Affordable Education at Lamar Community College: A Comprehensive Guide to Tuition and Fees

Lamar Community College (LCC) strives to provide students with the skills necessary for their desired careers, without burdening them with excessive debt. This article offers a detailed overview of LCC's tuition rates, fees, and additional costs, along with strategies to make education even more affordable.

Understanding Tuition Rates at LCC

LCC offers various tuition rates based on residency, program, and enrollment status. Here's a snapshot of the tuition rates for the 2025-2026 academic year:

In-State Tuition

Colorado residents benefit from the lowest tuition rates, further reduced by the College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipend.

Standard Credit Hour: \$291.00
COF Tuition Stipend (Assuming \$116 per credit hour): \$116.00
Final Total (after COF): \$175.00 per standard credit hour
Nursing Tuition (after COF): \$263.25 per standard credit hour

To qualify for resident tuition rates and the COF stipend, students must have a permanent residence in Colorado. Additional information regarding residency requirements can be found in the College Catalog.

Reciprocity Tuition

LCC has agreements with New Mexico and Kansas, allowing students from these states to apply for resident tuition rates.

Read also: Affording ECU

Standard Credit Hour: \$175.00
Nursing Tuition: \$263.25 per standard credit hour

Out-of-State Tuition

Non-resident students are those whose permanent residence is outside of Colorado.

Standard Credit Hour: \$291.85
Nursing Tuition: \$380.10 per standard credit hour

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Tuition

LCC participates in the Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program, offering reduced tuition rates to students from participating states.

Standard Credit Hour (on-campus only): \$262.50
Nursing Tuition: \$350.75 per standard credit hour

Department of Defense Rates

It is important to note that the rates listed above for the Department of Defense are factored BEFORE the Colorado Opportunity Fund (COF) is applied to student accounts.

Tuition Rate Summary per Credit

To provide a clear overview, here's a summary of tuition rates per credit hour, including COF and net tuition:

Tuition Type	Tuition	COF	Net Tuition
Resident - COF eligible	291.00	116.00	175.00
LCC/COnline - Resident - COF eligible	403.50	116.00	287.50
Non-Resident Pilot Rate (Regular Rate \$574.55)	291.85	n/a	291.85
LCC/COnline - Non-Resident	438.40	n/a	438.40
International	291.85	n/a	291.85

Additional Costs and Fees

Beyond tuition, students should be aware of additional costs and fees associated with attending LCC. The "Cost of Attendance" represents the maximum amount of financial aid a student can typically receive.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance is the maximum amount of aid you can normally receive for College. The Cost of Attendance is calculated for the 23-24 aid year using the below assumptions.

Payment Deadlines and Options

LCC has specific payment deadlines for each semester. It's crucial to adhere to these deadlines to avoid financial and academic penalties, such as class cancellation or financial holds on student accounts.

Summer Payment Deadline

Summer deadline dates vary if you are enrolled for Manoa Outreach courses. Receipt of payment or enrollment in the payment plan on or before the payment due date is required. Students should drop any unwanted classes to avoid financial and academic penalties. All registered students are liable for all applicable tuition and other related fees whether or not they attend those classes. Students are advised to officially withdraw from the classes they do not plan to attend. Failure to withdraw may result in a financial obligation and a failing grade. Registration will not be automatically canceled for nonpayment. If payment is not received or you have not signed up for the payment plan, the University of Hawai’i may place a financial hold on your student account until this obligation is paid in full. Students who register at more than one UH campus should pay particular attention to payment deadlines as they may vary from campus to campus.

Payment Options

LCC offers various payment options to accommodate students' financial situations:

Full Payment: Tuition and fees can be paid in full by the specified deadline.
Installment Payment Plan: Students can divide their tuition balance into manageable monthly installments (available for Fall and Spring semesters only).
Financial Aid and Scholarships: Financial aid awards and scholarships can be used to cover tuition and fees.

Financial Aid and Assistance Programs

LCC recognizes that financing education can be a challenge, and the college offers various financial aid and assistance programs to help students meet their educational goals.

Read also: NYU Costs Explained

Third-Party Sponsorships

If your tuition is being paid by a third-party sponsoring agency (e.g. World Health Organization, East-West Center, Alu Like, Vocational Rehabilitation, armed forces branch, State of Hawai’i Department of Education, etc.), your third-party payment will automatically be posted to your student account within 48 hours after you have registered. The sponsoring agency must submit the appropriate forms to each individual campus you are registering for. Your account information will be displayed on the Review My Charges/ Make an Online Payment page. You are responsible to pay the remaining tuition and/or fees by the appropriate payment receipt deadline. If the Cashier’s Office does not receive a letter of financial guarantee, purchase order or authorization letter from your sponsor at least 5 working days prior to the appropriate payment deadline, you must pay for your own tuition and fees. When the sponsor sends payment for the tuition and fees, the University will process a refund. If the third-party sponsoring agency does not make payment for your tuition for any reason after being billed by the University, you will be responsible for paying any unpaid balances on your student account.

Tax Credits

Congress established federal tax credits for qualified college tuition and related expenses under the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997. All students, except non-resident aliens, who were charged qualified tuition and related expenses from January 1 to December 31 will receive a 1098-T tax form. Note: You must provide your Social Security Number to the University.

Army Reserve Tuition Subsidy

The 9th RSC has received approval for the Pacific Reserve Education Program (PREP). Take your approved Form DA2171 to the Cashier’s Office at least 10 working days before the appropriate payment deadline. You are responsible for paying any remaining tuition and fees not covered by PREP.

National Guard Tuition Assistance

The Hawai‘i National Guard Tuition Assistance Program is a reimbursement program. At the end of each semester, the National Guard will reimburse Guard members directly for tuition. Please contact your unit commanding officer for further information.

Important Reminders

Drop Unwanted Classes: Be sure to drop any classes you do not want even if you have not paid for them to avoid financial and academic penalties.
Payment Verification: After registering for classes, you must pay in full by the payment due date or have secured financial aid award/scholarships or sign up for an installment payment plan. It is your responsibility to verify payment is received by each payment due date.
Installment Plan Details: The Installment Payment Plan allows you to divide your tuition balance into manageable multiple installments. Financial Aid award or scholarship recipients should contact the Financial Aid office on their campus for additional information. Students are not required to sign-up for the installment plan. You are able to sign-up one month prior to the first installment payment due date and may choose to start the plan in August (Fall) and December (Spring). The installment plan will be equal monthly payments depending upon when you sign up; there are 4, 3, and 2 month installment plans. Payment due dates will be the 15th of each month and will be taken out automatically from the same account used to sign up. You are able to update/edit your account information at any time.
Failure to Make Payment: If you fail to make a payment (e.g. insufficient funds, closed credit card, closed bank account), you may be dis-enrolled from the payment plan and your account will become delinquent. The university reserves the right to change or delete, supplement or otherwise amend at any time and without prior notice the information, requirements and policies contained in this document.
Payment Plan Enrollment: Payment plans are available for the Fall and Spring terms only and are available for enrollment during specific time periods. STAR GPS - In STAR GPS Registration, click on the “Make Payment” button. MyUH - Search for and then select the “Enroll in Payment Plan” task. The University reserves the right to change or delete, supplement or otherwise amend at any time and without prior notice the information, requirements and policies contained in this document.Continuing students who cannot pay in full by the established payment receipt deadline have the option to enroll in the installment payment plan to prevent disenrollment of their classes. If you have been awarded financial aid for the current term (login to MyUH Services to see if you have an award), you do not need to sign up for the payment plan by the established payment receipt deadline. If you have met the terms of your awarded financial aid, your aid will automatically be applied as payment toward eligible charges. eCheck or eSavings payments to the University of Hawaii and returned from the maker’s bank for any reason (e.g. insufficient funds, closed bank account, incorrect bank information) will result in a \$25.00 returned payment charge. DO NOT issue a STOP PAYMENT. Students who fail to make full payment for any reason (e.g. insufficient funds, closed credit card, closed bank account) by the end of all scheduled payments will: 1) be dis-enrolled from the payment plan; 2) have a financial hold placed on their student account, and 3) be notified that full payment must be received within 15 days or sanctions will be imposed.

Authorized Users

An Authorized User is a person, like a parent or a guardian, who you authorize to make payments on your behalf. DO NOT GRANT ACCESS TO EMPLOYERS, SPONSORS, OR 3rd PARTY PAYERS USING THIS ON-LINE METHOD. In compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), your student financial records may not be shared without your written consent. Adding an Authorized User is your written consent that an individual may view your student account information and make payments on your behalf. Authorized Users (parents, guardians, etc.) must first be set up by the student. 1. Once you are logged into the payment system, click on the “Authorized Users” tab.2. On the next page, click on the “Add Authorized User” tab. Enter bank account information & billing information if you are setting up a new account. Your checking/savings account will go through a pre-note verification process. This could take up to 5 business days.

Financial Obligations and Enrollment

Enrollment at the University of Hawai‘i signifies consent to, and acceptance of, all policies and procedures governing enrollment including financial liability. Students who fail to clear all financial obligations in a timely manner may result in their account being sent to a collection agency. If the third-party sponsoring agency does not make payment for your tuition for any reason after being billed by the University, you will be responsible for paying any unpaid balances on your student account.

FERPA

Please note, that although we welcome your inquiries, due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), we may not be able to discuss with you the specific details of a student’s account without his/her written consent. We may only be able to discuss general information with you when you contact our office. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

The figures below reflect the average estimated cost of attending Leeward Community College as a full-time (12 credits) student for the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Your actual costs may vary depending your living arrangements and lifestyle. Remember, personal expenses, transportation costs, housing and meal costs off-campus, are not amounts you pay the university but are included below to help you plan for these expenses. Tuition is based on full-time enrollment (12 credits) for the academic year (Fall and Spring semesters). Resident tuition rate is \$131 per credit/\$1572 per semester/\$3144 for academic year. Non-Resident tuition rate is \$345 per credit/\$4140 per semester/\$8280 for academic year. Student Fees include: Student Activity Fee, Student Government Fee, Health Center Fee, and Board of Student Communication Fee.

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