Financial Information

Financial Consideration for Extenuating Circumstances Guidelines

In certain unanticipated extenuating circumstances, students who have to withdraw from the University before the end of the semester for medical/mental health or compassionate reasons may request relief from their financial obligations to the University in the form of an exception to the tuition refund schedule set out in the University’s Withdrawal Policy.

Students are responsible for paying all charges posted to their student accounts. The University provides a reasonable refund period under its Withdrawal Policy.

Under U.S. Department of Education regulations, the University must recalculate the federal financial aid of any students who withdraw from the University or take a leave of absence after the semester has started and before 60% of the semester has been completed, which may leave students with a balance on their student accounts.

Students are encouraged to consider purchasing tuition insurance, which will cover tuition and fees for students who need to withdraw from enrollment during a semester for covered medical reasons. Additional information can be found the Tuition Protection Insurance page.

Students Submitting an Appeal Financial Consideration for Extenuating Circumstances

Students seeking financial consideration for extenuating circumstances must complete this Financial Consideration Form completely, which includes supporting documentation. Financial consideration will not be reviewed if this form is not complete and/or documentation is not provided in a timely fashion, which shall be within 30 days after the student withdraws or if the student leaves the University without formally withdrawing or begins their leave of absence from the University, barring extenuating circumstances as determined by the University in its sole discretion.

Living Expenses/Financial Aid “Refund” Money – The Financial Consideration process applies only to funds the student paid directly to the University or funds owed for tuition or fee charges at the University. The University will not credit nor reimburse funds that a student received from loans to cover living expenses.

Consideration for Medical/Mental Health Reasons – Supporting documentation must include the completion of the Financial Consideration Provider Form which should be filled out by the treating health care provider. To request the Financial Consideration Provider Form, please e-mail [email protected]. The completed form can be attached to this request or emailed to [email protected]. The health care provider cannot be a relative of the student. The student may need to sign a release of information with the University and the health care provider so they can exchange information, if appropriate.

In addition to the form provided, the student may also request their clinician include a longer narrative summary to better explain the level of impact their medical or mental health condition had on their ability to complete the semester. Supporting documentation must be typed on the health care provider's letterhead stationery and include the provider’s license number. Supporting documentation can also include hospital discharge or other medical record information. Please know these documents are kept in a secure location and only reviewed by a member of the Student Affairs and Disability Services Office staff.

Consideration for Compassionate Reasons - Documentation for compassionate financial consideration will vary, according to the individual circumstances, and must be appropriate to the situation. For example, a compassionate withdrawal request to care for a seriously ill child or other immediate family member may require information similar to that listed under documentation for medical/mental health reasons above. Depending on the situation, other required/acceptable documentation may include police reports, legal documents such as restraining orders, airline ticket receipts, newspaper clippings, etc. Students are urged to meet with a member of the Student Affairs Office to determine the appropriate documentation that is needed.

Financial Consideration Appeal Decisions

The University reserves the right to determine the form of consideration to be provided to the student. Forms of consideration may include a credit for a future semester or a direct refund to the student based on the individual student account. Room and board financial considerations will be based on the Residence Life & Housing contract the student signed with the University.

Once the Financial Consideration Committee has reached a decision, the student will be sent an email stating the decision and any action available to be taken next by the University or the student.

If the tuition appeal is “approved”, the student’s tuition account will be adjusted accordingly.

If the Financial Committee approves a credit, it will be available for up to a year from the semester that the appeal was submitted.

If the tuition appeal is “pending additional documentation”, the Committee is requesting additional documentation in order to make a final decision. The student will have 30 days to submit the additional documentation or the appeal will be denied.

If the tuition appeal is “denied”, the student can request for the tuition appeal to be reconsidered by the Committee if the student can supply additional documentation to support the circumstances. Additional documentation must be received within 30 days. After this point, the decision made by the committee is final and cannot be appealed further.