Refund Policies

Full-time status for undergraduate students is determined at the end of the first week of classes on the date indicated in the calendar as the last date to add classes (Census Day).  A full-time undergraduate student who drops below 12 credits after this date will continue to be billed at full-time rates unless the student withdraws from the University.

For official cost of attendance budget information, click here.

Federal or state financial aid for part-time undergraduate students will be adjusted to reflect the final number of credits for which the student is enrolled in as of Census Day for each semester.  All students adding or dropping a course should do so through the online registration portal or by contacting the Registrar’s Office via email or in person. Refunds are based on the date the add or drop is registered in the system, as indicated on the email, or on the date of delivery of those brought in personally to the Registrar’s Office. If a student drops from a credit class to an audit, the refund will be based on the credit course fee according to the refund policy. If a class is cancelled due to lack of enrollment, students registered for that class will be given a full refund.  If enrollment is for fewer than six credits (half-time status), the student may not be eligible for any financial aid.

Although the Financial Aid Census Date (adjustment date for financial aid) is one week after the semester begins, we are required by federal law to review any students who received the Federal Pell Grant.  Under federal regulations, students can only receive Federal Pell Grants for the classes they attended, as of the Census Date.  The regulation states the following:  If a student begins attending some but not all of their classes, the Financial Aid Office will have to recalculate the student’s Pell Grant award based on the student’s actual enrollment status.  Therefore, if a student receives a Federal Pell Grant, the Financial Aid Office will review the student’s enrollment status throughout the semester.

Federal financial aid for graduate students will be adjusted to reflect the final number of credits for which the student is enrolled on as of Census Day for each semester. If enrollment is for fewer than three credits (half-time status), the student may not be eligible for any financial aid.
 

Procedures for Officially Withdrawing

A student withdrawing from the University should complete the official withdrawal form with the Student Success Office, located in the lower level of the Library.  If a student is not able to visit the office (due to illness, emergency, etc.), they may contact the Student Success Office by phone or email to communicate their intent.  This form must be returned so that the University can calculate the refund, if any, of institutional charges and determine the amount of aid that may need to be refunded to the various sources.

If a recipient of Title IV aid or state aid unofficially withdraws from all classes without following the proper withdrawal procedure, Carroll University is required to determine the student’s last date of academically related activity to calculate whether a portion of the student’s financial aid must be returned to the government.  The Financial Aid Office will use the last date of attendance reported by the professor(s) or will contact the student’s professor(s) to determine the last date a student completed any academically related activity.

A student who withdraws from the University may be eligible for a refund.  The amount of the refund is determined by the student’s withdrawal date and the charges on the student’s account.  The refund is calculated using two formulas:
  1. Carroll University Refund Policy
  2. Federal Refund Policy
    • Federal methodology will be used to determine the amount of funds to be returned to State aid programs.
    • A student who withdraws may be responsible for tuition, housing and meal plan, fees or other charges that had previously been paid by institutional, federal, state, or outside sources of financial aid.
    • The University may be required to adjust a student’s charges to take into account any return of funds the school might be required to make.  All scholarships, grants, and loans must be credited to a student account before a refund check will be issued.  All refunds will be reduced by an administrative fee (not to exceed $100).
    • No refund of tuition, fees, housing or meal plan will be made to students dismissed or suspended from the University for disciplinary or academic reasons.  Refunds of study abroad program registration fees are subject to regulations available in the Office of Global Education.

Please refer to the Business Office for more information on the Carroll Tuition Refund Policy and Schedule for the current academic year. 


Federal Refund Policy

Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws

The law specifies how the University must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that a student earns if they withdraw from school.  The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, TEACH Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs), Direct Loans, and Direct PLUS Loans.
 
Title IV funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded.  When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
 
Students with federal aid who withdraw from the University after beginning attendance will have their Title IV aid recalculated (R2T4 Calculation) in accordance with guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education derived from the October 7, 1998, Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  “A school must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after it determines or should have determined that a student withdrew.”
 
The federal formula provides a return of the Title IV aid if the student received federal financial assistance and withdraws on or before completing 60% of the semester.  A pro rata schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal.  For example, if a student completed 30% of their payment period, they earn 30% of the assistance they were originally scheduled to receive.  Once they have completed more than 60% of the payment period, they earn all of the assistance that they were scheduled to receive for that period.
 
The percentage of the semester completed is determined by dividing the number of calendar days completed in the semester, as of the day the student withdrew, by the total number of calendar days in the same semester.  Scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days are excluded.
 
A student will not be subject to returns of their Title IV program assistance if they meet one of the following exemptions:
 
  • They complete all the requirements for graduation;
  • They successfully complete a class or multiple classes that comprise at least 49 percent of the days in the term (only applies to a program offered in modules); or
  • They successfully complete a class or multiple classes that comprise at least half-time enrollment (only applies to a program offered in modules).

Post-withdrawal Disbursement

If a student withdraws after their aid was awarded, but prior to all aid having been disbursed, the unpaid aid will be included in the federal formula as aid that “could have been disbursed”.  If the refund calculation indicates that the student is still eligible for the undisbursed aid, the aid will be offered to the student via a post-withdrawal disbursement.  

An eligible post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds will be disbursed within 45 days after the date of the school’s determination that the student withdrew.  A post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds will automatically be disbursed without requesting written confirmation from the student.
 
For an eligible post-withdrawal disbursement of federal loan funds, the Financial Aid Office will provide an offer to the student (or parent for a Direct Parent PLUS Loan) in writing within 30 days of the date of the school’s determination that a student has withdrawn for the student or parent (as applicable) to accept or decline the eligible post-withdrawal disbursement prior to the school making any disbursement of loan funds. The notice will request confirmation of any post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that the student or parent (as applicable) wishes the school to make and has 14 days to respond in writing.  If the Financial Aid Office has not received written notification within 14 days that the borrower is interested in receiving the loan funds, we will assume that they are not interested, and we will cancel all loan disbursements.
 
If a post-withdrawal disbursement results in a credit balance on the student’s account, the resulting credit balance will be refunded to the student as soon as possible and no later than 14 calendar days from the date of the post-withdrawal disbursement.  

 
Order of Return of Title IV funds:
 
Pro-rated Title IV funds are returned to the respective federal programs in the following order:
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  • Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
  • Federal Direct PLUS Loan (parent or graduate)
  • Federal Pell Grant Program
  • Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant
  • Federal SEOG Program
  • TEACH Grant Program
  • Any other assistance offered to the student under programs authorized by Title IV HEA
Worksheets used to determine the amount of refund or return of Title IV aid are available upon request at the Carroll University Financial Aid Office.

Refund of Title IV credit balance when a student withdraws: 
When a student withdraws during a payment period with an existing Title IV credit balance, the Title IV credit balance is put on hold until the R2T4 Calculation is completed.  Any remaining credit balance due to the student will be refunded as soon as possible and no later than 14 calendar days after the calculation of the R2T4 is completed. 

 
For purposes of repayment, if funds are released to a student because of a credit balance on the student’s account, then the student may be required to repay some of the federal grants released to the student.  Until the repayment is resolved, the student is ineligible for further Title IV assistance.  These refund policies are based upon the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Education and are subject to change.

Refund Policy for Students Called to Active Military Duty

Refund policy for students called to active military duty:  The University recognizes the sacrifices that those in the armed services make while serving our country.  We are proud to have these individuals as a part of our campus community and therefore maintain the following policy:
  • The student must provide the Registrar’s Office reg.@carrollu.edu copies of official military orders for a leave of absence.  The student will then be automatically withdrawn from all courses for the given semester.  The academic record will reflect the non-punitive “W”.
  • Once the student’s military obligations are fulfilled, Carroll University will accommodate the student’s intentions of returning to the program they were in before their military leave.  The student will be responsible to follow all program and degree requirements in order to complete this program.
  • Any housing and meal plan charges will be prorated based on the date in the semester the student is required to leave and the remaining amount will be refunded.

 
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