The College establishes all tuition and fees. Contact the Student Administrative Services Office Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. with questions about tuition and fees.
Student loan checks and any other financial aid received by the College shall be used to cover all tuition and fees assessed for the current term and for additional fees as agreed upon in the tuition and fees agreement signed by the student. The College will accept checks by mail that are postmarked by the tuition deadline.
The College reserves the right to modify or change requirements, rules, tuition and fees. Historically, the College has found it necessary to increase tuition annually to meet the rising cost of higher education. Students will be given notice of such modifications or changes prior to the changes taking effect. Changes to tuition and fees will be posted on the College website, palmer.edu.
Promise to Pay
As a student, you understand that when you register for any class at Palmer College of Chiropractic, you accept full responsibility to pay all tuition, fees and other associated costs assessed as a result of your registration. Further, you understand and agree that your registration and acceptance of these terms constitutes a promissory note agreement (i.e., a financial obligation in the form of an educational loan as defined by the U.S. Bankruptcy Code at 11 U.S.C. §523(a)(8)) in which Palmer College of Chiropractic is providing you educational services, deferring some or all of your payment obligation for those services, and you promise to pay for all assessed tuition, fees and other associated costs by the published due date, the tenth day of the academic term.
You understand and agree that if you drop or withdraw from some or all of the classes for which you register, you will be responsible for paying all or a portion of tuition and fees in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule at Palmer College of Chiropractic. You agree that you have read the terms and conditions of the published tuition refund schedule and understand those terms are incorporated herein by reference. You further understand that your failure to attend class or receive a bill does not absolve you of your financial responsibility as described above.
Payment of Fees
Tuition and fees are due in full by the 10th day of classes. Acceptable forms of tuition payment include cash, check, Heartland Payment Systems direct draw from a checking or savings account, Heartland Payment Systems credit card transaction, or a bank wire transfer. Check payment, direct debit and wire transfers must be drawn from a U.S. bank. A transaction fee is accessed to all credit card payments through Heartland Payment Systems at the time of the transaction. Payments by check should be made payable to Palmer College of Chiropractic, indicate your student ID on the check, and send it to the address indicated on the College billing statement before the payment deadline. Checks from international countries must be payable through a United States bank in U.S. dollars. International students wishing to pay in a foreign currency may make payments through Flywire.
Tuition Delinquincy and Deferment
Deferment by Due Date
For certain approved loans, the due date for tuition is deferred when students sign an agreement in the Student Administrative Services Office, and if the loans conform to all of the following conditions:
- The loan will completely cover the unpaid balance of tuition.
- The loan was procured through the Financial
- Planning Office or from a foreign government.
- The approval of the loan was presented to the Financial Planning Office (if procured through that office) or to the Student Administrative Services Office (if procured from a foreign government) on or before the 10th day of classes.
- The tuition due date for such students is as agreed upon in the tuition and fees deferment agreement.
The term “loan” shall also include grants in which the College is the recipient of the checks(s).
Tuition Delinquincy and Its Consequences
Any student who hasn’t paid his/her tuition in full on or before the 10th day of classes, or has not completed the payment agreement, is considered delinquent.
Delinquent students are assessed a finance charge and may be removed from the class roll. Reinstatement will be determined by Student Administrative Services. All balances unpaid 30 days from the date of service will be assessed a 1% per month (12% annual rate) finance charge on the unpaid balance. There will be no exceptions.
Tuition and fees are due in full by the 10th day of classes. If students do not plan to pay in full by the 10th day of classes, a payment agreement must be completed and returned by that date. Failure to complete such an agreement could result in removal from the class roll and restriction from registration for future academic terms.
Collection Agency Fees: If you fail to pay your student account bill or any monies due and owed to Palmer College of Chiropractic by the scheduled due date, and fail to make acceptable payment arrangements to bring your account current, Palmer College of Chiropractic may refer your delinquent account to a collection agency. You are responsible for paying the collection agency fee which will become due and owing upon placement of your account with a collection agency and may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 50% of your delinquent account, together with all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, necessary for the collection of your delinquent account. Should your account
be referred to a collection agency, your delinquent account may be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus.
Student Billing Accounts
Method of Billing: Palmer College of Chiropractic uses electronic billing (e-bill) as its official billing method, and therefore you are responsible for viewing and paying your student account e-bill by the scheduled due date. Failure to review your e-bill does not constitute a valid reason for not paying your bill on time. E-bill information is available via the students Palmer Portal.
Billing Errors: Administrative, clerical or technical billing errors do not absolve you of your financial responsibility to pay the correct amount of tuition, fees and other associated financial obligations assessed as a result of your registration at Palmer College of Chiropractic.
Returned Payments/Failed Payment Agreements: If a payment made to your student account is returned by the bank for any reason, you agree to repay the original amount of the payment plus a returned payment fee of $25. Multiple returned payments and/ or failure to comply with the terms of any payment plan or agreement you sign with Palmer College of Chiropractic may result in cancellation of your registration and/or suspension of your eligibility to register for future classes at Palmer College of Chiropractic. In the event a payment is dishonored due to insufficient funds or otherwise, you are responsible for all dishonored payments, including dishonored payments made by third parties to whom have made a payment on your behalf. The College is not responsible for any overdraft or other bank charges incurred by you as a result of an online payment authorization you establish.
Student Credit Balance Refund Checks: Financial aid funds received are first credited to your billing account to pay for current charges. Once charges are paid, any additional loan funds are disbursed directly to the student either via direct deposit to your bank account or via a paper check if direct deposit information has not been provided. Paper checks must be picked up within 21 days of processing or the check will be voided, and the amount of those funds returned to your lender.
Financial Aid
Aid described as “estimated” on your financial aid offer does not represent actual or guaranteed payment but is an estimate of the aid you may receive if you meet all requirements stipulated by that aid program.
Your financial aid award is contingent upon your continued enrollment and attendance in each class upon which financial aid eligibility was calculated. If you drop any class before completion, you understand that your financial aid eligibility may decrease and some or all of the financial aid awarded to you may be revoked.
If some or all of your financial aid is revoked because you dropped or failed to attend class, you agree to repay all revoked aid that was disbursed to your account and resulted in a credit balance that was refunded to you.
You agree to allow financial aid you receive to pay any and all charges assessed to your account at Palmer College of Chiropractic such as tuition, fees, service fees, fines, bookstore charges, clinical expenses or any other amount, in accordance with the terms of the aid.
Federal Aid: Federal Title IV financial aid that you receive, except for Federal Work Study wages, will be credited to your account and used to pay current charges. Title IV financial aid includes aid from the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Direct Loan, and PLUS Loan programs. You authorize Palmer College of Chiropractic to apply your Title IV financial aid to other charges assessed to your student account such as bookstore charges, service fees and fines, and any other education related charges. You further understand that this authorization will remain in effect until you rescind it and that you may withdraw it at any time by contacting the Student Administrative Services office.
Prizes, Awards, Scholarships and Grants: All prizes, awards, scholarships and grants awarded to you by Palmer College of Chiropractic will be credited to your student account and applied toward any outstanding balance. Receipt of a prize, award, scholarship or grant is considered a financial resource according to federal Title IV financial aid regulations and may therefore reduce your eligibility for other federal and/or state financial aid (i.e., loans, grants, Federal Work Study) which, if already disbursed to your student account, must be reversed and returned to the aid source.
Tuition Refunds
The College must engage its faculty, carry on its administrative functions, provide the physical plant and the laboratories and make other financial plans to correspond with the number of students enrolled. When students withdraw from the College or drop a course, they leave a vacancy that cannot be filled that
academic term. The following rules concerning refunds protect the College and its commitment to other students from losses when students withdraw or drop a course. Exceptions will be made only under emergency conditions determined by the College.
Refund Policy
Palmer College of Chiropractic’s Refund Policy for withdrawals is calculated using the official withdrawal date to pro-rate aid as well as tuition and refundable charges through the 60% point in the term. This is based on calendar days from the first day of the term through the last scheduled day of the term, including weekends and midterm breaks of less than five days. After the 60% point in the term, financial aid will not be reduced for any withdrawal, nor will any refund of tuition or other refundable charges be granted. This policy applies to all College withdrawals whether student initiated or administrative withdrawals. Financial aid awarded (if any) will be returned to the federal, state and/or Palmer programs on a pro rata basis through the 60% point in the term. Outside scholarship or non-federal loan assistance will not be returned unless specifically requested by the provider.
Eligible charges due or paid will be refunded on a pro rata basis through the 60% point in the term. For students not borrowing federal funds, any amount due to the student will be refunded within 30 days from the date the College determines the student’s withdrawal.
Federal Return of the Title IV Funds Refund Policy
Institutions are required to determine the percentage of Title IV financial aid “earned” by the student and to return the unearned portion to the appropriate federal student aid program when a student withdraws from the College. This calculation process is based on the number of days the student attended as outlined in the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Procedure below.
Title IV funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. This calculation is based on the number of days the student attended as outlined in the Return of Federal Financial Aid Funds Process below determining “earned” versus “unearned” aid.
Federal Return of the Title IV Funds Procedure
The return of financial aid funds policy follows these steps:
- Determine the percentage of the enrollment period completed by the student. If the calculated percentage is equal to or greater than 60%, the student has “earned” all aid for the enrollment period and no adjustment in financial aid occurs. The refund amount is calculated by using the first calendar day of the academic term as the first day of attendance.
Days Attended ÷ Days in Enrollment Period = Percentage Completed - Apply the percentage completed to the Title IV aid awarded to determine the student’s eligibility for financial aid prior to the withdrawal. Total Aid Disbursed x Percentage Completed = Earned Aid
- Determine the amount of unearned financial aid to be returned to the appropriate Title IV financial aid program. Total Disbursed Aid – Earned Aid = Unearned Aid to be Returned
- If the aid already disbursed equals the earned aid, no further action is required.
- If the aid already disbursed is less than the earned aid, a late disbursement will be made to the student.
- If the aid already disbursed is greater than the earned aid, the difference must be returned to the appropriate Title IV aid program.
- Distribute the responsibility to return funds between the institution and the student. The return of federal financial aid is based on the type of financial aid disbursed and occurs in the following order:
- Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
- Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan
- Direct PLUS Loan (for graduate students)
- Direct PLUS Loan (for parents of undergraduate students)
- Pell Grant
- FSEOG
- Student
If the type of financial aid the student is responsible for returning is a loan, the student is typically not required to immediately repay the amount since the grace period for the loan (generally six months) is invoked. Occasionally, a loan must be fully cancelled, and the loan amount will appear on the student’s billing account. A loan repayment grace period for Federal loans will begin on the day of the student’s withdrawal from Palmer College of Chiropractic. Students should contact their lender if they have questions regarding their grace period or repayment status. For examples regarding the application of the Return of Title IV Funds procedures, the student should contact the Office of Financial Planning.
For students not borrowing federal funds, any amount due to the student will be refunded within 30 days from the date the College determines the student’s withdrawal.
Timeframe for Returning Funds
The institution must return its share of unearned Title IV funds no later than 45 days after it determines that the student withdrew. Notification to the student will be sent stating what the institution will be returning and their obligations. Students return their share of unearned aid attributable to a loan under the terms and conditions of the loan promissory note. Students have 45 days once notified to resolve any grant overpayment by one of the following two ways:
- Repay the overpayment in full to the institution; or
- Sign a repayment agreement with the institution.
If a student refuses to make payment or payment arrangements on any Title IV program, Palmer College of Chiropractic is required to report the overpayment to the Department of Education.
Post-Withdrawal Disbursements
A student who earned more aid than was disbursed prior to withdrawal could be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. Disbursements must be made from available grant funds before loans. Palmer College of Chiropractic will contact a withdrawn student prior to making a post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds to determine if those funds are still required by the student, and if so, explain the student’s obligation to repay those funds. Any portion of a post-withdrawal disbursement not credited to the student’s account will be offered (in writing or electronically) as a cash disbursement to the student within 30 days of the withdrawal date. The student has 14 calendar days to respond to the Office of Financial Planning. Palmer College of Chiropractic will return the post-withdrawal disbursement to the Department of Education if no response is received within the 14-day timeframe or funds are declined by the student (or parent in the case of a Parent PLUS loan).
Withdrawals
Students who withdraw from the College may experience a reduction in their financial aid and may be required to refund or repay a portion of their financial aid. Regardless of payment source for tuition, the process for determining if and how much aid or funds returned to the student may need to be repaid can be found under the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Procedures section.
If a student withdraws, the College is responsible for notifying the student’s Federal loan lender of the date of the withdrawal via the National Student Loan Clearinghouse. The student is responsible for notifying the private or alternative loan lender of the date of the withdrawal. A loan repayment grace period for Federal loans will begin on the day of the student’s withdrawal from the College. Students should contact their lender if they have questions regarding their grace period or repayment status.
For information on withdrawal procedures, refer to Withdrawal from the College within the Academic Affairs section.
Unofficial Withdrawals
Per federal regulations, schools are required to review students who received federal financial aid and did not pass any courses. An assessment must be made to determine whether the student earned the non-passing grades while attending classes or stopped attending classes but did not officially withdraw. Students who stopped attending classes may be required to repay a portion of the federal financial aid for that academic term. If it is determined that a student never began attendance in some or all courses, aid may be cancelled completely.
Federal financial aid recipients who are not attending class are identified at the term midpoint by course instructors. If a student is identified as not attending one or more courses, they will receive an email from the Registrar outlining the College’s policy on official and unofficial withdrawals. Students no longer attending class are encouraged to officially drop individual courses or withdraw entirely from the College through the Office of the Registrar.
If a student follows College procedures and withdraws officially, they will have an official withdrawal date and their financial aid refund calculation will be completed according to the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Procedure stated.
At the end of each term, all federal financial aid recipients who receive no passing grades (any combination of F, I, or W) will be reviewed to determine if the non-passing grade was earned while attending or due to no longer attending class. The Registrar will contact each course instructor to determine the last date of attendance or academic activity. Students will also be given the opportunity to provide documentation of attendance or academic activity.
The midpoint of the academic term is used to calculate the amount of federal financial aid refund the student owes unless a later date of academic activity can be verified by the student or instructor. If no attendance or academic activity can be verified by the instructor or student, it will be assumed the student did not ever attend the class. If half-time attendance or academic activity cannot be verified, all aid may be cancelled.
If academic activity beyond the midpoint of the academic term can be verified in even a single course by the student or an instructor and it can be verified the student began attendance in all courses, the amount of financial aid the student is required to repay may be reduced. If academic activity beyond the 60% point of the academic term can be verified in even a single course by the student or an instructor and the student began attendance in all courses, the student may not need to repay any financial aid.
If a student unofficially withdraws, any refund owed to a federal financial aid program is the student’s responsibility and will appear as a charge on the student’s billing account. Students with outstanding balances on their billing account cannot register for classes and cannot receive official transcripts.
Dropping Courses Refund Policy
Dropping a course is defined as removing one or more, but not all, courses currently enrolled in.
The College will refund 100% of institutional charges for the period of enrollment for which the student was charged if a student drops a course or courses on or before the end of the last day of student registration, 5th day of the academic term.
The College will refund at least 50% of the tuition charges if the student drops a course or courses between the end of the add/drop period and the end of the first 25% (in time) of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged.
The College will refund at least 25% of the tuition charges if the student drops a course or courses between the end of the first 25% (in time) and the end of the first 50% (in time) of the period of enrollment for which the student was charged.
Title IV Default Rates
All three Palmer campuses combined:
2021…………………………………………………….0.0%
2020…………………………………………………….0.0%
2019…………………………………………………….0.0%
2018…………………………………………………….1.2%
Tuition and Fees
Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Program
TRIMESTER CURRICULUM – MAIN CAMPUS AND FLORIDA CAMPUS:
Trimester tuition for terms one through seven: Trimester tuition for students registered between 16 and 21 credit hours is $13,416 for the 2024-2025 academic year. Students registered for fewer than 16 hours will be charged $839 per credit hour. Students registered for more than 21 credit hours will be charged $13,416 plus $839 per each additional credit hour above 21 hours.
Trimester tuition for terms eight through ten: Students registered in clinic practicum courses are charged a flat rate for the clinic course as follows: Clinic II: $10,060; Clinic III: $10,060; Clinic IV: $12,577. In addition to the clinic practicum charge, each non-clinic practicum credit hour registered will be charged $839 per credit hour.
Estimated per-term cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 year – Main Campus Trimesters
| Fee | Cost |
| Tuition | $13,416 |
| Institutional Fees | $20 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $480 |
| Transportation | $1,465 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $2,245 |
| Housing and food | $4,510 |
| Federal student loan fees | $342 |
| Total per trimester: | $22,478 |
Estimated per-term cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 year – Florida Campus Trimesters
| Fee | Cost |
| Tuition | $13,416 |
| Institutional Fees | $20 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $476 |
| Transportation | $1,720 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $2,745 |
| Housing and food | $6,895 |
| Federal student loan fees | $400 |
| Total per trimester: | $25,672 |
QUARTER CURRICULUM – FLORIDA CAMPUS:
Quarter tuition for terms ten through thirteen: Students registered in clinic practicum courses are charged a flat rate for the clinic course as follows:
Patient Management I, II, III and PDQ: $8,256 each course. In addition to the clinic practicum charge, each non-clinic practicum credit hour registered will be charged $635 per credit hour.
Estimated per-term cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 year – Florida Campus Quarters
| Fee | Cost |
| Tuition | $10,161 |
| Institutional Fees | $20 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $321 |
| Transportation | $1,329 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $2,124 |
| Housing and food | $5,056 |
| Federal student loan fees | $408 |
| Total per quarter: | $19,419 |
Clinical Enrichment Program Fees
MAIN CAMPUS: Clinical-enrichment courses are $252 per elective. McKenzie elective and Select Functional Movement Assessment electives have a different course fee which is determined when the course is scheduled.
FLORIDA CAMPUS: All clinical enrichment courses are $168 per elective.
A drop fee of $10 will be assessed on all registered clinical-enrichment courses dropped at least 21 days before the course’s first scheduled class day. A $50 drop fee will be assessed for all registered Clinical-enrichment courses that are dropped less than 21 days from the course’s first scheduled class day.
Non-Refundable Fees
DOCTOR OF CHIROPRACTIC DEGREE PROGRAM
Application fee (one-time fee)……………….…………….$100
Tuition deposit…………………………………………….$200
Enrollment/matriculation fee……………………………..………………$150
Activity fee (per term)……………………………….………$20
Liability insurance assessed at the start of fourth term….……$245
Self-remediation exam………………………………….….$100
Fees Applicable to All Programs
Payment of delinquent tuition:
(APR service fee on monthly unpaid balances)
12% Collection fee on non-sufficient funds check………….$25
Duplicate diploma…………………………………………$30
Transcript fee………………………………………………$5
Transcripts cover courses taken at Palmer College of Chiropractic only. No official document is issued to anyone with outstanding obligations to the College. Non-payment of tuition when due may result in the discontinuance of registration, the loss of eligibility for registering for the following term, a hold on records (transcripts, grades, etc.), or all of the preceding.
BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE PROGRAM
Trimester tuition for students completing courses in the B.S. degree program is $260 per credit hour for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Nonrefundable Fees:
Application fee…………………………………………….$50
Evaluation fee ……………………………………………$100
Graduation and record fee………………….…………….$100
Activity fee (per term) …………………………………….$20
Estimated per-term cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 year
| Fee | Cost |
| Tuition | $3,120 (12 credits) |
| Institutional Fees | $20 |
| Books, course materials, supplies and equipment | $625 |
| Transportation | $1,465 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $2,245 |
| Housing and food | $4,510 |
| Federal student loan fees | $31 |
| Total per trimester: | $12,016 |
Estimated Cost of Books and Equipment Per Academic Term
Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Program
During each academic term, the student will be required to purchase textbooks and supplies for use in the academic program. The cost of textbooks and supplies per academic term is estimated to be:
Main Campus…………….……$480
Florida Campus, Trimester Curriculum……………….……………….$476
Florida Quarter Curriculum…………………………………………….$321
Students on each campus will be required to purchase diagnostic equipment prior to entering the clinical portion of the academic program. Cost for the equipment may vary based upon the campus and curriculum. The academic term in which the equipment is required will also vary from campus to campus. The student budget will be adjusted accordingly for the academic term and the purchase of the equipment. The estimated cost of equipment is $1,320.
Checks
The Student Administrative Services Office does not provide check-cashing services for students. However, checks may be written for charges incurred on school accounts for tuition, fees and Campus Store purchases. Checks written to Palmer that are returned by the bank will incur a charge of $25. A student who has more than one non-sufficient funds check returned may be required to make future payments with currency or certified funds.
Library Fines
Students are sent a courtesy reminder to their College email prior to the due date. Students are responsible for all fines, fees and replacement costs and untimely renewals.
Fines and Charges
Fines and charges will be posted to the student’s account and a hold will be placed on registration/ graduation until payment is rendered. Outstanding fines will be paid at the Student Administrative Services Office.
