Fees
Fees are established by action of the NC legislative, the NCCCS State Board, and/or the MCC Board of Trustees in accordance with state laws outlined in the North Carolina Administrative Code. All campus students, with the exception of Career & College Promise (CCP) and Montgomery County Early College (MCEC) students, will be assessed the required student activity fee, insurance fees, parking fees, technology fees, and relevant class and/or lab fees. Montgomery County Schools may pay or assist with the cost of textbooks and fees. In the event textbooks are not provided, it is the student’s responsibility to purchase their own textbook and supplies for their class.
Fees for incarcerated students are waived as stipulated by law.
Student Fees
Curriculum students pay an activity fee each term of enrollment. The charges per term are as follows: Fall – $30; Spring – $30; Summer – $5. This activity fee is budgeted by the Student Ambassadors and the Student Government Association. The fee is used for special activities and other student-oriented activities and events.
Textbook and Supplies
Textbooks are available through the college’s virtual bookstore [Direct link: https://bncvirtual.com/vb_home.php?FVCUSNO=2358&url=Montgomerycc.htm]. Depending on the program of study, students may be required to purchase textbooks and materials. Some programs require the student to purchase uniforms, tools, and/or supplies in addition to textbooks. These additional costs vary according to the program in which the student is enrolled. A list of required/needed items with approximate costs can be provided by the department of interest. Purchase is directly related to the Policy 4.2.1 – Intellectual Property.
Intellectual Property
The College acknowledges the ownership rights associated with intellectual property and requires students and employees to adhere to all applicable state and federal laws. Intellectual property may be defined as any intellectual or creative works that can be copyrighted, trademarked or patented. Such works may include but are not limited to literary, musical, dramatic or artistic works, computer software, multimedia presentations, brand marks or inventions.
The College recognizes an academic exception to the works made for hire doctrine. Unless otherwise determined by the College prior to the creation of the Work, it is the College’s policy that employees own and retain the copyright, and all rights incidental to that ownership, to works created for traditional academic purposes regardless of any use of College resources used in making the work. This exception applies only to works that may be legally registered in the United States Copyright Office, including but not limited to, textbooks, scholarly monographs, trade publications, maps, charts, articles, novels, nonfiction works, supporting materials, artistic works, syllabi, lecture notes, educational software and multimedia. Employees, however, may not use College resources to commercialize or publish a work without written approval from College administration. For any creative work that falls under this exception, the employee grants and the College retains a perpetual, royalty-free, non- exclusive right to use the work for educational, research and marketing purposes.
This exception does not apply to trademarks, inventions or patent ownership.
Except as stated herein, the College recognizes that students retain ownership of intellectual property submitted in fulfillment of academic requirements. By enrolling in the College, the student gives the College a perpetual, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to mark, modify, and use, any work as may be required by the process of instruction, or for other educational, research or marketing purposes.
This section does not apply to class or lab notes created by a student.
The College shall retain the ownership of all patentable inventions created by a student in fulfillment of academic requirements under the following conditions: the development of the invention involved substantial use of College resources, including use of facilities, time, and/or other resources.
In support of its mission, the College, an employee or a student may voluntarily enter into other agreements for ownership of intellectual property or the sharing of royalties. In these instances, the written agreement is controlling, not this policy.
In the case of a work created under the provisions of a grant, the terms of the grant will determine the ownership and all rights incidental to the ownership of the property created, not this policy.
All revenue derived by the College from the creation and production of intellectual property shall be used for educational and research purposes that directly support the College’s mission.
The College recognizes that the “works made for hire doctrine” applies to College employees. Under this doctrine and this policy, a work made for hire is defined as a work prepared by any employee within the scope of his or her employment. Other works created under the terms of an agreement between the College and a creator may also be deemed works made for hire under that agreement. Works made for hire include any materials that may receive protection under federal patent, copyright, or trademark law. The College retains its ownership of works made for hire and all rights incidental to that ownership except as stated below. This policy does not include independent works by employees that were not created within the scope of employment and without College support.
A. Prior to creating works using College resources, employees and students should direct intellectual property ownership questions to the appropriate Vice President.
B. Employees. If issues related to ownership of intellectual property arise and cannot be resolved informally, College employees may seek resolution through Policy 3.3.8 – Employee Grievance Policy. Prior to initiating litigation, both parties will participate in voluntary mediation before a neutral third-party mediator and will equally share the cost of such mediation.
C. Students. If issues related to ownership of intellectual property arise and cannot be resolved informally, College students may seek resolution through Policy 5.3.6 – Student Grievance Policy. Prior to initiating litigation, both parties will participate in voluntary mediation before a neutral third-party mediator and will equally share the cost of such mediation.
Tuition
Tuition rates for in-state and out-out-state residents are set by the North Carolina General Assembly and are subject to change by that entity without notice. For more information on tuition and fees, see Policy 6.1.1 [Direct link: https://montgomerycommunitycollege.diligent.community/home/policies/policydoc/3d89f840-7360-4933-bd63-028118ea4041].
Tuition for full-time in-state students carrying 16 or more semester hours credit is $1216 ($76 per credit hour). Tuition for full-time out-of-state students carrying 16 or more semester hours credit is $4288 ($268 per credit hour).
Community college students desiring to enroll in two or more colleges without paying additional tuition must provide a letter from the home college stating enrollment and tuition status as outlined in 1E SBCCC 300.1.
Senior citizens who are at least 65 years old may audit courses without payment of tuition on a space available basis. The individual must provide the MCC Enrollment Office with proof of age through a driver’s license, State identification card, or other government-issued document. The tuition exemption does not apply to courses operating on a self-supporting basis. An audit student does not receive credit for the course. An audit student is not required to take examinations; otherwise, participation and attendance in class is the same as that of a credit student. Senior citizens taking courses on an audit basis will be charged student fees and any class/lab fees required for the course and must meet any prerequisite requirements of the course. For more information regarding auditing courses, see Policy 5.2.3 [Direct link: https://montgomerycommunitycollege.diligent.community/home/policies/policydoc/aaff8d90-2a71-43de-8c28-65715b581efa].
All curriculum students are classified as either in-state or out-of-state residents for tuition purposes. A legal resident of North Carolina is one who has established residence in this state; the definition of a resident for tuition purposes is set by North Carolina law (G.S. 116-143.1) [Direct link: https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/pdf/bysection/chapter_116/gs_116-143.1.pdf]. Students should know their residency status for tuition purposes and should understand the regulations governing residency status.
Residency for tuition purposes is determined by the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS), which serves as the single authority for determining student residency classification for tuition purposes at all public colleges and universities in the state. Before completing the college’s online admission application through CFNC, all applicants are required to complete documentation for the RDS. RDS decisions on residency status include, but are not limited to, initial classifications, re-classifications, and appeals. The burden remains on the student to prove residency status and to initiate and complete the process of changing residency status. Students who wish to apply for a change of residency classification must do so through the NC RDS at www.ncresidency.org. For more information on Tuition Residency Requirements, see Policy 6.1.2 [Direct link: https://montgomerycommunitycollege.diligent.community/home/policies/policydoc/b7318a5d-e221-430f-ad7a-8c78f17e6e53]
If a student withdraws or drops a class, tuition refunds may be granted. Requests for tuition refunds must be made to Student Services. For additional information pertaining to the MCC Tuition and Fee Refunds Policy, see Policy 6.1.4 [Direct link: https://montgomerycommunitycollege.diligent.community/home/policies/policydoc/fb298670-419b-4a38-ae0b-ba013925c6d4].
A tuition refund shall be made only under the following circumstances:
A 100% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the college prior to the first day of the academic period as noted on the academic calendar. A 100% refund will also be issued if the college cancels the course section in which the student is registered. A 75% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws or is withdrawn from the course section(s) prior to or on the official 10% point of the term.
For off-cycle course sections that start at times other than the beginning of the term, a 100% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws from the course section prior to the first class meeting. A 75% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws from the course section prior to or on the 10% point of the course section.
For contact hour classes, a 100% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the college prior to the first day of the contact hour course section. A 75% refund shall be made if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the college prior to or on the 10th calendar day after the start of the course section.
In addition, beginning with the first day of the term, students wishing to drop and add classes must do so at the same time or incur a 25% penalty.
To comply with applicable federal regulations regarding refunds, federal regulations shall supersede the state refund regulations stated in this rule.
Where a student, having paid the required tuition for a term, dies during that term (prior to or on the last day of examinations of the college the student was attending), all tuition and fees for that term may be refunded to the estate of the deceased upon the College becoming aware of the student’s death.
The college shall follow the described in Item (1) above for classes which the college collects receipts that are not required to be deposited in the State Treasury account.
All optional fees (lab fee, activity fee, technology fee or other fees as approved by the MCC Board of Trustees) will be refunded only in the event of a 100% withdrawal by the student prior to the beginning of the semester/term or in the event that a student’s class is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
All student refunds shall be disbursed within two weeks from receipt in the Business Office.
Upon request of the student, MCC shall grant a full refund of tuition and fees to military reserve and National Guard personnel called to active duty or active-duty personnel who have received temporary or permanent reassignments as a result of military operations then taking place outside the state of North Carolina that make it impossible for them to complete their course requirements. The College shall, to the extent possible, buy back textbooks through the College’s bookstore operations. Under the guidance of faculty and administrative staff, MCC shall use distance learning technologies and other educational methodologies to help these students complete their course requirements.
The Federal Refund Policy applies to all students receiving federal financial aid funds including those who qualify for the state refund policy mentioned above. This policy requires the school to determine the amount of Title IV aid a student has earned. The earned amount is determined by calculating the number of class days prior to the date of withdrawal. The unearned portion must be returned. This may require repayment by the student of all or part of any federal money received by the student. Refunds will be allocated, by law, according to the following order: (1) Federal Pell grant; (2) Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG); (3) other assistance under this Title for which a return of funds is required. Students may obtain further information regarding Title IV refund policies and refund calculations from the Financial Aid Office.
All financial aid awards at Montgomery Community College are dependent upon available funding. The primary purpose of student aid is to provide financial resources to students who have been deemed unable to cover the entire expense of a post-secondary education. Such need-based aid is available in the form of grants and scholarships: Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), federal work study programs (FWS), NEXT NC Scholarship, Targeted Assistance funds, and state and institutional scholarships.
To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). These forms are available in the Student Services Division at the College and on the internet at www.studentaid.gov or on the College’s website at https://www.montgomery.edu/paying-for-college/. This federal application for aid considers a student’s household income and the number of household family members in determining a student’s financial need.
The FAFSA application is the only application a student needs to complete to be considered for Pell, FSEOG, FWS, NCNBG, Targeted Assistance funds and MCC Scholarships. When completing the application, students should place MCC’s federal school code (008087) under the school information section on the FAFSA. Once the FAFSA is completed and submitted to the U.S. Department of Education, the results are forwarded to both the College and the student. The financial aid staff will contact students to discuss the results of their application.
MCC also receives limited funds from the North Carolina State Child Care Grant. Financial assistance for childcare services may be available to applicants who meet certain federal guidelines. The amount of childcare assistance awarded is dependent upon available funding.
All students receiving federal and/or state aid must meet all eligibility requirements. In particular, students must have all high school and post-secondary transcripts on file and evaluated at MCC. Furthermore, all students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in order to receive aid for which they have been deemed financially eligible. These specific guidelines and regulations are listed in the Financial Assistance Handbook and in the Academic Policies and Information section of this Catalog (See SAP for Financial Aid.).
Financial aid files are not complete until the student receives an offer letter on their Self Service portal under the Financial Aid tab. Students must have a completed financial aid file and a MCC Offer Letter before registration day or be prepared to pay tuition and fees. For financial aid to be guaranteed for the term, a student should have files completed as follows: by July 1 for Fall Semester; by November 1 for Spring Semester; or by April 1 for Summer Session.