Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee
UC’s Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee (CTG) is a cohort–based, guaranteed undergraduate degree–seeking tuition initiative that establishes a “frozen” tuition rate particular to each academic year.
Undergraduate tuition, fees, and room and board charges for each academic year’s cohort are set by UC’s Board of Trustees. Tuition, fees and room and board charges approved by UC’s Board of Trustees for that academic year are guaranteed to that academic year’s entering degree–seeking student cohort for four or five academic years, dependent on the student’s degree program.
CTG applies to all new degree–seeking undergraduate students and new degree–seeking transfer students enrolling for the first time in Fall Semester 2019 or later terms at the uptown campus, regional campuses, and Cincinnati Online.
New first–year students are assigned to a cohort based on the semester for which the student first enrolls as a degree–seeking student.
Each CTG cohort is comprised of that academic year’s fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Any new degree–seeking, undergraduate student who is registered for at least one class as of the last day of the fall, spring, or summer semesters will be assigned to that cohort year for purposes of determining undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board for the four or five academic years (12 or 15 consecutive semesters) covered by the guaranteed cohort rate.
Fees Included in Tuition Guarantee
- Campus Life / Distance–Learning Fee
- General Fee
- Information Technology and Instructional Equipment Fees
- Instructional Fee
- Housing and Meal Plan Charges (see the section below for details)
CTG includes University of Cincinnati’s housing and meal plan options. Students pay a fee based on the housing and meal plan selected.
The selected housing and meal plan fees at the respective campus are guaranteed for each cohort for four or five academic years, dependent on the student’s academic program.
The CTG room rate charged to the student is based upon the student's selected or assigned residence type and location. If a student changes from one room or hall type to another during the cohort period, the housing rate charged to the student will be adjusted based on the guaranteed price schedule in effect throughout the student's cohort period.
The CTG meal plan cost will be based on the meal plan selected by the student. While the meal plan price will remain guaranteed during the CTG cohort’s duration, individual meal items and merchandise in retail locations are subject to price changes.
All other fees, fines, and costs related to attending University of Cincinnati that are not specifically identified as part of UC’s Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee are excluded from the guaranteed cohort price, and are subject to price changes. These exclusions include, but are not limited to:
- Administrative office service fees (e.g., transcript ordering, graduation application, etc.)
- Charges and fines incurred (e.g., late fees)
- Differential fees
- International student fees
- New student fees
- Non–resident surcharge
- Program fees, special course fees and eBooks
- Student health insurance and blood–borne pathogen insurance
- Study abroad fees
- Technology fees
- Textbooks
- University Health Service charges
Duration of UC’s Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee
The tuition rate for a given academic year’s cohort is guaranteed for four years or five years, dependent on the undergraduate degree–seeking student’s degree program.
Four–year academic programs = four years comprised of 12 consecutive semesters.
Five–year academic programs (i.e., cooperative education programs) = five years comprised of 15 consecutive semesters.
The consecutive semesters of guaranteed tuition apply if the student’s enrollment status is full–time, part–time, or not-enrolled for a given semester.
Within their cohort period, students may complete as many undergraduate degrees, majors, minors, and/or certificates in conjunction with the undergraduate degree, as they choose.
Once a student is assigned to a Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee cohort, from that point any and all semesters of non-enrollment or withdrawal from classes are considered part of the consecutive semesters comprising the four or five academic years of guaranteed tuition.
The duration of the student’s CTG cohort and guaranteed cohort tuition rate will not be extended due to terms of non-enrollment or withdrawal from classes.
Circumstances of non-enrollment
Circumstances of non-enrollment include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Official or unofficial leaves of absence from UC
- Terms of partial or complete withdrawal of UC classes
- Academic suspensions or dismissal from UC
- Judicial suspension or dismissal from UC
If an undergraduate degree–seeking student assigned to a CTG cohort re-enrolls at UC after any period of non-enrollment at UC, the student will continue in that original cohort for the remaining academic semesters of that cohort period.
The number of remaining semesters for the student’s CTG cohort will not be extended due to the terms of non-enrollment or due to terms of withdrawal from classes.
Example
Bearcat has been assigned to the 2019–2020 CTG cohort, and is pursuing a four year undergraduate degree program. Bearcat’s cohort and guaranteed tuition expires at the end of the Summer Semester 2023 (i.e., after 12 consecutive semesters).
Bearcat completely withdraws from Fall Semester 2021 classes and also does not enroll at UC for Spring Semester 2022 and Summer Semester 2022.
Bearcat resumes UC enrollment with Fall Semester 2022. Bearcat’s CTG cohort duration remains unchanged, and Bearcat’s CTG cohort and guaranteed tuition rate still will expire at the end of Summer Semester 2023.
Undergraduate degree–seeking students assigned to a CTG cohort who do not complete the UC degree before the CTG cohort has expired will be assigned to the cohort that went into effect for the academic year immediately following the initially–assigned CTG cohort year.
The student will be charged the tuition rate for that new cohort and will be guaranteed that new cohort tuition rate for up to one year of three consecutive semesters.
If the student has not completed the undergraduate degree by that new CTG cohort’s expiration, the student will be placed into the subsequent CTG cohort of the very next academic year for three consecutive semesters, and so on each year, until the student either completes the degree or no longer enrolls at UC.
Example
Bearcat has been assigned to the 2019–2020 CTG cohort, and is pursuing a four year degree undergraduate program.
Bearcat’s 2019–2020 CTG cohort and guaranteed tuition expire at the end of the Summer Semester 2023 (i.e., after twelve consecutive semesters).
Bearcat has not completed the four–year degree by the end of Summer Semester 2023.
Bearcat therefore is assigned to the 2020–2021 CTG cohort, which is the cohort year immediately following 2019–2020. The 2020–2021 CTG cohort will expire at the end of Summer Semester 2024.
Bearcat will be charged and guaranteed the 2020–2021 CTG cohort tuition rate through Summer Semester 2024.
If Bearcat does not graduate by the end of Summer Semester 2024, Bearcat will be placed into the 2021–2022 CTG cohort and will be charged the 2021–2022 tuition rate for three consecutive semesters.
Students Not Covered By Tuition Guarantee
Students not covered by the Cincinnati Tuition Guarantee will be charged a rate set each year by the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees.
Students not covered by the policy include:
- Undergraduate students (including transfers) who enrolled at University of Cincinnati prior to Summer Semester 2019
- Graduate students
- Professional–degree students (i.e., College of Law, College of Medicine, College of Pharmacy);
- College Credit Plus high school students
- Incoming exchange students