College Costs

Tuition*

• Effective Fall 2021, rates per semester hour are $200 for residents in the TCL Service Area, which consists of Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton, and Jasper county.
• Effective Fall 2021, rates per semester hour are $225 for Non-Service Area and $445 for Out-of-State and international students.
• Tuition for courses offered through the Continuing Education Division varies per course.
• A student who registers for classes at TCL is financially responsible for all associated tuition and fees. 
• *Tuition rates, fees, and refunds are subject to change without prior notice. All fees are non-refundable. For current tuition information consult the TCL website at www.tcl.edu.

Fees and Other Expenses*

A High Cost Course Fee may be applied to certain classes to offset the expense of consumables, laboratory equipment, software, and additional instruction. These rates vary by course and program.

Average Total Costs

2021 Fall Semester (without Lottery Tuition)

*Tuition and fees subject to change

Payment of Tuition/Fees

• Tuition and fee payments may be made in person at the Beaufort Campus, Hampton H. Mungin Center, or New River Campus, and online at https://selfservice.tcl.edu.
• Payments are to be made by cash, check, debit card, American Express, MasterCard or Visa credit card (identification required). Payment by check is not permitted for students with a prior history of dishonored checks.
• Bank card charges are subject to receipt of authorization from the banking institution.
• A tuition payment plan administered by the College is available. See www.tcl.edu/pay-your-bill for more information.
• Students whose tuition and fees are paid by a sponsoring agency or employer must contact the Business Office and submit required documentation prior to registration

Refund Policy

Tuition refunds will be made in accordance with the College’s refund policies. Students must complete course add/drop or withdrawal procedures to be considered eligible for a refund. Refunds for terms that vary in length from the semester term will be prorated in proportion to the semester schedule. 

Tuition Refund for Students Called to Active Military Service: Military students who are currently on active duty and are deployed in emergency situations to serve under unplanned conditions that would necessitate an interruption in their studies are eligible for tuition refund or credits. Active military students with orders in a given semester should contact Student Records at 843-525-8311.

South Carolina Residents 60 Years of Age

South Carolina Act 1218 of 1974: Legal residents of South Carolina who are 60 years of age or older may attend classes for credit or audit purposes on a space available basis without the required payment of tuition, provided that the following criteria are met:

• The individual must meet course admissions requirements and complete an admission application.
• The class must have met the minimum class size required, excluding senior citizen enrollment and the class size must be below maximum size.
• Individuals choosing to enroll as a TCL regular student will not receive a refund should they choose later to apply as a senior citizen.

Senior citizen student registration occurs during the last week of open registration prior to the start of a semester. There is no charge for tuition but, college fees still apply. Seniors are responsible for purchasing textbooks and all other materials or supplies required for courses. Courses offered through the Continuing Education Division are not applicable to this statute. 

The College Store

The TCL College Store stocks required textbooks, reference books, school supplies, snacks/beverages, and novelty products including clothing and bookbags.  Purchases may be made in person or online via www.tcl.edu/bookstore. 

The Technical College of the Lowcountry along with Barnes & Noble College have launched a new textbook model “First Day Complete”. This is an all-inclusive textbook program specifically geared to lower textbook costs for students and to ensure that students have their required course materials on the first day of class. The program provides all required textbooks, access codes and electronic book versions to our students.  A per credit hour fee of $22.00 is charged to the student’s account at the time of registration.  Refer to the First Day Complete webpage for details https://www.tcl.edu/first-day-complete-textbook-program/. 

TCL College Store Return Policy

TEXTBOOKS

• A full refund will be given in your original form of payment if textbooks are returned during the first week of classes with original receipt.
• With proof of a schedule change and original receipt, a full refund will be given in your original form of payment during the first 30 days of classes.
• No refunds on unwrapped loose-leaf books or shrink-wrapped titles which do not have the wrapping intact.
• No refunds on Digital Content once accessed.
• Textbooks must be in original condition.
• No refunds or exchanges without original receipt.

GENERAL READING BOOKS, NOOK® DEVICES, SOFTWARE, AUDIO, VIDEO & SMALL ELECTRONICS

• A full refund will be given in your original form of payment if merchandise is returned within 14 days of purchase with original receipt in original packaging.
• Opened software, audio books, DVDs, CDs, music, and small electronics may not be returned. They can be exchanged for the same item if defective.
• Merchandise must be in original condition.
• No refunds or exchanges without original receipt.

ALL OTHER MERCHANDISE

• A full refund will be given in your original form of payment with original receipt.
• Without a receipt, a store credit will be issued at the current selling price.
• Cash back on merchandise credits or gift cards will not exceed $1.
• No refunds on gift cards, prepaid cards, phone cards, newspapers, or magazines.
• Merchandise must be in original condition.

Additional Important Information

Administrative Withdrawal and Financial Responsibility

It is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from any class he/she does not plan to attend by sending an email message to the instructor using the first.last@tcl.edu student email account. For students who fail to complete the drop/withdrawal process and have never attended a class, the instructor will assign a “Never Attend” code in the student information system no later than ten (10) calendar days after the first day of class. The student is financially responsible for fees resulting from the administrative withdrawal. Students not attending class are not eligible for any type of financial aid.

Students who receive Title IV aid “earn” their aid by successfully attending class. The aid is not fully earned until completion of 60% of the course term. Students who totally withdraw from the College prior to this date will owe the College and/or the US Department of Education for the amount of unearned aid. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 843-470-5961.

Dishonored Checks

Any student presenting a check to the College that is returned by the bank will be charged a $35 processing fee for each dishonored check. Presentation of fraudulent checks is a criminal act and will be considered a violation of the Student Code. Students who pay with dishonored or fraudulent checks will be required to pay all fees and collection charges to the Beaufort County Solicitor’s Office. No personal checks will be accepted from students who have presented two dishonored checks in the previous three years.

Financial Aid and Drop/Withdrawal

Dropping or withdrawing from a class may impact a student’s financial aid. Prior to dropping or withdrawing from any course(s), students must check with the Financial Aid Office to ascertain the impact of such action on their financial aid status/award. The student is financially responsible for tuition and fees resulting from the administrative withdrawal. Failure to attend the first day of class will result with the student being dropped from the course. Students are not eligible for aid in classes in which they have “not attended.” Courses that are dropped and/or withdrawn may affect the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Transcripts Costs

An $15 fee is charged for each transcript. Transcript requests must be submitted online. No transcript is released without the student’s written permission or if the student has outstanding financial accounts with the College. TCL can only release transcripts on credit earned at TCL.