Costs

Tuition

Per semester tuition is $34,520 in 2024-25.

Student Body Fee

The $155 per semester student body fee is collected from each full-time student by the business office and allocated to the student senate at the beginning of the semester. The fee underwrites publication of the student newspaper and extracurricular activities, and partially supports the student union.

Room and Board

Room and board in all cases is contracted on an academic-year basis. Rooms in residence halls on campus and rooms in college-operated apartment buildings are available at the following costs:

All students who live in a residence hall on campus must take board. Students residing in the apartments may choose whether they contract for a board plan. The college offers three declining-balance board plans. The balance is reduced as meals are taken. Plan A is designed for students who will eat most meals on campus. The following plans are available:

Students will be charged for Plan B unless they indicate otherwise. Students not living on campus may also contract for board or may purchase commuter commons points. Plans can also be supplemented by the purchase of additional food points. Unused points are not refunded. See the Residence Life web page for additional details. Students with special dietary problems are not granted exceptions to the board requirement. They should, however, consult the food service dietitian before making arrangements for room and board on campus to determine whether their particular needs can be accommodated.

With the acceptance of an assignment of on-campus housing at any time during the academic year, the student is fully liable for room and board (if applicable) for the remainder of that academic year. The student may not exchange a room assignment without prior written consent from the residence life office.

Students who withdraw or take a regular or medical leave of absence from school are eligible for room and board refunds according to the schedule in this section. No refunds will be given except in the case of withdrawal or leave from school or for special cases approved by the vice president for student life or their designee in consultation with the vice president of finance and treasurer. In the case of subsequent reentry to student standing within the same academic year, the student will once again be liable for room and board for the remainder of that year.

Summary of Annual Direct Costs

Indirect Costs

In addition to the direct costs listed above, a student should budget approximately $1,950 for books and incidentals such as laundry, clothing, and recreation. Students should also budget approximately $250-$1,800 for travel expenses (average cost for two round trips between home and school). Those who intend to remain on campus during vacation periods must remember that extra funds will be needed for meals.

Billing of Accounts for Fall and Spring

The business office will email billing statements to registered students for tuition, fees, and other charges six to eight weeks before the beginning of classes each semester. A billing information and release form must be completed if billing statements are to be sent to a party other than the student. If this form is not completed, billing statements will be sent only to the student. The total amount due on the billing statement is payable by the semester due date, which is normally three Fridays before the first day of classes. Students who do not meet these deadlines will be subject to cancellation of registration.

Students and authorized users may view real-time account information, make payments, and enroll in a monthly payment plan online.

Payment Plan

Reed offers students and families an interest-free monthly payment option through a third party. This allows participants to spread all or part of their semester direct costs over equal monthly payments without interest. There is an enrollment fee to participate. Full payment plan details are available at reed.edu/student-accounts.

Insurance

Health Insurance

Every degree-seeking undergraduate student must be covered by health insurance and will be charged for one of the college’s plans. If students have comparable insurance coverage and do not want to join the Reed plan, they must provide proof of comparable health insurance coverage by submitting a completed health insurance waiver form online annually prior to the first day of classes. All waivers are audited. If the waiver is accepted, the insurance charge will be offset by a waiver credit. This includes students who have been approved for part-time student status. Students who do not submit a waiver will be billed each semester for the health insurance provided by the college.

Tuition Insurance

See below for more information.

Late Payment Fee

Students paying tuition and fees after the scheduled payment date will be charged a late fee, unless a written petition to waive the late fee has been presented to and approved by the controller. (The fee is not normally waived for reasons such as employment, late arrival, or unresolved financial problems.) Payments must be received on the due date. Payments that are postmarked on the due date will be considered delinquent. The late fee will be $50 during the first week of the semester.

Missed Deadline Fines

Missed deadline transactions approved by the Administration Committee may result in fines assessed to the student. The fines, which are determined by the Administration Committee, will not exceed 1 percent of the cost of one semester’s tuition.

Monthly Billings and Delinquent Accounts

Reed conveys billing information through a billing statement emailed to the student and their responsible billing party. The business office will email billing statements around the 10th of each month during the academic year reflecting miscellaneous charges such as library fines, printing, health center charges, and fines for lost keys. Payment of the total amount is due within 30 days. Students and alumni with a delinquent account will not be allowed to register for class and may have their library, printing, and other privileges suspended. Unpaid balances may be turned over to a collection agency. If this occurs, the student is responsible for all costs and attorney fees incurred in the collection process. All enrolled students must accept the Statement of Financial Responsibility via their IRIS account. This statement outlines the student’s personal responsibility for college charges assessed to the student account.

Private Music Instruction

Fees are $630 for private music lessons. Each set of private music lessons includes 9 hours of instruction (twelve 45-minute lessons per instrument or voice). Some scholarship aid is available. Private instruction fees are waived in one instrument or voice for junior and senior music majors, who are expected to enroll in private instruction for at least two of their final four semesters. Partial refunds are available to paying students who formally withdraw from the course and notify the music department before they have completed 3 hours of instruction. There are no refunds after 3 hours of instruction. See the Music  department for more information.

Release of Financial Information

A billing information and release form must be completed online each year in order for the business office staff to release any detailed information about a student’s financial account with the college to parents, other family members, trustees, or banks. We will not be able to release specific information over the phone or in writing to anyone who is not authorized in writing or online by the student.

Withdrawals, Leaves, and Refunds

The college makes commitments to the faculty and staff in advance of the school year based on anticipated student enrollment. These commitments are not subject to change, even though the number of students may vary. For this reason, no deviations from the refund schedule will be made except in cases of extreme hardship, as determined by the college.

Students who take a leave of absence or officially withdraw through the Dean of Students’ Office (or through the MALS office for graduate students) may receive a refund of tuition and certain fees. Failure to initiate and/or complete the institutional leave or withdrawal process will result in no refund of tuition. No refund shall be made to students who have been suspended or dismissed from the college.

For an approved withdrawal or leave during a semester, tuition, room, and board base is refunded based on the refund schedule below and the effective date. The effective date is the date the withdrawal or leave is initiated in IRIS, as long as students complete the process within five (5) business days. In cases where an emergency absence is converted to a withdrawal or leave, the effective date will be the start date of the emergency absence. Unused board points will be refunded. The student body fee is nonrefundable.

Health insurance not waived for fall and spring semester:

• If the student has not attended at least 30 days of a semester, the premium will be refunded and the coverage canceled for the entire coverage period.
• If the student has attended at least 30 days of a semester, the premium will not be refunded and the student will continue to be covered for the term.

Spring semester: If the student was covered by Reed health insurance in the fall and is on a medical leave of absence the following spring semester, the student has the option to purchase Reed health insurance coverage for spring. The student must submit a request to purchase the spring insurance by email to the business office before January 31.

Tuition insurance not waived will be refunded if the leave is effective before the third week of classes.

Financial aid recipients earn their aid as the semester progresses. When a federal aid recipient takes a leave of absence or withdraws, a pro rata schedule is used to determine the federal aid funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. Nonfederal financial aid, including but not limited to Reed grants, state grants, and private loans, will be refunded according to the refund schedule below. Outside scholarships will be refunded according to instructions received from the issuing agency, if provided.

Students who do not earn any credits and do not take a leave of absence or withdraw will have their Title IV aid recalculated from the midpoint of the semester or the last date of an academically related activity verified by Reed, even though they would not qualify for a tuition refund.

No deviations from the refund schedule will be made except in extreme cases, as determined by the college.

Refund Schedule for Leaves of Absence and Withdrawals

The leave/withdrawal effective date determines the refund percentage.

Fall and spring breaks are not included in the above schedule.

Tuition Insurance

All full-time undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled and billed for tuition insurance unless they complete a waiver. To opt out of the coverage, students must complete a waiver in IRIS before the first day of the semester. Waivers submitted before the first day of the fall semester are effective for the full academic year (both fall and spring).

This low-cost, private insurance plan is offered by A.W.G. Dewar, Inc., and is highly recommended for families with concerns about their student’s need to take a medical leave during the academic year.

The plan extends and enhances the college’s tuition refund policy after week two of the semester. The plan covers 70% of net tuition and fees, less any refund or credit due from the college, for diagnosed medical or mental health withdrawals. Refunds may be affected by financial aid award adjustments. Please visit Dewar’s website for more information: www.tuitionrefundplan.com.

Information will be sent to all matriculating and continuing students in June. Students may obtain more information and download claim forms from Dewar’s website. For more specific information regarding the coverage, please contact Dewar at trp@dewarinsurance.com or 617-774-1555.

This plan is made available by Reed College solely as a service to students and parents. The college does not receive any compensation from insurance enrollment.

Tuition and Fees for Part-Time Undergraduate Students

In special cases where the Administration Committee has approved an undergraduate student petition to enroll in less than a full academic program for reduced tuition, tuition rates per semester are charged as follows for the number of units approved in the underload:

Students enrolled in fewer than three units while enrolled in thesis will be charged full-time tuition. After the first two weeks of any semester, a reduction in the undergraduate program will have no effect on the amount of tuition.

A fee of $100 each semester is required for auditing a course. No auditing fee is charged to regularly enrolled students carrying a normal program. The college reserves the right to refuse auditing privileges to anyone on the basis of overcrowding or because the nature of the material does not permit such treatment.