Banded Tuition Can Save You Money—and Help You Graduate Faster

You’ll find many benefits with banded tuition. It’s designed to help with your costs, in addition to helping you complete your education more quickly.

What is banded tuition?

Banded tuition is defined as charging a single tuition rate for credits within a defined range.

What are the terms of banded tuition?

You will pay the same basic tuition rate for a course load of 12 to 18 credit hours per semester.

Why did Purdue Fort Wayne move to banded tuition?

Banded tuition will help you graduate on time and reduce the cost of your education. If you take advantage of the band and enroll in and pass 15 or more credits per semester, you will graduate in four years. Tuition charged by the credit hour creates a financial disincentive for you to take more courses in a particular semester. According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, an additional year of college could cost you more than $50,000 in tuition, lost wages, and related costs.

Is banded tuition a new concept?

No, the majority of public universities in Indiana currently have banded tuition. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education has found that 7 in 10 students at Indiana public institutions that charge banded tuition take 15 credit hours in a semester, compared to 2 in 10 at institutions that charge by the credit hour. Evidence nationwide suggests that banded tuition is a promising strategy for increasing student success and on-time completion.

What are Purdue Fort Wayne’s banded tuition rates?

Find the current tuition rates on the Tuition and Fees page.

What if I’m enrolled in fewer than 12 hours?

If you are enrolled in fewer than 12 hours, you will continue to pay the per-credit-hour tuition and mandatory fee rates.

What if I’m enrolled in more than 18 hours?

If you are enrolled in more than 18 credit hours, you will pay the banded tuition rate plus the per-credit-hour tuition and mandatory fee rate for each credit over 18.

Will banded tuition be available for graduate students?

No. Banded tuition applies to undergraduates only. It has been implemented to help undergraduate students earn a bachelor’s degree in four years.

Do study-abroad credits apply to banded tuition?

The applicability of banded tuition to study abroad will depend on the design of the individual study-abroad program. If this question applies to you, contact International Education at 260-481-6034 or iss@pfw.edu.

Does banded tuition apply to summer courses?

No. If you take summer-session courses, you will pay the per-credit-hour rate.

Does banded tuition apply to both in-state and out-of-state students?

Yes.

What are the benefits of taking more than 15 credit hours in a semester?

Taking more than 15 credit hours will allow you to accelerate your progress and will offer you the opportunity to pursue a minor or certificate at no additional cost.

What is the best way to ensure my success if I typically take 12 credit hours but want to increase the number of credits I take?

You should work with your academic advisor, who will help you determine your options.

What if I’m not sure that I can manage more than 12 credit hours?

Academic advisors, financial advisors, and others on campus can help guide you in making smart decisions about your academic load, given your personal circumstances.

What if I begin to struggle taking 15–18 credit hours?

You can consult with your academic advisor and withdraw from some courses before the published deadline. If you are receiving financial aid, you should talk to a financial aid advisor if you are considering dropping below 12 credit hours. This is because withdrawing from a course could possibly have a negative impact on your financial aid.

Will more classes be available in the second eight-week session if I drop credits late?

That is something we are currently reviewing.

Does banded tuition apply to online courses?

Yes. You can include online courses in the 12–18 credit-hour band. There will be no additional per-credit-hour charge.

Are other course fees included in banded tuition?

No. The banded rate does not include fees assessed for specific courses (e.g., differential, lab, course-material, and miscellaneous).

Will banded tuition have an impact on how my satisfactory academic progress is calculated?

No. If you receive financial aid (federal, state, and institutional), you are required to make reasonable academic progress toward degree-completion requirements.

Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress are evaluated at the end of each academic semester (fall, spring, and summer) and at the time of awarding of any aid. This policy expects you to meet completion, grade-point average, and maximum time-frame requirements. View this policy in detail.

Will my eligibility for financial aid be impacted by banded tuition?

Your eligibility will likely be the same if you are enrolled in 12–18 credit hours; however, individual circumstances can vary. It is important to know that federal, state, and institutional financial aid can be limited beyond the fourth year of college. Some Indiana state-aid programs require completion of 30 credits each academic year.

How do the refund periods play out with banded tuition?

The following examples only address changes in tuition and fees:

• A student in 15 hours drops to 12 within the 100 percent refund period (no change in tuition because the student stayed in the banded range).
• A student in 15 hours drops to 12 within the 60, 40, and 20 percent refund periods (no change in tuition because the student stayed in the banded range).
• A student in 15 hours drops to 12 within the 60, 40, and 20 percent refund periods, then adds 3 credit hours (no change in tuition because the student stayed in the banded range).
• A student in 15 hours drops to 9 hours within the 100 percent refund period (the student receives a 100 percent refund on the banded rate and is then assessed the per-credit-hour rate for 9 hours).
• A student in 9 hours picks up 6 hours during the 100 percent refund period (the student is now in 15 hours and is moved to the banded rate; the banded rate replaces the 9-hour rate).
• A student in 16 hours drops 3 hours at 0 percent (after refund periods); on the same day, the student adds 3 hours.
  • Under the current policy and setup, the student would be charged an additional credit hour of tuition in addition to the banded rate; this is because the drop occurred after refund periods, so the system considers the student to be in 19 hours for tuition-assessment purposes; differential and lab fees would be dropped at 0 percent and added at 100 percent.
  • Allow any drops and adds that occur within a one-day period to net against each other.
    • In this example, the 3 hours dropped on the same day would net against the 3 hours added on the same day.
    • The student would remain in 16 hours for tuition-assessment purposes.
    • No proposed changes for differential and lab fees dropped at 0 percent and added at 100 percent.
• A student in 18 hours adds 3 hours then drops 3 hours in same day during the 60, 40, and 20 percent refund periods.
  • Under the current policy and setup, the student would forfeit 40, 60, and 80 percent of the 3 hours added, which places the student in 21 hours temporarily.
  • Drops and adds that occur within a one-day period will net against each other.
    • In this example, the 3 hours added on the same day would net against the 3 hours dropped on the same day.
    • The student would remain in 18 hours for tuition-assessment purposes.
  • No proposed changes for differential and lab fees dropped at 60, 40, and 20 percent and added at 100 percent.