Tuition & Refunds

Residency

Students verify and establish residency based on the answers they provide to the core Residency questions on the ApplyTexas application. Students may be contacted by the colleges in the Alamo Colleges District for additional residency documentation. Residency status can only be changed prior to the census date.

• In-District Bexar County Resident: A Texas resident who has lived in Texas for the past twelve (12) months and resides in Bexar County.
• Out-of-District Student: A Texas resident for the past twelve (12) months who does not reside in Bexar County.
• Out-of-State Student: A U.S. citizen who has not lived in Texas for the past twelve (12) months.
• Out-of-Country Student: A non-U.S. citizen who is not a resident alien.

Preferred documentation for in-district classification:

• TX ID or Driver’s License
• Current lease or proof of ownership of real property

Other acceptable documentation:

• Utility or telephone bill
• Voter registration card
• Pay stub
• Bank statement
• Documentation from social service agency indicating receipt of services in Bexar County
• Other documentation may be presented and accepted at the discretion of the college’s Residency Determination Official

Active Duty Military, Reserves, Texas National Guard and Family Members

Active duty military and members of the Texas Reserves or Texas National Guard, as well as their spouses and/or dependent children, stationed in Texas can qualify for in-state tuition and fees provided a Military Verification form is completed and signed by the service member’s Commander, Personnel Officer, or other designated representative. The Military Verification form must be submitted at least once per academic year.

Veterans and Family Members

For veterans who are not Texans, Texas Senate Bill 297 expands in-state tuition and fees benefits to military veterans and their spouses and children without regard to the length of time they have resided in Texas, if the person files with the institution a letter of intent to establish residence in Texas and resides in Texas while enrolled in the institution and the person is:

• eligible for benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or any other federal law authorizing educational benefits for veterans
• the spouse of a person who is eligible for such benefits, or
• a child, including a stepchild, of a person who is eligible for such benefits who is 25 years of age or younger on the first day of the semester or other academic term for which the person is registering (excepting a child or stepchild who suffered from a severe illness or other debilitating condition that affected the person’s ability to use the benefit before reaching the age of 25, as ruled upon by the THECB to be granted additional time to use the benefit).

Tuition Reimbursement/Rebate Policy

Under Section 54.0065 of the Texas Education Code, students graduating from a Texas public baccalaureate-granting university may be entitled to a partial tuition rebate.

Eligible students must meet all of the following requirements:

• Must have enrolled for the first time in an institution of higher education in Fall 1997 or later.
• Must be requesting a rebate for work related to a first baccalaureate degree received from a Texas public university.
• Must have been a resident of Texas, must have attempted all coursework at a Texas public institution of higher education, and must have been entitled to pay resident tuition at all times while pursuing the degree.
• Must have attempted no more than three (3) hours in excess of the minimum number of semester credit hours required to complete the degree detailed in the catalog under which they were graduated. Hours attempted include transfer credits, course credit earned by examination, courses dropped after the official Census Date, for-credit developmental courses, optional internship and cooperative education courses, and repeated courses.

Students who are seeking tuition rebates are responsible for enrolling only in courses that will qualify them for the rebates. Courses dropped for reasons that are determined by the institution to be beyond the control of the student shall not be counted.

Payment Plans

Payment Plan deadlines are available online.

Standard Payment Plan - for students not receiving financial aid

Financial Aid Payment Plan - for students receiving financial aid but the award amount may not cover all tuition and fees

Note: Military members using military tuition assistance (TA) and military spouses using Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) funding may submit a Deferment Request to be excluded from payment deadline drops until the last payment deadline for the term of intended enrollment. To request the exclusion from being dropped for non-payment, service members and spouses should follow the process outlined below.

• Register for classes
• Submit the Tuition and Fees Payment Deferment Request to your installation’s Alamo Colleges District representative prior to the subsequent payment deadline
• Apply for Military Tuition Assistance (TA) or Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)
• Monitor your registration status and alert the installation representative of any changes
• Submit the approved TA / MyCAA funds documentation prior to the last payment deadline of the semester start

For additional information email dst-military@alamo.edu or visit www.alamo.edu/military

Tuition Waivers

In the Spring of 2014, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1210. It went into effect Fall 2014. This law now requires students who receive specific tuition exemptions or waivers to meet two new requirements: 1) maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) and 2) excess hour limit provision in order to continue to receive this benefit. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board indicated this law affects a number of exemption and waiver programs. 

Common exemptions or waivers that are subject to the new law include:

• Adopted
• Deaf or blind
• Firefighters taking Fire Science courses
• Hazelwood exemptions (all Hazelwood waivers except for child/spouse of a deceased veteran)
• Highest-ranking high school scholar
• Peace officer
• Senior citizen
• Foster Care Exemptions are currently exempt from the GPA evaluation.

Hazlewood Program for Texas Veterans

The Hazlewood Act (Texas Education Code 54.203) provides education benefits to honorably discharged or separated Texas veterans and their dependent children and spouses by exempting those veterans from the payment of tuition and certain fees at state colleges.

New provisions, authorized in Texas Senate Bill 93, known as the “Hazlewood Legacy Act,” remove certain residency restrictions and permit eligible veterans to assign their unused hours to their children. Student Veterans are encouraged to check the Texas Veterans Commission website for the most current information for Military and Veterans. Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined by the institution. (See Financial Aid-12)

Eligible veterans:

• Those who, at the time of entry into the U.S. Armed Forces:  
  • Are Texas residents,
  • Designated Texas as Home of Record, or
  • Entered into the service in Texas.
• Have served at least 181 days of active military duty, as indicated as “net active service” (the sum of 12(c) and 12(d) on the DD214),
• Have received an honorable discharge or separation or a general discharge under honorable conditions,
• Have no federal veteran’s education benefits, or have federal veterans education benefits dedicated to the payment of tuition and fees only; such as Chapter 33, for term or semester enrolled that do not exceed the value of Hazlewood benefits (Pell and SEOG Grants are not relevant),
• Are not in default on a student loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas, and
• Enroll in classes for which the college receives tax support (i.e., a course that does not depend solely on student tuition and fees to cover its costs), unless the college’s governing board has ruled to let veterans receive the benefit while taking non-funded courses.

If the conditions listed above are met, the applicant must submit the following to the Veterans Affairs Office:

• A letter from the DVA in Muskogee, Oklahoma, stating that the applicant has no further educational entitlement under the G.I. Bill if the veteran has served since 9/11; and
• A copy of the applicant’s DD214 (member copy #4) showing “Character of Discharge.”

The applicant may enroll in non-credit courses if these conditions are met. A copy of the application is available online at tvc.texas.gov.

A person who received an exemption before the 2011-2012 academic year continues to be eligible for the exemption provided the person:

• Entered military service in Texas (regardless of whether the veteran was a U.S. citizen or legal resident at the time)
• Declared Texas as the person’s home of record, or
• Would have been determined to be a resident of Texas for purposes of provisions concerning tuition rates at the time the person entered the service.

Children of certain members of the U.S. armed forces - including stepchildren, adopted children, and persons claimed as dependents on a federal income tax return for the preceding or current year - who qualify for tuition and fee exemption must be residents under provisions relating to tuition rates on the date of their registration.

An institution of higher education must refund to a student who becomes eligible for an exemption in that semester and who has paid the tuition and other fees for that semester the amount of the tuition and fees paid by the student in the amount of the exemption.

Combat Exemption for Children of Military Service Members

Important Notice!

Funding to award Combat Exemptions to eligible students for the 2016-2017 academic year is not available. Check all College for Texans for information on other student financial assistance for military members and their families.

Tuition Schedule*

Effective Spring 2017*

• $86 per SCH for In-District*
• $233 per SCH for Out-of-District*
• $453 per SCH for Non-Resident*

(SCH-Semester Credit Hours)

Out of District Tuition Rates

Effective Fall 2017, the Board approved lowering the tuition rate for out-of-district students to 2.35 times the in-district student rate. The purpose of this action is to rebalance the tuition rate for out-of-district students effective Fall 2017. No change in tuition rates was recommended for in-district and out of state/international students.

New Fast Completion Incentive Plan

• 2 year completion: up to six (6) SCH in Summer FREE, if earned 24 SCH combined Fall and Spring
• 3 year completion: three (3) SCH in Summer FREE, if earned 18 SCH combined Fall and Spring

Free hours must be taken in the Summer term immediately following the Fall and Spring terms that qualified the student for the Fast Completion Incentive Plan.

Effective Spring 2017: Tuition Schedule for Fall, Spring and Summer Sessions*

*Tuition and fees are subject to change by the Texas State Legislature and the Alamo Colleges District Board of Trustees.

Summer Momentum Plan

2 year completion: Up to 6 credit hours in Summer FREE, if earned 24 SCH combined Fall and Spring.

3 year completion: 3 credit hours in Summer FREE, if earned 18 SCH combined Fall and Spring.

Free hours must be taken in the Summer term immediately following the Fall and Spring terms, which qualified student for the Summer Momentum Plan.

Student Activity Fee

Additionally, a Student Activity Fee of $1.00 per credit hour is assessed to all students.

Campus Access Fee

A Campus Access Fee of $25.00 per semester is assessed to all students with a maximum of $50.00 per academic year, which is non-refundable.

Eighteen (18) Hour Rule Special Tuition (formerly 27-Hour Rule Special Tuition)

Effective Spring 2018, students taking in excess of 18 hours of Developmental Education courses will be charged an additional rate of $118.00 per hour for In-District and $176.00 per hour for Out-of-District. Any student currently enrolled as of the official census date who subsequently enrolls in a Flexible Entry class within the same semester will be assessed tuition as though another class is being added to the student’s current load.

If the coursework is English for speakers of other languages, the higher tuition applies beginning at 27 hours. 

Three-Peat (Third Attempt) Tuition

Students registering for a course for the third time will be charged the non-Texas rate of $384.00 per hour.

Tuition for Additional Classes

Any student currently enrolled as of the official Census Date who subsequently enrolls in a Flexible Entry class within the same semester will be assessed tuition and fees as though another class were being added to the student’s current load.

International Education Fee

An International Education Fee of $1.00 per semester will be assessed to all students to provide scholarships to enable Alamo Colleges District students to engage in International Education programs.

Tuition Refund Schedule

(Subject to change without notice)

Students officially dropping or withdrawing from courses at any of the colleges in the Alamo Colleges District will have their tuition calculated according to the following schedules:

Fall and Spring Semesters (16 Week Sessions)

100% Prior to the first class day* of semester
70% During class days* one (1) through fifteen (15)
25% During class days* sixteen (16) through twenty (20)
0 After the twentieth (20) class day*

Six Week Summer Sessions

100% Prior to the first class day* of semester
70% During class days* one (1) through five (5)
25% During class days* six (6) through seven (7)
0 After the seventh (7) class day*

Eight Week Summer Sessions and Flex Terms

100% Prior to the first class day* of the semester
70% During class days* one (1) through eight (8)
25% During class days* nine (9) through ten (10)
0 After the tenth (10) class day*

Open Entry/Open Exit

100% Prior to the first class day* of the semester
70% During class days* one (1) through eight (8)
25% During class days* nine (9) through ten (10)
0 After the tenth (10) class day*

* “Class day” is the State of Texas term of art referring to the calendar days that classes generally meet, i.e., Monday-Friday.

Refunds

Refunds for other non-standard length courses shall be made based on the Refund of Tuition table provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). Refunds are dependent on students having paid more than the minimum required tuition and having paid their tuition in full. Students are responsible for reimbursements to companies or agencies that have financially assisted them with their tuition.

Refunds for students on the Payment Plan will be applied to the balance due, as stated in the Installment Plan Contract. All academic calendar days are considered for refund purposes, not only the days the student attends class.

No refund is possible after the designated deadline, except in extraordinary circumstances and if approved by the Alamo Colleges District. Tuition paid by a credit card will be refunded back to the credit card.

A request may be made to the college for a refund after the end of a semester. To be considered, a request for a refund must be made within one year, the same time frame for requesting a change of grade, and must include documented proof.

Reasons for a refund after the semester has ended are:

• Illness and/or hospitalization (student or immediate family member)
• Death (student or immediate family member)
• Extenuating circumstances, to include institutional error, with the approval of the VPSS

Actions to be taken by the college may vary based on the policies in effect on the date of the withdrawal.

Federal regulations governing financial aid programs require Student Financial Services to put into place policies and procedures that may impact whether or not a student is eligible for a refund as described above. (See Financial Aid .)

Refunds are issued through the RefundSelect program; students can choose the method that is best for them.  Visit Alamo Colleges District Business Office Refunds for Information on the Refund Options, Refund Schedule, New Cash Management Rules and the Heartland Payment Services Contract. Students are responsible for verifying mailing address and phone number in ACES. Financial Aid refunds are processed weekly throughout the year as student applications are processed and awarded.

Refundable Fees Paid by All Students

Continuing Education Tuition and Fees Schedule