CONNECTICUT STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGES REFUND AND COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY

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CONNECTICUT STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGES REFUND AND COURSE WITHDRAWAL POLICY: REFUND APPEAL PROCESS

Implementation

The policies and procedures for the refund appeals process will begin for courses within the summer 2021 semester.

Overview

Common policies and procedures will be implemented across the twelve Connecticut State Community Colleges to ensure that students are treated equitably across each of the colleges.

This process includes the following:

A single Refund Appeals Form for use at each college,
A single Refund Appeals Committee to review appeals,
Common criteria for consideration in the review process,
Common timeframe for students to submit appeals,
Common practice for retaining documentation when the appeal is received.

Consideration for Appeals

Appeals must fall under one of the following categories to be considered by the Refund Appeals Committee:

Documented medical emergency
Documented personal emergency
Documented military relocation or deployment
Incorrect advisement for the program of study

Appeals Process

All appeals must include the Refund Appeal form located within the secure portal. Once you log in, please select Middlesex Community College and then the Tuition Appeal Icon to access the form.

Each appeal must contain supporting documentation to substantiate the appeal. This may include:

A medical professional’s note
Hospital discharge documentation
Obituary or death certificate
Military deployment
Other documentation on a case-by-case basis

Timeframe to Appeal

Appeals are expected to be submitted during the term for which the appeal is being made. Appeals are no longer being accepted for the fall 2021, winter 2021, and spring 2022 semesters. We are currently reviewing appeals for summer 2022 and forward.

Appeals Committee

To provide consistency in decision-making, a Refund Appeals Committee from Connecticut State Community College (a subdivision of the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities System Office) will make all appeal decisions in a timely manner upon review of the appeal form and any applicable documentation.

The Committee should consist of the following membership:

Associate Vice President for Enrollment & Retention Services (or designee)
Associate Vice President for Financial Aid Services & Title IV Compliance (or designee)
Chief Financial Officer, CT State Community Colleges (or designee)

The Committee will respond to the student within 30 calendar days of the receipt of the request. A written response will notify the student of the outcome.

Appeal Status

If the student’s appeal is approved, the Registrar will update the student’s registration status code in Banner and inform the Director of Finance/Bursar that a refund is due.

If the student’s appeal is denied, the student is responsible for any monies owed to the college and that amount will remain on the student’s account until paid.

Final Appeals

A final appeal of the decision of the Refund Appeals Committee may be made to the Vice President of Enrollment Management & Student Affairs (or designee). The decision of that official shall be final.

All appeals must include the Refund Appeal form located within the secure portal. Once you log in, please select Middlesex Community College and then the Tuition Appeal Icon to access the form.

The following policy is effective starting Summer 2021.

Refunds

Traditional Fall/Spring Semester Courses:

Students who drop courses prior to the term or up until the 7th day of the term having elapsed (i.e. 10% of the term) will be entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and fees.
Students who drop subsequently to the 7th day of the term but prior to the 21st day of the term having elapsed will be entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and fees less a “late drop” fee assessed at $50 per dropped course.
Students who withdraw subsequently to the 21st day of the term having elapsed will be charged 100% of all tuition and fees.

Courses Offered in Abbreviated Terms (e.g. summer, winter, late start courses, etc.):

Students who drop courses prior to the abbreviated term and up until 10% of the abbreviated term having elapsed will be entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and fees.
Students who drop subsequently to 10% of the abbreviated term having elapsed but prior to 20% of the abbreviated term having elapsed will be entitled to a 100% refund of tuition and fees less a “late drop” fee assessed at $50 per dropped course.
Students who withdraw subsequently to 20% of the abbreviated term having elapsed will be charged 100% of all tuition and fees. Dates representing the 10% – 20% points of the respective abbreviated terms will vary according to each session/part of term in which the student is registered. Please see the Registrar or Bursar’s office for the exact dates on which the “late drop” fee will be assessed.

Withdrawals

Traditional Fall/Spring Semester Courses:

No course withdrawals will be accepted once 80% of the semester has passed. For a typical 15-week term, 80% of the term is considered the last day of the twelfth week of the term. A student may appeal the course withdrawal deadline due to mitigating circumstances. Download the application for withdrawal form.

Courses Offered in Abbreviated Terms (e.g. summer, winter, late start courses, etc.):

No course withdrawals will be accepted once 80% of the abbreviated term has passed. For abbreviated terms, 80% is considered the last day of the business week of that period. A student may appeal the course withdrawal deadline due to mitigating circumstances.

Note: financial aid students who withdraw from summer courses subsequently to 20% of the abbreviated term having elapsed but prior to the summer financial aid census date may be charged 100% of tuition and fees for those courses with no corresponding/offsetting summer financial aid disbursement.

Adding & Dropping Courses

Full-Term Courses (15 weeks)

Students may drop courses through the end of business day of the 21st calendar day of the term. Courses dropped during this period would not appear on a transcript. Courses can only be added up to calendar day seven of a full, 15-week term.

Add/Drop form can be found on this page under Forms > Records/Registrar

Abbreviated Term Courses

Students may drop courses through the first 20% of an abbreviated term length. Courses dropped during this period would not appear on a transcript. Courses can only be added up to the first 10% of the abbreviated term length.

Add/Drop form can be found on this page under Forms > Records/Registrar

Non-Participation (Academic Engagement)

The community colleges are required to verify the academic engagement of each student in each registered course by demonstrating “academic attendance” or an “academically-related activity” for Title IV purposes. This must be completed prior to the predetermined census date of each traditional semester, as well as during periods of enrollment shorter than the traditional 15-week semester (i.e., summer terms and other abbreviated terms).

Students who are determined to have not academically engaged in a period of enrollment leading up to census shall be assigned a registration status of “Never Participated (NP)” for each affected course. Students with the NP designation will be dropped from the course(s) they have not participated in and will be assessed a Late Drop Fee of $50 for each affected course as outlined in BOR policy 3.7.

Updated 4/13/21

Pre-Summer 2021 Policy

Please note that this information only pertains to courses taken in the Spring 2021 semester or before.

Withdrawals and Refunds – General

A registered student wishing to withdraw must submit a withdrawal request, in writing, to the Enrollment Services Office. The effective date of withdrawal is the date the request is received by the Enrollment Services Office. In counting calendar days, if the latest date for acceptance of a withdrawal falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday shall be the effective date. If the latest date for acceptance of withdrawal falls on a legal holiday, the next business day shall be the effective date.
For request for withdrawal received prior to the first day of college classes for that semester, a refund of 100 percent of total tuition will be granted for both full–time and part–time students.
For request for withdrawal received on the first day of classes and through the fourteenth calendar day of that semester, a refund of 50 percent of total tuition applicable to the courses for which registered will be granted for both full and part–time student.
For a reduction in load which occurs on the first day of classes and through the fourteenth calendar day of that semester, 50 percent of the difference of the tuition applicable to the original and revised course schedules will be refunded.
No refund of tuition will be granted for either full–time or part–time students beyond the fourteenth calendar day after the first day of classes.
Prorated refunds are applicable to compressed courses (less than 16 weeks).

Withdrawals and Refunds- – Specific

1.) One-hundred (100) percent refund of tuition and fees will be granted students entering the Armed Forces before earning degree credit in any semester upon their submitting notice in writing of withdrawal accompanied by a certified copy of enlistment papers.

a) Those covered by sub-section (b) of section 10–38(h) of the General Statutes (veterans and dependent children of certain veterans) pay no tuition; only their fees will be refunded, as with all other students.
b) All other veterans and other eligible persons (war orphans, children of disabled veterans, etc.) studying at an unaccredited college under educational grants administered by the Veterans Administration will be granted a refund of tuition and general fees on a pro rata basis. The exact proration will be determined by the ratio of the number of days of instruction completed by the student (until notification of withdrawal is received) to the total number of days in the course, as prescribed in V.A. Regulation 14255.
c) Veterans or other eligible persons (war orphans, children of disabled veterans, etc.) studying at an accredited college will be granted a refund in the same manner as any other student.
d) Accredited colleges are defined as those colleges which have received full accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
) The Student Withdrawal and Federal Title IV Funds Return Policy can be found on our financial aid website.

General Conditions

The special fees which are non-refundable are:
a) Application fee
b) Program enrollment fee
c) Late registration fee
d) Replacement of lost I.D. card
e) Academic evaluation fee
f) Portfolio evaluation fee
For purposes of the refund policy as outlined above, an individual is considered a student when s/he has registered and paid, either in cash or by obligation, by the first day of class.
Because of extenuating or extraordinary circumstances and upon written request submitted by a college president, the Executive Director may modify the tuition refund policy for the student(s) named in the request.

Credit Courses, Intersession and Summer Semesters

Fees

All tuition and fees must be paid at the time of registration.
A student who withdraws the day before the first class meeting of the course is entitled to a full refund of all tuition. College Service and Student Activity Fees are non–refundable. A request for withdrawal must be submitted in writing to the Enrollment Services Office no later than the end of the last regular business day of the college before the first meeting of the course(s).
A student reducing his/her course load will be entitled to full refund of tuition appropriate to the course(s) dropped provided the request for refund is received by the Enrollment Services Office no later than the end of the last regular business day of the College before the first class meeting of the course.

Refund Policy for Extension Fee Based Credits

When registering for summer/intersession courses, students must pay in full or enroll in the available summer/intersession payment plan.
Students who decide to drop a class must notify the Office of Enrollment Services, in writing, the day before the appropriate summer session starts. A full refund of the tuition only, labeled “Ext. Fee: Credit” will be made if the student deregisters for the class the day before the appropriate summer/intersession session starts.
The student will not be eligible for a refund if the request to withdraw from the class occurs on, or after the day the appropriate summer/intersession session starts.

Financial Obligation Policy

Once fees are paid, you are officially registered and you are responsible for the remainder of the charges.*

*’ For an in-writing withdrawal request received on the first day of classes and through the fourteenth calendar day of that semester, you are held responsible for 50% of the total tuition charges.

*” For a reduction in load which occurs on the first day of classes and through the fourteenth calendar day of that semester, you are held responsible for 50% of the difference of the tuition applicable to the original and revised course schedules.

*“ Beyond the fourteenth calendar day after the first day of classes, the full amount of tuition is due regardless of your enrollment or attendance status.

Failure to Pay

Failure to have made all applicable payments by the payment deadline will result in the withdrawal of the student’s registration unless a deferred payment schedule has been approved. Failure to make payments in accordance with a deferred payment schedule shall also result in the withdrawal of the student’s registration. Late charges will be assessed for late payments on a deferred payment schedule.

Students presenting bad checks must replace them as well as the applicable fee with cash, money order, or bank check within seven days (one week) of the college’s receipt of such notification; otherwise the student’s registration shall be immediately withdrawn.

If the student’s registration is withdrawn effective prior to the start of the semester, the account receivable will be cancelled and no hold placed on the student’s academic records. If the student’s registration is withdrawn effective after the start of classes, either because the student has officially dropped the course or has failed to pay, the account receivable will remain on the student’s record, and the college shall take reasonable measures to collect the amounts due, shall not issue the student’s official academic records, and shall not allow the student to register for future semesters until such receivable is paid in full.