Dropping Courses, Withdrawals & Refunds

Find out how adding and dropping courses and taking a leave of absence or withdrawal can impact your tuition charges and refunds.

Adding or Dropping Courses and Refund Eligibility

Adding Courses

Students who add courses after the term begins are immediately responsible for payment. Students should check their accounts online for changes to their balances.

Dropping Courses

Full tuition for all registered courses is due by the payment due date. If you begin attending class and later cease attending without formally withdrawing, you remain responsible for the full tuition. However, if you correctly drop the course, you may get tuition credit as outlined below.

Review the Add Drop Policy

Students who paid tuition charges themselves (not from federal or state aid) are eligible for a refund of current term charges paid as outlined in the Refund section below.

Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence

It’s very important (financially and academically) that you follow the proper procedures for initiating a withdrawal or leave of absence.

If you are considering a withdrawal or leave of absence, you must contact Student Financial Services immediately in order to minimize your final outstanding balance.

Student Financial Services Office

Phone: 617-873-0403
SFS@cambridgecollege.edu

Refunds for Dropped Courses, Withdrawals or Leaves of Absence

If you must drop a course, withdraw or take a leave of absence, as long as you have followed the proper procedures (see above), some tuition may be refunded. However, no other charges besides tuition are refundable. If you paid current tuition charges yourself (that is, it was not paid from federal or state aid), you are eligible for a refund of current term charges as follows:

Date of Drop/Withdrawal from 8-20-Week CoursesRefund %
Before add/drop deadline100%
During week 3 of term75%
During week 4 of term25%
After week 4 of term0%
Date of Drop/Withdrawal from 5-Week CoursesRefund %
Before or during week 1100%
During week 275%
After week 20%
Date of Drop/Withdrawal from Intensive CoursesRefund %
Before first class100%
During week 175%
During or after week 30%

Military Tuition Assistance Refund Policy

Financial Aid Repayment/Return due to Withdrawal

Students receiving federal financial aid (also called Title IV aid), who withdraw from the College or stop attending all classes during a term before more than 60% of the term has elapsed, are subject to specific federal regulations.

The amount of Title IV aid that you must repay is determined by the federal formula for return of Title IV funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act.

The amount of Title IV aid that you earned during the term before you withdrew is calculated by multiplying the total aid for which you qualified by the percentage of time in the term that you were enrolled (college work-study not included).

Your disbursement or repayment owed:

  • If less aid was disbursed to you than you earned, you may receive a late disbursement for the difference.
  • If more aid was disbursed to you than you earned, you will be billed for the amount you owe to the Title IV programs and any amount due to the College resulting from the return of Title IV funds used to cover College charges.

Cambridge College will return the unearned aid to the Title IV programs as specified by law:

  • Unsubsidized federal loans
  • Subsidized federal loans
  • Federal Perkins loans
  • Federal PLUS loans
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)

Veterans Refunds

The refund of the unused portion of tuition, fees, and other charges for veterans or eligible persons who fail to enter a course, withdraw or discontinue prior to completion, will be made for all amounts paid which exceed the approximate pro rata portion of the total charges that the length of the completed portion bears to the total length of the course. The proration will be determined on the ratio of days or hours of instruction completed to the total number of instruction all days or hours in the course.

Refunds for Excess Funds

Credit Refund of Federal Student Loans

Financial aid may result in a credit balance if it exceeds your charges for tuition and fees. In accordance with federal regulations, excess funds from federal financial aid cannot be held without written authorization from the student.

  • If you have a credit balance after all expenses are paid, a refund check will be issued within 14 days.
  • The check will be sent to your permanent home address on record.
  • Any additional charges incurred after receiving a refund check will be your responsibility to cover.

If you expect a refund generated from financial aid, and it's not yet posted to your account, contact the Student Financial Services Office at SFS@cambridgecollege.edu or 617-873-0403.

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