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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 on the Beckley campus. 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 (https://online.mountainstate.edu) provides you with access to registration and other online services as well as information on your schedule, grades, and student account. To use Cougar Web, you must have your student identification number, which serves as your user name, and a Cougar Web password. Your password and login instructions are sent by mail to your current address upon your acceptance.
For assistance, call Cougar Web Support at 304.929.1730 or 800.766.6067 ext 1730,
or e-mail itsupport@mountainstate.edu.
Be sure to include your student identification number.
To access your Cougar Web account:
1 Go to https://online.mountainstate.edu/
2 Enter your user name (your student identification number)
3 Enter your Cougar Web password.
Note: Cougar Web login requires a different user name and password than your MSU Cougar E-mail account. Passwords are case sensitive.
REGISTRATION
For traditional classes, 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. Ongoing registration is available for programs and classes offered in a cohort format, online, or though individualized study.
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.
PLACEMENT 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, the SAT National, and the University’s math placement exam. Students who do not wish to take a placement exam are placed in MATH 100 and ENGL 100.
Placement Exams
With the exception of the SAT, these exams are all available on the Beckley campus. Additional information on placement exams is available from the Testing Center.
ACT National
The ACT National is given one Saturday each in February, April, June, September, October, and December. National ACT scores are used for both math and English placement. You must register online through ACT; information is available 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
ACT COMPASS exams are computerized exams used for math and English placement. They are available on a daily basis at the Testing Center. Unlike the ACT Residual, there are 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) at Student Accounts before your test date.
Math Placement
The math placement 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 cannot be transferred to other institutions. You can register to take the math placement exam at the Testing Center.
SAT
Mountain State University is not an SAT test site. SAT information and registration packets are available from CollegeBoard (866.756.7346, www.collegeboard.com).
Placement Standards
Placement is based on the following scales:
Math Placement
ACT National or Residual Math
Score Placement
0–18 MATH 100
19–20 MATH 102
21–22 MATH 112
23–24 MATH 120
25–26 MATH 130
27–36 MATH 210
ACT COMPASS Math
Exam Score Placement
1 0–43 MATH 100
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
200–459 MATH 100
460–499 MATH 102
500–539 MATH 112
540–579 MATH 120
580–619 MATH 130
620–659 MATH 210
Math Placement Exam
Exam Score Placement
1 0–20 MATH 100
1 21–30 MATH 102
2 21–30 MATH 112
3 21–30 MATH 120
4 21–30 MATH 130
5 21–30 MATH 210
English Placement
ACT National or Residual English
Score Placement
0–16 ENGL 100
17–22 ENGL 101
23–36 ENGL 102
ACT COMPASS English
Score Placement
0–70 ENGL 100
71–89 ENGL 101
90–100 ENGL 102
SAT Verbal
Score Placement
200–399 ENGL 100
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, 331/3 percent of the term’s tuition and fee charges is due by the first day of each semester. For programs that follow a traditional academic calendar, the balance for fall and spring semester is paid in two monthly payments, and the balance for summer terms is paid in one monthly payment.
For 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 on the unpaid balance.
Individualized Study Charges
Students enrolled in undergraduate 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. Current fees and payment information are available on the MSU website. Housing fees can be paid according to the payment plan terms described under Payment Plan earlier in this section.
ONLINE STUDENT ACCOUNT
You can view your account and make a payment online through Cougar Web. (See the section on Cougar Web earlier in this chapter for login information.)
1 Log in.
2 Click “My Finances.”
3 Click “My Account Balance.”
4 Click “Course and Fee Statement” to view your account detail.
5 Click “Make a Payment” to pay with a credit card or electronic check.
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 administrative withdrawal from classes and release of the student account to a collection agency. Certain collection costs may be added to the balance due.
DROPPING, WITHDRAWAL, AND REFUNDS
Students who are receiving financial aid should also see Withdrawal and Refunds for Financial Aid Recipients in the Financial Aid chapter.
All classes that follow the traditional academic calendar have a designated add-drop period, which in most cases is the same as the late registration period. During the add-drop period, you can receive a full refund for any classes you drop.
Once the add-drop period is over, schedule changes are made only though the withdrawal process, and a refund schedule goes into effect. While you can withdraw from an individual class, such withdrawals are not eligible for a refund; the refund schedule applies only to students who withdraw completely from the University.
Both the add-drop period and the refund schedule are available in each semester’s schedule of classes, online at Cougar Web, or from the registration or student accounts office on any campus. If you register for a course and do not attend, or if you stop attending before completion of the course, it is your responsibility to officially withdraw. If you stop attending and fail to withdraw, you will be responsible for all charges to your account.
If you do not officially withdraw by the designated withdrawal 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. You cannot withdraw from a class once the class has ended.
The drop period for all classes within a cohort semester is one week from the beginning of the semester. Cohort program students may submit a withdrawal form from the second class period through the end of the course, but they are not eligible for a refund unless they are receiving financial aid; see Withdrawal and Refunds for Financial Aid Recipients in the Financial Aid chapter for more information.
Students taking an individualized study course are not eligible for a refund once the drop period is over unless they are receiving financial aid. See Withdrawal and Refunds for Financial Aid Recipients in the Financial Aid chapter for more information on calculations for students who do receive financial aid.
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. To ensure that timely submission of your withdrawal is documented, confirm its receipt with Student Services before the deadline.
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, direct deposit, or debit card and cannot be picked up. For the fastest service, choose direct deposit or debit card services after completing the required information at https://bosebill.salliemae.com/netpay/templates/485/frameset485.html.
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 on the unpaid balance.
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