Tuition and other fees are authorized and updated periodically by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and are payable and due at the time of registration each term.  Tuition and fees are subject to change pending action from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Registration is finalized and complete when all tuition and fees are paid for the specific term, including parts of term within the full term. Payment of fees may not be deferred. Failure to pay for any class during any term or part of term could result in cancellation of all classes. Payment may be made in person, by cash or check, or online by credit card or electronic check, and/or pre-approved financial aid is accepted. For all online payments, please visit highlands.edu.

Students who have financial aid will have their aid applied directly to their student account. This will be done periodically throughout the term as student’s aid is approved and as verification of attendance is completed.

Georgia Highlands College’s tuition and fee schedules can be found at https://www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/.

Georgia Highlands College fees are assessed according to the policies established for all colleges in the University System of Georgia. A non-refundable application fee of $30 must accompany all applications for admission.

In-State Tuition

Current in-state tuition and fees can be found at https://www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/in-state-tuition/.

Out-of-State Tuition

Current out-of-state tuition and fees can be found at https://www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/out-of-state-tuition/.

Mandatory Fees

Mandatory fees include technology, student activity, data card, student support services, athletics, and parking/transportation as detailed in the tuition and fee schedules.

eCore/eMajor and Georgia Film Academy Tuition and Fees

Students registered in only eCore/eMajor and Georgia Film Academy courses will be charged the current eCore/eMajor and Georgia Film Academy tuition and mandatory fee rate which differs from the traditional GHC tuition and mandatory fee schedule. Students who register for eCore/eMajor and Georgia Film Academy courses and traditional classroom courses or other distance education courses offered at GHC, will be billed at the eCore rate for the relevant courses and the traditional tuition rate for the relevant courses, as well as all mandatory fees.

Auditing

Students auditing classes register and pay as detailed in the tuition and fee schedule.

Course Participation Fees

As detailed in the fee schedule.

Fee Refund Policy

Students who formally withdraw from all courses at Georgia Highlands College are entitled to a refund of in-state tuition, out-state tuition, technology fee, student activity fee, data card fee, student support services fee, athletics fee, and parking/transportation fee at a prorated amount up to the completion rate of 60% of the semester. Students who do not formally withdraw from all courses are not entitled to a refund.

Students may drop a course during the drop/add period without penalty. During the drop/add period, fees will be adjusted. After the drop/add period ends, students may withdraw from a course without penalty until mid-term. The student will receive no refund for withdrawing from a course. A drop of all courses constitutes a complete withdrawal.

The refund amount for students withdrawing from the institution shall be based on pro rata percentage determined by dividing the number of calendar days completed by the student during the semester by the total calendar days in the semester. The unearned portion shall be refunded up to the point in time that the amount equals 60%.

Students who withdraw from the institution when the calculated percentage of completion is greater than 60% are not entitled to a refund of any portion of institutional charges.

Return of Student Aid

Students receiving financial aid will be required to return any unearned portion when a student withdrawal request form is completed. Amounts will be based on the calculation of the percentage of time enrolled as of the official withdrawal date times the total amount of financial aid awarded. The official withdrawal date is entered on the student withdrawal request form.

The amount of aid to be returned for any student withdrawing from the institution shall be based on pro rata percentage determined by dividing the number of calendar days completed by the student during the semester by the total calendar days in the semester. The unearned portion shall be returned up to the point in time that the amount equals 60%. Unearned Federal funds will be returned in the following order: Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Subsidized Direct Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG).

Students who withdraw from the institution when the calculated percentage of completion is greater than 60% are not subject to the returning of aid funds.

Nelnet

Georgia Highlands College partners with Nelnet Business Solutions to provide students a payment plan option for each semester.

Payment Methods

  • Automatic bank payment (ACH)
  • Credit card/ Debit card (An additional fee will be assessed.)

Cost to Participate

  • $50 to $70 enrollment fee depending on the number of payments.
  • $30 returned payment fee if a payment is returned.

Steps to Enroll

  • Log in to SCORE
  • Click on Student Services
  • Click on the Students Account Tab
  • Select setup payment plan

Payments are processed on the 5th of each month. Agreement Terms can be located at www.mycollegepaymentplan.com/ghc.

Student Refunds Process

Georgia Highlands College delivers student refund(s) with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution powered by BMTX, Inc. For more information about BankMobile Disbursements, visit this link: http://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoices/.

For more information about BankMobile Disbursements and refunds, please visit: http://sites.highlands.edu/office-of-finance-and-administration/business-office/ or contact the GHC Business Office at 706-802-5000.

Financial Obligations to the College

Failure to meet financial obligations to the College may result in the student being unenrolled with no credit for the semester. Such students may be denied enrollment in subsequent semesters.

The College will withhold copies of educational records of students who have outstanding debts to the institution.

Collection Policy

All delinquent debts and/or obligations to the College will be turned over to a collection agency for further legal collection action. All accounts turned over to a third party for legal collections will be subject to pay the fees of any collection agency, which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 15% of the debt, and all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, Georgia Highlands College incurs in such collection efforts.

Returned Check Policy

The returned check charge is $30 or 5%, whichever is greater.

Once the business office is notified that a check has been returned unpaid, a hold will be placed on the student’s account and the writer of the returned check will be notified via certified mail. The writer will be given ten days to satisfy the debt. If at the end of the ten-day period the account remains unpaid, the class schedule of the student for which the check was presented, will be dropped for non-payment. After two returned checks, a student will lose the privilege of writing checks to the College, and the student is on a “cash only” basis for the remainder of their attendance at GHC.

Requests for 100% Refund After the First Day of Class

Student requests for 100% refund of tuition and fees after the first day of classes may be considered if the student is unable to continue enrollment. The student must provide to the President’s Cabinet the following information:

  1. A statement, in writing, as to why the request for 100% refund should be allowed
  2. Official documentation validating the student’s request.

When this documentation is received, the President’s Cabinet will consider the decision as to refund, and the student will be notified in writing of its decision.

Military Refunds

Subject to institutional policies, full refunds of tuition and mandatory fees and pro rata refunds of elective fees are hereby authorized for students who are:

  1. Military reservists (including members of the National Guard) who receive emergency orders to active duty after having enrolled in a University System institution and paid tuition and fees
  2. Active-duty military personnel who receive an emergency reassignment after having enrolled in a University System institution and paid tuition and fees
  3. Otherwise unusually and detrimentally affected by the emergency activation of members of the reserve components or the emergency deployment of active- duty personnel of the Armed Forces of the United States and who demonstrate a need for exceptional equitable relief.

Tuition and fees paid by scholarship or grant from an agency or authority of the State of Georgia on behalf of a student receiving a refund under this policy shall be reimbursed to such agency or authority.

In order to qualify for the refunds, students must withdraw formally from their classes and present the institution with a copy of their official orders. Requests for exceptional relief (under section C above) must be made to the president of the institution.

Veterans Benefits

Students Utilizing Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment) and Chapter 33 (Post-9/11 GI Bill®):

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

  1. Veterans using Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill, benefits can attend Georgia Highlands College (GHC) for a term, provided the student submits a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under Chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website – eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for Chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:
    1. The date on which payment from the VA is made to GHC;
    2. 90 days after the date GHC certifies tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.
  2. GHC will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, and the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, and will not require eligible veteran students to borrow additional funds because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to GHC due to delayed disbursement funding from VA under Chapter 31 or 33.
  3. GHC requires the following information in order to process Veterans Benefits under Chapter 31or Chapter 33:
    1. Submit a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance no later than the first day of the term for which benefits are being requested;
    2. Submit a written request to the GHC School Certifying Official (SCO) to use such entitlement;
    3. Provide additional information necessary for proper certification of enrollment by the GHC School Certifying Official (SCO).
  4. Students are required to pay any balance due for the amount that is the difference between the amount of the student’s financial obligation and the amount of the VA education benefit disbursement by the established payment deadline for the term. Balances not paid by the stated deadline may be imposed additional fees.