State-Specific Refund Policies

State-Specific Refund Policies

State authorization is a legal and regulatory term for a college’s compliance with individual statutes, regulations, and rules in each state in which it operates. State authorization is different from institutional or programmatic accreditation, or approval from professional licensing boards. Unless the State in which you reside has a more stringent refund policy, the MCC policy can be located here. Refund policies with which the institution is required to comply by any State in which enrolled students reside for the return of unearned tuition and fees may be found below.

Alaska 

Alaska Refund Policy: 

The minimum refund that shall be paid to an Alaska student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is a follows: 

California 

1. An institution that participates in the federal student financial aid programs complies with this article by complying with applicable regulations of the federal student financial aid programs under Title IV of the federal Higher Education Act of 1965.
2. The institution shall advise each student that a notice of cancellation shall be in writing, and that a withdrawal may be effectuated by the student’s written notice or by the student’s conduct, including, but not necessarily limited to, a student’s lack of attendance.
3. The institution shall also provide a pro-rata refund of nonfederal student financial aid program monies paid for institutional charges to students who have completed 60 percent or less of the period of attendance.
4. Institutions shall refund 100 percent of the amount paid for institutional charges, less a reasonable deposit or application fee not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250), if notice of cancellation is made through attendance at the first class session, or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later.

Colorado

Dropping a Credit Course – Refund Eligibility 

Course drops made prior to the deadline specific to your course will result in a 100% refund of tuition.

• • Refunds are processed automatically if you are an undergraduate enrolled in at least 12 credits or a graduate student enrolled in at least 9 credits. Refunds for students enrolled in fewer credits than those listed above are not processed until after census. For the summer semester only, refunds are processed within 48 hours.
  • Refunds are sent by direct deposit or mail. Sign up for direct deposit in RAMweb. If you have a balance less than $50 and are not signed up for direct deposit, contact the Office of Financial Aid to request a refund.

Withdrawing from a Credit Course – Refund Eligibility 

Course withdrawals made prior to the deadline specific to your course will result in a 50% refund of tuition for most courses. No refunds are awarded when withdrawing from open-entry courses.

• • Refunds are processed automatically if you are an undergraduate enrolled in at least 12 credits or a graduate student enrolled in at least 9 credits. Refunds for students enrolled in fewer credits than those listed above are not processed until after census. For the summer semester only, refunds are processed within 48 hours.
  • Refunds are sent by direct deposit or mail. Sign up for direct deposit in RAMweb. If you have a credit balance less than $50 and are not signed up for direct deposit, contact the Office of Financial Aid to request a refund.

Illinois 

If you reduce your course enrollment to a lower assessment range (e.g., from Range I, which is 12 or more credit hours, to Range II, which is 6 to 11 credit hours), you receive a refund of the full difference between the two ranges, provided the change is made by the refund deadline for the particular Part of Term (POT) in which your courses are scheduled. NO REFUND IS AVAILABLE FOR DROPPING A CLASS AFTER DEADLINES LISTED BELOW. No refund is available at any time for reducing credit hours WITHIN the same range. Refer to the Class Schedule for what POT each course is scheduled in to assist with identifying deadlines. 

Kentucky 

Minimum Refund – The minimum refund that shall be paid to a Kentucky student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is a follows: 

Michigan 

Students that do not attend or participate at least one day of class must repay their aid. The federal government considers it an unofficial withdrawal when a student receives a failing grade for not attending or participating or when he/she stops attending class. 

Return of Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid 

The federal government mandates that students who withdraw from all classes may keep only aid earned up to the time of withdrawal. Title IV funds disbursed in excess of the earned amount must be returned to the federal government by the University and/or the student.  A student could owe these funds to the university, the federal government, or both.  

The Office of Financial Aid is notified by the Registrar when a student has officially withdrawn from U-M.  The calculation for Return of Title IV funds is based on when a student initiates the withdrawal process by speaking with an academic advisor, a member of the Registrar’s staff or completing the University’s withdrawal form.  Students who withdraw prior to the 100 percent drop/add date may be asked to document participation in their courses.  Failure to do so will result in cancellation of all aid for that semester. 

If a student does not officially withdraw but stops attending the course(s), the Office of Financial Aid will be notified of the last date of participation by the instructor(s) when grades are reported at the semester’s end.  This date will determine any need to reduce aid initially offered, as well as complete the Return of Title IV aid calculation described below. To make this calculation, we divide the number of calendar days the student has attended classes by the number of calendar days in the semester (minus any scheduled breaks of 5 days or more).  The resulting percentage is multiplied by total federal funds disbursed to the student account or check or direct deposit for the semester.  

This calculation determines the amount of aid earned that a student may keep. For example, if a student attended 25 percent of the term, 25 percent of the aid disbursed will be earned. The remainder, or unearned amount must be returned.  The Office of Financial Aid will notify and provide instructions to students who are required to return funds to the government. 

Students who have withdrawn will be reviewed to ensure all aid for which the student is eligible is included in the calculation. Students for which eligible loan was not disbursed will be contacted to see if they wish to have that portion disbursed. 

Minnesota 

Refunds for Dropped Courses – Students may attend at least one class session for each registered, credit-based course without obligation. Refunds for courses dropped by the established deadline will be issued as authorized by the system procedure on refunds. Students are financially obligated for tuition and fees if withdrawing from a course after the established deadline to drop courses. Students may petition the college or university to apply the amount of the tuition and fees from a course withdrawal to the cost of an added course for the current academic term. 

Nevada 

Minimum Refund – The minimum refund that shall be paid to a Nevada student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is a follows: 

1. 1. Each postsecondary educational institution shall have a policy for refunds which at least provides: 
      1. That if the institution has substantially failed to furnish the training program agreed upon in the enrollment agreement, the institution shall refund to a student all the money the student has paid. 
      2. That if a student cancels his or her enrollment before the start of the training program, the institution shall refund to the student all the money the student has paid, minus 10 percent of the tuition agreed upon in the enrollment agreement or $150, whichever is less, and that if the institution is accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education, the institution may also retain any amount paid as a nonrefundable deposit to secure a position in the program upon acceptance so long as the institution clearly disclosed to the applicant that the deposit was nonrefundable before the deposit was paid. 
      3. That if a student withdraws or is expelled by the institution after the start of the training program and before the completion of more than 60 percent of the program, the institution shall refund to the student a pro rata amount of the tuition agreed upon in the enrollment agreement, minus 10 percent of the tuition agreed upon in the enrollment agreement or $150, whichever is less. 
      4. That if a student withdraws or is expelled by the institution after completion of more than 60 percent of the training program, the institution is not required to refund the student any money and may charge the student the entire cost of the tuition agreed upon in the enrollment agreement. 
   2. If a refund is owed pursuant to subsection 1, the institution shall pay the refund to the person or entity who paid the tuition within 15 calendar days after the: 
      1. Date of cancellation by a student of his or her enrollment;
      2. Date of termination by the institution of the enrollment of a student; 
      3. Last day of an authorized leave of absence if a student fails to return after the period of authorized absence; or 
      4. Last day of attendance of a student,
         * whichever is applicable. 
   3. Books, educational supplies or equipment for individual use are not included in the policy for refund required by subsection 1, and a separate refund must be paid by the institution to the student if those items were not used by the student. Disputes must be resolved by the Administrator for refunds required by this subsection on a case-by-case basis. 
   4. For the purposes of this section: 
      1. The period of a student’s attendance must be measured from the first day of instruction as set forth in the enrollment agreement through the student’s last day of actual attendance, regardless of absences. 
      2. The period of time for a training program is the period set forth in the enrollment agreement. 
      3. Tuition must be calculated using the tuition and fees set forth in the enrollment agreement and does not include books, educational supplies or equipment that is listed separately from the tuition and fees. 

New Hampshire 

Administrative Withdrawal – (Unofficial Withdrawal) 

Students who otherwise do not follow the University’s withdrawal procedures and who cease to engage in all registered competencies prior to the 60% point of a term (as measured in calendar days) may be subject to recalculation of their Title IV federal financial aid eligibility. Engagement is demonstrated through submission and mastery of projects. 

Students who have not engaged as of the 60% point of a term or later are identified after that term has ended. Required changes to a student’s financial aid eligibility are made at that time. 

If a student has not engaged in any projects or competencies during the term: 

• • All disbursed Title IV financial aid will be returned which may leave a balance due to the University. 
  • Any undisbursed Title IV financial aid will be canceled. 

If a student has engaged in projects or competencies during the term: 

• • His or her enrollment status will be re-evaluated to exclude any competencies in which a student did not engage. 
  • A Return of Title IV calculation will be completed using the student’s last date of engagement to determine the amount of Title IV financial aid that must be returned. This recalculation may leave the student with a balance due to the University. 
  • If the student is eligible, a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement will be offered.

North Dakota 

Minimum Refund – The minimum refund that shall be paid to a North Dakota student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is a follows:           

Ohio

OAC Chapter 3332-1 General Provisions.

Oregon 

OAR § 583-030-0035(18)(c): After classes begin for a term, a student who withdraws from a course is eligible for a partial refund through the middle week of the term. Refunds shall be based on unused instructional time and shall be prorated on a weekly basis for schools using a semester, quarter or nontraditional calendar. 

Tennessee 

The minimum refund that shall be paid to a Tennessee student who withdraws or is terminated after completing only a portion of a course, program, or term within the applicable billing period is a follows:                  

Texas 

Students who withdraw from the University receive a refund of a percentage of their tuition. The percentage varies as shown below according to the student’s effective withdrawal date. 

Utah 

Each institution shall provide refunds of tuition, fees, housing and meal, and other student charges to all students who either fail to enroll or who withdraw after enrolling. The refunds shall be at least as large as prescribed in this policy. This policy is designed to provide a fair and equitable refund policy for all students who withdraw, whether or not receiving Federal student financial aid, and also for specific compliance with the provisions of Section 484B of the Federal Higher Education Act, as amended (20 USC 1091b.), as applicable to students who receive Federal student financial aid (Federal campus-based student financial aid, Federal Pell Grants, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Program aid, Federal Family Education Loan Program loans or Federal Direct Student Loan Program loans), and who fail to register or who withdraw after enrolling. 

Washington 

Withdrawal and refund 

The policy below describes aid refund requirements for the federal aid programs such as, Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, TEACH Grants, Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs), and Federal Perkins Loans as well as any state, institutional, or private scholarship programs (as required by the donor). 

If you are a financial aid recipient and withdraw from all of your classes, any refund of university charges will be returned to the financial aid programs. (The general tuition refund policy for the University is available at Student Fiscal Services.) The proportion of aid that must be returned by you and the university is based on the number of days remaining divided by the number of days in the quarter. The UW is required to refund the portion of your institutional costs equal to the portion of the quarter remaining to the aid programs. You must pay the remainder of the funds that must be returned as well as any final tuition or forfeiture fee payments that had to be returned to the aid programs. You do not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less.  No aid funds must be repaid if you attend more than 60% of the quarter before withdrawing. 

If you did not receive all of the funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If your post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, we will ask your permission before we disburse any additional funds. You may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so you don’t incur additional debt. We will use all or a portion of your post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition, fees, and UW room and board charges. We will use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges, unless you indicate that you do not want us to do so. However, it may be in your best interest to allow the UW to use the funds to reduce your debt at the school. 

The refund of university charges and any additional refunds or payments will be credited to the aid programs in the following order, up to the amount you received for that quarter: 

• • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loan 
  • Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford/Ford Loan 
  • Federal Perkins Loan 
  • Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students 
  • Federal Pell Grant 
  • Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant 
  • Other Title IV aid programs.  

Wisconsin

UW System institutions are responsible for complying with federal regulations governing participation in the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. To the extent that these regulations require a larger refund to federal funding sources than the amount specified by the refund policy stipulated below, the student shall be responsible for the difference.

For refund, withdrawal, drop/adds, and late payment purposes, the first session week is defined to end as of the close of regular business on Friday of the first full calendar week or, at the institution’s option, after five class days.

Up to the end of the second session week (as institutionally defined) or the end of the tenth day of class, refunds for any credit reduction shall be at 100% (less the optional withdrawal fee). During the third and fourth session week, the refund shall be reduced to 50%, and after the fourth session week, there shall be no refunds of tuition. At the institution’s option, a flat add/drop fee as approved by the Vice President for Finance may be assessed after the 100% refund period to cover administrative costs. The fee shall be deposited to Fund 128.

The burden of proof in determining the date of withdrawal/drop shall be on the student. The same refund schedule shall apply to both withdrawals and class drops. During the 100% refund period, a student who adds and drops credits of concurrently offered classes within the same session week shall be assessed additional fees or receive a refund based on the net result of those adds and drops. After the 100% refund period, students will be assessed for all adds and drops. If a part-time student only adds credits during the session week, the credits should be assessed at the full per-credit rate disregarding any previous refunds. Undergraduate students who take 12 through 18 credits and graduate students should not pay more than full-time student fees. Undergraduates who take more than 18 credits shall have the refund schedule applied to those credits which exceed the 18 credit plateau. Exceptions to this provision must have the prior approval of the Vice President for Finance or designee.

In those instances in which a student can document nonattendance at the institution after having enrolled in one or more courses, the student shall be assessed fees equal to 20% of the original fees due, reduced to residency rates, plus the late payment fee.

The refund policy may be adjusted for differences in starting dates and session lengths. Exceptions may be made, at the institution’s option, for changing sections within a course.

At the institution’s option, a withdrawal fee not to exceed $50.00 may be assessed during the first session week and up to $100 during the second session week. The withdrawal fee shall be deposited to Fund 128 and used to support the fee collection operations and defray the cost of processing withdrawals.

The following schedule applies:

Refund and Payment Schedules for Withdrawals or Drops

Wyoming 

Refunds/Cancellations 

Tuition and course fees will be canceled or refunded to a student who officially drops a class or classes, withdraws from the university through the Dean of Students office, or changes enrollment status (i.e. non-resident to resident; full-time to part-time) in accordance with the institutional refund policy outlined below. 

No tuition penalty will be assessed for dropping and adding during the drop period identified in the term’s class schedule unless all classes are dropped or an all-school withdrawal is processed. Students who withdraw from individual courses after the end of the drop/add period will have their charges canceled in accordance with the institutional refund policy outlined below. 

Mandatory fees, late registration fees, or service fees are not refundable. 

The portion of tuition refund/cancellation is computed from the first day of the term, not class meeting pattern. If a student’s initial registration includes blocked classes or short courses that begin at a later date, the refund/cancellation will still be computed from the first day of the term. If a student’s initial registration occurs during an approved late registration period, the date for computing a refund/cancellation will be the first day of the term.