Paying Your Student Bills and Personal Banking
To prepare to attend Cornell College, it is important to understand the financial expectations to pay for your tuition, housing, meals, books, and personal items.
Proof of financial ability
We want to be sure that you understand the costs to attend Cornell and have a plan for how you will pay your student bills prior to being admitted and arriving on campus.
Total cost to attend
Cornell College's total cost of attendance for the 2024-25 academic year is $68,754 USD. This includes tuition, room and board, fees, and an estimate for health insurance (required and arranged by Cornell), books, travel, and personal expenses. When considering costs for your entire education at Cornell, each year we anticipate the cost of attendance to increase 3-4% over the prior year.
Financial assistance for students
All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships that range in value from $33,000-$37,000 USD per year. Talent based scholarships, ranging from $500-$5,000 USD, are also available and may require an additional application and audition or portfolio submission.
Unfortunately, Cornell College is not able to meet the financial needs of every qualified applicant. First-year international students are expected to pay a minimum of $32,000 USD each year to attend Cornell College.
Paying your student bill
You will be billed each semester by our Student Accounts Office. There are two options for payment
- Pay for the semester in full on the semester payment plan (due 7 days before class begins)
- 10 month payment plan with payments due the first of each month beginning August 1. This plan includes a $50 processing fee each semester.
Bills may be paid using a credit card or wire transfer directly to Cornell College.
Bringing money to the United States and banking
You are likely to want to have spending money for yourself to buy personal items, school supplies, and treats or experiences. How much you bring with you will be different for every student. We would caution you from taking the risk of traveling with large amounts of cash for safety reasons. If you can get a money order to bring with you or have money wired from home to an American bank account (which we will help you set up during orientation) that is the safest option.
During international student orientation you will have the opportunity to set up a bank account with one of the local Mount Vernon banks. Your advisors will help you with all the details. This isn’t required, but will make it easier for you to make purchases at U.S. businesses.
Questions?
Please contact us at +1 800.747.1112 or email international@cornellcollege.edu. We answer phones from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Central Time for the United States (often labeled as Chicago in time conversion apps) unless other arrangements are made.