UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG — Registration and Payment

This section provides general information on registration and payment processes as well as fees and refund policies.

Mountain State University’s tuition and fee schedule is the same for West Virginia, out-of-state, and international students. For a list of current fees and more detailed information, see the website or the current schedule of classes, available from Student Services.

UNIVERSITY ORIENTATION
Each spring and summer, prospective students and their families have the opportunity to attend an orientation session. Offered on several different dates, orientation assists students with preparation for life at the University and provides them with all the information they need to make the adjustment to college life. Participants register for classes, take a campus tour, and receive relevant academic information. Study at MSU is challenging, and orientation helps to set the stage for academic success.

Additional activities, including special events and performances, are held throughout the year. A monthly calendar of events is distributed at orientation and is available on the Campus Life section of the MSU website.

Upcoming orientation dates and additional information are available from the Student Affairs Office or on the MSU website.

Cougar Web
Cougar Web provides you with access to registration and other online services as well as information on your schedule, grades, and student account at online.mountainstate.edu. To use Cougar Web, you must know your student identification number and password; this information is forwarded to your MSU e-mail address upon your acceptance. Instructions are available in the schedule of classes or on the MSU website.

REGISTRATION
Registration dates for each semester and summer session are published in the academic calendar as well as in each term’s schedule of classes, available from the MSU website or at Student Services. Registration dates for each term are divided into three periods: preregistration, general registration, and late registration.

Tuition, fees, and expense schedules appear in the schedule of classes for each term. You must either pay all tuition and fees in full or pay the required deposit and enroll in the payment plan available through Student Accounts. Financial aid recipients may be able to postpone tuition and fee payments.

A picture ID is required for registration and other Student Services transactions.

The University reserves the right to cancel classes with low enrollment and to make changes in student schedules for class balancing and other administrative purposes.

Schedule Changes
You may add and drop classes at Student Services or on Cougar Web through the day listed in the schedule of classes as the last day to add/drop (generally the last day of the late registration period).

Auditing
Auditing is an enrollment option that allows you to attend a class without completing assignments and examinations. A grade of AU with no credit is awarded for audited classes, and you are ineligible to apply for credit by examination for any course you have audited.

The cost for auditing a class is half the tuition for the class together with the per-credit-hour general fee. Federal financial aid cannot be used for audits, and no withdrawal credit is available. An audit registration may be changed to credit until the fourth class session. Credit registrations cannot be changed to audit.

ASSESSMENT TESTING
Test scores that document your preparation in English and mathematics may allow you to skip prerequisite courses in those areas. The University accepts the ACT National, the ACT Residual, the ACT COMPASS/
e-write, the SAT National, and the University’s math assessment exam. Students who do not wish to take an assessment exam are placed in MATH 100 and ENGL 100.

Assessment Exams
With the exception of the SAT, these exams are all available on the Beckley campus. Additional information on assessment exams is available from the Testing Center.

ACT National
The ACT National is given one Saturday each in February, April, June, October, and December. National ACT scores are used for both math and English placement. You must register through ACT; information and registration packets are available at the Testing Center or directly from ACT (319.337.1270, www.act.org).

ACT Residual
The ACT Residual, a paper-and-pencil exam used for both math and English placement, is given once a month at the Testing Center. ACT Residual scores cannot be used at any other institution; you are required to take the entire exam even if you need only one course placement. You can register by signing up at the Testing Center and paying the exam fee (currently $40) at Student Accounts before your test date.

ACT COMPASS/e-write
ACT COMPASS/e-write exams are computerized exams used for math and English placement. They are available on an ongoing basis at the Testing Center. Unlike the ACT Residual, they provide separate exams for math and English placement, and scores are transferable to other institutions. You can register for either exam, or both, by signing up at the Testing Center and paying the exam fees (currently $15 each for math and English exams) at Student Accounts before your test date.

Math Assessment
The math assessment exam is a paper-and-pencil exam divided into five 30-question multiple-choice tests; you progress through as many of the tests as possible in 90 minutes. Calculators are not allowed, and no copies of the tests or answer sheets are provided. Scores from the math assessment exam cannot be transferred to other institutions. You can register by signing up at the Testing Center and paying the exam fee (currently $20) at Student Accounts before your test date.
 
SAT
Mountain State University is not currently an SAT test site. SAT information and registration packets are available from Educational Testing Service (609.771.7600, www.collegeboard.org).

Placement Standards
Placement is based on the following scales:

Math Placement
ACT National or Residual  Math
Score                 Placement
19–20              MATH 102
21–22              MATH 112
23–24              MATH 120
25–26              MATH 130
27–28              MATH 210

ACT COMPASS/e-write Math
Exam      Score          Placement
    1        44–100      MATH 102
    2        46–65        MATH 112
    3        66–100      MATH 120
    4        46–100      MATH 130
    5        46–100      MATH 210

SAT Math
Score                 Placement
460–499                          MATH 102
500–539                          MATH 112
540–579                          MATH 120
580–619                          MATH 130
620–659                          MATH 210

Math Assessment Exam
Exam      Score          Placement
    1        23–30        MATH 102
    2        23–30        MATH 112
    3        23–30        MATH 120
    4        23–30        MATH 130
    5        23–30        MATH 210

English Placement
ACT National, Residual, or
COMPASS/e-write English
Score                 Placement
17–22              ENGL 101
23–36              ENGL 102

SAT Verbal
Score                 Placement
400–539                          ENGL 101
540–800                          ENGL 102

PAYMENT
Tuition and fees are due on the first day of the semester and are payable by cash, check, or credit card (Discover, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express). An additional fee of $25 is charged for returned checks. To be exempt from payment in full, you must have established a payment plan and signed a promissory note or have applied for financial aid. If your financial aid is not expected to cover the entire balance, you are required to either establish a payment plan for the expected difference or pay it in full on the first day of the semester.

If your employer or an outside agency is paying your tuition or fees, you can register with a letter of authorization guaranteeing that payment will be sent to the University upon receipt of an invoice. The University cannot accept authorization for a third-party payment that is contingent upon your completion of the semester or contingent upon grades; in that case you are required to pay tuition and fees at the beginning of the semester and receive the payment as a reimbursement.

Payment Plan
A payment plan is available through Student Accounts. Under the plan, 25 percent of the term’s tuition and fee charges is due by the first day of each semester. The balance for fall and spring semester is paid in three monthly payments, and the balance for summer terms is paid in two monthly payments. For team learning (cohort) programs, the first payment is due on the first day of the semester, and the next two payments are due over the next three months as established when you enroll. Students using the payment plan may be charged interest of one percent a month on the unpaid balance or a flat fee, not to exceed $30 a semester, for use of the plan.

Individualized Study Charges
Students enrolled in Individualized Study classes who are not receiving financial aid are required to make full payment at the time of registration and are ineligible for a refund after the drop-add period of one week. Charges for courses taken through Individualized Study are ineligible for the University payment plan. Charges are calculated on a per-credit-hour basis for all students.

Housing Fees
Housing fees include both residence hall and meal plan fees. Contact Student Accounts for current fees and payment information. Housing fees can be paid according to the payment plan terms described under Payment Plan earlier in this section.

UNPAID BALANCES
Students who owe a balance to the University are not permitted to register or to receive transcripts, diplomas, or certificates. Failure to pay may result in withdrawal from classes and release of the student account to a collection agency. Any collection fees are added to the balance due.

COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL AND REFUNDS
A refund schedule for students who withdraw completely from the University is available in each semester’s schedule of classes, online at Cougar Web, or from the registration or student accounts office on any campus. All classes have a designated add-drop period, and the refund schedule goes into effect after that period. Refunds are calculated upon complete withdrawal (that is, withdrawal from all courses); no refund is calculated on partial withdrawal. No student may withdraw from a course once the course has ended. If you do not officially withdraw by the deadline, you are ineligible for a refund and are responsible for all charges and payment plan payments. You may also be required to return a portion of any financial aid you are receiving.

Students in a team learning (cohort) program may submit a withdrawal form from the second class period through the end of the course. Unless you are receiving financial aid, however, there is no refund for withdrawal.

Students taking an Individualized Study course are not eligible for a refund once the add-drop period is over if they are not receiving financial aid. See Withdrawal and Refunds for Financial Aid Recipients in the Financial Aid section for more information on calculations for students who do receive financial aid.

No refund is made if you withdraw after the published withdrawal deadline (60 percent into the term). Starting and ending dates vary for courses offered through Individualized Study, team learning (cohort) programs, and online study. Refund eligibility for these courses is determined on the basis of a calculation of the 60 percent point of the term designated for the course.

Withdrawal forms are available on the registrar’s office section of the MSU website or from Student Services on any campus. Completed forms must be postmarked or transmitted by fax no later than the last date of the course. If you are a student in a team learning (cohort) program, you may need to complete a withdrawal form for classes that have passed the add-drop period and an add-drop form for your other classes.

Additional information and assistance are available on Cougar Web or from Student Services on any campus.

Financial Aid Refunds
When a financial aid payment or third-party payment placed on your student account creates a credit balance, the University will issue you a refund check. Refund checks are mailed by the 14th day; they are issued only by mail and cannot be picked up.

Housing Refunds
Housing refunds follow the same general policy as that for tuition and fees. Contact the Housing Office for additional information.

Withdrawal for Military Duty
If you are called to active duty in the armed services of the United States during the term, you are eligible for a full refund of tuition and fees but will not receive academic credit for the term. In place of a refund of tuition and fees, you can request that the courses in which you are enrolled be graded incomplete. Because any grade of I converts to an F if not completed by the end of the following semester, you should consider this option only if you are confident that you will be able to complete the course within that time. Either option requires that you submit a copy of your activation orders to the registrar’s office.

FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Mountain State University requires prompt payment of all student charges. Each student is responsible for paying all expenses incurred and ensuring that all account transactions are accurate. If you have a concern or discover a discrepancy, talk to a Student Accounts staff member. All unpaid balances may be charged interest of one percent per month on the unpaid balance.