Refund Policy
The School of Law policies that allow a student to drop courses without academic penalty differ from the policies that allow students to drop without financial penalty. Students who are considering dropping credits for adding/substituting alternative courses, including special research projects, are reminded that the course must be dropped before the close of the add period. Credits dropped after the close of the add period will be added to the final semester credit load for billing purposes.
Permission from the petitions committee or the dean to qualify a student to drop a course after the close of the add period does not also qualify a student for a refund of tuition and fees.
First-year Day Division students take Legal Practice: Negotiation in January following their first semester. The charge for January Legal Practice is included in the spring semester bill. If illness, disability or another serious situation causes a student to request permission to drop Legal Practice in January, the student must receive approval from the Faculty Petitions Committee to take Legal Practice in June following their second semester. Students will be charged an additional three-credit course fee for completion of the course in June. If a student withdraws from the School of Law during Legal Practice or immediately following the completion of Legal Practice, the student's spring financial aid will be canceled and the student will be charged for Legal Practice taken during January.
The first day of classes for statutory regulatory and upper class courses will be the official start to the semester and thus will follow the typical semester refund schedule. Students who go on a leave of absence or withdraw before the official start to the semester will have all financial aid canceled for the upcoming semester and will be responsible for all charges (minus refund, if applicable) incurred from taking Legal Practice.
All official withdrawals from the School of Law must be approved by the Office of Student Affairs. In certain other instances, including illness, adjustments to the following schedule can be made at the discretion of the dean's office.
When notice of cancellation is received through the first day of classes of a semester, a full refund (less the nonrefundable acceptance fee and student activity fee) is made if fees have been paid in full. After the first day of classes, withdrawal adjustments are made only on refundable fees according to the following schedule:
- Remainder of the first calendar week: 90%
- 2nd week: 60%
- 3rd and 4th week: 50%
- 5th week through the 8th week: 25%
Calendar weeks run Monday through Sunday; whatever day of the week on which the semester begins, the following Sunday ends the first calendar week. In addition, there is a federal pro-rata policy in effect for those students leaving the University who have accepted Title IV funds (Federal Stafford Loans). This federal requirement determines the amount of federal funds that a student is entitled to by calculating the number of days attended divided by the number of days in the semester. This percentage multiplied by the TOTAL amount of Stafford Loans remains credited to the student's account. The amount the student is not entitled to is returned to the lender. This is required regardless of other grants or scholarships that have been awarded and used to pay for tuition and fees. Students who owe a balance to the school are billed after monies have been returned to the lender. Any grants and scholarships will remain credited to the student's account. Also, any applicable refund described above will be credited before the balance due is determined.
Keep your refund and permanent addresses current in the PeopleSoft system. This will ensure you receive your deposit account and bookstore refunds, and all other pertinent information without delay. These refunds are done twice a year in April and October. Deposit account refunds will be less any outstanding charges.
SUMMER SESSION REFUND POLICY
Refund of fees will be made only to students who withdraw from summer courses in accordance with the proscribed withdrawal procedures because of illness or other compelling reason as deemed acceptable by the associate dean for finance and administration. Upon notification from the associate dean, the Business Office will begin the process of securing a refund.
The last day to drop a Summer Session 1 class and receive a full refund (100%) is Friday, May 26, 2023. No refund will be issued after May 26, 2023. The last day to drop a Summer Session 2 class and receive a full refund (100%) is Friday, July 7, 2023. No refund will be issued after July 7, 2023.