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Refund Policy

The engagement of faculty and contracts-for-services represent fixed costs to which the College must obligate itself in advance for an academic year. The College recognizes, however, that a student who finds it necessary to withdraw early in a term suffers a heavy financial loss. The following refund policy reflects the College's willingness to share that loss with the student and his or her parents.

Withdrawal from the College

A student who finds it necessary for any reason to withdraw from the College should make an appointment to see the assistant dean for academic advising and complete an official withdrawal form. If this is not possible, the student must submit to the dean a letter stating reasons for withdrawal.

For a student who begins a term, but withdraws without completing the term, the effective withdrawal date is the date on which the student began the formal withdrawal process by notifying the Office of the Provost of his or her intention. Resident students must vacate their rooms within 24 hours of the effective date of the withdrawal, unless an extension is approved by the Student Affairs Office. Any refund for room fees will be calculated from the date the room is vacated. Students are strongly encouraged to follow these procedures in a timely manner. Each day a student delays may affect his or her refund percentage. No refund of tuition and fees will be made if a student does not follow these required procedures. Failure to follow the formal procedures may result in withdrawal by the College.

If a student withdraws from the College or drops to part-time status within the 60% point of the semester, charges will be adjusted according to the schedule below.

Tuition, Room, and Other Fees Adjustment Schedule

  • On or before the first day of classes, 100% of tuition, room, board, and other fees will be cancelled. However, enrollment and room deposits, where applicable, will be retained by the College.
  • After the first day of class but within the 60% point of the semester, tuition and fees will be adjusted based on the number of calendar days remaining in the semester; room and board refund policies are outlined below.
  • After the 60% point of the semester, no adjustment is made in tuition and fees.

Tuition and fees: the adjustment will be made to tuition and fees included in the comprehensive fee (e.g., student activity fee, technology fee, Health Center fee). No adjustment will be made to other fees such as those associated with courses, labs, and physical education (i.e., after the first day of classes there will be no reimbursement of these fees).

Room fees: residence hall rooms are rented on an annual basis. A student who signs a room contract is expected to reside in College housing for the full academic year. After the first day of classes, in the event that a student withdraws from the College, he or she will receive a pro rata refund of room charges only if the residence hall lease can be transferred by the dean of student life to another student for whom no other College accommodations exist. If this condition does not exist, the student will be held liable for the full amount of the contracted housing charges for the term in which the withdrawal was initiated.

Board fee: board fees will be adjusted on a pro rata basis, based on the remaining number of unused weeks in the semester. Unused dining dollars will be forfeited; unused M-Flex dollars will be refunded to the withdrawn student.

Financial Aid Reimbursement

Because financial aid is expected to help meet educational costs, any tuition and fee adjustment up to the amount of financial aid received will be calculated and reimbursed to the source of the aid, such as federal, state, or institutional aid programs. Normally, the amount returned to each source will be proportional to the amount received, unless federal, state, or other guidelines direct differently. The priority for return of financial aid is as follows:

  • Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  • Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Federal PLUS Loan
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
  • Other Title IV assistance (federal financial aid)
  • Other federal or state financial aid, as required
  • Institutional aid
  • Other funds as required

Reimbursement to Student or Family

A student or family may be eligible to be reimbursed a portion of the amount paid after all Federal Title IV funds and other financial-aid programs are reimbursed as required and all outstanding balances with the College have been cleared. Private or alternative loans borrowed by or for the student, if any, are included with the student refund amount.

Notes on Refund Policy

  • The effective withdrawal date is the date on which the student began the formal withdrawal process by notifying the Student Affairs Office of his or her intention, unless the student indicates the withdrawal is effective the end of the term.
  • A student who is required to withdraw from classes and/or from College housing for disciplinary reasons is not eligible for any refund except pro-rated board, unless required by federal, state, or other regulations.
  • Upon request, a detailed official policy and examples of allocation according to the College's refund policy are available in the following offices: Financial Aid, the Comenius Center, and the Bursar's Office.
  • Dropping out of some, but not all, classes is not considered a withdrawal, though adjustments to financial aid may be required depending on circumstances. (See dropping courses, below.)
  • M-Flex Dollars will be refunded to a student who has withdrawn, to the amount of unused dollars.
  • If funds are released to a student because of a credit balance on the student's account prior to a student's withdrawal or change in registration status, the student may be required to repay some federal grants.
  • Refunds will be determined, processed, and paid 30 calendar days after the date of withdrawal.

Questions about the College's refund policy and its application to particular cases may be addressed to Susan O'Hare, bursar. Appeals concerning the application of this policy may be made in writing to Mark F. Reed, vice president for finance and administration, Colonial Hall, for final determination by the College.

Dropping Courses

Full-time students who drop to part-time status (fewer than three units) and part-time students who withdraw from courses without replacing an equal number of credits or units in the same session will receive an adjustment of tuition on those courses dropped within the 60% point of the semester.

It is the student's responsibility to contact the Financial Aid Office to verify the effect that any change in courseload will have on the student's financial aid eligibility.

Administrative Withdrawal

Prior to the announced last day for students to withdraw with a “W”, instructors may request an administrative withdrawal for a student who has been absent from class without notification for a period of three weeks or more.  The request will be submitted to the registrar in writing.  The registrar will then consult with one of the academic deans on the appropriateness of the request.  If a student’s status changes from full-time to part-time as a result of the administrative “W”, the bursar and financial aid will make appropriate adjustments to the student’s account for said term.  Students who are absent with notification may not be withdrawn by the instructor.

Leave of Absence

A student who finds it necessary to leave the College but who plans to return within a year may request a leave of absence. Please see information on requesting a leave of absence elsewhere in this catalog or in the Student Handbook. The effective date of an approved leave of absence and associated adjustment of tuition, fees, and financial aid is determined in the same way as the withdrawal date. Please refer back to withdrawal from the College for details.

When the student wishes to resume studies, he or she must submit a written request to the associate dean for academic affairs to return and make an appointment to select classes.

Withdrawal by the College

A student who does not follow the formal withdrawal procedures may be withdrawn by the College. This may occur if the student fails to complete the registration process, to show up for classes at the beginning of a term, or to return when scheduled from an approved leave of absence, or simply "drops out" in the middle of a term. A student who has been withdrawn by the College is no longer matriculated and must apply for readmission in order to return. A student who intends to return within a year is strongly advised to follow the formal procedures for a leave of absence.

In the case of a withdrawal by the College effective after the beginning of a term, there is no adjustment of tuition, fees or institutional financial aid for that term. However, federal financial aid must be adjusted according to regulations governing the return of Title IV funds. The student is responsible to repay to the College the amount of any federal aid that is returned. It is to a student's advantage to follow the formal withdrawal procedures in a timely manner. Following are examples of the effective dates of withdrawal by the College for the purpose of the return of Title IV funds only:

  • A student who engages in academically-related activities and does not follow the formal withdrawal procedures will be considered an "enrolled" student and will not be considered formally withdrawn until notification is made to the Office of the Provost. If notification is never made by the student to the Office of the Provost, the student's withdrawal date is the midpoint of the semester, unless the College can determine the student's last date of engagement in an academically-related activity after the midpoint.
  • A student who receives a grade of F in all courses due to failure to complete the semester will be considered withdrawn as of the midpoint of the semester, unless the College can document the student's participation in an academically-related activity after the midpoint.

The College (not the student) must document both that an activity is academically-related, and that the student participated in the activity. Examples of academically-related activities include examinations or quizzes, tutorials, computer-assisted instruction, academic advising, academic conferences, completing an academic assignment, paper, or project, or attending a class or study group where attendance is verified. Examples of activities that are not academically-related include living in institutional housing, participating in the College's meal plan, participating in an athletic activity, participating in a music-related activity that is not required for class, and working on campus.