Guaranteed Mandatory Fees for Graduate Students - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

Index

What are Guaranteed Mandatory Fees (GMF)?

As set by the Arizona Board of Regents, Guaranteed Mandatory Fees graduate students with a fixed rate of mandatory fees for four (4) years (Summer and Winter semesters excluded). Degree-seeking and certificate students will remain at the GMF rate for four (4) years or until completion or discontinuation of the degree/certificate whichever occurs first. Tuition is not included in the GMF guarantee.

Who qualifies for Guaranteed Mandatory Fees?

Graduate students who were enrolled in a main campus or south campus graduate degree or certificate program in Spring 2017 or Summer 2017 will not be subject to the mandatory fee increase for Fall 2017. Incoming graduate students who enter a main campus or south-campus degree program in later semesters will pay the mandatory fee rate set by the Arizona Board of Regents for the academic year in which the student is admitted. Students will remain at that GMF rate for four (4) years or until completion of the degree/certificate or the student discontinues their enrollment, whichever occurs first.

Do I have to sign up for Guaranteed Mandatory Fees if I am an incoming student?

No, there is no special sign-up. Qualified graduate students are automatically enrolled for GMF.

What if I need more than four (4) years to complete my degree?

Graduate degree seeking or certificate students needing more than four (4) years to complete their degree would pay the Non-GMF rate beginning in their fifth (5th) year and any new mandatory fee increases for future years.

What if I am enrolled part-time as a graduate degree seeking or certificate student?

Students who enroll as part-time, graduate degree-seeking or certificate students pay a pro-rated per-credit rate based on the GMF rate. Students receive four (4) years of consecutive regular semesters (Fall/Spring) at the GMF rate, whether they are part-time or full-time provided they do not complete their degree or discontinue their enrollment.

What if I am a non-degree seeking student?

Graduate students registered as non-degree seeking will pay the Non-GMF rate established for that current year and any new mandatory fee increases for future years.

Do Guaranteed Mandatory Fees apply to classes in the Summer or Winter sessions?

No. GMF rates only apply to regular semesters (Fall/Spring). If students choose to take classes in Summer or Winter sessions, they will pay the per-credit rate approved for that session by the University of Arizona and Arizona Board of Regents.

Does the GMF cover Program Fees or Special Course Fees?

No, the GMF only guarantees that the type of fee known as a “mandatory fee" will not change. "Mandatory fees" are institution-wide fees, all graduate students pay them. Fees that apply only to a specific program or a specific class are not guaranteed under the GMF.

I am an international student. Does the Guaranteed Mandatory Fees rate apply to me?

International, graduate degree-seeking or certificate students participate in GMF in the same manner as all other UA graduate students.

What if I need to take off one or more regular semesters (Fall or Spring) for any reason?

Graduate degree-seeking or certificate students should complete an approved Leave of Absence request. Semesters on leave count as part of the four (4) years of GMF. Students who fail to complete an approved Leave of Absence will ordinarily need to reapply for their degree program. When students apply for readmission, they will be re-evaluated and assessed the prevailing GMF rate in effect at the time of their return to the UA. They will have four (4) years at this new rate provided they do not complete their degree or discontinue their enrollment.

What if I have been academically disqualified but am readmitted to the UA?

Graduate or certificate students who are academically disqualified, and re-enter a new degree program, will start with the GMF rate in effect at the time of their return to the UA. They will have four (4) years at this rate until they complete their degree or discontinue their enrollment.

What if I need to withdraw from all my courses for a semester?

Graduate or certificate students who officially withdraw from all of their UA regular semester (Fall/Spring) courses can retain their original GMF rate if they re-enroll the next regular semester (Fall/Spring); however, the semester they withdrew from counts against their four (4) years at that GMF rate.

What Guaranteed Mandatory Fee Rate will I pay if I am a currently-enrolled undergraduate student who has been accepted into a graduate degree program at the UA?

While enrolled as an undergraduate, students pay the Guaranteed Tuition Program rate in place at the time of their undergraduate admission. Once students are admitted to a graduate degree or graduate certificate program, they pay the GMF rate in place at the time of acceptance. Undergraduate students in Accelerated Masters Programs, receive the benefit of the undergraduate Guaranteed Tuition Program until they graduate from their undergraduate program, and then will be moved into the GMF when they become graduate students. Students will remain at the GMF rate for four (4) years or until degree/certificate completion or discontinuation, whichever occurs first.

What if I need to defer enrollment after I have been admitted?

Graduate degree-seeking or certificate students will be assigned the GMF rate in effect for the admit term. Should they defer admission, deferred semesters count as part of the four (4) years.

What if I change my campus?

Upon completion of an approved campus change into a campus that does not participate in the GMF rate, the student will pay the prevailing rate for tuition and mandatory fees associated with the campus or program they changed into, including any new mandatory fee increases for future years.

Upon completion of an approved campus change into a campus that participates in the GMF rate, the student will pay the GMF rate associated with the term to which they were originally admitted. Any semester when the student was associated with a campus that does not have the GMF rate will count toward the four (4) year limit.

What if I begin a degree program and then decide to change to a different program?

If a student discontinues one program and is admitted to another, the GMF rate associated with the original program will be discontinued and the student will pay the GMF rate in effect at the time of admission to the new program. They will have four (4) years at the rate associated with the new program until they complete their degree or discontinue enrollment.

What if I begin a degree program or certificate and then add another degree program or certificate at a later date?

The GMF rate active at the time of admission to the earliest program will remain in effect for four (4) years provided the student does not complete their degree or discontinue their enrollment in that program. When the student completes or discontinues the program associated with the oldest GMF rate, the GMF rate for the current academic year will be assigned. That rate will remain in effect for four (4) years provided the student does not complete their degree or discontinue their enrollment in that program.


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