Graduate catalog: 2023/24

Processing Fees

The University of the People is a tuition-free, non-profit institution, and students are not charged for their educational instruction, course materials or annual enrollment. It is dedicated to opening access to higher education worldwide and strives to see that no qualified student is denied the opportunity to study at UoPeople for financial reasons.

As a non-profit academic institution, UoPeople works hard to control expenses and has succeeded in reducing much of the cost of a higher education. In order to remain sustainable, it does charge small application, transfer credit, and Assessment Fees, and reserves the right to change the cost of the Application Fee, the transfer credit Evaluation Fee, or the Assessment Fee, at its discretion. All fees remain the responsibility of the student. The University accepts no responsibility for credit card, bank, money transfer, check or other fees or charges incurred by the student in paying his or her fees to the University.

Application Fee[9]

      • Applicants to the University are required to pay a non-refundable Application Fee of $60.
      • The Application Fee is subject to change and will apply to applications that are in process.
      • The Application Fee must be submitted by the applicant along with his or her application for study at graduate level at UoPeople.
      • The Application Fee does not include any additional fees that may be required for third party evaluation.
      • Individuals who apply for readmission and/or academic renewal must pay the Application Fee in effect at the time they reapply to the University.

Applicants unable to pay the Application Fee may contact the Financial Aid Office to explain why they cannot pay the Application Fee. UoPeople may request clarification and ‘proof of circumstance’ regarding the inability to pay this fee. Proof of circumstance may include:

      • A signed declaration testifying to the applicant’s inability to pay the requested fee.
      • Standardized form signed by the applicant
      • Financial statements
      • Other documentation required by UoPeople

In certain circumstances, UoPeople may be able to award an applicant a grant to help reduce their Application Fee. Applicants eligible for a scholarship upon admittance may be awarded a University Grant to waive the Application Fee. The availability and award of University Grants shall be determined by UoPeople.

Evaluation Fee for Transfer Credit

      • The $17 Evaluation Fee is assessed on every course that UoPeople accepts for transfer credit.
      • The Evaluation Fee must be paid before a course will be recorded on a UoPeople transcript as having been accepted as meeting a UoPeople degree requirement. For currently-enrolled Degree Students, the transfer credit becomes official upon payment of the fee, at which time it is immediately transcripted. For applicants and non-degree students, transfer credit does not become official nor is it transcripted until the individual has paid the fee and has completed at least one graded course as a Degree Student.

Assessment Fees[10]

      • Assessment Fees apply to all students studying at the University.
      • Graduate degree-seeking students and all non-degree students[11] are required to pay an Assessment Fee of $350 – $400 per course at the University.

[9] The determination of fees and University Grants to assist with the Application Fee is at the sole discretion of UoPeople. University Grants are currently reviewed by the Financial Aid Office.

[10] Assessment Fees includes references to all fees labeled as Examination Processing Fees in previous editions of the UoPeople Catalog and Addenda.

[11] Non-degree students include all students studying in UoPeople Foundations, students enrolled in ENGL 0101 English Composition 1 to demonstrate English proficiency, students taking prerequisites to be accepted for graduate study, and any other student who is not in a degree program.