2023-2024 College Catalog

Tuition & Fees

By registering for a course, students agree to pay the required tuition and fees for that course. Tuition is charged per semester hour for credit courses and varies depending upon residency. Tuition rates and fees are subject to change without prior notice.

Tuition Appeals

No tuition refund will be granted following the tuition refund date. If extenuating circumstances exist (i.e., military activation, death of immediate family member, or serious medical condition) a student may submit a Tuition Appeal with supporting documentation to the Records and Registration Office. A Tuition Appeal does not automatically result in a refund. Tuition Appeals may be submitted within the semester in which the student was enrolled in the course(s). Students who have received Financial Aid funding do not qualify for a tuition appeal refund; however, an enrollment appeal can be filed

Out-Of-State Students

Students whose legal residence is outside of Illinois are considered out-of-state students and charged the appropriate tuition. International students who are not citizens of the United States and do not meet the criteria listed above will be considered out-of-state students.

Tuition For Senior Citizens (age 62 & over)

Students 62-64 years of age, prior to the start of the semester, who are residents of Rock Valley College District 511 qualify for a reduced tuition rate of $25 per credit hour for credit courses only.

Students age 65 and over, prior to the start of the semester, who are district residents may attend credit classes tuition free.

All other fees will be assessed at a full rate for students in both age categories. The tuition reduction is not applicable for enrollment in non- credit seminars, classes, or programs.

Tuition Refund

Rock Valley College has determined students may receive a tuition refund upon dropping credit courses based on the following guidelines. In each case if the student drops courses by the specified date, all tuition and fees are refunded. There is no prorated schedule for tuition and fee refunds.

Tuition refund requests should be made to the Records and Registration Office during normal business hours. Refunds will be made according to the following schedule:

COURSE LENGTH

100% REFUND

NO REFUND

16-week course (fall-spring)

Before or during first 9 business days of semester

After the 9th business day of the semester*

4- to 15-week course

On or before 4th business day from start of class

After the 4th business day*

Less than 4-week course

On or before 3rd business day from start of class

After the 3rd business day*

* Saturdays are scheduled course days and are used in the calculation of business days.

The college reserves the right to make the final decision on all refunds.
-It is the student’s responsibility to know the refund dates for their courses.
-Non-attendance does not constitute a drop in a course nor qualify students for a refund.
-It is the student’s responsibility to drop themselves from a course.
-Failure to drop a course properly may result in a failing grade.
-No refunds will be granted when a student is dismissed or suspended from the college for disciplinary reasons.
-Non-attendance due to Military service, contact Veterans Services Office at (815) 921-4163.

Residency

Students applying to RVC are classified for the purpose of determining tuition and fee rates. Evidence of resident status is provided on each applicant via the application they submitted. Residency status will not be changed after the 10th day of each semester.

Questions regarding classification should be directed to the Records and Registration Office at (815) 921-4250 or visit: RockValleyCollege.edu/Residency.

In-District Student

To be classified as a District 511 resident, students must have resided within the district for at least 30 days prior to the start of the semester. Students who have moved from an out-of-district or out-of-state residence to an in-district residence for reasons other than attending RVC are exempt from the 30-day requirement upon verification. Residency verification requires one of the following: an official signed lease or rental agreement, a current Illinois driver’s license or State I.D., a utility bill in the student’s name, or a valid Illinois voter’s registration card. A student living outside the district/state, but who is employed at least 35 hours per week within the district, must present a letter from the employer prior to each semester testifying to that fact in order to have out-of-district/state fees waived.

 

Note: If a person is Active Duty in the military or utilizing military educational benefits, then the board shall deem that person an in-district resident for tuition purposes. International students may be considered in-district students if they:

  1. Graduated from a high school in the RVC district and hold a student visa or

  2. F1 International students who have a sponsor that lives within the RVC district can fill out a “Live-in Guest” waiver that verifies Sponsorship, and guarantees payment of tuition, fees, and miscellaneous college charges. Contact the Records and Registration Office at (815) 921-4250 with questions or visit our website at: RockValleyCollege.edu/Residency.

Courses that are taught 100% online will be charged at the in-district tuition rate for all students, regardless of their residency. All other courses will be billed based on residency.

Out-Of-District Student

A student who has not established residency within Community College District 511, but is a resident of the State of Illinois, will be classified as out-of-district and charged the appropriate tuition. Out-of-district students who want to attain an approved occupational program degree or certificate offered only at RVC and not their own district community college should refer to “Cooperative Agreement Program”.

Tuition/Fees

For current tuition rates and specific class fees, refer to the RVC website at: RockValleyCollege.edu/Tuition.

Payment Information

There are two payment options available:

  1. Pay Online. Log into your student Self Service account at: RockValleyCollege.edu/SelfService to pay in full or initiate a payment plan. Payment methods include credit (debit) cards (VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express; or ACH Automated Clearing House-electronic transfer) from a checking account. – OR –

  2. Visit the Payment Center in the Student Center (second floor). Payment methods include cash, check, money order, or credit (debit) cards (VISA, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express).

All credit (debit) card payments will be charged an additional 2.5% non-refundable transaction fee.

Students who do not make their payment in full, have not been awarded financial aid, or have not signed up for the payment plan will have their classes cancelled for non-payment.

Tax Information: Prior year tax information (IRS tax form 1098T) will be available in Self Service at: RockValleyCollege.edu/MyRVC by January 31st each year. Under Tax Information, click on the “1098 Information" tab and select the year. Student must have a social security number on file.

Cooperative Agreement Program

Rock Valley College participates in the “Comprehensive Agreement Regarding the Expansion of Educational Resources” (C.A.R.E.E.R.) with several Illinois community colleges. This agreement is regulated by the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) and is designed to provide expanded educational opportunities only for A.A.S. degrees and certificate programs not offered by Rock Valley College. Rock Valley College’s District 511 Cooperative Agreement Program allows an RVC student to attend another Illinois public community college at an in-district tuition rate with proper approval and documentation. An application for a Cooperative Agreement should be submitted 30 days prior to the first day of the semester the student intends on registering for. Please go to: RockValleyCollege.edu/Agreement to apply for an agreement.

Also, the Cooperative Agreement Program does not guarantee admission for out-of-district students, rather it permits out-of-district rates to be waived, allowing the student to obtain the A.A.S. degree or certificate for in-district tuition rates. Out-of-district students interested in enrolling in a program at Rock Valley College under a Cooperative Agreement should contact their home community college prior to enrolling at RVC to fill out a Cooperative Agreement (if they are looking to pursue a program at RVC that is not offered at their home college). If not sure of residency, students can check the website listed above and click on “Are You an RVC Resident?”

Prerequisite course requirements may be taken at the home college or at the receiving college. There may be special circumstances associated with programs that have competitive enrollment with limited seats. These individual cases may be reviewed by the Student Services.

For further information about Cooperative Agreements, please call the Records & Registration Office at (815) 921-4250 or visit in-person on the second floor of the Student Center on the Main Campus. Or find more information and an online application for RVC students at: RockValleyCollege.edu/Agreement.

Rock Valley College’s C.A.R.E.E.R. Cooperative Agreement Program includes the following Illinois institutions:

Black Hawk College
Carl Sandburg College
College of DuPage
College of Lake County
Danville Community College
Elgin Community College
Heartland Community College
Highland Community College
Illinois Central College
Illinois Eastern Community College
Illinois Valley Community College
John A. Logan College
John Wood Community College
Joliet Junior College
Kankakee Community College
Kaskaskia College
Kishwaukee Community College
Lake Land College
Lewis and Clark Community
Lincoln Land Community College
McHenry County College
Moraine Valley Community College
Morton College
Oakton Community College
Parkland Community College
Prairie State College
Rend Lake College
Richland Community College
Sauk Valley Community College
Shawnee Community College
Southeastern Community College
South Suburban College
Southwestern Illinois College
Spoon River College
Triton College
Waubonsee Community College
William Rainey Harper College

 
Rock Valley College also has a special Cooperative Agreement Program with Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wisconsin for the following programs:
Blackhawk Technical College, 6004 S. County Road G, Janesville, WI 53546 (608) 758-6900 | Blackhawk.edu

Agribusiness Specialist
Culinary Arts
Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Vascular
Diesel/Heavy Equipment Technician
Electric Power Distribution
Electro-Mechanical Technology
Human Resource Management
HVAC/R
Laboratory Technician Assistant
Physical Therapy Assistant (2 seats)
Radiography (2 seats)