Information for Students and Parents about the
Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program
Overview
Beginning with the 2008-2009 academic year, House Bill 3397 passed by the Oklahoma Legislature requires that a new student be
given the opportunity to choose to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program. A first time full-time undergraduate
student who is a resident of Oklahoma can now choose to pay a guaranteed* tuition rate based
on the projected average for the next four (4) years or at the annual rate charged each year. The resident tuition undergraduate
guaranteed rate for Summer 2009, Fall 2009, Spring 2010, and Summer 2010 is $135.55 per credit hour. The annual resident
tuition undergraduate rate for the aforementioned semesters is $117.90 per credit hour.
* The guaranteed rate is contingent upon meeting all eligibility criteria.
Important Considerations Regarding Eligibility for the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program
The following facts and eligibility criteria are listed to help students and parents make informed decisions:
- All direct from high school Oklahoma residents enrolling for the first time as full-time undergraduate students are eligible to choose the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program.
- A student may choose to participate or not participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program.
- A student may receive the guaranteed resident tuition rate for undergraduate coursework for four years. Students who are pursuing a degree program that is designed to be completed in five years (as defined by the institution) may receive the guaranteed tuition rate for five years.
- A student participating in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program must maintain full-time continuous enrollment (in fall and spring semesters) for the entire length of their undergraduate program. A student may take less than full-time coursework during summer semesters and still retain eligibility for the guaranteed tuition rate.
- If a participating student takes longer than the normal completion period of four (4) or five (5) years (for a 5 year program) to complete their degree program, the student will pay the annual resident tuition rate for the remaining enrollment periods.
- Designated five-year undergraduate programs include Architecture (Bachelor of Architecture), English – Literary and Cultural Studies (Accelerated), English – Writing (Accelerated), Mathematics and Biostatistics (Accelerated), Accounting (Bachelor of Business Administration/Master of Accountancy – Accelerated), and Industrial Engineering/Business Administration (Bachelor of Science/Master of Business Administration – Accelerated)
- If a student completes a fall or spring semester with fewer than 12 hours (less than full-time status) or withdraws from OU in any fall or spring semesters for any reason, the student is automatically ineligible to return to the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program and will begin to pay the annual resident tuition rate for the following enrollment periods.
- If a participating student is a member of the US Armed Forces and is ordered by the proper authorities to active or inactive duty or service and is required to withdraw from OU for military or national defense emergencies, upon reentering, the student will pay the original rate guaranteed when they chose the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program.
- A participating student may change majors within OU and retain eligibility for the guaranteed tuition rate.
- If a participating student transfers to another Oklahoma higher education institution (including the OU Health Sciences Center (OKC) and the OU Schusterman Campus (Tulsa)), the student shall be charged the same resident tuition rate as other students enrolling for the first time at that institution.
- The Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program may not be elected by a student concurrently enrolled in high school and college courses or a student who is taking only Independent Study correspondence courses.
- The Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program applies to undergraduate resident level tuition only and does not apply to graduate tuition rates (5000 level or higher coursework) even if those courses are required or eligible to apply to undergraduate degree programs.
- The Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program will only be financially beneficial if tuition increases at more than a 9.4% rate for four-year degree plans or 6.25% rate for five-year degree plans. Over the past four academic years, the resident undergraduate tuition rate increase has averaged 7.3%.
- A student electing to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program will not be eligible for any refunds associated with rate differences between the guaranteed tuition rate and the annual tuition rate even if eligibility is forfeited or if the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program costs the participants more than the annual rate charges would have cost.
- Please note that full resident tuition waivers (e.g. National Merit Scholarships) cover tuition at the annual rate only. If a student elects the guaranteed tuition rate and is receiving a full tuition waiver scholarship, the student will be responsible for paying the difference which is above the annual rate.
- Please note that any tuition waivers provided as part of the Sooner Promise award will only apply to the annual tuition rate, not the guaranteed tuition rate. However, the State Regents have indicated that OHLAP funding will be based upon either the guaranteed rate or the annual rate. Therefore, a Sooner Promise student will receive OHLAP in the actual amount of tuition plus the funding toward mandatory fees and books that is part of the original Sooner Promise commitment. Based upon these policies, a Sooner Promise/OHLAP student should not have any change in out-of-pocket expenses as a result of participation or non-participation in this program.
- Please note that Athletic Scholarships are calculated on the basis of the annual tuition rate, not the guaranteed tuition rate. If a student receiving an athletic scholarship elects the guaranteed tuition rate, the student will be responsible for paying the difference which is above the annual tuition rate.
Remember the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program is applicable to undergraduate resident tuition only and does not cover mandatory fees, college enrichment or technology fees, course specific fees or any additional costs incurred by the student for enrollment. Once a student decides to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program and forfeits or loses eligibility to participate, future participation in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program will not be allowed.
For a historical comparison for resident undergraduate tuition rates per credit hour go to www.bursar.ou.edu/historicalrates. The guaranteed tuition rate is more expensive at the beginning but the cost will remain the same during the normal completion period of the degree program (4 or 5 years), while the annual rate may increase over the course of multiple years, but cannot easily be predicted.
Electing to Participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program
A first-time, full-time Oklahoma resident student may elect to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program at OU by logging in to the opt-in site or at the initial time of enrollment for courses.
If a student chooses to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program and decides to cancel, the cancellation must be made at least two weeks prior to the first day of classes of that term. After the deadline, a student who has elected to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program will be required to pay the guaranteed undergraduate resident tuition rate for one semester and no refunds will be issued.
A student who wishes to pay the annual rate of resident tuition and not participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program is not required to contact OU.
Contact Us
If you have any questions please call the Office of the Bursar at 405-325-3121 or the Office of Enrollment Services at 405-325-3572.
President Boren's Letter For more Questions & Answers, go to Ask the Sooners
An OU student must log-in with the OU assigned User Name (4+4) and password, read the Memorandum of Understanding, and submit if the student chooses to participate in the Guaranteed Tuition Rate Program.
Note: If you are not at least 18 years of age as of today, please contact the Office of the Bursar, 405-325-3121 for a different opt-in process.