Financial Information/Student Services

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Tuition and Fees*

*Many programs including Engineering, Nursing, and Pharmacy have additional fees. Internship fees, laboratory fees, international student fees and textbook/material fees are not included in this estimate. For a complete listing of department fees, contact the Cashier’s Office at 605-688-6116.

Activity Fee - A fee charged per semester to cover health, Student Union and other University services, such as: admission to plays, athletic events, athletic facilities, and partially funded judging, music and forensic programs.

University Support Fee - A fee assessed per credit to replace expendable supplies, to defray the cost of equipment (maintenance, repair and replacement), and to allow for testing and other instruction-related costs. This fee also assists in providing services that benefit students which are not funded from other sources.

Late Charge - A fee charged if tuition and fees are not paid during the regular established payment periods. Failure to satisfy financial obligations when due may result in a student’s administrative withdrawal from the University.

Residency Requirements - In order to establish residency for tuition purposes you must live in South Dakota for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately preceding the first scheduled day of classes of the semester.  Attendance at the college or university controlled by the Board of Regents does not count in determining the twelve (12) month period of residence.

Qualifications for residency for tuition purposes may be obtained by writing the Director of Admissions, SDSU, Box 2201, Brookings, SD  57007.

By the day after the Census Date each student must make a full payment of charges based on the number of credits registered, residency status, and campus housing. Students with a remaining balance after the deadline will be assessed late fees. Students are encouraged to pay before registration day.

Payment of tuition and fees can be made directly to the University by cash, check or electronic bank transfer. Payment of tuition and fees using a debit or credit card can only be made through SDePay, electronic billing and payment system. Discover, American Express or MasterCard credit/debit card are accepted by SDePay. Visa Card is not accepted. A 2.75% convenience fee is assessed by and payable to infiNET, host provider of SDePay. For more information or to make a payment, please contact the Cashiers Office at 605-688-6116.

All student accounts which the University is unable to collect will be submitted to a collection agency for collection and referred to a credit reporting bureau.  The debtor will be responsible for all collection fees and attorney fees resulting from collection of an account.

All tuition, fees, housing, food service and miscellaneous charges to student accounts will be on an electronic billing (eBilling) system and can be viewed on a secured Web site via the Internet through a student’s WebAdvisor account. Payment of the student account can also be made electronically (ePayment) through the secure website. Students can authorize parents, spouse and other individuals to view the eBill and make ePayment on their student account. For additional information on eBilling and ePayment, please contact 605-688-6116.

E-Mail Policy

E-mail messages sent by SDSU to students through university-assigned, jacks e-mail addresses will constitute an official means of communication. It is the student’s responsibility and obligation to access official university e-mail messages in a timely manner. As other email accounts may be blocked by the SDSU firewall, SDSU is only able to monitor student e-mails coming from university-assigned e-mail accounts.

The student identification card can be used as a debit card to access prepaid accounts. In addition to its extensive use in the food service system, the ID card accesses prepaid accounts, called HOBO DOUGH, for bookstore, campus vending, laundry, photocopying and printing, and selected off-campus businesses. Students may load funds at the Card Services office in the Student Union, the Briggs Library, or Online. Upon graduation or leaving the University, these funds ($5.00 or more) will be returned in full upon request. No service charges are assessed for active accounts. However, accounts inactive for six (6) months or more are assessed a monthly service charge. If the service charge exceeds the account balance, the account is automatically closed.

Regular tuition and fees, per credit, will be charged for auditing a course. Registration as an auditor is by petition. Auditing courses will be a matter of record (recorded on the academic transcript). Grades will be designated by the instructor as Audit Pass (AUP) or Audit Fail (AUF). Audit courses are not counted in calculating undergraduate or graduate full-time student status.

Students are responsible for following all deposition protocols and paying all archiving fees associated with a thesis or dissertation.

Application - Students receiving assistantship appointments must meet the academic requirements established by the Graduate School for admission (minimum 2.75 GPA, either cumulative or Junior/Senior, or complete a minimum of nine (9) graduate credits with grades of B or above and must maintain a 3.0 Plan of Study GPA).  Graduate assistant’s must be enrolled in at least one credit of graduate work except for students who are on summer assistantships immediately following assistantships held the previous academic year.  Graduate assistant’s who graduated in May are not eligible for assistantships for the following summer unless they officially begin a doctoral program.  International graduate students receiving graduate assistantships must have sufficient English proficiency to perform the duties assigned.  Ordinarily, this will be interpreted to mean successful scores on the TOEFL examination or completion of remediation for any deficiencies; however, it may also involve further assessment and observation by a department head relative to a classroom teaching role. 

Full Time Enrollment required when the Summer Session is an International Student’s First Semester

According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), international students who begin their studies during a summer session must be enrolled full time in order to maintain their F1/J1 status.  It is a violation of USCIS regulations to permit an international student to begin a program and only register for 1 credit the first semester they are here.  Beginning the Summer Session 2014, Graduate Programs (that intend to admit international students for the summer session/term) must ensure that students will be able to enroll in enough credits to maintain their full time status.  Students without an assistantship would need to register for 9 credits.  Students with an assistantship would need to enroll in the appropriate number of credits corresponding with the percentage of their assistantship.  (For example, Graduate Students with a 49% assistantship must enroll in 5 credits.)  International students are allowed to register for less than a full time course load during all subsequent Summer Terms.  This policy only pertains to international students who are beginning their programs during a summer term.   

Student financial assistance programs are administered through the student Financial Aid Office in SAD 100. They may be contacted at 605-688-4695 or via email at finaid@sdstate.edu for more information. Graduate assistantships, fellowships, and traineeships are administered by the department or program involved.  Students enrolled in SDSU certificate programs are not eligible for federal student financial aid. The non-federal alternative loan programs may be used for students meeting the lender criteria as found at www.sdstate.edu (alternative loans). Please contact the SDSU financial aid office if you have any questions.

Detailed information on Student Life and Services is found in the General Catalog (Undergraduate Catalog).

Academic Evaluation and Assessment Office - Students needing testing information (GRE, TOEFL, etc.) may contact the Office of Evaluation and Assessment located in the American Indian Education and Cultural Center, (920 9th Street, northwest entrance), telephone 605-688-4217 or by email.

Bookstore - Located in the University Student Union SSU 146, the University Bookstore sells textbooks, merchandise and other supplies. Telephone:  605-688-6392.

Disability Services - Assistance is available for students with disabilities at the Disability Services Office. Telephone:  605-688-4504, or e-mail.

Health and Counseling Services - Student Health and Counseling Services provides outpatient services and is located in the Wellness Center. To schedule an appointment call 605-688-4157 or  email.

Housing and Food Service - Prospective graduate students should inquire about rooms or apartments on-campus from the Department of Residential Life well in advance of registration. Information regarding off-campus housing is also available from the Department of Residential Life.  Caldwell Hall 167, telephone: 605-688-5148 and email, Students may select a dining services plan by visiting Campus Card Services in the University Student Union Room 144 or purchase Resident Meal Plans.

International Student Affairs - International students should consult with the International Student Affairs Office concerning special requirements and additional expenses. The office is located in the Briggs Library Suite 119, telephone 605-688-412 and email.

Library, Hilton M. Briggs - Briggs Library users have full access to book, periodical, archives, map, and government documents collections as well as to library services including computer workstations, laptops for checkout, study/conference rooms for student use, printing and scanning, and individual study rooms for faculty and graduate students. In addition, materials from thousands of other libraries worldwide are available through interlibrary loan. The faculty and staff of Briggs Library are proud of the services they offer to the SDSU community, as well as to distance students and faculty at Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Pierre, and other locations throughout South Dakota and the U.S. They respond to thousands of information requests annually through personal contacts, via telephone at 605-688-5107, and by means of e-mail, online chat and texting. Look for the “Ask Us” link on the library homepage.