Lab Fee Amounts and Billing
Mandatory vs. Optional Lab Fees
Paying Your Lab Fees
Lab Fee Reversals and Refunds

Lab Fee Amounts and Billing

In addition to quarterly registration fees, students enrolled in certain courses in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Physics, Film and Media Studies, and Studio Art are required to pay additional fees.  Your school or department may refer to these fees as laboratory fees, course materials fees, or screening fees.  Here we refer to them simply as lab fees.

Lab fee amounts vary depending on the lab in which you have enrolled, and are subject to change without notice.  To avoid an unwanted charge, search the WebSOC by department name (BIO SCI, CHEM, etc.), or browse the department's web site to learn the current lab policies and prices before you enroll.  Some departments have strict rules for add/drops, and reversing or refunding charges.  If you decide to switch sections, be sure to officially drop the unwanted section (using WebReg or an add/drop card, as needed), or you may be charged twice.

Lab fees are billed on ZOTAccount Online.  If you are enrolled in a lab course at the start of the quarter, a charge will appear in your Current Account at the end of the first week of instruction.  Otherwise, your enrollment will be checked several times during the quarter, and a charge will be entered when indicated.  Be sure to review your Current Account regularly throughout the quarter, and pay any balances by the specified due date to avoid late charges and penalties.

[back to top]

Mandatory vs. Optional Lab Fees

With few exceptions, lab fees are mandatory -- meaning that you must pay the charge as a condition of enrollment or attendance in the course.  Mandatory lab fees typically represent the cost of using consumable materials (such as glassware, chemicals, paper, or other media) during instruction.  Currently, a few Studio Arts lab fees are optional ones that are charged only if you choose to use department equipment or facilities (such as cameras or studio access).

Certain Studio Arts courses may have both mandatory and optional lab fees.  In these cases, two separate charges with different descriptions may appear in your Current Account on ZOTAccount Online.  The description for the mandatory charge has the letter 'M' immediately following the course number (e.g., 71M), while the description for the optional charge has the letter 'U' (e.g., 71U).  If neither the letter 'M,' nor the letter 'U,' appears after the course number, then the charge is mandatory.

[back to top]

Paying Your Lab Fees

You no longer need to wait in line at the Central Cashier with cash or a check to pay a lab fee.  Since the charge is billed on ZOTAccount Online, a lab fee may be paid with any available payments and credits in your Current Account, including some types of financial aid.  When a lab charge is present on a ZOTBill, simply make sure that the amount due is applied by due date indicated.  Lab charges that remain unpaid on the next ZOTBill are eligible for ZOT Late charges.

You may pay online securely through the ZOTPay Electronic Payment Center, send your check by mail to the Central Cashier, or use one of the campus drop boxes.  Once your payment has been applied, there's no need to show a receipt to an instructor before attending the lab section.  Authorized employees can confirm your payment with an online report that lists payments of lab fees to their department.  To verify a payment for yourself, check ZOTAccount Online.

Just because a lab fee is optional does not mean that you are not required to pay the charge.  "Optional" does not mean "free."  If you elect to use department equipment or facilities, then you owe the optional lab fee and are responsible for paying the charge by the specified due date.  If you don't use department equipment or facilities, then the optional lab fee may be reversed or your payment refunded, at the sole discretion of the department or school involved.

[back to top]

Lab Fee Reversals and Refunds

Lab fees typically are considered non-refundable, meaning that you will not get your money back if you later drop the lab course.  Always check with the department's advising office and/or review the department comments on WebSOC for enrollment policies.  Unless you are otherwise notified by the department, you will be required to pay all lab charges for which you have been billed or a hold will be placed on your student records and future registration.  

In some cases, scheduling problems or low attendance leads a department to cancel a lab section.  If you have not paid the lab fee yet, a DELETE transaction will be posted to your ZOTAccount, to offset the lab charge.  However, if you have paid the lab fee already, a REVERSAL credit for the relevant course appears in your ZOTAccount.  This credit may be applied to outstanding charges before any remainder is refunded to you.  Always check ZOTAccount Online to be sure a DELETE or REVERSAL has been posted as expected.

If you believe that you have been billed in error for a lab fee, contact the counseling or student affairs office at the department offering the course.  Only the issuing department can delete or reverse a lab charge.  Central Cashier and Campus Billing Services staff do not have the necessary authorization.  You are responsible for any unpaid charges or balance due, and must follow up with the department if you believe a DELETE or REVERSAL is missing.  

FS Home | Cashier Home