About the Tuition Guarantee Program

Kent State University’s Tuition Guarantee provides all eligible new first-year undergraduate students and their families the certainty that resident tuition and room and board charges will not increase over the ensuing four academic year period from their first enrollment as a degree-seeking student. The Kent State Tuition Guarantee will apply to all new degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolling at the Kent campus or the regional campuses except for associate degree programs for which no pathway to a bachelor’s degree has been established. Participation in the program is required for all new first-year degree-seeking undergraduate students enrolling at Kent State University for the first time in fall semester of 2018 or later.

Beginning with the 2018-2019 Academic Year, Kent State University’s Tuition Guarantee Plan will apply to all new first-year * and transfer undergraduate students** who enroll in a degree-seeking program at Kent State University for the first time on, or after, Fall Semester 2018. 

* A New First-Year Student is any undergraduate, degree-seeking student enrolled at any of Kent State University’s campuses for the first time on or after fall 2018, and who has not been enrolled at any other college or postsecondary institution. New First-Year Students include students who enroll at Kent State University after graduating from high school and non-traditional students who enroll at any of the Kent State campuses for the first time. New First-Year Students do not include non-degree-seeking students, College Credit Plus or Advanced High School; exchange students; and other students participating in other pre-enrollment or postsecondary option programs. 

** A Transfer Student is any student who transfers to Kent State University from another college or postsecondary institution. Transfer students who transferred from any college or university prior to fall semester 2018 are not covered by the Kent State Tuition Guarantee as they are considered part of the returning student Cohort (New First-Year students who started fall 2017, or prior term in which a Cohort does not exist).

Kent State University’s Tuition Guarantee provides all eligible new first-year undergraduate students and their families the certainty that resident tuition and room and board charges will not increase over the ensuing four academic year period from their first enrollment as a degree-seeking student regardless of their enrollment status (full, part-time or not enrolled).

Tuition rates for undergraduate students are capped between 12-18 credit hours for fall and spring terms. As such, all undergraduate students (including students who are part of the Tuition Guarantee rate plan) can take up to 18 credit hours per semester for fall and spring semesters at the rate charged for full-time enrollment (i.e., 12 credit hours). Tuition rates for summer terms are not capped at the tuition range of 12-18 credit hours. Instead, summer tuition is charged per-credit hour.

The Tuition Guarantee Plan rate covers the undergraduate Ohio resident tuition rate (i.e., instructional and general fee), career services fee, room and board charges.

Exclusions include, but are not limited to, the nonresident surcharge, tuition above flat rate, special course and program fees, student health insurance, parking and the cost of textbooks.

Students who do not complete their undergraduate degree requirements within their cohort period will automatically be placed into the oldest unexpired cohort rate for one additional academic year.

 Example: New first-time or transfer undergraduate student entering Kent State for fall 2024 will be guaranteed their cohort rate through summer 2028. If the students remain enrolled for fall 2028, then they will be placed into the oldest unexpired cohort rate (i.e., the cohort rate that went into effect the year after their assigned cohort) or the fall 2025 cohort rate. The students will remain in that cohort for one academic year. If the students remain enrolled after the 2025 cohort rate expires, then the students will be placed into the 2026 cohort rate and so on until the students are no longer enrolled. Students may request an extension of their guaranteed cohort period if they are unable to complete their degree in four years due to circumstances beyond their control.

Eligible new first-year undergraduate degree-seeking or transfer students registered for classes as of the day after the last day to withdrawal at 100 percent for tuition refund purposes are considered matriculated students for that term for tuition guarantee program purposes. As such, students who officially withdraw from all of their courses during a fall or spring term after the 100 percent tuition credit period will be assigned to the cohort rate in effect for the term they officially withdrew from. Likewise, students who officially withdraw from all of their courses before the end of the 100 percent tuition credit period will not be considered matriculated for tuition guarantee program purposes and will not be assigned to the cohort rate in effect before their official withdrawal. 

Examples: 

• Official withdrawal during the 100 percent tuition credit period 
  • A new first-year undergraduate degree-seeking student enrolled at Kent State for fall 2024 will be guaranteed the Ohio resident tuition rate (i.e., instructional and general fee), career services fee, room and board rates stay the same from fall 2024 through summer 2028. The students officially withdraw from all of their classes during the 100 percent tuition credit period for fall 2024 and are not considered matriculated for tuition guarantee program purposes. As such, the “clock” on the duration of the students’ cohort rate resets. The students subsequently enroll and matriculate during spring 2025. Since the “clock” on the duration of their cohort rate was reset after fall, their guarantee rate will now run from spring 2025 through fall 2028. 
• Official withdrawal after the 100 percent tuition credit period 
  • New first-year undergraduate degree-seeking students enrolled at Kent State for fall 2024. The students are guaranteed that their Ohio resident tuition rate (i.e., instructional and general fee), career services fee, room and board rates stay the same from fall 2024 through summer 2028. The student officially withdraws from all of their classes after the 100 percent tuition credit period for fall 2024 and are considered matriculated for tuition guarantee program purposes. The students subsequently enroll and matriculate for spring 2025. Since the students were considered matriculated during fall 2024, the duration of their cohort rate does not change. 

The same process applies to students who seek to re-enroll after any period of nonattendance. Students who re-enroll after any period of nonattendance will be assigned to their original cohort rate for the balance of the cohort period, as long as no more than four academic years have elapsed since the students’ initial degree-seeking enrollment. If four or more academic years have elapsed, then the re-enrolling students are assigned to the oldest unexpired cohort rate.

The Tuition Guarantee Plan is not available to non-degree-seeking students. This includes, but is not limited to students enrolled in the English (ESL) program, guest students, post-undergraduate students, exchange students or high school students participating in pre-enrollment or post-secondary option programs such as College Credit Plus. In addition certificate and certain associate degree programs are excluded from the tuition guarantee, including but not limited to, Associate of Technical Studies - Allied Health Management, Associate of Technical Studies - Emergency Medical Services, Associate of Applied Science degree in Enology, Associate of Technical Study degree in Environment Management, Associate of Applied Science degree in Legal Assisting Technology, Associate of Applied Science degree in Viticulture, Associate of Technical Study degree, Individualized Program or any other associate degree program hereafter adopted for which no pathway to a bachelor’s degree has been established are not eligible to participate in the tuition guarantee plan.

The Tuition Guarantee Plan provides all eligible, new first-year undergraduate and transfer students starting for fall 2018 the certainty that the Ohio resident tuition rate (i.e., instructional and general fee), housing and meal plans will not increase over their cohort period. The Tuition Guarantee Plan does not apply to the nonresident-surcharge.

Certificate and certain associate degree programs are excluded from the tuition guarantee, including but not limited to, Associate of Technical Studies - Allied Health Management, Associate of Technical Studies - Emergency Medical Services, Associate of Applied Science degree in Enology, Associate of Technical Study degree in Environment Management, Associate of Applied Science degree in Legal Assisting Technology, Associate of Applied Science degree in Viticulture, Associate of Technical Study degree, Individualized Program or any other associate degree program hereafter adopted for which no pathway to a bachelor’s degree has been established are not eligible to participate in the tuition guarantee plan. .