Expenses

Muhlenberg endeavors, within the limits of available funds, to offer its educational opportunities to all who qualify for admission regardless of economic circumstances.  Through the income from its endowment and through annual contributions from its alumni and friends, the College has been able to keep its fees well below the actual cost of educating each student.

Expenses, Tuition, and Fees

Charges For Students Enrolling During Academic Year
2020-2021 (Fall 2020, Spring 2021)

Miscellaneous Fees and Deposits*

* The College reserves the right to adjust fees at any time without notice.

Meal Plans

The dining experience at Muhlenberg College offers students variety, convenience, and flexibility.

The meal plans were designed with valuable input from our students to meet the changing needs of life both on campus and off.  Six unique meal plans offer every student a choice.  Whether you’re looking for three square meals a day or a snack between meals, there is a meal plan to meet your needs.

Student housing options define required meal plan selection choices.  First-year students must select the Platinum, Gold, or Traditional membership. Students residing in the Village, MILE properties, 2201 Chew Street, and off campus are not required to be on a meal plan but may if they so choose.  Other meal plans include the Silver, Bronze, and Cardinal memberships.  Please see the Dining website at www.muhlenberg.edu/dining or any dining location for details of each plan.

Muhlenberg College students with a documented medical condition that may significantly and directly impact the ability to fully utilize or access dining services may submit a Special Dining Services Request, along with supporting medical documentation, to the Office of Disability Services.  If confirmation is not received before the start of classes for each semester, students will be billed for the meals on a daily basis until such approval is received.

Each student who is a member of the meal plan will use their BergID in the campus dining venues.  BergID cards are non-transferable, and use of the card by a person other than the one to whom it is issued is not permitted.  If the card is lost, it must be reported immediately to Campus Safety.

Refund Policy

The College has adopted the following regulations with respect to refunds and rebates due to the withdrawal, suspension, or expulsion of a student during the semester that a student is studying on Muhlenberg’s campus.  In addition and in cases of suspension or expulsion, the College is entitled to a portion of the remaining comprehensive fee in accordance with the following schedule:

20 percent if withdrawal occurs during first week;
40 percent if withdrawal occurs during second week;
60 percent if withdrawal occurs during third week;
80 percent if withdrawal occurs during fourth week;
100 percent if withdrawal occurs after the fourth week.

Note: Student aid, which must be returned to the awarding agency, cannot be used to satisfy amounts owed to the College.

If a student is scheduled to spend the semester attending an off-campus or study abroad program, the host institution’s withdrawal policies and deadlines will apply and supersede Muhlenberg’s refund policy.  The student will be responsible for any withdrawal or penalty fees owed to the host institution.

Withdrawal due to medical reasons approved by the Director of Student Health Services may entitle a student to a prorated refund of the comprehensive fee.  The amount to be refunded, if any, will be decided based upon merit.  The following fees and deposits are not refundable: application fee, orientation fee, first-year reservation deposit, room fees, and charges for tuition, room, and board of study abroad or off-campus programs, including host institution withdrawal penalties.

Board Fee: In all cases of withdrawal, a refund of the contract portion of the board fee will be made in proportion to the number of unexpired days remaining, provided the refund is applied for at the time of withdrawal from the College and the student meal plan is surrendered.

Berg Bucks: Unused Berg Bucks will be refunded to a withdrawn student less a service fee of $25.

Room Fee: A student withdrawing from the College during the semester will receive a refund of room fees only if a replacement, not already residing in the College residential system, is obtained for the room.

The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a payment period or semester.  The federal Title IV financial aid programs must be recalculated in these situations.

If a student leaves the institution prior to completing 60% of a payment period or semester, the financial aid office recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds.  Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of the Title IV funds formula:

Percentage of payment period or semester completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or semester.  (Any break of five or more days is not counted as part of the days in the semester.)  This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Aid to be returned = (100% of the aid that could not be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or semester.

If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds.  Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.

Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan
• Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Direct Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Federal Pell Grants for which a Return of funds is required
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a Return of funds is required
• Other assistance under the Title for which a Return of funds is required (e.g., LEAP)

Financial Obligations

The comprehensive fee, room and board, and other charges incurred by the student, regardless of nature, must be paid consistent with established due dates.  Students with outstanding obligations will not be permitted to register, change enrollment status, release transcripts, or participate in commencement exercises until all commitments are met.

By federal law, students for whom the Veteran’s Administration has not yet paid tuition and fees for their veteran’s benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Services (Chapter 31) are not subject to the College’s usual holds, restrictions, or late fees for such monies. 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 www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Student Payroll Checks and Check Cashing

For proper identification students must present their BergID Card prior to receiving a student payroll check or cashing a check through the College.  If the BergID does not reflect the student’s legal name, a second form of identification that reflects the student’s legal name will be required such as a state driver’s license or passport.

Insurance

The College does not carry fire, burglary, theft, or other kinds of insurance to cover the personal possessions of students.  It is suggested that such coverage be included in policies carried by parents or be purchased through a separate insurance policy.

All students are required to have health insurance while attending Muhlenberg College.  A secondary accident insurance policy is provided for full-time students.  A brochure explaining the accident plan is made available to each student.