Financial Responsibilities

I. Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes (Residency Rules)

Basic Rule

All students enrolled in credit-bearing programs in any division of the University System of New Hampshire in any capacity shall be charged tuition at a rate to be determined by their domicile. Those domiciled within the State of New Hampshire shall pay the in-state rate. Those domiciled elsewhere shall pay the out-of-state rate.

Definitions

“Parent” means

• the individual or individuals named on the student’s birth certificate; or
• the student’s legal guardian or legal custodian provided that there are no circumstances indicating that such guardianship or custodianship was created primarily for the purpose of conferring the status of an in-state student on the unemancipated person; or
• individuals who can claim the student as a dependent on their IRS 1040 tax return.

“Domicile” means an individual’s true, fixed, and permanent home and place of habitation, to the exclusion of all others. It is the place where the individual intends to remain and to which they expect to return when they leave without intending to establish a new domicile elsewhere.

“Veteran” means “veteran” as defined in RSA 21:50, I.

Determination of Student Status

Students shall be classified as in-state or out-of-state for tuition purposes at the time of their first admission to UNH. The decision shall be made by the Department of Admissions based upon information furnished by students’ applications. Further consideration of residency status after initial enrollment may be directed to the Office of the Registrar. 

Application Forms

Individuals applying for in-state status for tuition purposes at the same time they are applying for admission shall complete and submit the form “Notarized Residency Statement for New Hampshire Residents,” which shall include a sworn statement certifying that the applicant is legally domiciled within the State of New Hampshire and is a lawful resident of the United States. In the event the campus residency officer possesses facts or information indicating that a student’s status should be changed from in-state to out-of-state, whether or not the information was received from the student in compliance with notification requirements set forth below, the campus residency officer can require submission of additional information establishing domicile from any in-state student prior to the commencement of each semester the student plans to attend the university system unit.

Burden of Proof

In all cases of application for in-state status for tuition purposes, the burden of proof shall be on the applicant. At the applicant’s request, the dean or director of admissions shall state the reason or reasons for the decision in writing.

Determination of Domicile

Individuals shall not be eligible for in-state status unless they have been domiciled within New Hampshire for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding registration for the term for which in-state status is claimed and meets all other requirements for domicile.

In accordance with RSA 187-A:20-c, any veteran of the armed forces who establishes a residence in New Hampshire shall be eligible for the in-state rate immediately, and the twelve-month waiting period for establishing domicile shall not apply.

Unemancipated individuals shall not be eligible for in-state tuition status unless their parent(s), as defined above, shall have established domicile in this state.

Individuals shall not be eligible for in-state tuition status unless they establish that their residence in New Hampshire is for some purpose other than the temporary or primary one of obtaining an education.

When individuals have established eligibility for in-state tuition based on a parent’s domicile and the parent subsequently establishes domicile outside of New Hampshire, that individual shall be eligible for in-state tuition for one academic semester following the academic semester during which the parent established out-of-state domicile. Individuals shall notify the campus residency officer of any changes affecting their eligibility for the in-state tuition rate.

All evidence relevant to determining domicile shall be considered, including the following, which shall be relevant, but not necessarily conclusive:

• Payment or non-payment of any tax levied by the State of New Hampshire or any political subdivision on persons resident or domiciled thereon;
• Residence reported on any federal or state tax return;
• Registration of one’s automobile;
• State issuing one’s driver’s license;
• Receipt of support from parents who are residents or domiciled outside the State of New Hampshire;
• Voting residence;
• Claim by any non-resident parent that the applicant is a dependent for tax or any other financial purpose;
• Regular departure by an applicant from the State of New Hampshire during recesses or vacations from the University System unit;
• The filing of any claim for benefits under any policy of insurance or any federal, state, or local benefit legislation based on residence or domicile outside the State of New Hampshire; or
• Status in some other state which would qualify a person for in-state tuition in that state.

Emancipation

Individuals shall not be deemed to be emancipated unless their parent(s), as defined above, have entirely surrendered the right to the care, custody, and earnings of such individual and unless their parent(s) are no longer under any legal obligation to support or maintain such individual or, having supported and maintained such individual even though under no legal obligation to do so, has ceased to support or maintain such individual. Emancipation shall not be found unless all such tests are met.

Evidence of the following shall be submitted by an applicant and requested by the dean or director of admissions:

• Lack of financial support of the person by the parents;
• Lack of contribution by the parents to any earnings or other income received by the person;
• Failure of parent(s) to claim the person as a dependent on their income or other tax returns;
• Establishment by the person of a domicile separate and apart from that of the parent; and
• Failure of the person to return to the home of the parent during vacations and other recesses from school.

Presumptions

Unless the contrary appears to the satisfaction of the dean or director of admissions in individual cases, the following presumptions shall prevail:

• Students shall be presumed to be emancipated from their parent(s) when they reach the age of 24.
• The domicile of unemancipated individuals shall be that of their parent(s), as defined above.
• The domicile of individuals who first enter the University System from the domicile of their parent(s), as defined above, shall be that of the parent(s) until they abandon such domicile and, for purposes other than that of education, acquire a new domicile;
• The domicile of individuals who first enter the University System from a domicile other than New Hampshire shall be such a domicile until they abandon such domicile and, for purposes other than that of their education, acquire a new domicile.
• Attendance at a unit of the University System or at any other educational institution in this state in itself shall not be evidence of intention to establish or establishment of a domicile in this state.

Waiver

Nothing contained in these rules shall preclude the dean or director of admissions or campus residency officer from waiving any requirements hereof under special circumstances in individual cases. Waivers shall not be routinely granted.

Military Personnel

Members of the Armed Forces of the United States stationed in this state under military orders shall be entitled to classification for themselves, their spouses, and their dependent children as in-state for tuition purposes so long as the member remains on active duty in this state pursuant to such orders.

Individuals receiving educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq. or 38 U.S.C. § 3301 et seq., including children or spouses of active service members or veterans eligible for educational assistance under 38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9) or 38 U.S.C. § 3319, shall be eligible for the in-state rate while living in this state.

Review of Student Status

Students who are aggrieved by the decision of the dean or director of admissions classifying them as an out-of-state student for tuition purposes may appeal to the campus residency officer on forms and in accordance with procedures which shall be made available to the student in the office of the dean or director of admissions. Any student aggrieved by the campus residency officer’s decision may appeal that decision to the University System’s Residency Appeals Board (the “Board”).

Students may present to the Board such additional evidence as they deem appropriate in processing the appeal and may appear before the Board and be heard. The decision of the Board shall be the final decision of the University System.

The University System Residency Appeals Board shall be comprised of four members who shall be designated by the presidents of each of the System’s institutions. At the first meeting of each academic year, the Board members shall designate one member to serve as chair for the remainder of the academic year and until a successor has been designated for the following year. The chair may delegate authority to chair particular meetings of the Board to any member of the Board.

Change in Status

Students who have, on their first admission to the University System, been classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes may apply to the campus residency officer for a change in status.

Students applying for a change in status shall file their applications with the campus residency officer prior to the first day of the semester for which they are seeking the in-state tuition rate. Applications shall be considered in the chronological order in which they are presented. No changes approved during a semester shall be effective until the beginning of the next following semester. However, where a change of status from out-of-state to in-state has been denied by the campus residency officer prior to the commencement of a semester, and that decision is reversed by the Residency Appeals Board during the semester, the student’s status shall be effective as of the commencement of the semester.

In the event the campus residency officer possesses any fact or information indicating that a student’s status should be changed from in-state to out-of-state, the student shall be informed in writing of the change of status. The student can appeal the decision of the campus residency officer as set forth below. No such change made by the campus residency officer after the commencement of any semester shall be effective until the beginning of the next semester. Change to out-of-state status made by the campus residency officer prior to the commencement of any semester, but reversed during the semester by the Residency Appeals Board shall be effective as of the commencement of the semester.

Student Responsibility to Notify Institution of Changes in Status

It shall be the responsibility of students on all campuses to notify the campus residency officer of any change in their eligibility for the in-state tuition rate as a result of:

• Change in the domicile of their parent(s); or
• Change in their own domicile.

Failure to notify the campus residency officer of any changes affecting eligibility for the in-state tuition rate shall subject a student to disciplinary action under the provisions of the code of student conduct or to such actions that may be available under law, or both.

II. Mandatory Fees

The University of New Hampshire assesses mandatory fees to support expenses associated with participating in an academic community. Mandatory fees are defined as fees that all students are assessed as a prerequisite for registration unless specifically exempt. Mandatory fees are assessed because the services made available through such fees benefit the overall educational experience of the students, including academic, co-curricular, health-related, and recreational programs. It is recognized that not all students will use the benefits and privileges made available by fee-supported activities to an equal extent. The services and facilities supported by fees are available to all. The special circumstances of part-time and graduate students are reflected in the University’s fee structure.

Fee Structure

Full mandatory fees are assessed to undergraduate (registered for 12 or more credits) and graduate students (registered for 9 or more credits), national student exchange students, doctoral research, and master’s continuing research students. Undergraduate students registered for 5-11 credits and graduate students registered for 5-8 credits are assessed one-half of the cost. Students registered for 1-4 credits are assessed only the technology fee. Students enrolled in Manchester campus programs pay Manchester mandatory fees and a technology fee. Students enrolled as non-degree full-time special students (12 or more undergraduate credits or 9 or more graduate credits) pay full mandatory fees.

A full list of UNH's mandatory fees can be found online for Durham, Manchester, Law, and CPS-Online (UNH-Granite State College) students.

Students who elect to reside in on-campus housing are required to pay the campus-based mandatory fees for that campus, even if they are enrolled at, and paying the fees for, another campus for their coursework.

Students who withdraw or drop to part-time status after classes begin are eligible for a partial refund of fees. The refund amount will depend on different factors including the term and the duration of the course. A full refund schedule can be found on the Academic Calendar.

Exceptions to the University of New Hampshire Mandatory Fee Policy

With the exception of the Technology Fee, students enrolled in online degree programs at Durham or Manchester are automatically exempt from all mandatory fees.

Students whose courses, fieldwork, internships, or other academic work are fully outside the immediate geographic area for a semester may petition for a waiver of mandatory fees, with the exception of Technology, Career & Professional Success (CaPS), Psychological & Counseling Services (PACS), Health & Wellness, and Manchester Registration fees. The immediate geographic area is defined as a 25-mile radius around the Durham campus in the case of a Durham student or Manchester campus in the case of a Manchester student. Mandatory fees for students participating in UNH Study Abroad Programs are waived through the billing process, with the noted exceptions.

The University will use course registration information to verify remote status.

UNH Law students are assessed a UNH Law student activity fee and a technology fee. There is no provision for mandatory fee exceptions for UNH Law students in this policy since no student is fully remote.

CPS-Online (UNH-Granite State College) students are assessed an academic services fee and a registration fee. There is no provision for mandatory fee exceptions for CPS-Online students in this policy.

All Durham graduate students are exempt from the Student Activity fee, Career and Professional Success (CaPS) fee, and Athletics fee. Graduate students enrolled in pre-designated evening-only programs, as approved by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs or their designee, are exempt from the Health & Wellness and the Psychological & Counseling Services fees.

Doctoral students who have achieved candidacy may petition for a waiver of the mandatory student fees, with the exception of the Technology fee, under the condition that the students must confirm in writing that they will not be using the campus services covered by mandatory fees.

For graduate students on assistantships, mandatory fees are noted in the appointment letters.

Students must submit petitions each semester to waive fees.

Authority

Any conflicts resulting from this procedure will be adjudicated by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Chief Financial Officer or their designee.

III. University Accounts

Payment of University Accounts

UNH monthly billing statements are sent electronically only. Bills are posted to student Webcat accounts. Students may authorize parents or others to access their account information by setting up Parent Portal accounts. Billing notifications are sent to UNH-assigned email addresses when new bills are posted. Designated Parent Portal contacts are also emailed when new statements are generated and are available to view online through the Parent Portal. Students are responsible for monitoring their UNH email addresses.

Mandatory fees partially fund various programs and services which are available to all students. Students are required to pay all mandatory fees charged regardless of the actual usage of the programs and services.

Student accounts that are not fully paid by the payment due date specified on the tuition bill will be assessed late fees or be disenrolled from their semester course registration(s). Students who register after the payment due date are expected to pay tuition and fees at the time of registration. If a check tendered in payment is returned unpaid by the bank upon which it was drawn, the student will be assessed a returned check fee.

Failure to Pay University Accounts

All university bills must be paid before a student is permitted to register for the ensuing semester, graduate, and receive any credit for courses taken. Any student who does not clear outstanding debts will be considered as not having completed registration will have all enrollments for the current semester deleted, and will be held liable for bills under the refund policy. Students who pay their balance may be reinstated at the discretion of Student Accounts, but are responsible for maintaining their grades in their classes. Students who are eligible to graduate must have all bills paid before they can receive a diploma and/or an official transcript.

Student accounts remaining unpaid more than 30 days after the termination of student status for any reason may be liable for interest and collection charges.

Loan Defaults

Former students who have not made the required payments (i.e. “defaulted”) on government-backed (e.g. Perkins Loans and Director Loans) may not be permitted to register for classes, graduate, receive any credit for courses taken, or receive official transcripts. Former students in this situation may contact Student Financial Services for more information or to discuss resolving these matters.

ROTC Uniform and Equipment Charges

Students will be billed for the value of articles issued to them that are lost, damaged, or not returned. Failure to pay such charges shall be processed as described in the Failure to Pay University Accounts section of this policy.

Refund of Tuition and Fees

Students who withdraw or drop to part-time status after classes begin are eligible for a partial refund of tuition and fees. The refund amount will depend on different factors including the term and the duration of the course. A full refund schedule can be found on the Academic Calendar. This refund policy also applies to students reducing their credit load from full to part-time.

Students receiving Title IV financial aid will be refunded based on the schedule noted above. Some portion of financial aid may be returned to the financial aid program in accordance with the Title IV regulations in effect at the time of withdrawal from the University or drop from full-time to part-time status.

The UNH refund policy does not apply to students who withdraw from off-campus programs or programs which use nonstandard semester calendars. Since these programs have their own refund policies, students who withdraw will be subject to the refund policies and terms of their specific programs.

Refund of Meal Plan and Other Dining Payments

Refunds on meal plans will be granted only upon management approval or withdrawal from the University. If approved, Unlimited Meal Plans will be refunded based on the following: weeks and partial weeks attended will be charged at the weekly rate. Unused Dining Dollar balances will be refunded. Block plans will be refunded for all unused meals. Meals eaten will be charged at the highest prevailing price. After students have graduated or left UNH, any remaining Cat’s Cache balance of $10 or more will be refunded to the student account. A refund of any balance under $10 will be waived unless the student requests that refund before the account is closed. 

IV. Financial Aid to Students

The Financial Aid Office website outlines procedural requirements for financial aid and all eligibility criteria for federal and state financial aid programs and University tuition grants and scholarships. The University’s financial aid program is one in which the basic philosophy for eligibility is the student’s financial need.

University gift aid consists of grants and scholarships. Grants are based on financial need and are awarded to both resident and nonresident students from funds budgeted yearly by the authority of the Board of Trustees. Scholarships are awarded on the basis of any of the following: scholastic achievement, requirements established by a donor, and financial need. Scholarships that are based on academic merit are subject to renewal criteria including academic performance (typically reflected by a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20) and a record of good citizenship.

Eligibility

All degree students are eligible for consideration for financial aid. To be considered for financial aid, a student must annually submit appropriate financial aid application material to the Financial Aid Office.

Minimum Credits

For the award and/or continuation of University grants or loans, a student must be a registered degree candidate.