Students are required to pay fees at the time of enrollment in classes. Any debt on a student's account is subject to the student being dropped from their course within the payment deadline period. Students with a past due balance may also receive a hold on their account, which will prevent them from future enrollment and access to some optional services if dropped from all courses. Please review the payment deadlines found on the Important Dates webpage. 

Enrollment fees are subject to change as directed by the California State Legislature. All other fees are subject to change as directed either by the legislature or by the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees in accordance with Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. 

Detailed information about fees, financial aid, and scholarships can be found in each semester's class schedule, in the Financial Aid Office (located in Building 3000 on the Oceanside Campus), and on the Student Resources webpage. 

Enrollment Fee

MiraCosta College is required by state law to charge each student a per-unit enrollment fee for credit classes. The enrollment fee is $46.00 per unit. Nonresident students are charged an additional fee per credit along with the enrollment fee. Please note:

• Fees are subject to change.
• Payment is due at the time of enrollment for classes. Please visit the Important Dates webpage and click on "detailed list of dates and deadlines" for payment/drop deadlines.

If a third party is paying your fees (Department of Rehabilitation, scholarships, tuition assistance, or Workers Compensation), please contact the Cashiers’ Office prior to the start of the term to ensure all paperwork is approved and received.

Exemptions

Exemptions from the enrollment fee are available for students who have one of the following completed:

• California College Promise Grant (CCPG).
• MCC Promise Grant.
• Students who have turned in an approved TA authorization.
• An approved Third-Party Vendor: Paperwork must be submitted before the start of the term.
• Noncredit classes.
• Approved Apprenticeship Program classes only: Please contact Admissions for more information.
• Concurrently enrolled high school students: Please contact Admissions for more information.

Additional financial aid may be available to those who qualify. Please see Financial Aid for more information.

Non-Resident Tuition

The nonresident tuition is $356.00 per unit (effective summer 2024). This fee is in addition to the enrollment fee for any student who is not a resident of California.

Exemptions

Permissive exemptions from non-resident tuition include the following (per Education Code, sections 76140 and 76140.5):

• All nonresident students enrolling for 6 or fewer units.
• A student who is a citizen and resident of a foreign country who demonstrates financial need and this required exemption.
• All students, other than nonimmigrant aliens under 8 US Code Section 1101(a)(15), who meet the following requirements:
  • high school attendance in California for three or more years;
  • graduation from California high school or attainment of the equivalent thereof;
  • registration or enrollment in a course offered for any term commencing on or after January 1, 2002;
  • completion of a questionnaire form prescribed by the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office verifying eligibility for this nonresident tuition exemption; and,
  • in the case of a student without lawful immigration status, the filing of an affidavit that the student has filed an application to legalize his/her/their immigration status or will file an application as soon as he/she/they is eligible to do so. 
•  A nonresident student who enrolls in a credit English as a Second Language (ESL) course at the district and who is any of the following:
  • a recent immigrant, as defined in 8 US Code Code Section 1101(a)(15);
  • a recent refugee, as defined in 8 US Code Section 1101(a)(42); or
  • a person who has been granted asylum by the United States, as defined in 8 US Code Section 1158.

This exemption applies only to individuals who, upon entering the United States, settled in California and who have resided in California for less than one year. This exemption applies only to the tuition fee for credit ESL courses.

For questions regarding residency, please contact the Student Services Office.

Upper-Division Fees

The biomanufacturing bachelor’s degree is an additional $84.00 per credit. The total amount per unit is $130.00.

Instructional Materials Fee

Some courses require a materials fee as a condition of enrollment in a class. When required, this fee is noted in the course description. The fee is used to purchase materials such as tools, equipment, and clothing that not only are necessary for achieving the respective course's objectives but also have a continuing value to the student outside of the classroom setting.

Textbook Costs

Most credit courses require students to provide their own textbooks, lab manuals, and workbooks, which can cost upwards of $150 per class unless the class section is designated as Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC) or Low Textbook Cost (LTC).

• ZTC classes typically use no-cost digital textbooks, online resources, and homework systems, and they may have optional print texts and other required materials, such as lab supplies, a calculator, or test forms, that are not free.
• LTC-designated classes use course materials that may be purchased new for $40 or less at the MiraCosta College bookstore. 

The ZTC and LTC webpage lists all ZTC and LTC classes MiraCosta offers, and you can search for them in SURF where they are marked with the following logos: 

Note: While the college strives to ensure the accuracy of ZTC and LTC designations, under some circumstances, faculty may have to adjust the selection of instructional materials, which can affect course material costs. Additionally, when the college must change an instructor originally assigned to a class, the replacement instructor is not obligated to use free or low-cost course materials selected by the original instructor.

Textbooks, lab manuals, workbooks, and other course materials for classes taught online or at the Oceanside Campus can be rented or purchased from the Oceanside Campus bookstore; course materials for classes taught at the San Elijo Campus can be rented or purchased from the San Elijo Campus bookstore. Books for classes taught at the Community Learning Center (CLC) must be purchased or rented at the CLC bookstore. 

Students are encouraged to participate in the bookstore's textbook rental, used book, and book buy-back programs. Students who need assistance paying for books should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine their eligibility for financial aid, book grants, or book loans.

Health Services Fee

All students enrolled in credit courses and taking any number of units at the Oceanside Campus, San Elijo Campus, or Community Learning Center are required to pay a state-mandated health services fee. The fee covers the cost of secondary student accident insurance and helps fund the operational expenses of the Health Services Center. This fee is: 

• $19 per term for fall and spring.
• $16 for summer term. 

Students enrolled in credit courses conducted at other locations must also pay the health services fee. However, companies or school districts that arrange for MiraCosta to conduct classes at off-site locations may request a waiver of the health services fee by providing proof of accident insurance. Arrangements for a fee waiver need to be made with the Office of Instruction when off-site class negotiations are conducted.

The following students are not required to pay the health services fee:

• Students who depend exclusively upon prayer for healing in accordance with the teachings of a bona fide religious sect, denomination, or organization. 
• Students who are attending a community college under an approved apprenticeship training program. 
• Students who are enrolled in noncredit courses are not required to pay the health services fee; however, they may elect to do so if they want to avail themselves of the services. 
• Students who are in an approved apprenticeship-training program.

Parking Fees

All student vehicles parked on campus must be registered with the Parking/Campus Police Office, and vehicles not displaying a parking permit will be ticketed. A parking fee is charged for registration of each vehicle each semester with some exceptions, which are listed in the class schedule, and the fee varies with the type of vehicle:

• Parking permits are required for all students who park on campus.
• $35.00 for automobiles per term for spring and fall ($17.50 for summer term).
• $20.00 for automobiles per term for students who qualify for CCPG waiver for spring and fall terms.
• $17.50 for licensed moped or motorcycle in spring and fall ($8.75 for summer term).

For more information about Parking on Campus, please visit the Parking Regulations webpage on the Campus Police website.

Daily parking permit machines are located on all three campuses. San Elijo and Oceanside Campus permits may be purchased for $1, and the Community Learning Center campus permits may be purchased for $ .50. All visitors must purchase a permit to park on campus Monday through Saturday.

The Parking/Campus Police Office is located in Parking Lot 1A on the Oceanside Campus and on the east side of the entrance to the San Elijo Campus. Upon request, the office will provide a copy of all the rules and regulations that pertain to parking on campus. Students who violate the college's parking rules and regulations are subject to citations and fines.

Student Center Fee

A student center fee of $1 per credit unit with a maximum of $10 per academic year (summer through spring) is charged to students enrolled in credit classes. This fee is waived for students who provide the Financial Aid Office with documentation of their participation in AFDC/TANF, SSI, or General Relief. All concurrently enrolled high school students are exempt from this fee. 

Student Representation Fee

California Education Code (section 76060.5) requires community colleges to charge a student representation fee of $2.00 at the time of registration to support student organizations both locally and statewide.

Students may decline this fee while making a payment at the time of registration by selecting their Student Financial Tile, Make a Payment and checking the box to "Yes" to opt out of the Student Representation fee.

Student Identification Card Fee (optional)

The student identification (ID) card, known as the Spartan Pass, is available to all students (noncredit and credit) for a $6 fee. The optional ID card provides many benefits on and off campus. For example, the Spartan Pass offers many discounts, including savings at retail shops, restaurants, museums, sporting events, and travel. 

The funds received from the purchase of Spartan Passes go back to serving the students by allocating $5 to the Associated Student Government and $1 to the Chariot News Media. This money is then used to offer events, activities, ASG stipends and scholarships, and news publications for the MiraCosta College community. 

Students can pay for their Spartan Pass in SURF or at the Cashier’s Office. After paying, students can request their Spartan Pass by visiting the Engage webpage and completing the “Spartan Pass/Nursing ID Card Application.” 

Transcript Fees

The first two transcripts requested by the student are free of cost. Additional copies cost $5 each. An additional $2 processing fee is charged for transcripts ordered online.

Make a Payment

• To make a payment or view an online tutorial, please visit the Cashier's Office webpage.  
• To enroll in a monthly payment plan, please visit the Payment Plan webpage. 

California Veteran Dependent Exemption

The basic benefit is the waiver of tuition and required incidental fees at a California community college, California State University, or University of California. Dependents who may be eligible for this benefit include the following:

• A child or surviving spouse of a veteran who died in the line of duty or as a result of a service-connected disability.
• A child or spouse of a totally disabled, service-connected veteran.
• A child of a veteran who has applied for a service-connected disability, has received a rating of zero or more percent, and falls within the income guidelines.

Contact the MiraCosta College Veterans Services Office (760.757.2121 ext. 6285), the California Association of County Veterans Service Officers, or the California Department of Veterans Affairs (916.503.8397) for information about how to apply for this college fee waiver.

Delinquent Debt Collection Charge

Students are responsible for all fees on their student account. If the California State Legislature changes the fees, the student is responsible for any fee increase for classes that remain on or are added to the student’s SURF account. When fees are not paid, the fees owed are past due and subject to a collections process, so it is important for students to regularly check their SURF account. Accounts can be viewed through the student's SURF portal.

Before a delinquent debt is sent to collections, students will receive three official collection letters in the mail. If the student decides not to pay the balance to the District, then their account will be submitted to one of MiraCosta's third party collections processors: CEDAR Financial or COTOP. If your account goes into collection status, your credit could be negatively affected. 

About CEDAR Financial and COTOP

CEDAR Financial provides MiraCosta College with a method of collecting accounts receivable balance for students' financial and non-financial aid debts. If a student's account is sent to CEDAR Financial, then a $50.00 processing fee will be added to the account. 

The Chancellor’s Office Tax Offset Program (COTOP) is a program that will try to recoup funds owed to MiraCosta College. If a student does not complete the repayment, then COTOP will intercept monies owed back from tax returns and any lottery winnings. If a student's account is sent to COTOP, then a 25 percent processing fee will be added to the student's account. 

Who Gets Sent to Collections 

When a student's account becomes past due, their account is subject to being sent to a third-party collection agency. MiraCosta will send three official debt collection letters through the United States Postal Service. The third letter and final letter gives students 30 days to respond to the notification before the student's account is sent to collections. Students who believe they have an incorrect debt balance must contact the Cashier's Office to examine their account.

Student Responsibilities 

Students are responsible for the following:

• Knowing their balances due, which can be viewed through the student's SURF portal. 
• Ensuring they have the correct mailing address on file with MiraCosta College. If a student does not receive a debt letter due to an invalid or old mailing address, it is not the college’s responsibility. 
• Contacting the Cashier's Office to make payment arrangements or pay the balance in full when they receive a debt letter or a past due email notification from MiraCosta College. 

For more information, please contact the Cashier's Office at 760.795.6746 or rdean@miracosta.edu.