Withdrawal & Refund Policy
Any student voluntarily leaving the college before the close of the term must withdraw officially. It is imperative to complete this process in order not to jeopardize future financial aid. The student initiates the withdrawal procedure with the Office of Financial Aid. Financial Aid will be recalculated based on the date of withdrawal if the withdrawal occurs prior to the tenth week of class. The process is completed in the Student Accounts Office, where tuition refunds are given as outlined under Refunds in the Costs section of this catalog.
A student who withdraws before the last date to drop with a W will be assigned W grades. A student who completely withdraws from the college after the last date to drop with a W will be assigned a grade of WP for courses the student is passing or WF for courses the student failing. The grade of WP or WF will be determined by faculty evaluation of the student’s performance up to the day the student is considered withdrawn from the college. The withdrawal date is based on the date of notification of the withdrawal and is posted on the student’s record by the office of the Registrar.
A student who discontinues class attendance in all courses before the end of the semester will be administratively withdrawn from the University. Students who are administratively withdrawn from the college will receive a grade of WF for courses registered for during the term.
When dropping a class but not withdrawing from school:
A refund will be given to those students who drop a course by the last day of the drop/add period during a regular semester or by the designated date in the class schedule information for accelerated modules.
When withdrawing from school:
If a student elects to withdraw after beginning attendance, the student must contact the Office of Financial Aid Office to initiate the formal withdrawal process. Any situation in which all classes are dropped is considered withdrawal from the University.
The Student Accounts Office computes tuition refunds based on the University’s refund policy which is as follows:
Tuition Refund Schedule for withdrawal from the University for enrollment in the traditional 16 week semester
| During the first week of semester…………………………………….90% |
| During the second week of semester ……………………………….75% |
| During the third week of semester …………………………………..50% |
| During the fourth week of semester …………………………………25% |
| After four weeks ………………………………………………………………..0% |
Withdrawal for enrollment in 5 and 8 week modules
If a student elects to completely withdraw after registration is completed and class attendance has begun, the student must contact the Financial Aid Office to initiate the formal withdrawal process. Any situation in which all classes are dropped in semester is considered withdrawal from the university. Upon withdrawing from all registered courses, prior to the first day of the module, prorated tuition refunds are available for a limited time-frame, as outlined in the University Catalogs under Academic Calendar for modules. Financial aid recipients withdrawing from the University may not earn all financial aid, resulting in a bill due to the University, and should contact the Office of Financial Aid for more complete withdrawal information.
Tuition Refund Schedule for withdrawal from the University for enrollment in 5 and 8 week modules:
| Prior to the first day of the module …………………………………100% |
| On the first day of the module ……………………………………………0% |
Students with Financial Aid
If a student with federal (Title IV) student financial aid withdraws, drops out of school, or is dismissed from the University, the Office of Financial Aid will determine the portion of federal aid that has been earned and the balance that is unearned must be returned to the Federal or State programs. Federal aid is earned based upon the student’s days in attendance and has no relation to the tuition refund percentage computed above. It is important to note that federal aid may not cover all unpaid institutional charges due upon a student’s withdrawal and that a Federal Direct Stafford Loan borrower will begin using the 6-month grace period after which loan repayment will begin. Federal Perkins borrowers have a 9-month grace period. For specific questions concerning the computation of earned federal aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid. Students must be billed 100% tuition charges to earn university-funded financial aid. In other words, a student eligible for a tuition refund from withdrawing will no longer qualify for university-funded financial aid.
Room and Board (Meals)
During each semester’s last day to qualify for a tuition refund for dropping a course, a student may voluntarily reduce or cancel a commitment for room and board (i.e. a meal plan). Charges for the board are recomputed to arrive at the amount refundable. Room charges are refunded 100% excluding the $75 non-refundable room breakage deposit, plus you will be charged a $200.00 fee.
After the semester’s last day to qualify for a tuition refund for dropping a course ends, room-and-board commitments are considered non-canceled. However, an alternative room assignment can be authorized by the Carson-Newman University Residence Life Director, and a meal plan can be changed but only to one that offers more meals per week.
If a student withdraws from the university or moves off campus after the semester’s last day to qualify for a tuition refund for dropping a course ends or is dismissed from the university for disciplinary reasons, no refund will be granted for any portion of room charges. If a student withdraws from the university or moves off-campus with the permission of the Carson-Newman University Residence Life Director, the student will receive a pro-rated refund of his or her board charges only up to mid-term. After mid-term, there is no refund for board charges. If a student withdraws from the university or moves off-campus without the permission of the Carson-Newman University Residence Life Director or is dismissed from the university for disciplinary reasons, no refund will be granted for any portion of the board charges.
Charges for a meal plan commitment that a student voluntarily reduces during the semester’s last day to qualify for a tuition refund for dropping a course or subsequently cancels by withdrawing from the University or by moving off-campus with the permission of the Carson-Newman University Residence Life Director are recomputed based on the ratio of whole weeks remaining in the semester to total weeks in the semester, and a refund is paid accordingly up to mid-term. However, no refund will be paid for a partial week and no refund will be given after mid-term. Any unused portion of the declining-balance account (Eagle Bucks) is not refundable.
The unused portion of a student’s declining balance (Eagle Bucks) account will be transferred from the fall to the spring semester only if the student continues to have a meal plan that includes a declining balance (Eagle Bucks) account. At the end of the spring semester, the unused balance of a declining balance (Eagle Bucks) account is forfeited. It is not refundable and cannot be transferred to any subsequent period.
May and Summer Terms
The tuition refund policy for the May term and summer terms are published in the Summer Schedule. For students with federal student financial assistance, the portion of federal assistance that has been earned and the balance that must be returned to the payer will be determined by the Financial Aid Office.