Tuition, Fees and Refund Policy

2007-2008 Academic Year (July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008)

Tuition Refunds

Requests to add/drop/withdraw from a course will not be accepted by telephone. Students are required to personally complete, sign and date all add/drop/withdrawal information. Forms are available on the college website, as well as at each nationwide campus. Signed faxed add/drop/withdrawal forms are acceptable; distance education students may also submit the forms electronically. Confirmation of receipt is the responsibility of the student. Should circumstances prevent the student from physically completing the add/drop/withdrawal information, the student should contact their campus director immediately. Directors or other college personnel reserve the right to request substantiating documentation to support the student’s inability to complete the add/drop/withdrawal process in person. The add/drop/withdrawal period begins the same day/date that the session starts.

Students with financial aid who drop or withdraw from a course(s) need to be aware that their financial aid could be affected.

1. Full Refund: A student is entitled to a full refund of tuition and course charges (excluding the admission fee, textbooks, and other academic resource materials) when he/she drops from a course(s) during the first week of the eight-week session, providing a Columbia College add/drop/withdrawal form has been completed and submitted prior to the close of business on Monday of the second week of the session.
    
2. Partial Refund: During the second through the eighth week of the session, a student could be entitled to a partial refund of tuition and course charges (excluding the admission fee, textbooks, and other academic resource materials) when he/she withdraws from a course(s) due to extraordinary circumstances (to include but not limited to serious illness, death in the immediate family, significant change in terms of employment, and call to active duty or military deployment or temporary duty). To be considered for a partial refund, a student must submit a complete add/drop/withdrawal form. This form must be accompanied by a letter from the student explaining the circumstances surrounding the withdrawal and the desire for financial consideration. In addition, Columbia College requires substantiating documentation to support the student’s request. Students should be aware that a refund is not automatic; rather, requests for financial consideration are subject to review and approval by the Associate Dean for Adult Higher Education.
    
3. No Refund: No refund will be granted to a student who voluntarily or involuntarily (administratively) withdraws from a course(s) during the second through the eighth week of a session, unless extraordinary circumstances apply (refer to partial refund information listed above).