Expenses and Financial Aid

Tuition and Fees

The total cost of a year’s education at Ohio Wesleyan depends on personal lifestyles and tastes, which vary from student to student. Certain costs are fixed, however, and are frequently referred to as the general fee. For 2023-24 this includes:

^{* The actual costs of room and board (food) on campus varies from student to student, as the room rate depends on the building and room type to which a student is assigned, and several board plan options are available. This figure represents the estimated cost for the average student and is used in determining financial aid awards.}

In further quantifying annual expenses, an estimate used in financial aid calculations for books and supplies is $1,000, and for personal expenses is $1,800.

Ohio Wesleyan is committed to maintaining a general fee, which will ensure satisfactory living conditions and the highest quality educational programs. All charges for tuition, fees, room, and board are subject to change by action of the Board of Trustees.

Financial Aid

While some assistance is available to students regardless of their financial need (“merit” awards, certain loans and payment plans), the primary purpose of Ohio Wesleyan’s financial aid program is to enable students of limited resources to attend the University. Parents and students are expected to make a maximum effort toward meeting college costs; where they cannot meet full costs, the University seeks to provide assistance.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the primary form required, allowing determination of the student’s financial eligibility. This eligibility may be funded through gift assistance (grants) and/or self-help funds (loans and campus employment), most frequently offered in combination in an aid “package.”

Applicants should submit the FAFSA to the Federal Student Aid Processor as soon after October 1st and no later than March 1. Students are encouraged to complete the yearly FAFSA online at https://fafsa.ed.gov/. All students, and for dependent students, a parent, should also create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) at https://fafsa.gov/. This will serve as an electronic signature. Acceptance of any aid offer requires making the enrollment deposit by May 1.

Detailed descriptions of financial aid policies and procedures may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. A new FAFSA must be filed each year for reconsideration, and certain conditions govern all forms of aid. These include the maintenance of certain academic standards. Students should be aware of deadlines for appealing aid ineligibility based upon unsatisfactory academic performance.

Grants and Merit Awards

Grants may be obtained through federal, state and institutional programs. Federal assistance includes the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. In Vermont, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, students may apply for portable state grants, which may require a separate application and vary in amount. Grants also are made by Ohio Wesleyan through endowed funds and special gifts.

The University further recognizes outstanding academic potential by sponsoring several merit award programs, in which awards are made regardless of financial need. Merit-based scholarships range from $1,000 to full tuition and are offered to students based on academic and talent-based performance. Again, continuation of scholarship assistance requires recipients to maintain a specified grade point average and are only disbursed for eight semesters. Merit scholarships end after eight semesters of enrollment.

Loans

The Federal Direct Student Loan maximum is $5,500 for freshmen, $6,500 for sophomores and $7,500 for upper class students each year. Need-based Federal Loans are subsidized by the federal government. Non-need-based, or unsubsidized, loans require that the borrower pay interest, or have it added to principal, while the student is in school. Please contact the Financial Aid Office (302 Slocum Hall) for further information on these programs.

Employment

Part-time employment on campus may be offered as part of the aid package. Utilizing both University and federal funds (Federal Work-Study), this program pays students for work in a variety of administrative and academic offices. To obtain the Federal Work Study funds offered in the aid package, students must be employed under the FWS program. In addition to work-study opportunities, a limited number of student assistantships are available. These assistantships provide a monetary stipend as well as professional job experience.

Application Fee

There currently is no fee to apply to Ohio Wesleyan.

Enrollment Deposit

All entering domestic students must make a one-time non-refundable enrollment deposit of $400. International students must make a one-time enrollment deposit of $450. All current students must maintain the deposit to ensure enrollment, housing and, where applicable, financial aid.

Fees

Tuition

Since students at Ohio Wesleyan must achieve a minimum of 34 units of credit to earn a degree, it is expected that they will maintain an average enrollment of at least 4.25 units of credit, each semester. The basic tuition covers from 3.25 units of credit (the minimum for full-time status) to 5.50 units of credit (the maximum credits for the full-time charge). For those students wishing to enroll in extra units, an extra tuition charge will be placed on the student’s account for courses in excess of 5.50 units at the time the student enrolls in the extra unit(s). This charge is calculated by multiplying the number of units in excess of 5.50 times the per-course fee, which is $5,616 for 2023-2024.

If the student drops a course for which he/she was charged additional tuition, and this drop occurs within the normal drop/add period allowed for change of schedule, the charge will be removed. If the course remains a part of the student’s enrollment for the semester even though the student withdraws or a petition to drop late is approved, the charge will remain on the student’s bill.

In addition, fees for any courses which carry extra charges, such as chemistry, fine arts, or physical activities, will be placed on the student’s account at the time of registration. The fee will be removed only if the student drops the course in the time allotted for dropping a course from the student’s enrollment.

First Day Complete™ Textbook Charge.  OWU partners with Barnes & Noble College to operate our campus store and bookstore.  Upon registering for courses, students will be automatically enrolled into the First Day Complete™ program, which provides ALL required textbooks for the semester, on a rental basis, for one flat, total charge ($360/semester for full-time students; $186/semester for part-time students).  Then, approximately 1 month before classes begin, students will receive an email at their owu.edu address from Barnes & Noble College listing all of the required textbooks associated with their specific class schedule for the upcoming term.  A few days later, students will receive another email from Barnes & Noble College asking them to select their delivery preference - either a shipping address or pick-up in the OWU Campus Store - so that they will have all of their required textbooks prior to the first day of class! For more information about the First Day Complete program, visit the OWU Campus Store website or the First Day Complete FAQ page.

Student Activity Fee. A separate student activity fee of $286 per year ($143 per semester) is charged to all full-time students who are enrolled in on-campus courses. Part-time students will be charged $266 per year ($133 per semester). This fee is used to fund the activities of various OWU student organizations and student initiatives under the auspices of the student government, the Wesleyan Council on Student Affairs (WCSA). Questions regarding this fee should be directed to the Student Involvement Office.

Student Health Fee. The Health Fee supports on-campus health and wellness services and cannot be waived. The fee is $300 per year ($150 per semester). 

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science. Full-time students pay tuition and any appropriate special fees. (Tuition for B.A. music majors includes 1/2 unit of credit in applied music per semester.)

Bachelor of Fine Arts. Full-time students pay tuition plus a per course studio fee of $75 per semester for ceramics, photography, sculpture, figure drawing, computer imaging, graphic design, metals, and printmaking.

Special Students

Non-matriculating students who are part-time, non-degree candidates may generally register for up to three courses per semester in the Registrar’s Office. Such students will pay $5,426 per one-unit course, rather than the full tuition, but they are not entitled to general student services.

A maximum of 16 units may be taken as a special student. In order to qualify for the bachelor’s degree, further enrollment must be on a full-time basis, unless the student successfully petitions for exemption through the Academic Status Committee. A special student who wishes to become a full-time student must process an admission application in the Office of Admission.

Auditing Fee

A non-matriculating student is charged a $60 fee for auditing a course. Informal auditing is not permitted.

Senior Citizens

Delaware residents who are 65 years of age or older may audit or enroll as special students in regular courses at no cost, providing space is available and the instructor permits. Participants in courses that have special fees must pay the special fee.

Off-Campus Fees

Students applying to study abroad pay an application fee. Students studying abroad or on a programmed apprenticeship also pay a per-semester administration fee. Students working directly with an Ohio Wesleyan professor on an independent apprenticeship will pay regular semester or per-course tuition, but no additional fees.

Proficiency Examination Fee

A fee of $30 per unit is charged for a proficiency examination designed to secure credit in a course without the usual participation in the work of the course. No refunds are made for failure to pass the examination.

If the student passes the proficiency exam, an additional fee of $60 per unit is charged for application of that credit to the student’s record. Fees for proficiency exams in fractional courses will be charged on a proportional basis.

Special Fees

Fees beyond tuition are charged for private lessons in applied music, certain courses involving field trips, labs, art supplies, and physical activities. See the appropriate sections in “Majors and Minors ” and “Courses of Instruction .” There is also a $200 fee for student teaching.

Miscellaneous Charges

The following is a list of some of the miscellaneous charges that may be automatically billed to the student’s account:

• Special course fee
• Student teaching fee
• Food point purchases
• Health Center fee
• Health insurance 
• Library fines, Property damage, improper checkout, community damage
• Interim housing charges, early arrival fees
• Library fines
• Lost or damaged OWU card
• Lost mailbox key
• Music accompanist fee
• Parking permits
• Airport shuttle service
• Returned checks (parent and student)
• Service charge for returned checks (parent and student) ($30)
• Unpaid parking citations (plus $5 service charge)
• Unpaid judicial fines

For certain special services, the following charges are made to the student account:

Room and Board

The minimum charges in the University residence halls for 2023-2024 total $13,363. This figure includes a Multiple Occupancy Room at $7,628 and the Silver meal plan at $5,735. For a Single Occupancy Room, the charge is $9,346.  These charges are divided in half and billed in equal amounts per semester.

Residents of the apartments pay the following rates:  Multiple Occupancy Rooms in the apartments have a rate of $8,268.  Single Occupancy 4-Person Rooms in the apartments have a rate of $10,100 and Single Occupancy 6- or 8-Person Rooms in the apartments have a rate of $9,987.  

Residents of fraternity houses pay the Multiple Occupancy Room rate of $7,628 and a fraternity board fee of $6,983 if the fraternity chapter has an in-house dining program.

All students who live in university housing must participate in the University dining program.

The program offers three dining plans that provide flexibility to accommodate various eating habits. Each plan covers fixed costs and creates a balance on the meal card for additional “Dining Dollars” spending, which may include off-campus dining opportunities, various on-campus eateries and access to an on-campus “convenience” store that offers additional foods, toiletries and sundries, and other select items.  Most meal plans* include 24/7 unlimited access to Smith Dining Hall and unlimited daytime access to the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center Marketplace when classes are in session. 

A student’s Off-Campus Debit Dollars varies per meal plan. These funds may be used at designed off-campus restaurants (voted on by students each spring). These dollars may not be used to purchase alcohol or to pay gratuities. On-Campus Debit Dollars, which provide meal card access to the convenience store and designated on-campus eateries and coffee bars, as well as 12 Guest Passes, are included with the Gold All-In and the Platinum Best Value meal plans.

Families may select one of these three options for their student’s Board:

PLATINUM BEST VALUE  $7,204

GOLD ALL-IN                     $6,598

SILVER SAVER                  $5,734

Fraternity                            $6,983

*Fraternity board plan does not include Anytime Dining, Debit Dollars, or Day Passes.

All new students are automatically placed on the Gold All-In meal plan. Changes to meal plans may be made in the Residential Life Office through the first two weeks of the semester.  During the summer, all new students will receive meal plan specifics and the opportunity to opt for a larger or smaller meal plan. Students may purchase additional Dining Dollars at any time.  Unused Dining Dollars carry over from fall to spring, but are forfeited at the end of the spring semester. If students complete fall semester but do not return for spring semester, all remaining Dining Dollars are forfeited and not eligible for a refund of unused balances. Transfer of Dining Dollars between students is not allowed.

Rare exceptions to the Board requirement will be considered for students with medical conditions or membership in religious organizations with strict dietary guidelines that cannot be accommodated by the University’s food service vendor. In such instances, a waiver from the meal plan may be sought.  To be considered for either exemption, appropriate documentation must be submitted by the student’s doctor or religious authority, as appropriate, and approval must come from the Office of the Dean of Students.

Cable Television Service

Cable TV service is activated in every room when you arrive on campus. Service will remain active at no charge to the students.

OWU Card

The OWU Card is the student’s ID card. A deposit to the account must be made before the student may use the funds. Any deposit made is not available for cash withdrawal, but is returned when a student leaves the University, using the guidelines in the following paragraph. The OWU Card is used in a manner similar to any other debit card. The student’s purchases are limited by the amount of funds in the account.

The parent or student may deposit funds for the OWU Card through the mail, at the Cashier’s Office, or online. Deposits may be made via check, money order, or cash, through the cashier’s window, during posted business hours. Deposits via major credit card or debit cards may be made online at https://owu.afford.com/. (A convenience fee of approximately 3% is charged for credit and debit card payments.) All deposits will be available the next business day. (Friday deposits are available on Monday.) There are no cash withdrawals permitted from the account and the funds cannot be transferred or used to pay other student accounts such as tuition. Credits at the end of the year will automatically carry over to the next year. Remaining balances for graduating senior and non-returning students will first be applied to the student’s account (tuition), if applicable, and any remaining balance will be refunded via check in June.

Any amount may be deposited onto the OWU Card. Account balance inquiries or other questions about the OWU card can be directed to the OWU Card Office at (740) 368-3451, during normal business hours.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Graduation will not be permitted nor will transcripts or diplomas be issued for any student who has not fully met all obligations to the University. These obligations include, but are not limited to, financial obligations (among them payments on student loans) and, in the case of graduation, fulfillment of all degree requirements.

Payment Methods

Various payment methods are available to Ohio Wesleyan students and their parents as noted below. Complete information about these options is available from the Bursar’s Office.

Monthly Payment Options

Ohio Wesleyan has made arrangements with Nelnet, to offer a monthly payment plan option. For an enrollment fee of $40, a family can opt to pay their portion of the semester’s tuition, room, and board over a four-month payment period, with no interest. The first payment for fall semester is due July 26, 2023. Information on this option will be mailed in a separate package. If you need further information, call Nelnet at (800) 609-8056 or visit https://mycollegepaymentplan.com/owu/.

Fall semester bills will be available electronically approximately July 6, 2023 and Spring Semester bills will be available electronically approximately December 1, 2023. Average amounts and due dates are as follows:

Students are expected to pay, in full, tuition, room and board prior to attending classes for the upcoming semester. Accounts will be considered paid in full if, either the semester is paid prior to the due date, a contract with a monthly payment plan provider has been signed meeting OWU guidelines, or an estimated payment net of any financial aid award (difference to be paid within 10 days of award receipt) is made. The University assesses a late fee of 1% per month on any balance not paid by the semester payment due date. Any student with an unpaid balance during the semester will have a “hold” placed on their registration for the following semester’s classes and will not be allowed to register until the balance is paid in full.

Policy for Delayed Disbursement of VA Funds

In accordance with the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018, Ohio Wesleyan students receiving educational assistance under Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation, or Chapter 33, Post 9/11 GI Bill, will not be assessed late fees due to delayed disbursement of tuition payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This policy covers said students up to 90 days after certification or until payment from the VA is received. In addition, students will not be required to obtain personal loans to cover the VA’s portion of tuition and fees until payment is made.  Students who fall under this category will retain full access to registration, classes, libraries, and other institutional facilities and services.  
 

Withdrawals and Refunds

If a student withdraws, we will credit his or her account according to the following guidelines. We will refund any net credit balance by check within 45 days of withdrawal. For the purposes of this policy, a semester begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of final exams.

If a student stops attending classes and fails to notify the University, a withdraw date will need to be determined to calculate a refund. To determine when a student withdrew, the registrar’s office will use the date that is listed on the departure form, or an email will be sent to the student’s instructors to determine the last date of attendance.

The refund formula measures the actual number of days enrolled during the semester. It is determined by dividing the number of days enrolled by the number of calendar days in the semester, including weekends and holidays and excluding any breaks longer than five days. For example, if there are 110 days in a semester and a student withdraws on the 20th day of the semester, the charges and financial aid will be prorated to reflect that he/she has been enrolled for 18.2 percent of the semester (20/110).

If a student withdraws during the fall or spring semester, the refundable amount will be calculated by prorating the tuition, room and board charges and financial aid credits on a daily basis including weekends, but excluding any school breaks of five or more consecutive days, for the first nine weeks (60%) of the semester. There are no refunds given for tuition, room or board under any circumstances of withdrawal or dismissal after the ninth week of a semester. Lab and special course fees will be refunded 100 percent through the normal drop/add period; there will be no refunds of lab and course fees after that time. Student health insurance, fines and other miscellaneous charges or personal costs are not prorated and are non-refundable. The financial aid of any withdrawing student is prorated according to the same schedule for tuition, room and board as noted above. All Ohio Wesleyan scholarships, grants, and Title IV aid will be handled according to this same policy. State aid and other scholarships will be handled separately according to the policies of each granting entity.

If a student is a recipient of Federal Title IV financial aid, refunds to those programs are required by Federal law to be returned first, in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Plus Loan, Federal Pell Grant, and Federal SEOG.

A student is not eligible for a refund until all Federal Title IV programs and other scholarships are reimbursed under Department of Education or other appropriate granting agency regulations. In addition, all outstanding balances with the University must be cleared before any refund would be issued to the student or parent.

Refund Insurance

An independently sponsored insurance program called the Tuition Refund Plan is available to complement OWU’s refund policy. Families will receive a separate mailing regarding this plan. The premium is approximately one percent of average tuition, room and board charges. Families are strongly urged to consider this plan if they are concerned about receiving no refund after the ninth week of classes. For more information, visit www.GradGuard.com/tuition/owu 

Enrollment Deposit

Enrollment deposits are non-refundable.

Disciplinary Withdrawal

Students leaving the University for disciplinary reasons receive refunds only to the extent prescribed by Federal refund policies.

Student Health Insurance

Students participating in the University’s Health Insurance Program are covered for one calendar year even when no longer enrolled in the University. No prorated refunds are available under this plan.

Libraries

The Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries actively support the teaching, study, and research activities of the University and serve the community of scholars by acquiring, organizing, and preserving information. Library staff members have a strong public service orientation and a firm commitment to teaching users to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and ethically use information. In person, via email or over chat, librarians provide brief reference assistance and in-depth research consultations to OWU students, faculty, and staff.

The main library, the L.A. Beeghly Library, is open approximately 100 hours per week during fall and spring semesters when classes are in session. The Internet Café, located on the main floor of Beeghly Library, is open from 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday. With its own outside entrance, this room and the Bashford Lounge area of Beeghly Library are available for student use 24/7. Across campus is the Hobson Science Library in the Schimmel/Conrades Science Center. Both libraries have wireless access to the Internet, wireless printing, and ample electrical outlets. Students are encouraged to bring their computers to work alone or with others.

In the L.A. Beeghly Library, students have a choice of study environments, from collaborative and social on the first and second floors to silent on the third floor. Recently, the Libraries created the ICEcube, a presentation room equipped with a large flat panel monitor with HDMI and VGA cables, a conference table with built-in power, and a large whiteboard. Students may reserve the room for up to three hours at a time whenever the library is open.

The collection has more than 500,000 items with a distinct rare book collection and one of the country’s oldest depositories of federal government publications. All OWU libraries are linked by the integrated on-line catalog and circulation system, CONSORT. The Libraries’ holdings consist of approximately 75,000 e-journals, 182 research databases, and 230,000 e-books. A dynamic collection of government documents supports the curriculum and information needs of the larger Delaware community. All material, except for that in Special Collections or on reserve, is on open shelves. A browsing collection of popular fiction and nonfiction is located in the Bashford Lounge on the main floor of Beeghly Library.

The Libraries subscribe to an extensive and diverse array of electronic resources, such as JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, SciFinder Scholar, Academic Search Complete, and ebrary. The home page (https://owu.edu/library) provides access to all of these resources, most of which are available for use off-campus.

Ohio Wesleyan University is a member of the Five Colleges of Ohio, along with Denison University, Kenyon College, Oberlin College and the College of Wooster. The Libraries are members of OhioLINK, a statewide consortium of academic libraries, as well as the Oberlin Group of Libraries, a prestigious national organization of selective, top-ranked liberal arts college libraries.