Glossary of Fees

These fees provide access to activities and services, and are assessed to all students. They are not user fees and may not be waived. All students are encouraged to take advantage of the benefits these fees provide.

Technology: The Technology Fee supports the expansion of discipline-specific technology-based services including laboratories, multimedia presentation classrooms, and demonstration stations. It also funds the replacement of equipment in student labs and supports interdisciplinary curriculum development, expanded data network access to digital resources, improved library access systems, and enhanced online learning systems and assistive technologies.

Health: The Health Fee ensures student access to essential health services, including medical, counseling and wellness services.   It provides funding for office visits with a healthcare provider for student illnesses or injuries at no cost.  It also supports public health and mental health initiatives on campus and promotes healthy activities.  

Health Facility: The Health Facility Fee provides the revenue stream to meet the bond requirements of debt incurred to renovate and expand the Student Health Center and to ensure effective maintenance and operation of the facility.

Student Activities: The Student Activities Fee provides support to a broad range of services and activities for students, including Northern Iowa Student Government, student organizations, fine arts programs, intercollegiate academic activities, the student newspaper, homecoming and family weekend activities, and activities sponsored by the Office of Student Life.

Student Services: The Student Services Fee supports intercollegiate athletics which provides free tickets for students to attend athletic events.

Building: The Building Fee provides the revenue stream to meet the bonding requirements of debt incurred for the renovation and expansion of Maucker Union and repairs to the roof and structure of the UNI-Dome. It ensures effective maintenance and operation of the facilities.

Recreation: The Recreation Fee primarily funds drop-in recreation, intramurals, and fitness programs and events. It covers increased costs of student wages, utility assessments, equipment replacement and administrative overhead.

Undergraduate Domestic Student and Non-Degree Student                       

• The undergraduate domestic student application fee is for those students applying for admission as new undergraduate students to the University of Northern Iowa. This fee is non-refundable and is used to defray administrative costs incurred in the processing of these applications in the areas of data processing, personnel, supplies and postage.
• The non-degree student fee is non-refundable and used to defray costs associated with the admission processing for those students applying for admission on a non-degree basis.  Students in this category may include exchange students and dual enrollment students.

Undergraduate International Student: This fee is charged to non-immigrant applicants to undergraduate study at the university.  This fee is slightly higher than the domestic rate to cover the additional costs incurred with the evaluation of foreign credentials, international postage and immigration forms.

Graduate/Professional Domestic Student: This fee is for processing applications for admission to graduate study.  This fee is non-refundable and is used to defray administrative costs incurred in the processing of these applications in the areas of data processing, personnel, supplies and postage.

Graduate/Professional International Student: This fee is non-refundable and used to defray costs associated with the admission of international graduate students.  The evaluation of foreign credentials for admission and transfer equivalency is costly on an individual basis.  In addition, immigration documents and international communications add to the processing cost of these applications.

Departmental Exam for Credit Fee (per exam): This fee covers expenses in creating, administering and scoring special examinations for students who wish to ‘test out’ for credit from a regular course in which they are not enrolled.

Developmental Course Fees: Developmental courses are those whose level of content knowledge is fundamental to beginning level college credit courses. Any credit earned in developmental courses is not applicable to a degree.

ID Card Replacement Fee: This fee is assessed to a student (or faculty or staff) who requests replacement of their lost or destroyed university ID card.  The fee covers the cost of materials, equipment, processing, and personnel associated with this service.

Immunization Record Late Fee: Students who have not provided the required immunization documentation are assessed this fee. The fee covers the cost of individual mailings and follow-ups to students who are late providing the state required information.

Late Registration - Day 11 Onward Fee: Assessed to students whose initial registration for a semester is on or after the eleventh day of instruction.

Credit for Prior Learning (per project): Credit for Prior Learning is designed for special projects such as papers, experiments, works of art or portfolio assessment of prior learning. The fee for each project is tied to the two hour undergraduate resident tuition rate.

New Student Programs/Matriculation Fees: This fee is assessed to all new degree seeking undergraduate students. The fee provides funding for new student orientation programs (staffing, facilities, and programming costs), extended orientation programs and other success initiatives for students during their first year on campus. It also supports outreach to and intervention with at-risk undergraduate students, early intervention software, and ALEKS (Assessment and Learning in Knowledge spaces) math placement testing.

Undergraduate International Student Orientation (additional program): This supplemental fee covers the expenses associated with costly activities that are not part of the orientation offered to domestic students.

University Records & Documents Fee (charged to new students): This fee is assessed to all new undergraduate and graduate students. The fee covers transcripts, add/drops of university courses, FAX fees, replacement diplomas, and graduation/commencement services. Previously, these services were charged individually and are now charged at matriculation.

Applied Engineering Equipment Fee: This fee is assessed each semester in lieu of lab fees for students with a declared major in the Department of Applied Engineering to pay for shared labs, interdisciplinary programs, additional programs, and expanded consumables that are used for more than one individual course at a time to allow for a streamlined system of shared materials and keeping costs lower for students.

Construction Management Equipment Fee: This fee is assessed each semester in lieu of lab fees for students with a declared major in the Department of Construction Management to pay for shared labs, interdisciplinary programs, additional programs, and expanded consumables that are used for more than one individual course at a time to allow for a streamlined system of shared materials and keeping costs lower for students.

Continuing Education (per credit hour): Courses offered on a non-residential (distance) basis are provided through continuing education.  These credit bearing courses may be at the undergraduate or graduate level.  Courses may be presented in person, over video conferencing or online via the web.

Continuing Education (per credit hour): Courses and programs offered on a non-residential (distance) basis are provided through continuing education. This fee helps cover costs associated with the domestic off-campus MBA program as well as offering specialized coursework to select international audiences.

Self-Paced Online Course (per credit hour): Self-paced, individualized instruction provided remotely in various transmittal formats such as the web, video and print material. 

Study Abroad Fees: Fees assessed to enable and place students in study abroad enrollments.