Payment of Tuition & Fees
At Flathead Valley Community College, students can make payments at the business office or through the Student Portal.
- The business office accepts payments through cash, personal checks, money orders, and all major credit cards including Visa, Discover, Mastercard and American Express.
- Payment is due at the time of registration.
- Deferred payment plans are available at the business office.
- In case of default or delinquency in the repayment of all or any part of a deferred payment plan installment, a late charge of $25 shall be assessed.
- A $20 fee is charged for any personal check returned for insufficient funds.
- Grades and/or transcripts will not be released to students who have hold flags like unpaid library fines or outstanding balances owed to the college.
- Registration for subsequent semesters is blocked for students with unpaid balances.
- Non-payment of tuition and fees may result in turning the account over for collections to the Montana Department of Revenue. Collection costs will be added to the balance and MDOR may keep future tax refunds to settle the account.
The FVCC Business Office is located in Blake Hall on the Kalispell campus. Contact the business office at (406) 756-3831.
Deferred Payment Plan
The Deferred Payment Plan is a payment plan available for qualified students who are unable to make full payment of current semester tuition and fees by the payment due date. Please refer to the Academic Calendar for the tuition due date.
This plan is available to all students with these exceptions:
1. Students whose financial aid is ready at payment due date and is equal to or greater than tuition and fees charged
2. Students who have a history of delinquent payment at Flathead Valley Community College
General Instructions
- During the Fall and Spring semesters, you must pay 25% of your total charges in 4 monthly installments by the due dates listed below.
- For the Summer semester, you must pay 33% of your total charges in 3 monthly installments by the due dates below.
- All financial aid credited to your account will be counted toward your monthly payment.
- Scheduled payments and any other outstanding charges due to Flathead Valley Community College are to be paid at the FVCC Business Office via the Student Portal, phone, mail, or in person at: 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, MT 59901. Any payments that are mailed must be received by the business office on or before the scheduled due date. In case of late payment or delinquency in the repayment of all or any part of a scheduled installment, a late charge of $25 shall be assessed.
- Flathead Valley Community College reserves the right to decline issuing a deferred payment plan, require payment in full at time of registration, and/or to require a guarantor on any deferred installment loan made. If you are under 18 at the time of registration, you must provide a guarantor.
Deferred Payment Plan Due Dates
| % of total payment due | Fall | Spring | Summer |
| 25% | Aug 31 | Jan 31 | - |
| 33% | - | - | May 31 |
| 50% | Sept 30 | Feb 28 | - |
| 67% | - | - | June 30 |
| 75% | Oct 31 | Mar 31 | - |
| 100% | Nov 30 | Apr 30 | July 31 |
For interim, short, and specifically designated courses, half of the total tuition is required prior to the start of the class and the remainder is to be paid before the end of the course.
Flathead Valley Community College reserves the right to decline the issuance of a deferred payment loan, to require payment in full at time of registration, and/ or to require a guarantor on any deferred installment loan made. If you are under 18 at the time of registration, you must provide a guarantor.
Information Release Authorization
The business office will not release a student’s account information without written permission of the student. Students may complete an Information Release Authorization form and turn it into the business office which will permit the office to discuss payment arrangements with parents, spouses, or others designated by the student. It is assumed if a student has an authorization for payment from a third party (a contractual agreement) that the business office can discuss the student’s account with the payer.
Refunds
Refund of Tuition and Per Credit Fees
Refunds of tuition and fees are made according to the following guidelines:
- Students must officially withdraw from their courses at the admissions office located in the LRC.
- Failure to attend courses does not drop or withdraw a student from those courses.
- When a student whose tuition and fees are paid under a third-party contractual agreement withdraws, the student is required to make full payment on the balance owed.
- Refunds are calculated from the date of official withdrawal, not from the date the student stopped attending classes.
- The college processes tuition and fee refunds after the third week of the semester.
- Refunds are mailed to students’ addresses on file with the FVCC Business Services Office.
- All existing debts such as library charges, calculator replacement, bookstore charges, and deferred payment plan balances, will be deducted from any refund due to the student.
- Questions regarding refunds should be directed to the accounts receivable specialist in the business services office in BH 132 or call (406) 756-3802.
Refund Schedule
The refund schedule presumes the account is paid in full at the time of registration. It is based on the total amount owed the college, not the amount paid. The refund schedule is date specific.
Refunds are calculated from the day the course add/drop form is received in the admissions office. Students who do not officially withdraw owe full tuition and fees and may receive an “F” for a course. The length of a course determines which refund schedule applies when a student drops a course.
Note: Students may withdraw from courses until the 75% point of the course.
In order to prevent a dropped full-semester course from appearing on a student’s transcript, the course must be dropped by the end of the third week of the fall or spring semester. For summer semester, short- or late-starting courses, the course must be dropped by the end of its refund period.
Add/Drop/Refund Calculations
Refer to the Academic Calendar for Add/Drop Refund dates.
Appeals
Appeals apply to tuition only. Appeals do not cover other fees and costs (i.e., student fees, non-refundable lab fees, other course fees, bookstore charges, etc.). Inadequate knowledge regarding the refund policy is not considered sufficient cause for student appeal.
Failure to attend does not withdraw a student from their courses, nor does it excuse them from their financial obligations to Flathead Valley Community College.
Students with third-party sponsors should communicate with their sponsor prior to making changes to their schedules. Sponsorship payment of tuition and fees may be withheld making the student responsible for payment to the college.
Appeals with the following reasons will not be approved:
- Non-attendance/unexcused absences
- Late registration/inability to perform in the classroom
- Acceptance into another school
- Lack of awareness about withdrawal or refund procedures and deadlines
- Insufficient resources to pay tuition
- Dissatisfaction with the course or lack of communication with the instructor (see Student Complaint Process)
- Academic disputes between the student and the instructor (see Student Complaint Process)
- Unpreparedness, including lack of prerequisites
- Arrest or incarceration
- Pre-existing medical condition that began prior to the semester being appealed
- Disabilities not officially filed with the Disability Support Services or failure to observe the guidelines provided for academic success
- Suspension or dismissal from the college for academic reasons or disciplinary reasons
- Poor grades
- Non-transferability of a course to another institution
- Miscommunication with advisor/faculty about the mechanics of registering, degree requirements and/or withdrawing from classes (see Student Complaint Process)
- Inaccurate or mistakes in scheduling, including Student Portal activities
Students wishing to appeal the refund policy may do so before the end of the term by submitting a tuition refund appeal form to the business services office. The FVCC Tuition Appeals Committee will then consider the appeal.
Financial Responsibility
Financial Liability
Unless a student officially withdraws from classes before the start of the semester, the student remains responsible for the balance owing on the account. The non-attendance of classes does not release the student from the obligations for the debt.
Students who receive financial aid and then withdraw may be liable for a repayment of funds to the college. They should consult with the FVCC Financial Aid Office before withdrawing.
Students receiving payment from a third party sponsor are responsible for the remaining balance of the account if they withdraw before fulfilling those contractual agreements. Students should check with their sponsor before withdrawing.
Financial Obligations
Students who owe FVCC money cannot register for the succeeding semester, secure transcripts, records, grades, diplomas, or degrees until the obligations are paid or satisfactorily adjusted through the FVCC Business Services Office.
Late Payment Fee
In case of default or delinquency in the payment of all or any part of a scheduled installment, a monthly late charge of $25 will be assessed against each late installment, up to $100.
Late Registration Fee
A $40 late registration fee is charged to each student registering or adding classes after the third week of the semester. For short- and late-starting classes, the fee will be charged if registering after the class has begun.
NSF Check
A $20.00 fee is charged for each non-sufficient fund check written to the college. All NSF checks are turned over to the Flathead County Treasurer for the cost of the check plus the additional fee assessed by the county. Holds are placed on student accounts for NSF checks, and the student cannot register or receive transcripts until this debt is satisfied at the Flathead County Treasurer's office, located in Accounting Department at 290A North Main Street.