Tuition Refunds
The following refunds are figured using the first day of class instruction as the first day of the quarter. For students who completely withdraw from school during the quarter, refunds are made 30-60 days after the student withdraws.
ESTABLISHING THE DATE OF THE STUDENT'S WITHDRAWAL FROM SCHOOL
To calculate a tuition refund or a financial aid refund or repayment, Student Financial Services establishes the student's withdrawal date as follows:
- If the student officially withdraws, the date of withdrawal is used.
- If the student withdraws unofficially (drops out without properly notifying the school), the student's last recorded date of class attendance is used. The student's last recorded date of class attendance is determined, documented, and confirmed by the instructor, the vice president for student administration, or the Academic Records Office.
- If the student is expelled, the date of expulsion is used.
The Academic Records Office provides Student Financial Services with lists of students who have dropped all classes or dropped to less than six credit hours.
UNDERGRADUATE TUITION REFUNDS
If a student withdraws from school after the fifth day of the quarter, the following tuition refund policy will apply:
| Withdrawal during the first five days of the quarter1 | 100% refund |
| Withdrawal during the second week of the quarter2 | 75% refund |
| Withdrawal during the third or fourth weeks of the quarter2 | 50% refund |
| Withdrawal after the fourth week of the quarter2 | no refund |
| 1 Students dropping all classes during this period will be charged a processing fee of $75 or 5% of tuition, whichever is less. | |
2 Students adding or dropping classes after the first five days of the quarter will be charged a change-of-registration fee of $30 per change. If a student drops a class and adds a class of the same number of credits on the same day, no tuition adjustment is made. This is called a "wash" and these classes are excluded from all calculations. Note: dropping 2 two-credit classes and adding 1 four-credit class is not a "wash." Tuition is calculated by taking the total credits enrolled (regardless of the date added, and excluding "washed" classes) at 100% of tuition (tuition is not discounted for joining a class later). Drops are processed against that number. Tuition adjustments for dropped classes are processed based on the date the change is received in the Academic Records Office. Each time students change their class schedule, their tuition is completely re-calculated, based on all of their classes for the term, not just the current adjustment to the class schedule. The new Total Tuition Charge is compared to the student's previously charged tuition amounts, and a charge or credit is issued to their student account for the difference. When dropped classes are processed, the refund percentage is applied against the difference of these two amounts: The tuition for the number of credits before the drop, and the tuition for the number of credits after processing the drop. Because of the way tuition adjustments are calculated, a student who started with 12-16 credits ("bracketed" tuition) and ends with 12-16 credits may be charged additional tuition. | |
Tuition Adjustment Examples
Adding or dropping any classes after registration necessitates a tuition adjustment. That adjustment may be in the form of a charge or refund or both, as shown in the following examples.
A student registers for 16 credit hours and drops three of them during the first five days of the quarter.
TUITION ADJUSTMENT
Because the tuition rate is the same for 13 to 16 credit hours - the "bracketed tuition rate"- there is no adjustment to the amount of tuition charged.
A student registers for 13 credit hours and drops three of them during the first five days of the quarter.
TUITION REFUND
There is a 100% tuition refund on the difference between the tuition charged for 10 credit hours and the bracketed tuition rate. The refund to the students account is calculated as follows:
Tuition charged for 12 to 16 credit hours (bracketed tuition) | $10,224.00 |
Tuition charged for 10 credit hours ($852 per credit hour) | -8,520.00 |
TOTAL REFUND | $1,704.00 |
A student registers for 15 credit hours and drops all classes during the fourth week of the quarter.
TUITION REFUND
A 50% refund is due on the bracketed tuition and is calculated as follows:
Tuition charged for 12 to 16 credit hours (bracketed tuition) | $10,224.00 |
50% tuition refund for withdrawing during fourth week of classes | x 0.50 |
TOTAL REFUND | $5,112.50 |
Because these changes were made after the fifth day of the quarter, the change-of-registration fee of $30 per change is also applied to the student's account.
A student registers for 14 credit hours. On the 10th day of the quarter, the student drops a one-credit class and a two-credit class, and adds a one-credit class and a three-credit class. The student is now registered for 15 credits.
TUITION ADJUSTMENT
The added one-hour class "washes" with the dropped one-hour class and no adjustment is made. Then the three-hour class is added and a tuition charge of $682 is calculated (going from 14 credits to 17 credits puts the student outside of "bracket" tuition". Next the two-hour drop is processed. The difference between the tuition before and after the drop is $682. This is multiplied by 75 percent to give a credit of $511.50. The difference between the $682 charge for adding the 3 credit class and the $511.50 refund for dropping the two-hour class results in a net tuition charge of $170.50.
Tuition charged for 14 credits (bracketed tuition) | $10,224.00 |
Tuition for 17 credits (going from 14 to 17) | $10,906.00 |
NET TUITION CHARGE | $170.50 |
Because these changes were made after the fifth day of the quarter, the change-of-registration fee of $30 per change is also applied to the student's account.
A student registers for 11 credit hours, drops two credit hours on the sixth day of classes, and adds three on the 10th day.
TUITION ADJUSTMENTS
Because the student did not make these changes on the same day, each change is processed separately, and the dropped credit hours cannot cancel out any of the added credit hours. Therefore, the student's tuition must be adjusted as follows:
| Tuition charged for 10 credit hours ($852 per credit hour) | $8,520.00 |
| Tuition refunded at 75% for 2 credit hours dropped during | |
| second week of classes ($852 x 2 credit hours x 0.75) | -1,278.00 |
| TOTAL ADJUSTED TUITION CHARGED | $7,242.00 |
When the student adds 3 credit on 10th day, the tuition is completely recalculated.
| First, tuition is calculated for 13 credits | $10,224 | $10,224.00 |
| Next, tuition for 11 credits is calculated (11 x $852) | 9,372 | |
| The difference between 13 hours and 11 hours of tuition | 852 | |
| The difference is multiplied by 0.75 | X 0.75 | - 639.00 |
| TOTAL TUITION CHARGE FOR THIS STUDENT | $9,585.00 | |
| NET TUITION ADJUSTMENT FOR THIS TRANSACTION ($9,585.00 less $7,242.00 previous charged) | $2,616.00 |
Also, because these changes were made after the fifth day of the quarter, a change-of-registration fee of $30 per change ($60 total) is applied to the student's account.
A student registers for 18 credit hours and drops 7 credit hours during the 50 percent period. After the last day to add a class, the student petitions to add 7 credit hours. The petition is approved.
TUITION ADJUSTMENTS
The student did not make these changes during registration, in a single day, or within the same refund period. Therefore, the changes are processed separately, and the dropped credit hours cannot cancel out the added credit hours. The student will be refunded 50% for the classes dropped, and when the petition is approved, the student will be charged 100% for the added classes. The student's tuition must be adjusted as follows:
Calculation of Original Tuition Charged:
Tuition charged for 12-16 credit hours (bracketed tuition) | $10,224.00 | |
Tuition charged for two credits in excess of 16 ($682 x 2) | +1,364.00 | |
Total Tuition Originally Charged | $11,588.00 |
Calculation of Tuition Refunded for Dropping Seven Credit Hours:
Tuition for 18 credit hours | 11,588.00 | |
Less the tuition for 11 credit hours (11 x $852) | -9,372.00 | |
Tuition for 18 credits ($11,588.00) less the tuition for 11 credits ($9,372.00[11 x $852.00]) x .50 | 2,216.00 x .50 | |
Net Tuition Adjustment for this Transaction |
| -1,108.00 |
Adjusted Total Tuition Charged | $10,480.00 |
Calculation of Tuition Charged for Adding Seven Credit Hours:
Tuition is recalculated from the beginning. Tuition charged for 12-16 credit hours (bracket tuition) |
$10,224.00 | |
Tuition charged for 9 credit in excess of 16 ($682 x 9) | +6,138.00 | |
Tuition for all 25 credits | $16,362.00 | |
Difference in tuition between 25 credits and 18 credits, at 50% ($16,362.00- 11,588.00= $4,774.00 x .50) |
-2,387.00 | |
Adjusted Total Tuition Charged | 13,975.00 | |
Net Tuition Adjustment for this Transaction ($13,975.00 less $10,480.00 previously charged) |
+$3,495.00 |
Because these changes were made after the fifth day of the quarter, the student is charged a change-of-registration fee of $30 per change ($60 total). The student is also charged $30 per change for petitioning the Academic Standards Committee.
Graduate Refunds
If a graduate student officially withdraws during the quarter, a refund, where applicable, will be made within 30 days. A graduate student who leaves school without completing withdrawal procedures will be charged until proper arrangements have been made. The beginning of the quarter is considered to be the first day of class instruction. Graduate students withdrawing from classed during the quarter will qualify for the following rates of refund:
If withdrawal is: | Tuition refund will be: |
by the second Tuesday of classes* | 100% |
by the third Tuesday of classes | 75% |
by the fifth Tuesday of classes | 50% |
A tuition refund may affect awarded financial aid.* Graduate students dropping all classes during this period will be charged a processing fee of $50 or 5% of tuition, which ever is less. For withdrawal and refund schedule for summer classes see the WWU Summer Class Schedule. Please refer to the Financial Aid Refund Policy section of this website for further details.
Cafeteria Charge Refunds
The refund of a student's cafeteria meal plan charge for students is pro-rated according to the same schedule as room rent.
University Rental Housing Refunds
Students are required to give at least 30 days noticed when moving out of university rental housing. Students failing to give proper notice may forfeit up to 30 days rent. The rent refund is prorated, based on the later of the actual check out date and the end of the 30 days notice.
General Fee Refunds
For students who withdraw from school, the General Fee is refunded at the same rate as tuition.
Course Fee Refunds
Some course fees are not eligible for a refund after the fourth day of the quarter. For course fees eligible for a refund, the course fees are refunded at the same rate as tuition.
Music Lesson Fee Refunds
Music lesson fees are refundable based on the number of lessons taken through the fifth week of the quarter, after which no refunds are granted.
Financial Aid Refunds
Dropping a class during the quarter may impact a student's financial aid for the current quarter and for subsequent quarters. For this reason, students are advised to talk with a Student Financial Services counselor before dropping any classes. (See the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and the Financial Aid Refund Policy for more information.)
For information on financial aid refunds due in the event of a student's complete withdrawal from school, refer to the Financial Aid Refund Policy.