General Refund Policies
Students who pay for room and board but subsequently choose to commute or to withdraw completely by the withdrawal deadline may receive a pro-rated refund of room and board charges. No refunds are granted for meals that were unused prior to the withdrawal date. Special fees may not be refunded, and room security deposits are refunded only when keys have been returned and checkout procedures are completed within seven days of the date that residence halls close.
The last date of attendance is the date used to calculate refunds. Rochester College has no obligation to refund any charges if withdrawals or dismissals are due to misbehavior. Students involved in disciplinary situations may also be required to repay college-funded awards. Refunds for complete withdrawals may require up to 30 days for processing.
Refunds and Credits for Traditional Programs
The traditional program has a census date, the second Friday of each semester, on or before which students may receive a 100% refund for tuition and fees. Financial aid and billing is processed based on enrollment status and hours on the census date.
Traditional students who withdraw from a course after the census date receive a refund based on the chart below. Students do not receive a refund if the withdrawn class does not result in a change in the tuition block (12 to 19 hours, including Chapel/Convocation), and any drop or add that does not result in a net change in course load is not subject to a refund. Changes in course load may adversely affect a student’s financial aid awards. Students should consult their academic advisers and the Student Financial Services office prior to adding/dropping or withdrawing from a course.
Refund Policy on Student Support Fees
If a student’s course load falls below full-time or if the student withdraws completely, the student support fee refund percentage is the same as for the dropped/ withdrawn course(s). If the change in course load does not affect full-time status, the student support fee remains unchanged.
Refunds and Credits for Accelerated Programs
The College uses its Academic Refund Policy to calculate tuition refunds for dropped or withdrawn course(s) based on the following tables. Financial aid adjustments are calculated based on the Federal Refund Policy. Requests for course changes must be submitted through the student portal Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal Form in the Online Applications & Forms module. Students should remember that financial aid may be affected by changes in course load, and students are responsible for remaining charges on their accounts. Therefore, it is important to consult with the Student Financial Services office, as well as academic advisers, before adding/dropping or withdrawing from a course.
Refund Schedules for Accelerated and Traditional Programs
| Refund Schedule 2018-2019 – Full Semester Courses |
| Date |
Refund |
| Prior to first day |
100%, no fee |
| Day 1 - 14 |
100%, no drop fee assessed (census day - day 14)
Note: if student stays within 12-18 block rate,
there will be no refund |
| Day 15 - 28 |
50%, drop fee assessed, no refund within
block rate |
| Day 29 - 77 |
0% refund, drop fee assessed
(day 77 is last day to withdraw) |
| Refund Schedule 2018-2019 - Eight-Week Courses |
| Date |
Refund |
| Prior to first day |
100%, no fee |
| Day 1 - 7 |
100%, no drop fee assessed |
| Day 8 - 14 |
50%, drop fee assessed |
| Day 15 - 28 |
0% refund, drop fee assessed (day 28 is last day
to withdraw) |
*Students may withdraw from courses only until the end of the fifth week of the session.
**Refunds for Directed Study and Independent Study Courses for Traditional and Accelerated Programs follow the same guidelines as 8 or 15 week refunds.
Refunds for Early College Students
For early college students, any refunds will be given to the individual or organization who is billed by the college. Refunds will be calculated based on the start date for the course in question, even when the course does not follow the traditional Rochester College course calendar. Fees are nonrefundable. Tuition refunds will follow the "Refund Schedules for Traditional and Accelerated Programs" (see chart above).