Tuition
Tuition rates are established annually by the State Board for Community Colleges. For specific in-state and out-of-state rates, students should contact the Business Office or refer to the college website.
In-state tuition rates are available to Virginia residents who have been domiciled in Virginia for at least one year before the start of the term or semester for which they are enrolling. Questions concerning domicile or exceptions to the one-year residency requirement (i.e. military personnel, or special arrangement contracts) should be addressed to a domicile officer in the Admissions and Records Office. In-state tuition rates are available for students in the following West Virginia counties: Greenbrier, Mercer, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Summers. Additionally, in-state tuition rates are available to Tennessee residents whose residence is located in a county adjacent to the Virginia state line and which is also within a 30 mile radius of a city containing a VCCS institution. For more information, please review the VCCS Reciprocity Agreement.
A change in classification, if deemed to be warranted, shall be effective for the next academic semester following the date of the application for reclassification. No change to in-state status may be obtained by a student for an academic term that has begun before the date of the application for reclassification.
Persons applying for in-state tuition must complete the appropriate forms in the Office of Admissions and Records. The domicile officer will make the initial decision regarding eligibility for in-state tuition. An appeals process is also in place, and information is available in the Office of Admissions and Records.
Fees
In addition to tuition, students must pay the following fees: (As of January 1, 2021, the following fees were in effect; however, they may change for the 2023-2024 academic year).
- A facilities maintenance fee for constructing and maintaining board approved facilities at the college is charged to all students registered for classes (credit and noncredit) offered by the college. The fee is $1.30 per semester credit hour. Students taking noncredit classes for which tuition is collected will be charged $2.00 per class. This fee is refundable if a student withdraws from college during the add/drop period for credit classes and refundable for non-credit classes if dropped before class start date.
- A student activities fee to subsidize approved student activities and publications is charged to all students registered for credit classes offered by the college. This fee is $1.25 per credit hour and is refundable if a student withdraws from college during the add/drop period.
- A capital fee of $23.50 per semester hour is charged to out-of-state students only and is refundable.
Payment of Tuition and Fees
Unless payment is delayed, tuition and fees must be paid at the time of registration by cash, check, VISA, American Express, or MasterCard. A $35.00 service charge will be assessed for a check returned to the college by the bank. A student must “make good” the returned check and pay the service charge within the specified time to avoid being withdrawn from class(es). If a student is withdrawn during the add/ drop period, then the student will owe the college the service charge for the returned check only. Otherwise, the amount of the returned check and the service charge will be due the college and must be paid before a student will be allowed to register for any future class(es) or obtain a transcript.
Delayed Payment
Students may reserve classes and delay payment until a designated date before classes begin each semester. After that date, students must pay when registering. This date will be publicized by the Business Office and available on the website.
Waived Tuition
Children, Step-Children, or Spouse of Deceased Law Enforcement/ Fire Fighter/ Rescue Squad Personnel: As stated in Section 23-7.4:1 of the Code of Virginia, any child between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five whose parent or any person whose spouse has been killed in the line of duty while employed or serving as a law-enforcement officer, firefighter, member of a rescue squad, sworn law-enforcement officer, special agent of the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, state correctional, regional or local jail officer, regional jail or jail farm superintendent, sheriff, deputy sheriff, or member of the Virginia National Guard while such member is serving in the Virginia National Guard or as a member of the United States Armed Forces, shall be entitled to free undergraduate tuition and required fees at any public institution of higher education in Virginia, if the deceased parent was domiciled in Virginia at the time of death and certification of employment is provided.
Children OR Spouse of Deceased or Permanently Disabled Veterans: Section 23-7.4:1 of the Code of Virginia states that free tuition and college fees shall be given to a spouse or child between the ages of sixteen and twenty-nine of qualified permanently disabled or at least 90 percent disabled or deceased veterans of the armed forces of the United States and has been honorably discharged or released under terms other than dishonorable. Eligibility for such children shall be proven by the Department of Veterans Affairs, who shall state in writing to the admitting school that tuition should be waived according to the provisions of Section 23-7.4:1. For further information, contact the NRCC Office of Veterans Services located in Rooker 224 or phone (540) 674-3693 or email veterans@nr.edu.
All recipients of Veterans benefits must be in an approved curriculum as recognized by the Veterans Administration and must maintain a grade point average of no less than 1.5 after 12 credit hours have been completed, excluding developmental classes.
Senior Citizens: “Senior citizens” shall mean all persons who, before the beginning of any semester in which such persons claim entitlement to senior citizen benefits, (1) have reached 60 years of age and (2) have had their legal domicile in Virginia for one year. A senior citizen shall be entitled:
- to register for and enroll in courses as a full-time or part-time student for academic credit if such senior citizen had a taxable income not exceeding $23,850 for federal income tax purposes for the year preceding the year in which enrollment is sought.
- to audit courses offered for academic credit. To enroll in courses not offered for academic credit and pay no tuition or fees (except fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials, such as laboratory fees, and third party costs), subject to a determination by the institution of its ability to offer the course(s) for which the senior citizen registers, provided such senior citizen be admitted to a course in which enrollment is sought after all tuition-paying students have been accommodated.
Books and Materials
NRCC Bookstore
Students must purchase their own books, supplies, and materials needed for their studies. The average estimated cost of these items is $900.00 per semester for a full-time student. Renting textbooks or choosing digital content can substantially reduce your cost. NRCC student photo ID and a credit card to put on file are required to rent textbooks in the bookstore. Rented textbooks are due back to the bookstore by the last day of exams. Your credit card will be charged if your rented textbooks are not returned by the due date. The college bookstore (which is operated by Follett Higher Education) accepts MasterCard, American Express, Discover and VISA credit cards. NRCC student photo ID or class schedule is required during the textbook buyback period. No buyback is allowed during the first week of financial aid charges.
Students are encouraged to prepay for any required item that may be out of stock. Prepays and web orders are held for 30 days after the first day of class. If the order is not picked up after 30 day period has ended, the order is considered abandoned and returned to stock. A refund will not be issued at that point.
Purchasing books with Financial Aid: Students using financial aid may purchase books at the NRCC Bookstore located in Martin Hall, or via the bookstore website (www.newrivershop.com). The allowable period for these charges typically begins the week before classes start and continue through the day after the last day to drop with a refund. Students are required to present their NRCC student photo ID and class schedule to charge textbooks and supplies in the bookstore. Students can have their Student ID made in the Student Activities Office on the first floor of Martin Hall daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Bookstore Authorization Charge form under the “To Do” list must be completed in your SIS Student Center “To Do” List before charges can be made. Only items required for your class may be charged to financial aid. Cell phone accessories, clothing, food, gift items, etc., are not allowable charges. A list of approved charges can be found at: https://www.nr.edu/fa/fabookstorepolicy.php. Free daily courier service (Monday - Friday) to the NRCC Christiansburg site is available. Please allow up to two days for delivery. If students who charge their books to financial aid drop classes before the “last day to drop and receive a refund,” they must return textbooks/supplies by the last day to charge books or they will be billed for the charged items. Students are required to have the original receipt for all returns/exchanges. For those students who choose not to participate in the Follett Access program, you may opt out prior to the last day of the drop/add period. You may opt out by going to https://includedcp.follett.com:443/1737 or by visiting the Bookstore for help with this process. Students may opt out of purchasing their books in the NRCC Bookstore with financial aid funds; but in doing so, they must find alternate methods of payment for books purchased elsewhere.
Third Party Costs
Some classes may have additional costs for software, teleconference, or other fees, payable to an agency other than New River Community College. These fees may be collected by the bookstore and paid to a third party. Please see special notations in current online schedule of classes for this information.
Student Field Trips
All students will be asked to pay any costs, including transportation charges, for field trips. Expenses for student activity trips will be paid from student activity funds according to official college policies and availability of funds.
Tuition Refunds
Students will be eligible for a refund for those credit hours dropped during the add/ drop period for each session. (Please note that add/drop dates for short session classes are different than the semester class add/drop. Check with the Admissions Office for details.) Refunds will be issued by TMS (a third-party vendor) approximately one to two weeks after the end of add/drop period. Tuition refunds are made payable to the enrolled student not to the person who originally paid, if different than the student. If tuition was paid with VISA or MasterCard, through the web, refunds will be credited to the card used to pay tuition. Full refunds will be made for canceled classes. To get refunds under any conditions stated here, a student must complete an official drop form and submit it to the Admissions and Records Office during the add/drop period or drop classes online using the Student Information System (SIS) by published refund dates. After the add/drop period, there will be no refunds.
Financial Aid
New River Community College offers a variety of financial aid opportunities for students needing financial assistance who have not acquired a bachelor’s degree. Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree can participate in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program and the Federal Work-Study Program. The philosophy of the Financial Aid Office is that no qualified student shall be denied the privilege of attending college because of the lack of finances, if funds are available.
The criteria used for selecting recipients involve the evaluation of both computed need and academic standing. To determine if a student qualifies for aid, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the web is used to determine financial need. Need is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance (tuition and fees, books, room and board, and transportation expenses) and total family contribution (student’s contribution and/ or parent’s contribution.)
Students wishing to be considered for financial aid must complete the FAFSA application online at www.studentaid.gov. Additional documents may be required and will be requested by the Financial Aid Office via the student’s Student Information System (SIS)-Student Center To-Do List.
Applications completed and received by March 15 will receive primary consideration for the upcoming summer semester, while those received by April 15 will receive primary consideration for the upcoming fall semester. Applications received after the priority dates will receive consideration only as funds are available.
Requirements for a Complete File
A student’s file must be complete before an award can be offered. Students who first enroll in a Title IV-eligible program of study on or after July 1, 2012, must have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent in order to receive Title IV aid.
- The student has filed the FAFSA online and has a valid EFC (Expected Family Contribution) on the Student Aid Report. The Title IV school code for NRCC is 005223.
- The student has been accepted in an eligible curriculum by the Admissions & Records Office.
- If the student is selected for verification or to provide follow-up documentation, the student must complete all required documents and submit all supporting documentation as requested via the student’s To Do list on the Student Information System (SIS) - Student Center.
Once the file is complete, the NRCC Financial Aid Office staff evaluates and determines your financial aid eligibility which may consist of grants, a college work-study job, scholarships, and/or federal student loan. All offers are made based on a full-time enrollment status (12 credits or more). Enrollment level will be locked after the last date to drop and receive a refund and funds will be adjusted accordingly.
Federal Pell Grant The Federal Pell Grant is the largest grant program designed to provide financial assistance for those who need it to attend college. This grant is available to students attending full-time, three quarter-time, halftime, and less than half-time. Awards are prorated for enrollment below full-time.
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant This federal program of direct awards enables students with exceptional need to pursue higher education by providing grant assistance for educational expenses. The amount of Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) funds that students receive depends upon their need, taking into account their financial resources and those of the parents, and the cost of attending New River Community College.
Federal Work-Study Program: A program of employment (FWS) Students who need a job to help pay for school expenses are potentially eligible for employment by New River Community College under the Federal Work-Study Program. This program can be awarded to students who have a bachelor’s degree. Students who are awarded work-study are eligible to work approximately 15 hours per week. Students are paid on a bi-weekly basis. In addition to a complete financial aid file, students must fill out a Work-Study Application and if hired, complete the Onboarding process for their required human resources forms. This program requires students to work for the funds awarded.
Commonwealth Award (COMA) The Commonwealth Award is a state grant program administered through the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia providing educational grants based on financial need for legal residents of Virginia. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits to be eligible for COMA.
Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP) VGAP is a state grant program administered by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia to provide educational grants to students who meet criteria as follows:
- Admitted for enrollment in an approved program of study.
- A full-time student.
- A domiciliary resident of Virginia.
- Able to demonstrate financial need according to the required state guidelines.
- Graduate of a Virginia high school with a documented cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better.
- Classified as a dependent for federal financial aid purposes; and
- Classified as a first-time freshman.
Students who graduated from high school in the spring must submit a copy of their high school transcript to the Financial Aid Office in order to be considered for VGAP. The award is made for two years as long as the student maintains academic progress and completes each consecutive semester, excluding summer.
Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program (PTAP) PTAP is a state program established by the Virginia Community College System to help students enrolled for 1 to 5 credit hours. Awards equal the amount of tuition and fees only. Special criteria for this grant require that students qualify for instate tuition.
The Federal Direct Student Loan Program NRCC participates exclusively in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program which includes Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student Loans. The Federal Government is the lender in the Federal Direct Student Loan Program. Students interested in federal student loans will be required to complete a loan request form, entrance counseling and a master promissory note.
For first time borrowers on or after July 1, 2013, there is a limit on the maximum period of time (measured in academic years) that you can receive Federal Direct Subsidized Loans. In general, you may not receive Federal Direct Subsidized Loans for more than 150% of the published length of your program.
For additional information on the Federal Direct Student Loan Program please visit the website at www.studentaid.gov.
Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credits each term to receive loan funds.
The Federal Direct Student Loan Program is also available to students who have acquired a bachelor’s degree.
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