Tuition Overview

Following is an overview of tuition for the Residential MLIS and Online MLIS programs. The University of Washington reserves the right to change tuition and fees without prior notice, and tuition is expected to increase in the future.


Residential MLIS Tuition Overview

The Residential MLIS program is a state-supported program and follows the tuition structure defined by the State of Washington. View more information on tuition and related fees.  Residential MLIS students are eligible for financial aid to cover the cost of tuition and cost of living.

Below are estimated tuition and fee rates for the 2009-2010 academic year based on resident or nonresident student status.


WA State Resident Tuition
For the Residential MLIS program

Nonresident Tuition
For the Residential MLIS program

Total cost of degree = $25,000

The total cost is for a full-time, two year program; this equates to annual tuition costs of $12,500 per year


Total cost of degree =
$52,000

The total cost is for a full-time, two year program;
this equates to annual tuition costs of $26,000 per year

Note that nonresidents can seek out WA State Resident status during year one in the program, so that in year two the tuition cost may reduce to that of WA State Residents ($26,000 year one + $12,500 year two = $38,500 total cost of degree if residency status changes).

A student’s status as a resident or nonresident of the State of Washington determines the amount of tuition and fees required. The Office of Graduate Admissions will assume that an applicant is a nonresident unless available information clearly indicates legal residency in the State of Washington. Because rules and regulations governing residency versus non-residency frequently change, it is recommended that all appropriate questions be addressed directly to the University of Washington, Residence Classification Office, 264 Schmitz Hall, Box 355850, Seattle, Washington 98195-5850, or call (206) 543-4188. Any student believing that he or she fulfills the qualifications for paying resident fees may obtain an application form for Change in Residence status at the Residence Classification Office. Learn about Washington State Residency requirements.

State of Washington or UW employees may also utilize their Tuition-Exemption benefits in the Residential MLIS program.  Tuition-Exemption benefits do not apply to the Online MLIS program.


Online MLIS Tuition Overview

The Online MLIS program is a self-sustaining/fee-based program, which results in tuition being charged on a per credit basis. Note that the cost of the Online MLIS program is the same for both WA State residents and non-residents.  Online MLIS students are also eligible to receive financial aid to help cover the cost of tuition.

Below is the tuition information for the Online MLIS program in 2009-2010:


Online MLIS Tuition

Cost per credit = $567
applicable autumn 2009, winter 2010, and spring 2010

Total cost of degree =
$36,000

The total cost is for a part-time three year program;
this equates to annual tuition costs of $12,000 per year. 

Students do have the option of trying to complete the Online MLIS degree in a shorter timeframe, by taking on more credits per quarter.

In addition to the above tuition costs, a service and activities fee and a technology fee (not charged in summer quarter) are also mandatory. The amount of these fees is determined by the total number of credits taken each quarter. 

Financial Aid is assessed and awarded at 10 credits for full-time programs, and 5 credits for part-time programs.  The Online MLIS program is a part-time graduate degree program, so automatically financial aid is assessed/awarded with the expectation that students will be at 5 credits.  However many Online MLIS students take more than 5 credits (the range may be anywhere from 5-10 credits).  If an Online MLIS student takes more than 5 credits, and finds that their financial aid package does not cover their financial needs, they should fill out the Revision Request for Additional Expenses at http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/0910revaddexp.pdf and submit that to the UW Financial Aid Office.  Included with that should be an itemized list of courses that will be taken for the requested quarter, including the cost for the courses (it is optimal to turn in a receipt for the amount of tuition owed, if the student has already registered).  More information on this is also at  http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/graduate/request.change.html.  The UW Financial Aid Office will review the request for additional expenses, and alert the student as to whether or not additional aid has been provided.  Our advice is to act early on this and follow the same process each quarter.
 

Additional Tuition Information