Student Handbook 2016-2017

Tuition Charge Adjustments & Refund Policy

Drop, Add and Withdrawal from Course(s):

Tuition charges will be calculated based on hours of enrollment reported by the Registrar’s Office. A student must notify the Business Office before dropping, adding, or withdrawing from a course to determine the effect on the student’s financial aid and subsequent account balance. Students are responsible for checking the Academic Calendar for drop/add dates and dates to withdraw without academic penalty. The Academic Programs section of the Piedmont College catalog contains further information regarding these topics.

Adding a course(s) may result in a tuition increase and dropping a course(s) may result in a tuition decrease. Undergraduate students enrolled 12-18 hours are considered full-time students; therefore, the student pays the same tuition rate within 12-18 hours so tuition adjustments may not apply.  For a student dropping all courses (during the drop/add period), tuition charges will be removed. Charges other than tuition will be incurred by the student.  Classes that are removed from a student’s schedule after the drop/add period are considered withdrawals.  Tuition for any withdrawn courses will also be incurred. Please note: withdrawing from a course(s) and a total withdrawal will have different effects on a student’s account due to changes in financial aid. For charging purposes, medical withdrawals are treated the same as a total withdrawal.

Total Withdrawal from College:

When a student withdraws from all classes, written notification must be given to the college Registrar. Depending on the withdrawal date, the college may adjust tuition charges according to the schedule below. A calendar with the appropriate tuition adjustment dates is published under the Student Accounts page on PilgrimNet. Dismissed students do not receive tuition adjustments. (Students who withdraw from all courses may fall under the Title IV Federal Aid Policy).

Courses spanning 16 weeks:

  • 60% of tuition charges will be refunded if a student totally withdraws during the second week of the term
  • 40% of tuition charges will be refunded if a student totally withdraws during the third week of the term
  • 20% of tuition charges will be refunded if a student totally withdraws during the fourth week of the term
  • No adjustments to charges will be made if a student withdraws after the fourth week of the term

Courses spanning 8 weeks:

  • 50% of tuition charges will be refunded if a student totally withdraws during the second week of the term
  • No adjustment to charges will be made if a student withdraws after the second week of the term

Courses spanning 4 weeks:

  • 50% of tuition charges will be refunded if a student totally withdraws during the second week of the term
  • No adjustment to charges will be made if a student withdraws after the second week of the term

Room and Board Charge Adjustments:

There are no adjustments for residence hall charges for students withdrawing during a semester. Meal plan charges will be pro-rated based on the date the withdrawal form is submitted.

Tuition Refunds

If at any time a credit balance is established on a student’s account, the balance will be disbursed to the student within 14 days from the date of the credit balance.

Refunds for Excess Financial Aid

All refund checks are mailed to the student’s address on file in the Registrar’s office.   If there is a Parent Loan on the student’s account, the excess aid is returned to the guarantor at the guarantor’s address.  The amount refunded to the parent will not exceed the balance of the parent loan.  If there exists an additional credit balance due after the parent loan has been refunded, the remaining credit balance will be refunded to the student at the address on file in the Registrar’s office.  Piedmont College adheres to Title IV regulation which requires credit balances be refunded within 14 days of the credit appearing on the student account. Any federal or state aid that is disbursed but not accepted by the student, or parent in case of parent loans, will be returned to the appropriate department within 240 days from the time the refund was first issued. The term “not accepted” includes refund checks which are issued but are not cashed by the student or are returned by the postal service as undeliverable if no forwarding address can be obtained from the student.