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Faculty HandbookSpecial Fees Charged for Courses
Effective: Moved to Policy Library from UPM 2.5(13)
Updated/Revised: April 30, 2008
Contact: Office of the Registrar
Introduction
Costs of offering a course are expected to be borne by the department offering the course, including materials related to the mechanics of teaching the course, such as course outlines, syllabi, exams, and similar handouts, and the purchase, maintenance, and replacement costs of instructional equipment. The department is also expected to bear the costs of staffing courses, including personnel employed to aid in the course such as teaching assistants and guest speakers. Exceptions to this basic principle arise when there are unusual and/or extraordinary costs associated with offering a course.
Policy Statement
Authorization to assess special course fees for exceptional costs will be granted on a case-by-case basis. Examples of costs that may be recovered by assessing a special course fee include:
- Required travel costs for students to visit off-campus sites as part of the course
- Consumable supplies, such as art supplies
- Non-inventoried instructional materials used as part of the course
Delivery costs for offering a course off campus are not defined as special course fees and are not included in this policy.
Students are expected to pay the cost of supplemental written materials, such as supplemental readings, if they are to have ownership of the materials. The costs of supplemental written materials will not be assessed through the special course fees system. If the department does not wish to cover the costs of such materials, the materials should be sold to the students through the University Book Store or other local distributors. This procedure simplifies the financial transaction, and helps to avoid possible copyright infringement.
The fees must be based on plausible estimates of the anticipated costs or previous records of actual costs, and should be kept as low as possible. The deans’ offices must keep complete and accurate records of the justification for any fee approved.
Authorization
In order to charge a special course fee (SCF), the department head must submit a formal request to the college dean using the Special Course Fee Authorization system in AccessPlus (see Resources below). Each course fee must be approved first at the dean's level and then by the associate provost for academic programs. During the approval process, the Accounts Receivable Office will assign a selling agency number and the Office of the Registrar will load the special course fee type and amount into the catalog and appropriate section records using an automated process.
At the beginning of a new catalog biennium, departments will receive a list of existing special course fees (SCF) from the offices of Accounts Receivable and the Registrar. Special course fees will need to be reauthorized for each new catalog biennium. The Special Course Fee Authorization needs approval only once for a particular course during any catalog biennium, and will remain in force until the next catalog cycle. However, if a fee increase or change in fee description (intended use) is desired during a catalog cycle, a Special Course Fee Revision Authorization form must be submitted and approved. Deadlines for getting authorization for a new special course fee are:
- Fall and summer semesters: March 1
- Spring semester: October 1
Publication of Special Course Fees
Students will be notified of special course fees in the Web Schedule of Classes on AccessPlus. Courses with a special course fee will have a note that includes a description of the special course fee and the amount of the fee. The amount can be fixed or variable. If variable, the note will indicate the fee range.
Assessment and Adjustment of Fixed and Variable Fees
The assessment and adjustment of special course fees varies depending on whether a special course fee is a FIXED amount or is VARIABLE. Special course fees are variable when the fee amount can change from one term to the next, or from one student to the next, within the same term. Variable fees must have a range with a specified minimum and maximum amount.
Fixed Fees
The special course fee is a fixed amount assessed to all students for the approved catalog biennium.
- Assessment: Fixed fees will be assessed and reassessed electronically to all students in a section.
- Schedule changes: The Office of the Registrar runs a batch assessment program to adjust fixed fees in accordance with student add/drop activity in a course. Students dropping a course that carries a special course fee will receive a 100% refund of the special course fee if dropped by the 10th class day, and no refund if dropped after the 10th class day.
- Withdrawals: The Office of the Registrar will adjust the fees when a student withdraws. Students withdrawing prior to or on the 10th class day will receive a 100% refund of special course fees. Students withdrawing after the 10th class day will receive no refund of special course fees.
Variable Fees Type A
Fees vary by semester, and students are assessed a different amount based on their individual consumption of materials, use of equipment, etc.
- Assessment: If the special course fee varies for each student in the class, the special course fee coordinators will need to assess and credit the special course fees manually on the University Receivables system.
- Schedule changes: Adjustments in courses having a variable special course fee will need to be made on the University Receivables system by the special course fee coordinator in the department. Students dropping a course which carries a special course fee will receive a 100% refund of the special course fee if dropped by the 10th class day, and no refund if dropped after the 10th class day.
- Withdrawals: The Office of the Registrar will adjust the fees when a student withdraws. Students withdrawing prior to or on the 10th class day will receive a 100% refund of special course fees. Students withdrawing after the 10th class day will receive no refund of special course fees.
Variable Fees Type B
Fees vary by semester, but all students in the class are assessed the same special course fee amount for that particular semester.
- Assessment: If the special course fee is variable on the catalog record, but established as one fee for all students in that class that semester, special course fee coordinators may submit the fee amount for that semester to the assistant registrar for fees by the 10th class day of the semester. This fee will then be assessed and reassessed electronically to all students in that section. If the coordinator is unable to establish the fee amount by the 10th class day due to extenuating circumstances, the coordinator may contact the assistant registrar for fees to arrange an alternative deadline. It is the position of the university that special course fees should be established and assessed by the 10th class day, if possible.
- Schedule changes: The Office of the Registrar will run a batch assessment program to adjust fixed fees in accordance with student add/drop activity in the course. Students dropping a course that carries a special course fee will receive a 100% refund of the special course fee if dropped by the 10th class day, and no refund if dropped after the 10th class day.
- Withdrawals: The Office of the Registrar will adjust the fees when a student withdraws. Students withdrawing prior to or on the 10th class day will receive a 100% refund of special course fees. Students withdrawing after the 10th class day will receive no refund of special course fees.
Retroactive Adds
The Office of the Registrar will not assess special course fees on a retroactive add, as it is not cost effective for the university to try to collect this money after the semester of enrollment. If a department wants to retroactively collect a special course fee from a student, the department coordinator may assess, on the University Receivables system, the approved fee amount for that semester to the respective student. This applies to both fixed and variable fees.
Late Current Term Changes
A request to change a special course fee is considered late after the 13th week of fall and spring semesters, and after the 10th week of summer semester. Requests for a late special course fee change should be submitted via email to the assistant registrar (registrar@iastate.edu), and should include an explanation as to why the late change is required. Late requests will be considered on an individual basis and should be submitted as a one-time exception.
Collection of Special Course Fees
The Accounts Receivable Office will collect special course fees on behalf of the departments. Collected fees are deposited bi-monthly in the appropriate department fund account. As part of the authorization process, the department designates a special course fee coordinator to oversee the billing process for all the department's courses that have special course fees. When a new coordinator is appointed, his/her name and contact information should be forwarded to the Accounts Receivable Office and to the Office of the Registrar.
Special Course Fee Types
Special course fee codes are as follows:
- A = applied music
- F = field trips and travel
- M = materials
- E = equipment use
- P = professional support
- B = materials, and field trips and travel
- Q = equipment use, and field trips and travel
- J = professional support, and field trips and travel
- N = materials and equipment use
- R = materials and professional support
- S = professional support and equipment use
Assessment Schedule for FIXED Special Course Fees
This assessment schedule applies to fixed special course fees only; it does NOT apply to variable fees.
- Initial SCF assessment
- Approximately one month prior to the start of the term
- Subsequent assessments
- Prior to the release of financial aid (approximately 10 to 14 days prior to the start of the semester)
- On the evening of the 10th class day
- At the end of each month throughout the semester
- Final assessment
- At the beginning of the 14th week of the semester for fall and spring semesters
- At the beginning of the 10th week of the semester for summer semester
