Financial Information

How much is tuition?

Tuition for each Special Education Outreach course is posted on the Cohort Specific Webpage. The Cohort Specific Webpage will list courses taken by each cohort and will list the tuition for each course.

Tuition for Internships/Practicums can be found on the Internship and Practicum Payment Webpage.

Your tuition balance for Special Education Outreach courses will not be listed in your student account on Patriotweb.

In some cases, tuition is based on the number of students present at the first night of class and the website will list a full and a discounted amount of tuition.  The instructor will give the “official” count of students on the first night so that you know whether to pay the full or discounted tuition.

The cohort specific webpage will also list any grants given to the course for the semester.   The tuition listed will already reflect the grant discount.

When is tuition due?

There is a payment window of 48 hours from the scheduled start of class for all cohort courses.   For example, if your course is on Monday evening at 7:00pm, you have until midnight on Wednesday to pay your tuition.

The payment deadline does not change if the scheduled to start of class is cancelled (e.g., inclement weather, instructor issue, other emergency). Unless you are notified otherwise, pay within 48 hours of the scheduled first night of class.

Online/On Demand courses have a payment window of 48 hours from the date you are emailed your notice of registration into the course. For example, if you are emailed by spedreg@gmu.edu on the 10th, your tuition is due by midnight on the 12th.

An exception to this policy is Internships and Practicums which have a specific due date. If the posted deadline is August 25th, payment is due before midnight on August 25th. (See Internship and Practicum Payment Webpage for dates and tuition rate).

How do I pay tuition?

All payments for the Outreach program are made by check or on our credit card payment site.   Maintaining a separate payment system allows us to offer discounted tuition.

Do NOT make your payment on Patriotweb! We do not have access to funds in your GMU Student Account. Payments made on Patriotweb will be treated as non-payment and subject to late fees.

Payment by check or money order must be postmarked within 48 hours of the scheduled start of class. Payment can also be made by a debit card or credit card (Visa or MasterCard only) within 48 hours on the Special Education Outreach Program online credit card payment system.

Payment Information

Credit or Debit Card Payment

The Special Education Outreach Payment Office is using a credit card payment system called TouchNet.  Our cohort/contract/consortium classes are still paid separately from Patriotweb in order to give discounts and grant funds when available. The online payment system accepts Visa or MasterCard accounts only.

Click on the yellow Pay with Credit Card option box at the top of this page or the Credit Card Payment Link option in the left hand column.  Payment must be made within 48 hours of the scheduled start of class. Select the correct category for your class and then, in some cases, your sub-category.   All classes available to that cohort are listed with the start date and the amount of tuition.  You will then select the class you are enrolled in by clicking on the Add to Cart function.  The system will prompt you for your email address, payment information, and G#.  Once you complete your transaction an automatic receipt will be sent to your email address.

Check or Money Order

Checks or money orders must be postmarked within 48 hours of the scheduled start of class.  Checks should be made payable to “George Mason University” or “GMU” and mailed to the following address:

Special Education Outreach Payment Office
George Mason University
Finley 102, MSN 1F2
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

Include your G# and the course name and section number on your check (ex. G00000000, EDSE 540/674).   If the printed name on the check is different than the student’s name, write the student’s name on the check.  

If a check is returned for non-sufficient funds (NSF), you will be notified by email.   In addition to the original tuition, you will owe late fees plus a $50 returned check fee which must be paid by certified check or credit card.

Check refund requests are submitted to the University’s Accounts Payable office and can take 2-3 weeks to be mailed.

Students who do not pay the full and proper tuition amount within 48 hours after the posted class or other stated deadline will be assessed additional fees and a financial hold will be placed on their GMU Student Account.

Payment must be made on our online credit card payment system or a check or money order must be postmarked within 48 hours of the first class.   Tuition for Internships must be paid in full by the date stated on the website. Internship deadlines can be found on the Internship and Practicum Payment Webpage.

Late Fees:

The late payment fee is $50/credit. For example, the late fee for a 3 credit course will be $150. The late registration fee is $100 per course.

Late fees are paid on the same online payment system as tuition.

Financial Hold:

When a student does not pay the full tuition and/or late fees within the deadline, a Financial Hold is placed on the student's GMU Student Account. A hold prevents a student from enrolling in another GMU course, receiving transcripts or graduating.

Collections:

Our office will send out an email to the student's GMU email address as a reminder that payment is due for tuition/and or late fees is due and holds have been placed on their student account.   After approximately 45 days after the first class, our office will forward outstanding balance information to the Cashier's and Account Management Office to begin the collections process. Once at a collections agency, additional fees will be assessed and your credit record will be adversely affected.

The collections process is the same whether the student owes tuition and late fees or only late fees.

Students have up to 48 hours from the scheduled start of class to submit their Registration Request via Microsoft Forms for continuing cohort students or via the paper Enrollment Form for new cohort students. The late registration fee is $100 per course. If submitting a paper Enrollment Form please note that unsigned forms will not be accepted. Internship deadlines can be found on the Internship Application and Registration page.

Financial Hold:

If a student owes a late registration fee, a Financial Hold is placed on the student's GMU Student Account. A hold prevents a student from enrolling in another GMU course, receiving transcripts or graduating.

Collections:

Our office will send out emails as a reminder that payment is due and holds have been placed.   After approximately 45 days, the Special Education Outreach Payment Office will send a written letter to the student's home. After 60 days from the first class, this office sends information to the University's Cash Office to begin the collections process. The Cash Office will send out 2 letters asking for payment and if the money is not received, the University sends the student's account to a collection agency. Once at a collections agency, additional fees will be assessed and your credit record will be adversely affected.

The collections process is the same whether the student owes tuition and late fees or only late fees.

The Special Education Outreach Program tuition refund policy is designed to align with the official GMU policy for dropped classes. Modifications exist due to the unique nature of the outreach cohort schedule. If you:

• Drop course up to 14 days after posted first class meeting: Full refund
• Drop course later than 14 days after posted first class meeting: no refund

The day count for drops and refunds are inclusive of the date of the scheduled start date of the class.  The first night of class is considered to be day 1. For those students in an On Line/On Demand course and have been enrolled after the posted first night of class, day 1 for drops is the date of their registration confirmation email.

If tuition has not been paid at the time the course is dropped, the student still owes tuition following the same schedule as refunds:

• Drop course up to 14 days after posted first class meeting: no tuition must be paid
• Drop course later than 14 days after posted first class meeting: full tuition must be paid

Courses must be dropped officially using the Drop Form and emailed to spedreg@gmu.edu. The date/time of your e-mail will determine your refund. Drops must be requested within 14 calendar days of the published start date of the course unless otherwise noted in the cohort-specific course section. Withdrawal requests after this period may be approved by the Dean for non-academic reasons that prevent course completion. Third party documentation is required; i.e. a doctor’s note explaining that an illness or injury prevents completion of the course. Students should consult with their advisor for further information.

Check refunds generally take 5 weeks to be processed and will be mailed by the University's Cash Office.

Refunds for tuition paid by credit card or debit card will be refunded back to the card account. You will receive an automatic statement from our online payment system about the refund, but credit card companies usually takes 2-3 days to actually post the money to your account.

Please note: unless you follow the Drop Policy and submit the Drop Form, you will still be enrolled in the course.  You will owe tuition and late fees, you will have a hold on your Student Account, a grade will be entered in your academic record and after 60 days you will be sent to a collections agency for non-payment.

Please refer to the Internship Application and Registration page for the drop/refund policies for Internships.

Students are ultimately responsible for paying their tuition, even if they receive financial aid or have other financial arrangements.  Failure to meet payment obligations can result in late fees, holds on registration and transcripts, and potential referral to a collection agency.  Students must notify the Special Education Payment Office at specepay@gmu.edu  at least 48 hours before the first scheduled class if they plan to use financial aid, scholarship funds, 529 funds, Veteran’s Education benefits or any third-party funds.

All financial aid, scholarships, 529 funds, Veteran’s benefits and third-party funds are deposited with Student Accounts. These funds will not automatically be transferred to our program, and we do not have access to funds in a student’s account.  The student is responsible for contacting Student Accounts, to facilitate a transfer of funds to the Special Education Payment Office or arrange a refund (if applicable), and follow through to ensure the funds are received in our office.  You can set up a direct deposit into your bank account to get the money as quickly as possible.   http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu.

 

Financial Aid

Payment:  All financial aid funds are deposited into your student account. These funds will not automatically be transferred to our office.  If you receive financial aid funds you must contact Student Accounts and have the funds transferred to your bank account or request a check.  Once you receive the funds from your student account, it is your responsibility to take care of payment to the Special Education Payment Office within 48 hours. You can set up a direct deposit http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu into your bank account to get the money as quickly as possible.

The process of receiving your financial aid funds does not always align with the payment policies of the Special Education Program. It may not be possible to receive the funds out of your student account in time to pay within 48 hours of the first scheduled class.  You can submit written documentation from the Financial Aid office to our payment office at specepay@gmu.edu to include the amount of financial aid funds you have received and the date of deposit into your student account. You must contact us prior to the 48-hour payment deadline in order to be eligible for a waiver of your late fees.

Eligibility:  The Special Education Cohort and Consortium programs are not involved in the financial aid application process. You must work with the University’s Financial Aid Office and follow all of their procedures and policies. The University does not offer financial aid for less than half-time students. Graduate students must take at least 4.5 credits per semester to be eligible for financial aid.  Generally, the Special Education Program students take fewer than 4.5 credits in the summer and fall semesters. However, the cohort program offers two spring sessions - spring 1 and spring 2. If you are taking a course in both spring sessions, you may be eligible for financial aid for that semester.  Students who are applying for financial aid funds are encouraged to pre-register as soon as registration opens in order to facilitate disbursement of financial aid funds. Financial aid is not released until your record reflects registration in the requisite number of credits.

For more information about financial aid, contact the University’s Financial Aid Office. Make sure you inform the Financial Aid Office that you are taking cohort courses.

Virginia529 College Savings Plan

Cohort students can use 529 College Savings Plans to pay for their tuition.  It is the student’s responsibility to ensure funds reach our office by the 48-hour payment deadline.  You must inform our office at specepay@gmu.edu if you plan to use 529 funds at least 48 hours before the first scheduled class, and follow through to make sure the funds are received in our office by the 48-hour payment deadlineRequest the Distribution:

• Contact your 529 plan administrator to initiate a withdrawal.
• Specify that the funds should be sent to the university via check.   

2. Check Details:

• The check should be made payable to George Mason University. 
• Include the student's name, G number, and course/section on the check to ensure funds are properly applied. 
• Mailing address:

Special Education Outreach Payment Office
George Mason University
Finley 102, MSN 1F2
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030

3. Mailing and Processing Time:

• To avoid late fees, allow sufficient time for the check to be processed by your 529 plan administrator and received by our office, which can take up to three weeks. 
• To avoid late fees and a hold on your student account, email specepay@gmu.edu no later than 48 hours before the first scheduled class to verify your check has been received. 

Veteran’s Benefits

Students can use Veterans Education Benefits to pay for their tuition. It is the student’s responsibility to submit a certificate of eligibility to the University’s Office of Military Services.  Students must inform our office at specepay@gmu.edu within 48 hours of the first scheduled class that they are using Veterans Education Benefits to pay their tuition.  The student needs to contact us every semester with registration information and specify your benefits (i.e., 50%, 100%, etc.).  We are not responsible for remembering which students are using Veterans Education Benefits to pay tuition.  The Veterans Administration will pay us directly.

Students can also submit a Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP) letter of eligibility to have all or a portion of their tuition waived.

Tuition Insurance

George Mason University has partnered with GradGuard™ to provide tuition insurance featuring special plans and rates not available to the general public. Tuition insurance can help refund tuition and fees up to the policy limits if you are unable to complete the semester due to a covered medical reason. This insurance program complements and enhances the Special Education Program’s refund policy.    Learn more at https://gradguard.com/tuition/GMU or call 877-794-6603.

Receipts for payments by credit cards and debit cards are generated automatically by the online payment system, Converge. The system sends the receipt to the email address entered by the student on the credit card payment form. Save this receipt for your records.

Receipts for payments by check or money order will be available through email, upon request. Receipts will not be generated until two weeks after the University deposits the check and it has cleared your bank. Receipts will be generated only after tuition is paid in full for the course including any applicable late payment or late registration fees.

Requests for receipts for check and money order payments should be sent to specEpay@gmu.edu with the following information:

Name and G number

Course and section number

Amount paid

Date Paid

Check Number

Paid by (names)