Student Finance
George Fox University maintains high educational standards at the lowest possible cost. A portion of the cost is underwritten by gifts from alumni, friends, churches, businesses and institutions. An extensive financial aid program assists students in meeting university costs.
The board of trustees reserves the right to adjust charges at any time after giving due notice. No changes will be made during a semester, nor, unless special circumstances make such action necessary, will changes be made during a given academic year.
Student Financial Services
Student Financial Services at George Fox refers to two distinct departments: Financial Aid and Student Accounts. Financial Aid awards scholarships, grants, loans and other forms of financial assistance, and they assist students as they manage their educational debt or when facing challenges due to unsatisfactory academic progress impacting financial aid eligibility.
Student Accounts manages payment for the balance not covered by financial aid; this includes billing students for tuition, fees, room and board, and other expenses related to attending college. They offer deferred payment plans to eligible students, process payments and assist with financial problem-solving.
Student Accounts also manages financial appeals and financial holds.
Information about tuition and fees (including archived information from previous years), financial aid, billing, payment plan options, satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility, and other policies and procedures are available on the George Fox Financial Aid and Student Account Offices websites.
Both offices are located in Newberg, on the west side of campus in the Stevens Center. The financial aid office is on the second floor and the Student Accounts Office is located on the first floor.
Financial Aid
The Financial Aid Office is responsible for processing all financial aid, including scholarships, grants, loans and student employment. Financial Aid can help students complete all necessary applications for financial aid, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Students who apply for aid are sent an award letter electronically indicating the forms of aid for which they qualify. Once reviewed, students will need to accept or decline their federal student employment and/or loans based on their plans to use them or not. This can be done through the MyGeorgeFox account on the “Accept/Decline Awards” page. Federal loans cannot be applied to the student's account until they are accepted and all required paperwork is complete.
Account Payment
Each year, students are required to complete an Annual Financial Agreement.
Student Accounts electronically notifies students when new charges are added to their account, sends monthly e-bills, emails refund and policy alerts, and in general communicates using the student’s GFU email address. In addition, they oversee electronic and physical payments for educationally related costs, such as tuition, fees, housing, meal plans, insurance, deposits, and fines when necessary. Financial aid resources, excluding student employment which is not automatically applied to the Student Account, must be finalized and secured prior to the semester due date.
Through the Payment Selection Form, students may choose one of the payment plan options available on the Student Accounts website. In brief, plans include choosing to make payment by session or monthly. Additional plans are available when third parties are involved. Based on payment history and other risk factors, a student may be prevented from participating in a desired plan. When a successful payment history is established, the restriction may be lifted.
In the event that a student has an outstanding past due balance and efforts to resolve the debt have been unsuccessful, the Student Accounts Office may choose to remove the student from some or all of their courses. If the student is successful in showing they have the ability to pay, they will be allowed to again register for courses but may be limited to space available at that time. It is university policy that students with outstanding balances will be prevented from continuing forward into a subsequent semester.
Refunds
Students who drop courses need to be aware of the refund (removal of institutional charges and return of federal funds) policy. Please refer to the Student Accounts website, the refund calculator for any class at class.georgefox.edu, or the catalog for more information.
Refunds at George Fox are processed electronically by the Student Accounts Office. Students sign up for Direct Deposit in MyGeorgeFox and are responsible for making updates as needed to keep that information current.
Refunds resulting from excess federal financial aid are automatically processed within 14 calendar days following the semester start date. When a student’s enrollment does not coincide with that date, refunds are delayed until their classes have started. For information on how to avoid refund delays, visit this website.
Refunds resulting from a personal payment may be requested by submitting a Refund Request Form.
Removal of Institutional Charges
Students who choose to reduce their course load, and do not completely withdraw from the university, will generally not receive a removal of tuition, course fees, and other associated fees unless the changes take place prior to the last day to change registration, also known as the end of the add/drop period, which is published in the university's academic calendar and online.
Students who withdraw completely from the university receive a 100% adjustment of tuition only when their withdrawal takes place during the first “week”* of the enrollment period. The percentage of adjustment is reduced in subsequent “weeks”* as follows, 90% “week”* two, 75% “week”* three, 50% “week”* four, 25% “week”* five and no adjustment beyond that point.
*Each "week" refers to 6.363% of the course session length. Sessions always begin on a Monday and can be found at MyGeorgeFox > Student Center > Manage Classes > View My Classes > Select Term and Class > Enrollment Deadlines (not to be confused with "Meeting Dates").
Adjustments of room and board will generally be calculated as follows: Students withdrawing from housing and/or the meal plan during the first two weeks in the enrollment period will receive a prorated adjustment. After the second week there is no adjustment unless the student withdraws for verified and approved medical or hardship reasons.
Students who reduce their academic load after their financial aid has disbursed may have a retraction of aid that would result in a debt back to the university. See Student Account policies for more details.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Students on financial aid are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress to continue their eligibility for financial aid.
Veterans Benefits
The university is listed with the U.S. government as a recognized institution of higher learning for the training of veterans and their dependents. All prospective students eligible for educational benefits should review the information provided by Student Accounts and follow procedures required by Veterans Affairs for utilizing benefits at George Fox University.
To be certified for VA educational benefits, the student must continue as a bona fide registrant throughout the entire semester and may not withdraw from any course that has been certified without potential loss of benefits resulting in a debt back to the university. In some cases, the VA may authorize an exception due to extenuating circumstances. Those receiving VA educational benefits must meet the minimum academic standards of the university for enrollment and progress toward degree completion. Prior to enrollment, a student must provide an approved VA Benefits Certificate of Eligibility and once certified for payment, must meet with a Student Accounts Veterans Certifying Official prior to making course changes.
Please contact veterans@georgefox.edu for additional information.
Title 38 USC 3679(e) Compliance
In accordance with Title 38 US Code 3679 subsection (e), George Fox University adopts the following policy for any student using U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Post 9/11 G.I. Bill® (Ch. 33) or Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch. 31) benefits while payment to the institution is pending from the VA.
The policy states that we will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other institutional facilities, or the requirement that a covered individual borrow additional funds, on any covered individual because of the individual’s inability to meet his or her financial obligations to the institution due to the delayed disbursement of a payment to be provided by the Secretary.