Bluffton University is a nonprofit institution. The tuition, fees and other expenses paid by the students cover only a part of the cost. The balance is met by income from endowment, gifts and contributions from churches, alumni, faculty, staff and other friends of the university. The following fees apply to the 2007-08 academic year. Bluffton reviews fees annually and reserves the right to make changes in fees and deposits.
Standard costs vary from student to student because each student is an individual case. Some courses require special fees. Some students can reduce their total cash requirements by working or obtaining a scholarship or a grant-in-aid. The standard cost shown below does not take this into account. Neither does it include the cost of books nor incidental personal items, which vary greatly with individual needs and tastes.
Tuition and fees for academic year 2007-08
| Per year | Per semester | |
| Tuition (12 to 17 hours per semester) | $21,380 | $10,690 |
| Board (15 meal plan *) | 3,936 | 1,968 |
| Room | 3,358 | 1,679 |
| Technology fee | 400 | 200 |
| Total | $29,074 | $14,537 |
*More information on Meal Plans
Other fees
| Application fee | $20 |
| Clinical Practice | 100 |
| Transcripts, per copy | 3 |
| Student health insurance | 150 |
| Ista yearbook | 42 |
| Room damage deposit | 100 |
| Room draw deposit | 100 |
| Private music instruction (without accompanist) -- per hour, in addition to tuition | 160 |
| Private music instruction (with accompanist) -- per hour, in addition to tuition | 260 |
| “Super Single” room, in addition to room charges per semester |
840 |
| Neufeld Hall "Super Single" room, in addition to room charges per semester |
940 |
| Parking permit | 10 |
| Audit fee, per course | 80 |
| Credit by exam, per course |
|
| Examination | 75 |
| Credit | 75 |
Room damage deposit
Rooms are engaged for the college year. A deposit of $100 is charged each student rooming in a university residence hall. This will be returned after graduation or withdrawal if the room is left in good order and after the value of any damage to the room or furniture has been deducted.
Room draw deposit
Returning residential students pay a $100 room draw deposit in the spring to participate in the room draw process. This amount is applied to the fall semester charges.
Ten-month plan
The student’s estimated yearly cost is divided into 10 equal installments. Payments begin in mid-July and continue through April. There is no finance charge.
Penalty for late payment
A 1-percent monthly interest charge will be assessed to all unpaid accounts not current on the approved payment plan. Interest will be applied to the balance after the due date each month, equaling an annual interest rate of 12 percent.
A student with an unpaid account may not continue or return to classes in a subsequent registration period.
Refund policies
Students who withdraw during any period of enrollment at Bluffton University and follow the approved withdrawal procedure will receive refunds for instructional fees and room and board according to the then current refund schedule. Students may contact the business office or financial aid office to receive the current schedule.
If a refund amount is owed to the student, but the student has outstanding institutional charges, or if the student owes a repayment of a cash disbursement for noninstitutional costs, the university will automatically apply the refund amount to those charges or repayment. Bluffton will also notify the student in writing if either situation has occurred.
Students who are Title IV (federal aid) recipients will have the return of those funds and repayments calculated and distributed as prescribed by federal law and regulation. These distribution schedules are available to all prospective and currently enrolled students by contacting the business office or the financial aid office.
