Fees and Payments

When students have accepted their offer of admission to Lindenwood, students and their parents and/or guardians likewise accept all conditions of payment as well as all terms and regulations of the University. By making the non-refundable $300 housing deposit (described below), the student and the parent or guardian acknowledge these terms and signify acceptance of these obligations. No promise or contract that differs from these terms shall bind the University unless it has been signed by the Chief Operating Officer of Lindenwood University. The University reserves the right to increase or reduce fees each year according to changes in fiscal conditions.

Housing Deposit

An initial $300 housing deposit is required to reserve campus housing for residential students. By making the housing deposit, the student and the student’s parent or guardian indicate acceptance of the terms and conditions of the University. No refund of this housing deposit will be granted to any student who withdraws from the University after making this deposit but prior to the start of an academic term.

The housing deposit becomes a refundable room-damage deposit once the student has attended classes and the semester charges have been paid. This deposit remains on account at the University as long as the student resides in University housing. The cost for any damages to the student’s University housing will be deducted from the deposit.

Students are eligible for the refund of their deposit upon departure from campus housing (coinciding with graduation or any move from University housing). In order to qualify for this refund, students must meet all financial obligations to the University, satisfy all outstanding debts, and complete the Residential Check-Out process. Any student wishing to move off campus and receive a refund of the housing deposit must personally notify the Housing Office in writing of plans to move out of University housing. Failure to do so by the date of the last class or exam of the term or prior to vacating campus housing will result in forfeiture of the deposit.

Applications for the refund of the room-damage deposit are available in the Business Office; materials for the residential check out process are available through the Department of Student Development.

Student Expenses

Full-time Undergraduate Semester Tuition

12 - 18 credit hours $7,836/semester

Overload fee (a charge to full-time students who take more than 18 hours in a term)

$453/credit hour

Full-time Undergraduate Quarter Tuition

Full-time quarter Undergraduate (9 credit hour cluster) $3,375/quarter
Quarter overload fee Undergraduate $375/credit hour

Full-time Graduate Tuition

Full-time residential semester rate (9-15 credit hours) $7,836/semester
Full-time commuter semester rate $453/credit hour
Semester overload fee, graduate $453/credit hour
Full-time quarter rate, graduate (9 credit hour cluster) $4,077/quarter
Quarter overload fee, graduate $453/credit hour

Part-time Undergraduate Tuition

Undergraduate Semester $453/credit hour
Undergraduate Quarter $375/credit hour

Part-time Graduate Tuition

Part-time semester rate
$453/credit hour
Part-time Education Specialist (EdS) rate
$513/credit hour

Residential Charges

Semester $4,250/term
Quarter $3,242/term

Note: An additional charge may be added for all single rooms in campus housing (as available).

Other fees

Housing deposit (non-refundable) $300
Resident semester activity fee $155/term
Resident quarter activity fee $78/term 
Communication fee (residence halls)  $300/year
Technology fee - full time undergraduate semester $150/term
Technology fee - part time undergraduate  semester $75/term
Technology fee - graduate semester $75/term
Technology fee - summer semester session $40/term
Technology fee - quarter $75/term
Lab fee (in specified courses) $5-$525/course*
Studio fee (general) $30-$75/course
Studio fee (ceramics, color theory, photography and drawing)* $85/course
Applied music course fee** $200/credit hour 
Student Teaching fee $250
Counseling Internship fee $65/term
Experiential Learning/Portfolio fee (one-time) $300
Experiential Learning credit $90/credit hour
Promissory Note origination fee $25
Late payment fee (per month) $50
Graduation processing/diploma fee - graduate $125
Graduation processing/diploma fee - undergraduate $100
Academic Integrity Tutorial Fee $25

Note: Provisions for “extended stay” housing and meals, degree programs, and tutoring and additional services are available upon request.

*Studio course fees are applied to courses such as ceramics, color theory, photography, and figure drawing.

**Applied music fees are applied to individual lessons in piano, voice, orchestral instruments, and organ.


Students are expected to pay tuition charges prior to the beginning of each term. Students may use financial aid (grants and loans) as payment. Student Aid Reports and loan applications should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office prior to the beginning of each term.

The communications fee for resident students covers local and campus exchanges such as computer and internet hook-up, cable, and local and long distance telephone services. Non-resident students pay a smaller email account fee.

*Note: Update made in the 2016-2017 December catalog addendum.

Payment Options

All tuition charges and fees are due prior to the beginning of the term. Students should consult their student account representatives in the Business Office regarding due dates or to make other payment arrangements prior to the beginning of the term. Alternatively, students may also use their student portals to remit payment. Payment options include the following items:

  • Corporate Promissory Note: The Corporate Promissory Note is available to students who work for companies that have tuition reimbursement plans. (Proof of employment and a copy of the company’s reimbursement policy must be on file in the Business Office. The amount of the promissory note cannot exceed the amount the employer pays for tuition for each term. The due date for all promissory notes is 30 days following the conclusion of the term for which the note applies. A monthly late charge will be assessed after this date. By signing a promissory note, students give Lindenwood University permission to contact their employers if the note is not paid by the date due. Any payment or financial aid received prior to the promissory note due date will be applied to the balance appearing on the student’s account.
  • Direct Debit Payment Note (DDP): Lindenwood University offers a Direct Debit Payment Plan for the convenience of students. Payments can be made directly (electronically) from a checking or savings account; there are no fees associated with this method of payment.

Delinquent Accounts

Students must meet all financial obligations to the University in order to qualify for continued enrollment or graduation. Each semester or term, students must pay all money due to the University, including tuition, fees, parking fines, library fines, and any other financial obligation. A student with a delinquent account can expect the following:

  • Enrollment for the subsequent term will not be allowed.
  • Grades for the current term will be withheld.
  • A transcript will not be issued.
  • Graduation will not be permitted.

The University reserves the right to withdraw any student who fails to meet his/her financial obligations to the University. Students who are withdrawn for nonpayment are liable for all charges on their student accounts at the time of withdrawal.

Withdrawal and Refund Calculation

In the event that a student wishes to withdraw from a course or courses or from the University altogether, the following conditions apply to the refund of tuition charges.

  1. Any student who withdraws from the University prior to the beginning of a term is eligible for a refund of all payments for that term except the initial $300 housing deposit.
  2. Any student who withdraws from all courses after a term has begun is eligible for a refund of the tuition charges (including course-overload charges) for those courses, according to the schedule below.

Refunds for Semester Schedule Courses

Time of Withdrawal from University

Tuition Refund

Withdrawal before 1st class meets

100 percent

During weeks 1 and 2 of term

75 percent

During week 3 of term

50 percent

During week 4 of term

25 percent

After week 4 of term

No refund

Refunds for Quarter Schedule Courses

Time of Withdrawal from University

Tuition Refund

Before 1st class meets

100 percent

Before 2nd class meets

75 percent

Before 3rd class meets

50 percent

Before the 4th class meets

25 percent

After 4th class meets

No refund

  1. Any part-time semester student (enrolled in 11 or fewer credit hours) who withdraws from one or more courses after a term has begun is eligible for a refund of the tuition charges for those courses according to the schedule in the table above. 
  2. Full-time undergraduate semester students (enrolled in 12 to 18 credit hours) whose full-time academic status is not affected by the withdrawal from a course or courses they have already attended are not eligible for any refund of tuition for the withdrawal from those courses. 

Students wishing to withdraw from Lindenwood University-Belleville should submit a completed withdrawal form (with the signatures of the instructors for each of the courses the student attended and the signature of the student’s advisor) to the Academic Services Office.

Notes: (1) Calculations of the return of Title IV aid for withdrawals occurring during the first two weeks of a term will be based on the last date of attendance for the term in which the student withdraws. Students who initiate a withdrawal from the University after the first two weeks of the term will be eligible for a refund of Title IV aid based on the date that the withdrawal form was submitted to Academic Services. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60 percent point of the term will not be entitled to a return of Title IV aid. 

(2) Any student who earns the grade of AF in all coursework within a term will be considered unofficially withdrawn for that term and will be subject to a Title IV refund calculation. Based on this calculation, a portion of Title IV aid may be unearned and required to be returned to the appropriate agency.

(3) No refund for residential charges will be made for a term after the student signs either a New Student Housing Application or a Returning Student Housing Application. Application, activity, lab, miscellaneous fees, and room reservation deposits are nonrefundable, except as indicated under the Housing Deposit section of this catalog. 

Appeals of Refund Calculation

LU appeals of withdrawal and refund calculations or other institutional charges from students and parents who feel that individual circumstances warrant exceptions from published policy should be addressed to the Lindenwood Chief Business Officer (CBO) on the St. Charles campus. In order to appeal a decision, the student must submit a written request to the CBO including any evidence that would substantiate the appeal.

Refund Distribution of Financial Aid

After the amount of the refund has been calculated, the Financial Aid Office will determine the Title IV refund amounts according to the calculation schedule approved by the US Department of Education. Refunds to specific Title IV programs will be made to the following programs in the order outlined:

  1. Outstanding balances on FFEL Program Loans (Unsubsidized Stafford, Subsidized Stafford)
  2. PLUS
  3. Federal Pell Grant awards
  4. Federal SEOG awards
  5. Other Title IV student assistance
  6. Other federal, state, private, or institutional aid
  7. The student

No Title IV program may receive a portion of the federal refund amount if that program was not part of the student’s original package.

Cash Disbursements

When a student officially or unofficially withdraws from school and has received a cash disbursement for educational expenses that exceeds non-institutional costs of education up to that time, the student owes the excess amount to the Title IV program(s) that helped meet the student’s educational costs. Lindenwood University will follow the same procedures used in the refund policy to determine which Title IV program(s) will receive the student-owed repayment. The University will notify, bill, and collect the amount owed the Title IV program(s) from the student.