The Western Orthodox University is administered as as an integrated auxiliary of the Apostolic Episcopal Church religious nonprofit organization. As such, its fees are maintained at as affordable a rate as possible while ensuring that there is enough income to cover operating costs. This balance is necessary because, as a fully independent institution, fees income and donations are our only source of funding. The Western Orthodox University has no endowment fund and receives no support from government or other funding bodies.
The University also offers no scholarship or bursary scheme, since we prefer to keep fees at an affordable rate for all. Since the University is a private and independent institution, its students are not eligible for state or federal financial aid programs. A wide range of external organizations offer financial help, often in the form of loans, to students whose fees are not paid by an employer or sponsor and who are not able to fund themselves. It is also possible to pay in instalments through the schemes offered by our payment processor PayPal, with whom students may choose to contract directly.
Although fees are subject to change without notice, it is our policy not to increase fees for students already enrolled on a program.
The fees given below apply to students studying via distance learning who enrol via this website only. For students studying at an affiliated campus, the fees are set individually by that campus and will be different from those below. Fees for students introduced by authorized agents are also different from those below.
Program Fees
Fees are given in US Dollars (US$).
Program Fees for degree programs (APEL programs only)
The fees are the same for all degree levels
Pre-cognition |
Credential Assessment fee |
Credit Conversion and Graduation Fee |
| No charge | $250 | $1,950 |
All students are liable for the Initial Fee and Graduation Fee. The Annual Continuation Fee is payable by those students who have not submitted for graduation by the first anniversary of their matriculation and is further payable each year thereafter to maintain good standing.
Degree level |
Initial fee |
Annual continuation fee |
Graduation fee |
| Certificate of Higher Education | $453 | $439 | $428 |
| Associate | $613 | $585 | $609 |
| Bachelor | $654 | $642 | $670 |
| Bachelor top-up program and Bachelor for holders of an Associate’s degree. | $631 | n/a | $642 |
| Postgraduate Diploma | $934 | $693 | $881 |
| Master | $1,383 | $725 | $1,381 |
| Doctorate | $2,346 | $810 | $2,402 |
The Program Fees include standard worldwide couriering of documents via a tracked service. However, graduates wishing to use an expedited courier service may do so subject to paying a surcharge to cover the costs involved.
Additional fees
The program fees do not include the following: the purchase or hire of books or other resource materials; the cost of printing and binding dissertations; any ancillary costs such as postage or telephone/internet contact which may be incurred during the program; additional copies of graduation documentation (including replacement of lost documentation) or any other letter issued by the University; the supply of Apostilles.
Students should budget separately for these costs, and should be aware that most taught programs will require between 10 and 20 books – some will require more.
There is no fee for application.
De-matriculation/Re-matriculation
APEL students who have been advised that their portfolios have been accepted by the University are then required to pay the Credit Conversion and Graduation Fee within a reasonable time. If they fail to do this or to respond to communications, they will be sent a final notice for payment within seven days, unless an extension is granted for cause. After the deadline has passed, if the student has not paid they will be de-matriculated. Re-matriculation is possible but carries a fee of $150.
If a non-APEL student fails to respond to contact from their mentor and the administration for a period of thirty days, they will be de-matriculated. Re-matriculation is possible but carries a fee of $150.
No student may graduate from the University until all applicable fees associated with their program have been received.
All errors and omissions excepted. All fees are subject to change without notice.
Embassy legalization/Apostille
It is possible in some cases to arrange for Embassy legalization/Apostille for degree documentation. This service is only required in certain countries. We do not provide this service, but can suggest third party providers with whom the graduate can contract on their own initiative and at their own expense. Intending purchasers should note that this can be a very expensive process.
Payment of Fees
Methods of payment
Details of how to send payment will be sent to students at the time of enrolment. All payments received must be net of any bank or currency transfer fees which are the responsibility of the student.
1. PayPal (for Credit/Debit Card Payments)
PAYMENT ONLINE: You can use PayPal’s secure payment server to pay using any major credit or debit card. We will send you a PayPal invoice or payment link that you can pay online. This is the University’s preferred method of payment and the only one that is accepted for APEL programs.
PayPal offers various instalment payment options which are a contractual agreement between the customer and PayPal. Under these, the University receives the full amount, while PayPal allows the customer to pay them in instalments. These options may vary depending on country and status.
2. Bank to Bank (wire) Transfer (non-APEL programs only)
Instruct your bank that we must receive the exact amount invoiced. Only the amount received will be credited to your account. Please inform us that this is your favoured payment method and we will send you our bank details. Note that for certain high-risk countries we will not release bank details under any circumstances. In this event, you will need to use an alternative form of payment.
3. Western Union (non-APEL programs only)
Under certain circumstances (which need to be cleared with us in advance) you may transfer funds via your local Western Union branch. This is often both at least as fast as and less expensive than other payment methods. However, the Western Union commission fees (which can be much more than other methods of transfer) must be met by the student.
4. Payment via Bank Drafts, Cheques (checks)
We do not accept bankers drafts or checks because of the increased prevalence of fraud using these methods.
Liability
Always remember to label your payments clearly and accurately. Under no circumstances should you send cash through the post or send us your credit card details; we do not process credit cards directly.
No liability can be accepted for payments not received and cleared by our bankers. Payments received are normally paid to the bank on the same day, and should be expected to clear ca. 7-10 days after. We accept no responsibility for cash payments, or any means of payment which is not specifically made out as directed. Proof of sending does not constitute proof of receipt. All charges made to us for banking transactions will be added to the candidate’s account balance.
Refunds
For non-APEL programs; you have the right to cancel and receive a refund within 14 days of your payment being received by us. You should inform us of your decision to cancel as soon as possible by email and we will send you an acknowledgement once we have received your decision.
After enrolment, there is no obligation for us to offer any refund.
For APEL programs; APEL programs are personalized and so are classified as a bespoke service. Precognition is offered for these programs free of charge and without obligation to enrol. If the applicant passes precognition and elects to enrol in the program they are entering a bespoke process of assessment tailored to them and no refund is therefore applicable. The sole exception to this rule is that if the University were to find after enrolment that you were not eligible for the award of any degree the Credential Assessment Fee would be refunded to you.
Agents and representatives
The Western Orthodox University designates specific third party agents and representatives in a number of countries including countries outside the United States whose duties include the handling of payments on behalf of the University. The candidate will be informed of any applicable arrangements at the time of matriculation. The candidate should ensure that no payment is made to any third party who is not specifically authorized in writing by either the Western Orthodox University or its agents and representatives. No liability can be accepted for any unauthorized payments.
The Western Orthodox University 