Understanding Lone Star College Tuition and Fees

Lone Star College System (LSC), a large public institution in The Woodlands, Texas, offers a wide range of undergraduate degrees across 83 majors. For prospective students, understanding the costs associated with attending LSC is crucial for financial planning. This article provides a comprehensive overview of tuition, fees, financial aid options, and payment plans at Lone Star College.

Tuition Rates: A Breakdown

The cost of tuition at Lone Star College varies depending on several factors, primarily residency status. The Colleges Board of Trustees sets tuition and fees for the Colleges courses. Here's a breakdown:

In-District Texas Residents: This is the lowest tuition rate. It applies to adult Texas residents living within the college's taxing district boundaries on the census date of the semester in which they enroll. It also applies to non-adult Texas residents whose parents or guardians live within those boundaries on the census date in the semester in which the student enrolls. Property owners, their dependents, who pay the College's property taxes and are Texas residents, the College's full-time employee's immediate family members, and Texas residents of the Acres Home Super Neighborhood attending the College's Victory Center also qualify.
Out-of-District Texas Residents: This rate is higher than the in-district rate. It applies to adult Texas residents living outside the college's taxing district boundaries on the official enrollment reporting date. It also applies to a non-adult Texas resident whose parents or guardians live outside those boundaries on the official enrollment reporting date.
Out-of-State Residents: This is the highest tuition rate. It applies to individuals over 18 who do not meet the Texas Resident definition. It also includes persons aged less than 18 years whose parents or legal guardians resided outside of Texas for the 12 months before the applicable semester.
Non-Residents with Texas Ties: Certain non-residents can pay in-state tuition. This includes individuals who graduated from a Texas high school (or equivalent), established a domicile in Texas for at least 36 months prior to graduating, and those who have established a domicile in Texas no less than 12 consecutive months before the semester’s 12th day in which the person enrolls. A nonresident of Texas employed by a business or organization established in Texas under a Texas Economic Development and Diversification In-State Tuition Incentive along with their spouse and children are eligible to pay resident tuition. A person who has filed a Petition for Permanent Resident Status (I-130 or I-140).

Tuition & Fees (2020-2021 example):

In-district tuition and fees: \$2,160
In-state tuition and fees: \$4,848
Out-of-state tuition and fees: \$6,168

Important Note: Minimum tuition rates are set by the state legislature and are subject to change by legislative action. Student tuition and fees are subject to change by the Lone Star College Board of Trustees.

Additional Fees

Beyond tuition, students should also budget for additional fees, which can include:

Lab Fees: These fees are assessed for courses with a lab component and vary depending on the course. Dual credit courses taught off-site will not be assessed a lab fee.
Student Activity Fees: This is an every-semester fee per credit hour used to support student activities distinct from the college’s regularly scheduled academic functions and that involve or benefit students. All money collected as student activity fees shall be reserved and accounted for in a distinct account separate from other revenue sources.
Continuing Education Course Fees: These fees are charged to each person registered in Continuing Education (CE) courses. The Board shall set the fee in an amount sufficient permitting the College to recover the costs of providing the course. CE fees only apply to the Colleges courses that do not collect tuition or receive formula fundingincluding an extension course, correspondence course, or other self-supporting course.
Incidental Fees: These include late registration fees, library fines, payment plan late fees, bad check charges, application processing fees, infrastructure fees, and laboratory breakage charge. The Board may fix the rate current and prospective students pay in incidental fees. Incidental fee rates shall reflect the College’s actual costs for materials and services.
International Student Fees: The federal government requires all F-1 visa international students to be financially prepared to pay all expenses, both educational and living.

*In Fall 2020, LSC moved to a tuition simplification model, which eliminated all fees except for lab and student activity fees. We no longer charge registration, general use, infrastructure, technology, or differential fees. No longer charging these fees increased the base tuition rate.

Estimated Costs

To provide a clearer picture of the overall cost, here are some estimated expenses:

Books and Supplies: \$2,550 per year (Stephen F. Lone Star College currently includes the price of required books and supplies in its Tuition and Fee charges for CHI and Massage Programs. LSC provides required books and supplies below the competitive market rate and negotiates prices in the students' best financial interest. Students who choose to opt-out and purchase books and supplies themselves, will have their tuition reduced. Tuition will not be reduced by the amount the student purchased the books and supplies for on their own, but by the amount LSC has paid for the books and supplies. Tuition will be reduced after submitting the opt-out form to the LSC-North Harris Business Office in which a credit will be applied to the student's account. The opt-out form will remain in effect for the entire length of the program.)
Personal Expenses: \$4,008 per year
Transportation: \$1,448 per year

Financial Aid Options

Lone Star College offers various financial aid options to help students cover the costs of tuition and fees. Financial aid can include grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study jobs. Financial aid packages vary depending on your financial need. Most colleges determine financial need based on your FAFSA.

Grants and Scholarships: These do not need to be paid back. At Lone Star College System, 27 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid and the average scholarship or grant award is \$3,885.
Loans: These must be paid back. The typical amount of loans a student must pay back is \$0.
Work-Study: This program allows students to work part-time to earn money for college expenses.

Financial Aid Dates:

Application Due: January 15 (The last day to apply for financial aid or turn in related paperwork.)
Priority Application Due: Applications received prior to this date will be given the strongest consideration. Still apply for financial aid if you don’t make this due date.
Notification Date: When students receive a letter with the amount and types of aid the college is offering.
Response Due: The deadline for students to respond to the college’s aid offer.

To apply for financial aid, students must:

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Submit required documentation.
Get answers to your questions.

Financial aid is only offered for courses that count toward completing your degree. If you register for courses outside of your program, your financial aid awards may be impacted.

Net Price

The average net price, which is the college’s cost of attendance minus grants and scholarships, is \$10,188 per year. The net price you pay for a particular college is specific to you because it’s based on your personal circumstances and the college’s financial aid policies. Use the college’s Net Price calculator for the most accurate estimate of your net price.

Payment Plans

Lone Star College offers installment payment plans, as specified in the Tuition and Fees Procedures. Payment plans require a student’s first payment prior to the Official Day of Record for each session in a term and final payment by the last week of class. A student who uses a payment plan will pay an extra enrollment fee at enrollment for each semester the student has a payment plan. The College will inform a student about any overdue tuition or fees. The College requires students to enroll and complete necessary paperwork online for a tuition payment plan.

Important Note: A student who fails to make full payment of tuition and fees, including any incidental fees, by the due date may be prohibited from registering for classes until full payment is made. A student may appeal denial of an installment plan to the College.

Payment plans must be obtained through myLoneStar and are available prior to the payment deadline for registration. Students whose financial aid for the current semester exceeds the cost of their tuition and fees will not have to set up a payment plan. Their enrollment will be protected from cancellation. This holds true only when their financial aid is in an accepted status. Pending financial aid will not protect enrollment from cancellation, therefore you must make other financial arrangements to protect your enrollment. If financial obligations are not paid in full by their due dates, these debts may be referred to an outside collection agency and to the appropriate credit bureaus. Resulting collection agency fees, not to exceed 30% of an account balance, may be added to the original debt. The student must pay these costs, as well as applicable interest, litigation costs, or attorney fees.

Tuition Refunds

The College generally refunds tuition and fees as soon as practical via a refund schedule appearing in this section.

General Refunds: The College will provide a partial refund when a student drops a course or withdraws before the first day of classes or after the classes first calendar day during the fall or spring semester.
Title IV Financial Aid Refunds: Students receiving Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, and Direct Loans are subject to this section. Federal law requires that such students stay enrolled in classes at least 60 percent of the course schedule. The class schedule’s percentage that the student completed before withdrawing will be the percent of the Title IV assistance that the student earned and will not return. The College will inform the student of the percent completed and the balance owed to the College and the federal government. A student that does not repay the sum owed faces serious action if no valid repayment plan is agreed to by the College and student. First, the College may deny the student future course registration, transcripts, or grades.

The College provides a withdrawing, active military service student three options: (a) refunding the tuition and fees the student paid for the semester in which the student withdraws; or (b) granting the student an incomplete grade in all courses by designating withdrawn-military on the students transcript; or (c) assigning an appropriate final grade or credit to a student who has satisfactorily completed substantial coursework and has demonstrated sufficient course-material mastery determined by the student’s instructor.

International Students

Lone Star College offers affordable tuition as compared to other institutions and the Houston-area is one of the most affordable destinations for international students. Additionally, Lone Star College offers payment plans, and competitive scholarships to eligible students through the LSC Honors College and other sources. Unfortunately, federal financial aid is usually not available to international students. The federal government requires all F-1 visa international students to be financially prepared to pay all expenses, both educational and living. At minimum, applicants must show they have the total amount listed below available to them. Lone Star College issues Form I-20 for students who wish to have accompanying dependents (spouse or minor children). Information about tuition and fees and payment due dates is available online.

Paying Tuition

Current students can pay online via myLoneStar. Lone Star College has partnered with Flywire and PayMyTuition to provide you with an easy and secure method of sending international payments from other countries. With PayMyTuition, you can pay your tuition payments from any bank, in any country in any currency at better than bank exchange rates.

Residency Information

The College will provide applicants with a questionnaire, which becomes part of the applicant’s admissions paperwork. The College can seek more information to answer questions raised by the applicant’s responses. Students must also tell the admissions office on the student’s college when a student changes residences. Current and returning students may be required to prove their residency through supporting documents. A student that does not inform the admissions office can be disciplined under the Student Code of Conduct. A student may file any grievance or objection with their Chief Student Services Officer. The College may unintentionally misclassify an out-of-state resident as a Texas resident. The College will charge out-of-state tuition and fees to a misclassified person starting with the first semester after the error’s discovery. The College may also unintentionally misclassify a Texas resident as an out-of-state resident. The College will immediately charge Texas resident tuition and fees to the misclassified person starting the very semester during the error’s discovery. The College shall refund the person the sums the person paid over Texas resident tuition.

Appealing Fees

Students that believe an error occurred regarding a fee or refund should contact their Vice President of Administrative Services. The only available appeal from a Vice President of Administrative Services’ determination is to the college President or Lone Star College-Online's Chief Executive Officer.

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