Tuition and Fees

When estimating your cost of attendance, take into account both direct and indirect charges. Guilford provides students the following information to assist in making informed decisions about their future and provides a baseline from which they may begin to budget, plan, and prepare. Always borrow conservatively.

Direct costs are billed to your student account and include tuition, on-campus housing, food, and any applicable fees like the student activity fee or College fee.

Indirect costs are additional expenses you need to consider that are not charged to you by the College. These costs of living include books, supplies, personal expenses, transportation, and off-campus housing, if applicable.

Please note: The above figures are estimates for enrollment for fall and spring and may not reflect actual charges from Guilford. 

Subject to the approval of their adviser, students may add or drop courses during the first week of classes. For students reducing their course load to fewer than 12 credit hours through the last day to drop classes without a grade, their account will be adjusted such that they will be billed per credit hour. If this credit-hour reduction results in the student no longer being eligible for financial aid requiring half-time or full-time enrollment for the term, the applicable financial aid will be reduced or canceled in accordance with state and/or federal requirements. However, no adjustment of charges will be made after the last day to drop classes without a grade. Adjustments are determined based on the date the withdrawal/drop form is received by the Office of Registrar and Student Accounts, where all course changes must also be completed.

Students who completely withdraw from the College may be eligible to receive a partial refund of tuition and room and board. All refunds are paid to the student. If the withdrawal results in the student no longer being eligible for financial aid requiring half-time or full-time enrollment for the term, the applicable financial aid will be reduced or canceled in accordance with state and/or federal requirements. A refund schedule for complete withdrawal may be obtained from the Office of Registrar and Student Accounts. Withdrawal petition forms must be completed via the Withdrawal/ Leave of Absence form. A request to the Office of Registrar and Student Accounts for a transcript of credits is not considered a notice of withdrawal from the College and is also not considered a cancellation of room and/or board reservations.

• Deposit: $250 non-refundable payment required of all new students prior to their enrollment.
• Orientation Fee: one-time charge for all first-year and transfer students to provide funding for Guilford orientation, alcohol education, meals and small group sessions.
• Student Activity Fee: charged to all students to fund the student organizations, events, and programs in which all students may participate or from which they receive benefits.
• Returned Check Charge: Returned checks are re-deposited one time unless we are notified otherwise. A handling fee will be charged to the student’s account each time a check is returned due to insufficient funds or for other reasons. This policy applies to all checks written to Guilford College.
• Room and Board: Guilford College is primarily a residential campus and students under the age of 23 are required to live on campus and carry an on-campus meal plan. Students may petition to be released from the residential requirement if they feel they meet certain criteria, such as living locally with a parent/guardian. Students who are not approved for an off-campus release and have also not registered for on-campus housing, will still incur on-campus housing and meal plan fees and are required to pay all related charges. 

• Follett ACCESS Book Fee: The Follett Book fee is the complete charge for your online and physical books and materials for one semester. Materials will be available on the first day of classes through the Campus Bookstore. The fee will be determined in the summer prior to the academic year and communicated to students.

  Students may opt out of this fee and must do so by the semester's add/drop day. Students who opt out are responsible for obtaining their books and materials by the first day of class.  Opt out instructions will be emailed to your Guilford email address after the fall billing statements are released.

Semester Installment 

Billing activity is available for deposited students in TouchNet beginning in July. You can submit payment directly to the Student Accounts Office or make an online payment through your TouchNet account by the appropriate due date. No paper statements are sent to students. It is important to review your TouchNet account often to see any changes.

529 Education Savings Plan

Your 529 savings plan can be used to cover qualifying education expenses. We recommend that you speak with your plan administrator to review qualifying education expenses and to learn how to request a withdrawal from the plan to cover college costs.

Tuition Payment Plan

Guilford College has teamed up with TouchNet to offer families a way to pay installments that are more manageable. This plan accrues no interest, only charging a small fee at the time of enrollment. You can create your TouchNet account online.

Federal Direct Student Loan

Students who file a FAFSA can borrow through this fixed rate federal loan program. A first-year student can borrow up to $5,500 to cover college expenses (reflected on your financial aid award letter). The federal government does withhold a small origination fee at the time of disbursement. In order to confirm acceptance of the loan, the student must “Accept” the loan in BannerWeb. The student must also complete an Entrance Counseling session, complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement, and submit an online Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov. Use your assigned FSA ID to log into this website. Students must file a FAFSA every year to take advantage of this fixed rate federal loan. You can learn more about the federal loans online.

Federal PLUS Loan

This is a federal loan that biological parents or a step-parent who is listed on the FAFSA can apply for in order to cover college costs. The student must have a FAFSA on file in order for a parent to borrow a PLUS loan. PLUS loans offer a fixed interest rate but do assess an origination fee. The U.S. Department of Education is the lender. You can learn more and apply for a PLUS loan after May 1, 2021, at www.studentaid.gov. The parent who is borrowing will log into the site using their assigned FSA ID, which is the same FSA ID used by the parent to sign the FAFSA.  

Private Education Loan

A student or parent may choose to apply for an education loan through a lender of their choice. To aid students in choosing the best private loan option available, Guilford College has teamed up with Credible and ELM Select, private loan comparison tools. The Office of Financial Aid recommends utilizing the maximum federal loans before turning to private loans. Private education loans in the student name will require a credit worthy cosigner. Download additional information on PLUS and Private Loans.