. Alternative payment plans are available and may be exercised by eligible students. In order to qualify for any plan, the student may not have a history of account delinquency. Please contact the Business Office for any exceptions.

Delinquent Accounts

Overdue accounts will be sent to a collection agency. Collection costs and fees for unpaid balances forwarded to outside agencies for collection will be borne by the student. Transcripts of academic records will not be issued by the Registrar’s Office for any student, or former student, whose student account and/or Federal Nursing Loan or HCA repayments are delinquent. Delinquent balances must be paid in full or repayment plans brought current prior to the issuance of academic transcripts.

Students receiving Veterans Administration (VA) funds will not be imposed any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 recipient borrow additional funds to cover the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Refunds

Students withdrawing or dismissed after the first week are eligible for refunds in accordance with the fee schedule. Students receiving federal financial aid will also have a refund calculated based on Department of Education requirements. Students receiving financial aid which exceeds the cost of tuition, fees, room and board will be required to repay the appropriate fund as stipulated in federal regulations.

No refunds, either for withdrawal from single classes or for entire withdrawal from the College, are made unless the student has withdrawn properly in writing through the Registrar’s office. Notification of the individual teacher does not constitute an official withdrawal. Until the Financial Aid Office is informed by an official withdrawal notice, the student is billed as though they were still attending classes. Students may appeal the calculated refund if exceptional circumstances exist. The appeal will be reviewed by the Loan and Scholarship Committee and a decision will be sent to the student within two weeks.

Return of Federal Funds

The return of federal funds formula provides for the return of Title IV aid if the student received federal financial assistance and withdrew on or before completing 60% of the semester/term.  Funds are returned as follows:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
6. Other Title IV funds
7. Other federal, state, private, or institutional sources of aid
8. Student

If funds released to a student because of a credit balance on the student’s account, then the student may be required to repay some of the federal grants or loans released to the student.  Students receiving federal financial aid who withdraw from anything less than 100 percent of their courses will have tuition refunded using the schedule below. All other students not receiving federal financial aid who withdraw from one or all of their courses (both officially and administratively), will also have tuition refunded according to the schedule below.

Students will receive the following refund if proper written withdrawal is made before the following weeks:

Financial Aid

The College subscribes to the principle that financial aid programs exist primarily to provide financial assistance to students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend the college of their choice. The free Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) is the preferred form used to evaluate need for all financial aid. 

Application for Financial Aid

Students who wish to apply for financial aid must be admitted to the College. The application can be made through the free Federal application. The Title IV code for Research College of Nursing: 006392.

1. Both dependent and independent students must file a FAFSA.
2. Students can apply for all types of aid, including institutional, federal, and state assistance by completing the FAFSA.

An undergraduate student who qualifies for financial aid typically receives any one or a combination of various types of aid--scholarship, grant, or loan. Financial aid awards are for one year only, so the student must reapply each year. The aid offered may vary from year to year due to changes in funding, statutory provisions, or student circumstances. Undergraduate students completing a second degree and graduate students are eligible to participate in financial aid programs. The types of aid are limited due to federal regulations. Students enrolled in the post-master certificate programs are NOT eligible for federal financial aid.

Hours Required to Receive Financial Aid

Full-time undergraduate students (minimum of 12 credit hours) are eligible for institutional aid, federal aid and outside sources. Half-time students (6-11 credit hours) are only eligible for federal aid. Any student taking less than 6 credit hours is not eligible for Title IV aid.

Graduate students must be enrolled in at least 4.5 credit hours to be eligible for federal aid in a major semester (fall and spring); they must be enrolled in at least 2 credit hours in the summer to be eligible to receive federal aid.  Any student enrolled in fewer hours will not be eligible for Title IV aid.

Scholarships and Discounts

HCA Employee Discount: 50% MSN tuition discount for full-time employees, including weekend option; 25% tuition discount for part-time employees.  There is no discount for employees that are PRN. Students must indicate on their registration paperwork their employment status, facility, and ¾ ID number for verification.

HCA Midwest Division Scholarship/Loan Program

This program offers a combination of scholarship and loan funding to BSN students.  Students who receive the funding agree to a work commitment as a registered nurse following graduation from the College. 

Government Aid

Students without a prior degree are eligible to receive all the following sources of financial aid. Students with a prior degree are limited to the Stafford, Perkins, Federal Nursing Loan and GRAD PLUS programs.

Federal Pell Grant

This federal grant is administered by the Department of Education to undergraduate students demonstrating a high level of financial need. The amount of these grants varies and is determined by the Department of Education.

Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)

These federal grants are awarded through Research to students demonstrating a high financial need. The amount of these grants varies and awards are limited.

Federal Stafford Student Loan Programs

These low interest loans are available to students who demonstrate financial need. Students may qualify for either a subsidized Stafford Loan (interest does not accrue until after graduation) or an unsubsidized Stafford Loan (interest begins accruing immediately). Interest rates on these loans are variable based on the 91-day Treasury Bill, but not higher than 8.25 percent (at time of printing). Loan amounts vary dependent upon year of enrollment in college, the level of demonstrated financial need, and previous loan history. Graduate and undergraduate students are eligible for these programs.

Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), Grad PLUS

These loans are not based on demonstrated financial need. Parents may borrow up to the cost of attending college less any other financial assistance their son or daughter is receiving. Credit history is considered by the lender when determining eligibility for a PLUS Loan. Grad students may borrow up to the cost of attending college less any other financial assistance they are receiving. Credit history is considered by the lender when determining eligibility.

Federal Nursing Loan

These federal loan funds are awarded to upper division nursing students based on demonstrated need. Repayment begins following a nine month; interest free grace period after a student ceases to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis 6 credit hours. Repayment is based on a simple interest rate (5 percent at time of printing) on the unpaid balance with up to ten years to repay the loan in full.

Further details on these programs may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

Reasonable Academic Progress for Continued Receipt of Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid must make reasonable academic progress toward graduation according to federal and state regulations in order to receive financial aid.

Maximum Attempted Enrollment Credit Hours Time Frame

The maximum attempted enrollment credit hours a student may enroll for to complete their College program of study must not exceed 180 attempted enrollment credit hours for the completion of a 120-credit hour degree program.  For students who transfer in the College, the 180 attempted enrollment credit hours maximum includes attempted credit hours at other colleges/universities attended, if transfer hours were accepted by the College. Note: For academic programs requiring less or more than 120 credit hours for degree completion, the maximum attempted enrollment credit hours for program completion is 150% of required credit hours for the program.

Completion Percentage

In order to maintain measurable progress toward the completion of their degrees, students must successfully complete 67 percent of all credit hours attempted.  (Hours attempted include repeated courses, dropped courses, withdrawals, and incomplete courses).

Qualitative Requirement: Cumulative College Grad Point Average (GPA)

Students must also maintain a College GPA of 2.00 to demonstrate Satisfactory Academic Progress. The College cumulative 2.00 GPA requirement applies to all federal/state student aid programs and or certain College scholarship programs as detailed within each scholarship/award program. Certain College scholarship/award programs require a higher minimum College cumulative GPA that must be maintained to maintain renewal eligibility in addition to other program requirements.  See each scholarship/award program description for the minimum renewal College cumulative GPA requirement, other requirements and maximum duration of award eligibility.

Changing Majors, Repeat and Remedial Coursework, Incompletes and Withdrawals, and Second-Degree Coursework

Any non-credit coursework, repeat coursework or coursework for which a grade of incomplete or withdrawn is given counts toward both quantitative and qualitative measures for calculating SAP.

Failure to Attend

Following Federal Regulations, all students receiving any federal aid, must have proof of enrollment. If a student fails to attend or ceases to attend any class and does not withdraw from this class, then the student will be assigned a UW (Unofficial Withdrawal) and is counted in the GPA. The Registrar’s Office will be notified by instructor and will proceed to contact the student for verification and a written response (letter or email). The date of the UW will be the Last Date of Attendance reported by the instructor or, if no date can be verified, then the Last Date is Unknown will be listed. This date is extremely important regarding return of all or partial aid for the time in the course.  Office of Financial Aid will be notified and aid will be verified.

• If the student receives a UW and faculty reports Last Date of Attendance, partial aid will be returned after verification by Office of Student Affairs.
• If the student receives a UW and the Last Date is Unknown, full aid will be returned after verification by Office of Financial Aid.

Monitoring Satisfactory Academic Progress

Each student’s progress will be reviewed at the end of the year to determine satisfactory academic progress. Students not meeting the standard for a particular term will be placed on financial aid warning, receive a one-semester financial aid award, and are notified in writing by the Financial Aid Office.  Financial aid warnings consist of the summer term and the semester following placement of warning.  Students have a one-semester grace period to make up academic deficiencies. Students on financial aid warning who fail to meet the standard by the end of the next semester will be placed on financial aid suspension until all academic requirements are met.  No institutional, state or federal financial assistance eligibility can be certified until academic deficiencies are satisfied.

Once financial aid eligibility has been terminated due to lack of satisfactory academic progress, the student must make up all deficiencies in cumulative grades and/or credit hours earned for his or her academic level before financial aid eligibility will be reinstated. Only RCoN courses can be used to make up deficiencies in cumulative grade point average, but courses that are pre-approved for transfer credit can make up deficiencies in hours.

Students may appeal the withdrawal of financial aid to the Office of Financial Aid. This written appeal must be submitted no more than one week after being informed of the withdrawal of financial aid and should explain any mitigating circumstances which apply to the particular situation. The Office of Financial Aid reviews the appeal and responds to the student within two weeks from receipt of the appeal.

Entrance and Exit Interviews

As required by federal regulations, the College requires that both entrance and exit interviews are completed by students receiving financial aid in the form of loans. Students are informed of all relevant information regarding their loans such as interest rates, amount of indebtedness, length of repayment period and the amount of expected monthly payment. Federal regulations require the College to maintain signed documentation of the interviews. The Financial Aid Office will provide documents to sign for verification of these interviews.

Maintenance of Financial Aid Records

The College maintains all individual financial aid records in accordance with applicable Federal laws.