Financial Policies: Business Office

All tuition and fees are due 14 days before registration unless enrolled in a monthly payment plan. Registration will not be permitted if payments are not up to date. Any extensions granted will expire 45 days after the first class day.

Diplomas and official transcripts are withheld from students and alumni who have not met their financial obligations to the College. The College also reserves the right to cancel registration and evict students from residence halls and the board plan if their accounts are in arrears and to exclude a student with significant financial obligations to the College from participating  in graduation ceremonies.

    Payment Procedures

Statements are issued in the student’s name  and mailed to the home address. Students may supply the Business Office with an additional billing address.

Two payment procedures are available:

Standard Plan
Full semester charges due 14 days before  registration.

Forester Monthly Payment Plan
This monthly payment plan allows families to spread all or part of the annual expenses over 10 interest-free monthly payments. There is an annual enrollment fee and payments begin July 1. Enrollment by August 1st will qualify the student for registration, but past due payments must be made up.  Information on the payment plan is available in the Business Office. Families also have the option of enrolling in the Forester Payment Plan on a semester basis. There is a 5-month plan for Fall semester which also starts on July 1. The payment plan for the  Spring semester begins on November 1.

    Deposit

A $500 deposit is required of all new students. Of this amount, $200 will be refundable only after the student withdraws or graduates from the College, net any outstanding debts owed to the College.  $300 will be applied toward the student’s account.  If the student does not enroll in courses, the $500 is forfeit.

    Student Health Services Fee

On-campus health services are provided for  all resident and nonresident undergraduate  students in a degree program, excluding Degree Candidacy Pending students. The semester fee is mandatory and nonrefundable.

Recreation Fee

The Recreation Fee is a mandatory nonrefundable fee of $200 charged annually during fall semester to all undergraduates enrolled during fall.  Students not enrolled in fall will be billed in the spring semester.  It covers use of the Sports and Recreation Center, available to all students, including fitness classes.

    Activity Fee and Senior Class Dues

The College collects an activity fee of $120 per semester assessed by student government for its use. All resident and nonresident undergraduate students are charged the activity fee, which is mandatory and nonrefundable. Additionally, the College collects a one-time nonrefundable senior dues assessment billed the semester prior to graduation. The dues are used by the Senior Steering Committee for graduation activities. Senior dues are $65.

    Normal Course Load

A normal course load for undergraduate non- DCP students is four courses, but any combination of courses ranging from 3 to 4.5 credits is regarded as a full load and regular full-time tuition applies. There are no refunds for course load changes within this range of credits. Any reduction below three credits must be approved by the Office of Student Affairs.

Undergraduate students registering for fewer than three credits per term with the permission of the Office of Student Affairs will be charged at the per-course rate. The per-course rate will also apply for special students who are not degree candidates or whose degree candidacy  is pending for fewer than three credits.

    Course Overload Charge

Students who are registered for an on-campus course load in excess of 4.5 credits in a given semester will be charged for the additional credits or fractions of credits.

Students enrolled in Music 107, 108, 109, and 110 will be exempt from the quarter credit overload charge, if approved by the Music Department.

Students who received Dean’s List distinction at Lake Forest College during the previous year may take one extra course during the following year without charge, subject to certain limitations.

    Other Charges and Fines

Students studying abroad will be charged applicable fees as determined by the individual program. See the Coordinator of Off-Campus Programs for the current per-program tuition rate. Regular refund policies apply to study-abroad programs. There is a non-refundable administrative fee of $500 for students who are applying their financial aid to a program through a consortium agreement, in addition to any program fee or deposit required by the selected program.

Students will not be charged a fee for credit by examination (for a subject that is not covered by advanced placement tests) if such credit is established during the fall term of the first year.

Students will be billed for bookstore charges, library fines, on-campus traffic violations, and any damage they may cause to College property.

A student who changes residential status from resident to nonresident for Fall semester, and notifies the Office of Student Affairs on or after June 1 and before July 1, will be charged $500. Students notifying the Office of Student Affairs on or after July 1 will be charged $750. For a change of residency status after the first day of Fall classes, per diem charges for room and board will be applied to the student’s account in addition to the fine. See the Office of Residence Life for more information.

    Associated Colleges of the Midwest  (ACM) Programs

Students accepted into off-campus ACM programs are billed the Lake Forest tuition rate by the College for a normal course load. Course overloads and summer courses in ACM programs have different charge levels and policies. Program fees vary and are payable directly to the College. Required program deposits are paid directly to the ACM office. In addition to any ACM program fee or deposit, there is a Lake Forest College administrative deposit of $500, which will be applied as payment toward program expenses upon participation. If the student withdraws from the program, the deposit may be forfeited if notification is not made by the required date.

    Approved Program Leave Reimbursement (APL)

Students enrolling in program leave courses at other institutions will be required to pay the full comprehensive Lake Forest College fee on the regular due date. The other institution may require payment as well. Upon acceptance of the credit by Lake Forest College, and presentation of a paid bill, the student’s account will be reimbursed by the College for actual tuition charged by the other institution, not to exceed the comparable course cost at Lake Forest College.

 Emergency Loans

Emergency loans are approved by the Business Office for a maximum of $400. The approved loan is presented to the Cashier in order to obtain the funds, and payments for the loan are made to the Cashier. Any unpaid student loans are placed on your account at the end of the semester with a penalty of $25. Loans are subject to interest charges and are only approved under specific situations. Students that default on repaying an emergency loan will no longer be eligible to receive funds under the program. 

 

    Interest Charges, Late Fees,  and Collection Costs

Accounts not paid in full by the due date will be assessed a late fee. The College reserves the right to cancel the registration for students whose accounts are not paid in full or on time. All payment arrangements will be subject to the monthly payment plan fee. Past-due accounts may be assessed interest at the rate of 1% per month. Unpaid balances may be turned over to a collection agency and subject to collection costs as permitted by law on the unpaid balance if no suitable repayment arrangement is made.