Tuition Information

Note: The tuition schedules below include the following mandatory fees:

• Technology Fee: $4 per credit hour.
• Student Activity Fee: $2 per credit hour.

Tuition and Fee Schedule Fall 2012*

Tuition and Fee Schedule Beginning Fall 2013*

      
Mandatory Fees* included in the above fee schedule:

• Student Activity Fee: $2 per credit hour for part-time students.
• Technology Fee:  $4 per credit hour for part-time students.

*Subject to change without notice.

*Students will be charged tuition rates for each registered credit hour. The above table calculates tuition through 21 credit hours, however, students will be charged additional tuition rates based on the above per hour rate for every registered credit hour.

The Tuition rates are subject to change without notice.

Tuition and Mandatory Fee Payment Deadlines

Summer Semester 2013

Items to Note:

Registration deadlines must be followed during this time period. Refer to the Enrollment Deadlines calendar for more information.

Senior Citizen Tuition
Based on the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, Title 59, Article 5, Section 59-111-320, Tri-County Technical College offers tuition-free courses, both credit and non-credit, on a space-available basis for courses which have met their minimum paying enrollment. This program is available to all senior citizens, 60 years of age or older, who meet the following criteria:

1. The person is a legal resident of South Carolina.
2. The person is not employed on a full-time basis.
3. The person meets all admission requirements.

The College may require proof that the person is eligible for tuition-waived status. All students, including senior citizens, will be responsible for purchasing any textbooks and paying materials fees and lab fees required in the course(s). Personal Interest courses through the Corporate & Community Education Division are not offered on a tuition-free basis.

Tuition for Children of Veterans, Firemen, Law-enforcement Officers, Government Employees totally disabled or killed in line of duty.

Based on the Code of Laws of South Carolina, Article 5 Section 59-111, Tri-County Technical College offers tuition-free courses, undergraduate courses or curriculum, paid for a period not exceeding four years, regardless of the number of state-supported colleges, universities, or state-supported vocational or technical schools the child attends.

The College requires proof that the person is eligible for tuition-waived status. All students, including Children of Veterans, Firemen, Law-enforcement Officers, and Government employees, will be responsible for purchasing any textbooks and paying materials fees and lab fees required in the course(s). Personal Interest courses through the Corporate & Community Education Division are not offered on a tuition-free basis.

(1) Firemen, both regularly employed and members of volunteer organized units, organized rescue squad members, members of the Civil Air Patrol, law enforcement officers, or corrections officers, as defined herein, including reserve and auxiliary units of counties or municipalities who become totally disabled or killed in the line of duty on or after July 1, 1964.

(2) Government employees who become totally disabled or are killed in the line of duty while working on state time on or after July 1, 1996, as a result of a criminal act committed against them which constitutes a felony under the laws of this State.

This article shall not apply to a child or children born after the first year of total disability as herein defined.

Application for the free tuition provided for shall be filed in the governing body of the Institution and shall be accompanied by proof or evidence of death or total disability of the parent of the applicant and such proof or evidence that the injury or death occurred in the line of duty as considered necessary by such governing body, which shall have sole discretion in granting or not granting free tuition.

FEES AND OTHER COSTS

Application Fee
A $30 non-refundable fee is required for applications for admission.

Technology Fee
A Technology Fee will be charged for each course at the rate of $4 per credit hour. The technology fee applies to all courses except those offered through Corporate & Community Education. Technology fees are used to help maintain computer labs and technology used for all credit curriculum areas of the College.

Student Activity Fee
A Student Activity Fee will be charged for each course at a rate of $2 per credit hour.

Late Registration Fee
A $40 late registration fee is charged to all students registering during the late registration period each semester.

Additional Costs for Health Education and Other Majors
Most majors (programs) in the Health Education Division require students to purchase uniforms and other materials and to obtain liability insurance. Additional purchases may also be required, depending on the program. See the Health Education Program Admission section of the College Catalog and the Division or department handbook for more information. Programs in other divisions may also require the purchase of a small amount of equipment which becomes the property of the student.

Graduation Fee
A $50 fee is required at the time the "Application for Graduation" is submitted. The fee covers the cost of the credential and other graduation expenses. A $10 fee is required for each Additional Credential requested at the time the "Application for Graduation" is submitted. A $50 fee is required for Replacement credentials requested.

Transcript Fee
A $7 fee will be charged for each copy of a transcript.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

View Your Bill and Schedule
To view your bill and class schedule, log into eTC and click on the Get Set tab, Pay Tuition and Fees channel, Student Bill and Schedule link.

How to Pay Your Tuition
You may pay your tuition and fees by cash, check or credit/debit card. The College accepts Visa, Discover, MasterCard, and American Express. (Companies may be billed with appropriate authorization. Contact the Business Office for details.) Payments are accepted online, in person, by U.S. Mail, or by phone:

• Pay your student account balance anytime online using your credit card or debit card. There is no fee for this service. This service is available in the student account in eTC on the Get Set tab, Pay Tuition and Fees channel, Make Online Payments link.
• Paying in person: Pendleton Campus Business Office, Ruby S. Hicks Library/Administration Building, Anderson Campus Cashier Office or Easley Campus Cashier Office.
• Paying by Mail: Send your check to Tri-County Technical College, Attention: Business Office, P.O. Box 587, Pendleton, SC, 29670.
• Paying by Phone: Call in your Visa, Discover, MasterCard, or American Express number to 646-1802 or toll-free (within the 864 area code) 1-866-269-5677, ext. 1802. Payments may also be made at the Anderson Campus Cashier Office at 864-260-6701 or the Easley Campus Cashier Office at 864-220-8895.

Payment Plan
Curriculum students may also enroll in a payment plan administered by Nelnet. This is an interest free monthly payment plan that drafts your payment directly from your checking/savings or credit card. There is a nominal fee to pay through this online service.

• TCTC offers an interest-free payment plan administered by Nelnet, formerly FACTS Management Company.
• There is a $25.00 enrollment fee per semester.
• Payments are automatically deducted from the checking/savings or credit/debit card the student uses to enroll in the plan.
• There is a $30.00 returned payment fee if a payment is returned.
• Payments are processed on the 5th of each month and will continue for the duration of the enrolled payment plan. The payment plan options vary based on the Target Dates to Enroll.
• The following link provides information on the programs: Online Payment Plan. Payment plan information is also available on the eTC, "Get Set" tab under "Pay Tuition & Fees".

Refunds
It is the responsibility of the student to initiate all action for a schedule change in order to receive a refund, except in the case of cancelled courses. For refund deadlines, see the information provided on the Academic Calendar.

Refunds are processed throughout the semester. Parts of term vary in length from the semester term and may be reviewed on the Academic Calendar.

Refunds due to a student will be calculated and mailed to the student's last known address or to the agency paying the fees within approximately six weeks from the beginning of the semester. Thereafter, refunds are processed weekly.

Beginning March 1, 2013, refunds will be processed using Higher One. Higher One provides additional refund options that include ACH to a personal bank account, a 'One Card' known as the TCTCAccessCard, or by paper check. The One Card option credits the funds to a prepaid card provided by Higher One. More information on Higher One and the new refund process may be reviewed at www.tctcaccesscard.com.

Cancelled Courses
When a course cancellation reduces a student's course load, the student (or sponsor) will receive a 100% refund for the actual hours cancelled. No action is required by the student to initiate the refund. Students receiving financial aid must contact the Financial Aid Office in order to have their financial aid award adjusted.

Dropped Courses or Reduction of Credit Hours
The refund schedule is as follows:

• Before or during the drop/add period: 100%
• After the drop/add period: 0%

Refunds will be computed based upon the actual number of reduced credit hours.

Terms of varying lengths will have refund periods that correspond to the drop/add periods. If the drop/add period is equivalent to less than one instructional day, no refund will be granted. The specific drop/add periods for each term is noted on the Academic Calendar.

To be eligible for a refund, students must initiate the drop action by dropping the course(s) via their eTC account. The request must be made during the refund period. The refund request will be processed within 30 days.

1. Students who never attend a class during the drop/add period will be administratively dropped.
2. Recipients of Title IV Federal Financial Aid (Pell Grant) who withdraw from all classes prior to completing 60% of the term will have tuition and fee charges refunded to the government in accordance with the statutory repayment policy. In certain instances, this repayment may result in a debt to the College and/or the government that the student must repay. Copies of this regulation and related examples are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Residency Requirements
If you are not a legal resident of the state of South Carolina, you will be required to pay out-of-state tuition rates. An application for change of residence status from out-of-state to in-state must be approved before the start of each term to qualify for the in-state rate. If the application for change of residence status from out-of-state to in-state is approved after the start of a term, the in-state rate will be in effect for the following term. (Legal residence status is determined by South Carolina Residency Law.) Any questions about residency status should be directed to the Residency Officer. Students who falsify residential information will be charged out-of-state tuition rate, plus interest at a rate of eight percent per annum, plus a penalty amounting to twenty-five percent of the out-of-state rate for one semester. Until these charges have been paid, the student will not be allowed to receive transcripts or graduate from Tri-County Technical College.

Debts Owed to the College

• If you owe the College for tuition, books, parking tickets, or library fines, you will not receive your grades until your bill has been paid.
• If you owe the College $50.00 or more, you will not be allowed to register until your bill has been paid.
• If you owe the College less than $50.00, you will be allowed to register but must pay bill in full by the posted payment deadlines or you will be dropped from all classes and must re-register.

You will not be permitted to graduate, receive transcripts, or register for subsequent terms until all prior debts to the college are paid in full. These debts could be for, but not limited to, tuition or library and parking fines, and may date from any time you were enrolled in the College.

Books and Supplies
All instructional programs require the purchase of textbooks and other supplies associated with the various courses in the curriculum. Depending on the program and a student's course load each semester, textbook costs can be several hundred dollars. Textbooks and supplies are available for sale in the College Campus Store or purchased at campusstore online. Used textbooks are available for many courses, which can help reduce costs. In some cases, one textbook may be used for two courses in a sequence. Several financial aid and scholarship programs provide funds to help offset textbook costs.

Students purchasing books and supplies on grants or scholarships are allowed to purchase their books or other supplies one week prior to the beginning of the semester, and during the first week of the semester.

Book Payment Plans: Tri-County now has a book payment plan to help students pay for their textbooks.

1. Students must log onto the TCTC bookstore website and print off a list of the books and prices for their registered courses.
2. The listing must be brought to the Business Office (located in the Ruby Hicks building), and the charges for the 'new' book prices will be posted to the student's account.
3. Then, student is directed to enroll in the payment plan.
   
   

   · Go to student's eTC account.

   · Select the Get Set tab, Pay Tuition and Fees channel, and then choose Make Online Payments and Enroll in Payment Plan link.

   • Select Payment Plan (FACTS) link and follow instructions.
4. The bookstore payment plan amounts will be adjusted after the Rush period if the student fails to purchase all items or if the student is able to purchase used books.

Contacting the Business Office

• Pendleton Campus, Ruby S. Hicks Library/Administration Building, 7900 Highway 76, Pendleton
• Anderson Campus, 511 Michelin Boulevard, Anderson
• Easley Campus, 1774 Powdersville Road, Easley

Office Hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (The Easley Campus cashier office is closed for lunch from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm M-R. The Anderson Campus cashier office is closed for lunch from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm M-R.) Friday office hours: 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m all campuses.

Telephone Numbers:

Pendleton Campus
Phone: (864) 646-1802
Fax: (864) 646-1419

Anderson Campus:
Phone: (864) 260-6701
Fax: (864) 260-6702

Easley Campus:
Phone: (864) 220-8895
Fax: (864) 220-8970