- Section 5: Financial Aid
- Financial Aid
- Payment Deadlines and Policies
- Refund Policies
- Student Eligibility Requirements
- Financial Aid Application Process and FAFSA
- Financial Aid Cost of Attendance (COA)
- Financial Aid Deadlines
- Financial Aid Notifications
- Financial Aid Disbursement Process
- Finishing the Program and Repaying the Loans
- Federal Financial Aid Loan Limits
- Loan Default
- State Grant Aid
- Private Education Loans
- Other Considerations for Financial Aid
- Return of Unearned Tuition Assistance Funds
- Veteran Students Tuition and Fees Policy
Payment Deadlines and Policies
Students must either pay tuition and applicable fees or have other financial arrangements in place 2 weeks prior to the start of each term.
Students who intend to receive financial aid but have not completed the loan application or renewal process must pay tuition by the scheduled due date.
Students who anticipate difficulty adhering to these deadlines should contact the bursar’s office immediately.
Students should also see the following policies:
Bursar Hold
After the start of a term, students who have an unpaid balance may have a hold placed on their student financial account.
Bursar hold prevents a student from registering for any future term until the outstanding balance is paid; the hold does not remove a student from classes that are currently in session. If the outstanding balance is not paid, students may be administratively withdrawn from Walden University at the end of the term.
If a student with a financial hold has withdrawn and is seeking readmission to the university, the balance must be satisfied. Once the outstanding balance is paid, the hold will be removed.
Payment methods include the following: Debit cards, credit cards (fee may be applicable), ACH payments, wire transfers and other alternative methods. For checks or ACH payments that are returned for nonpayment, a returned check fee will be assessed. Payment options may include the following: Financial aid for those who qualify, payment plans, and third-party sponsorship, as applicable.
Bankruptcy: Students who have declared bankruptcy and have their accounts placed on hold may not be allowed to register for the next term. To register, payment of tuition and fees may be required before the term start.
For additional information, students can visit the Payment Gateway within the student portal or contact Financial Account Management by phone: 1-877-302-5504(toll free) or 410-637-4447(direct dial) by email: fam@mail.waldenu.edu.
Special Policies
Adding Courses (Course-Based Programs Only)
Students who add courses during the drop/add period must either have sufficient funds on deposit in their account or make payment arrangements with the bursar’s office by the end of the drop/add period.
Federal Aid
Federal aid that may have been offered to students may be adjusted by reducing or reallocating or returning funds to federal programs if disbursement has already occurred.
Final Quarter of Enrollment: All Doctoral Programs Except Psychology and Public Health
Tuition for the final quarter of enrollment for students in KAM-based programs is prorated through the date the final dissertation is approved by the chief academic officer. Students who have not completed all degree and university requirements by the payment due date are required to pay the full tuition for the ensuing quarter. Any credit balance resulting from a prorating of the final quarter of tuition is applied to any outstanding balance, with any residual balance reviewed by Walden’s refund department and processed in accordance with the university’s refund policy.
Final Quarter of Enrollment: Doctoral Programs in Psychology and Public Health or Master’s Programs
Tuition for the final quarter of enrollment is prorated through the date the final dissertation is approved by the chief academic officer. Students who have not completed all degree and university requirements by the payment due date are required to pay the full tuition for the ensuing quarter. Any credit balance resulting from a prorating of the final quarter of tuition is applied to any outstanding balance, with any residual balance reviewed by Walden’s refund department and processed in accordance with the university’s refund policy. Students are required to submit their dissertation to their committee for forwarding to the Form & Style editor by the end of the 7th week of the quarter in which they intend to finish in order to be eligible for a full tuition prorating for the following quarter.
Monthly Payment Plans
Walden University provides students with flexible payment plan options to help make the costs more manageable. The payment plans can be accessed through the Student Financial Portal. A payment plan is not a loan and there is no interest or enrollment fee.
See Paying Your Tuition on the Walden website for more information.
Family Tuition Reduction
Students who are the spouse, parent, or child of an enrolled Walden University student and start classes in 2021 save 25% on tuition over the lifetime of their degree program. This reduction may not be combined with other tuition reductions.
Tuition Reduction Benefits
Certain tuition reduction benefits cannot be combined with any other tuition reductions or limited-time offers. Eligibility is based on the degree program and start date.
Students will forfeit any scholarship or tuition reduction they receive if they withdraw from the university or change to another program that is not eligible for the scholarship or tuition reduction.
Students could forfeit a portion of their scholarship or tuition reduction if they take a leave of absence. Students are advised to review disclaimers for all tuition reductions and limited time offers.
Tuition reductions and limited-time offers cannot be retroactively applied.
Discount Policy Changes
Please note the following discount policy changes for:
- Students who are starting a new program on August 28, 2023, or later.
- Students who have been inactive for more than a year and need to go through the enrollment process again and start on August 28, 2023, or later.
- Continuing students who change their program to one starting on August 28, 2023, or later.
If your academic program and start date allow for Walden awarded tuition discounts to be combined; Flat-rate tuition reductions like first course free, grant disbursements and scholarship disbursements will reduce tuition first, followed by percentage tuition reductions by value (highest to lowest). This does not apply to the program fee.