Tuition, Fee, & Payment Policies

Credit Class Tuition & Fees

Current tuition and fee rates, along with explanations of fees can be found on the tuition page.

Community Education Class Tuition & Fees

Tuition and fees for community education classes are specific to each class and are listed with the class wherever they are registered for (CourseStorm, VESi, etc.). Tuition and fees must be paid at the time of registration.

Discounts and Waivers

Discounts for District Residents, age 65+

District residents of Hood River or Wasco Counties 65 years or older are eligible to receive a 50 percent tuition discount on both credit and community education classes on a seat-available basis. Check the course description for eligibility since some classes may not allow tuition discounts. Discounts do not apply to full classes or to class fees. Enrolled students will be notified if the class is full and the tuition discount will not apply. Request a discount at the time of payment or by calling the Business Office at (541) 506-6057.

Oregon Senior Option

Oregon residents 65 years old or older at the beginning of the term in which the course is offered are eligible for a 100% tuition discount to audit a course if the following conditions are met:

  • Students will complete a Senior Option Tuition Waiver and a Grade Mode form requesting an audit, with instructor signature. The form must be returned to Student Services.
  • Senior Option enrollment will be on or after the first day of term.
  • The course must be a lower-division collegiate course.
  • Senior Option students will not displace paying students.
  • The maximum costs to be covered by an approved tuition waiver each term is the cost of 8 credits.
  • All course fees are to be paid by the student.

Tuition Waiver for Dependents of Fallen and Disabled Service Members

Columbia Gorge Community College will provide free tuition to the dependents (spouse and children, as identified by DD Form 93) of fallen and 100% disabled (Medicare standard) United States service member personnel who died or were disabled while in combat or combat support organizations.

The purpose of this waiver is to allow the dependents of fallen and 100% disabled service members the opportunity to earn their first associate degree. Therefore, the waiver is offered for up to 135 credits or a degree (whichever comes first). The waiver offer will end when the child is 23, or 23 years after the death of the service member for the spouse. The waiver is for tuition only and does not cover books, fees, or other expenses. This tuition waiver is limited to space available.

38 U.S.C. 3679(c) Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014

The following individuals shall be charged a rate of tuition not to exceed the in-state rate for tuition and fees purposes:

A Veteran using educational assistance under either chapter 30 (Montgomery G.I. Bill® – Active Duty Program) or chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®), of title 38, United States Code, who lives in Oregon while attending a school located in Oregon (regardless of his/ her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Oregon while attending a school located in Oregon (regardless of his/her formal State of residence) and enrolls in the school within three years of the transferor’s discharge or release from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more.

Anyone described above while he or she remains continuously enrolled (other than during regularly scheduled breaks between courses, semesters, or terms) at the same school. The person so described must have enrolled in the school prior to the expiration of the three-year period following discharge or release as described above and must be using educational benefits under either chapter 30 or chapter 33, of title 38, United States Code.

Anyone using benefits under the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (38 U.S.C. § 3311(b)(9)) who lives in Oregon while attending a school located in Oregon (regardless of his/her formal State of residence).

Anyone using transferred Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® benefits (38 U.S.C. § 3319) who lives in Oregon while attending a school located in Oregon (regardless of his/her formal state of residence) and the transferor is a member of the uniformed service who is serving on active duty.

The policy shall be read to be amended as necessary to be compliant with the requirements of 38 U.S.C. 3679(c) as amended.

Title 38 United States Code Section 3679(e) School Compliance

CGCC permits any covered individual to attend or participate in the course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the individual provides to the educational institution a certificate of eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 (a “certificate of eligibility” can also include a “Statement of Benefits” obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) website – eBenefits, or a VAF 28-1905 form for chapter 31 authorization purposes) and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

  1. The date on which payment from VA is made to the institution.
  2. 90 days after the date the institution certified tuition and fees following the receipt of the certificate of eligibility.

CGCC 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 funding from VA under chapters 31 or 33.

NOTE: A Covered Individual is any individual who is entitled to educational assistance under chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment, or chapter 33 (Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®) benefits.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government Web site at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Charges, Drop Deadlines, & Refunds

Charges

Charges are applied to a student’s account when the student registers for a class. All of the tuition charges associated with a class will be removed if the student officially drops within the refund period. Some fees are non-refundable. No charges will be removed if the student drops after the drop deadline.

Drop Deadlines For Credit Classes

Credit classes must be dropped online, through the student account system. If a credit class is not dropped within the drop period, it will result in a “W” grade on the transcript, indicating a withdrawal, and no charges will be refunded. Drop deadlines are listed in the quarterly Class Schedule.

Drop Deadlines For Community Education Classes

Non-Credit classes may be dropped in person at Student Services or over the phone with a Student Services representative. Students must drop prior to the first class meeting to qualify for refund. Students may be dropped for non-payment. 

Refund Requests Within the Drop Period

The Business Office automatically issues refunds to students who drop within the drop period. The refund process is as follows:

  • Refunds from tuition and fees are first applied to outstanding charges on the student’s account. If the student receives financial aid and opted to charge books on his/her account, this will also be deducted prior to any refund.
  • If the credit is the result of a payment by check or cash, a check is issued in the student’s name.
  • If the credit is the result of a bank card payment, the refund will be applied to the original bank card.
  • Refunds resulting from check overpayment are held two weeks from the date of the original payment.

Refund Requests After the Drop Period

If an extreme hardship prevented the student from completing a course, and the student could not drop during the refund period, he or she may request to have tuition charges removed from his or her account. Fees, especially any non-refundable fees, may not be refunded. A Tuition Appeal form for requesting a refund can be obtained from Student Services. Students submitting a Tuition Appeal form will be asked to provide documentation of circumstances to support their claim. The petition and all accompanying documentation must be received by the filing deadline to be considered. Please see the form for more details.

Payments

Payment Due Dates

For credit classes, full payment or college-approved financial arrangements must be in place by the first Friday of the term. For students who enroll after that date, payment is due upon registration. Students who have financial arrangements that will not cover the full term charges must pay the difference by the due date.

For community education (non-credit) classes, full payment is due at the time of registration.

Past Due Accounts

Past due accounts are assessed a late payment penalty of 10 percent of the account balance, up to $75. Holds are placed on past due accounts, restricting future registration and transcripts. Past due accounts are referred to the Oregon Department of Revenue or other outside agency, and may be subject to additional collection charges, attorney fees and credit impairment. If a student’s account is repeatedly past due or has been in collections, the college may require the student to pay future registration fees immediately upon enrollment. The college reserves the right to institutionally withdraw a student if his or her account becomes past due or has an unpaid balance from a prior term.

Payment Responsibilities

Each student is responsible for full payment of all charges on his or her account by the payment due date, even if the account balance is being paid by another party. The student is responsible for keeping CGCC informed of any address or telephone number changes. Even if the student is under 18 years of age, he or she will be held liable for any charges on his or her account under ORS 348.105. When a student registers for a class, he or she is liable for payment of the charges on that class, whether or not the student attends. To have the charges removed, the student must personally drop the class by the drop deadline through the online student account system (MyCGCC).

For Community Education classes, payment is due upon registration. Students who fail to pay for community education classes upon registration will be automatically dropped.

Tuition Payment Installment Plan

The installment plan allows the student to pay half of his or her tuition and fees by the first Friday of the term, and defer the balance until the sixth Friday of the term. To qualify for the installment plan, the student must meet all of the following requirements: provide his or her valid social security number, have a satisfactory payment history, and have a zero account balance.

CGCC may deny or rescind an installment plan account if the student misses the required payment due dates, provides inaccurate or incomplete information, has a poor credit history with the college, or does not meet eligibility requirements.

Paying with Financial Aid

Financial aid awards will be posted to the student’s account once all requirements have been met. Students whose award exceeds their account balance will receive a refund check by mail for the difference. If the financial aid award is not enough to cover all term charges, the student must pay the difference by the first Friday of the term. Even if the student’s aid is delayed, payment must be received by this date. Any excess payment will be refunded after the funds have posted to the student’s account.

Agency or Employer Billing

Arrangements for payment by an agency or company must be approved by the college before the term starts. Once arrangements have been made, the student must take his or her payment authorization to the Business Office, or fax it to (541) 506-6052 before the term begins. The student is responsible to ensure that a payment authorization is on file by the payment due date, and for payment of any unpaid charges and late payment penalties.

Scholarship Payments

CGCC Foundation scholarship awards, and scholarship checks from private donors, service clubs, or schools are posted to student accounts. The student is responsible for charges that exceed his or her award.

Paying with Veterans Benefits

CGCC is committed to helping veterans and their dependents use their VA educational benefits to support their college expenses. We recognize the sacrifice of those who have served in the United States Armed Forces, and we are honored to assist our veteran and veteran-dependent students in utilizing their benefits to their best advantage. We are dedicated to providing students with effective access to any VA educational benefits they may be entitled to. 

Students using any type of Federal Veterans Administration (VA) Education Benefit are required to have all prior credit history evaluated. It is the student’s responsibility to request official transcripts from all previous colleges and submit them to Student Services. A student’s first term of VA benefits may be certified while waiting for transcript evaluation, however no subsequent terms will be certified for VA Benefits until transfer credit evaluation is complete. All credits will be evaluated and transferred according to the policies stated in this catalog.

Educational Tax Credits, Deductions and Savings Plans

A variety of tax credits, deductions and savings plans are available to taxpayers to assist with the expense of higher education.

  • A tax credit reduces the amount of income tax you may have to pay.
  • A deduction reduces the amount of your income that is subject to tax, thus generally reducing the amount of tax you may have to pay.
  • Certain savings plans allow the accumulated interest to grow tax-free until money is taken out (known as a distribution), or allow the distribution to be tax-free, or both.
  • An exclusion from income means that you won’t have to pay income tax on the benefit you’re receiving, but you also won’t be able to use that same tax-free benefit for a deduction or credit

Education credits are claimed on Form 8863, Education Credits (Hope and Lifetime Learning Credits). For details on these and other education-related tax breaks, see IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits of Education.