Refunds and Withdrawals

To qualify for a refund, a student must contact the Dean of Students to formally withdraw from the college.

­When a student withdraws or takes a leave of absence from the college, college policy stipulates that tuition may be refunded on the following schedule for each semester.

Withdraws after Day 3 of the first block of the semester:  two-thirds of tuition is refunded;

Withdraws after Day 3 of the second block of the semester:  one-third of tuition is refunded;

Withdraws after Day 3 of the third block of the semester, no refund is made.

The withdraw date will be the last day of attendance in class.

Cornell College grants and scholarships will be adjusted according to this schedule as well.  There are no refunds for room and board.

According to federal regulations (CFR 668.22), students who receive federal financial aid and who withdraw or take a leave of absence during the semester may have a part of their aid refunded to the federal program[s] that assisted them.  The federal Return of Title IV Funds policy stipulates the amount of aid a student has earned prior to withdrawal and the order in which federal refunds are allocated back to the program[s] that provided it.  Students may obtain specific information and examples of refund and Return of Title IV Funds policies from the financial aid office.

If funds have been released to the student because of a credit balance on the student’s account at Cornell College, the student may be required to repay some or all of the federal, state, or institutional aid released to the student.

An enrollment deposit is paid when a student is admitted and decides to attend Cornell. $200 of the deposit is used as a room deposit; $100 is applied toward the cost of new student orientation.  Once a student enrolls, the College retains the deposit until all accounts are closed following graduation or until the student officially withdraws from the College. At the time of graduation or withdrawal, $200 or the residential portion of the deposit, less any amount owed to the College, is refunded to the student. An enrolled student who plans to finish the academic year but chooses not to return the following fall, may not participate in room selection activities and must notify the Dean of Students Office by the first Wednesday of Term 8, or the deposit will be forfeited.

A student who leaves the college without official permission will have the grade of F recorded for each course in progress. Students who have not attended classes for 60 calendar days and have not filed for a Reduced Program or a Withdrawal will be dropped from the college at the end of the current term. The full settlement of accounts is due before an academic transcript will be released.

This policy is subject to federal regulations administered by the Department of Education. Contact the Financial Assistance Office for details and to learn of any changes to this policy. Changes in enrollment status from full-time to part-time will affect your financial assistance. Please contact the Financial Assistance Office to discuss individual circumstances. 

Residence, Dining, and Activity Fee 
After the semester begins, there is no refund for Residence, Dining, or Activity Fees.

Those students on a deferred payment plan may have additional payments to make. The college reserves the right to exclude, at any time, students whose conduct makes them undesirable members of the Cornell community.

A student whose account is credited with more funds than are owed to Cornell will receive a check for the amount of the credit balance, upon request from the Business Office. Refunds are not available until the term begins.

Meal Refunds for Approved Off-Campus Courses 
The college will refund a portion of the amount charged for meals in a particular term to any student who completes a Cornell-sponsored off-campus internship, field course, independent or Special Study, etc., provided that the student (1) petitions for this refund through the Registrar’s Office at least seven class days before the start of the off-campus course, and (2) does not eat any meals on campus (except those outlined on the petition) during the four weeks of the term. Students may begin taking meals again Sunday morning of the fourth week. A student who obtains a meal at Cornell without paying for it during the period for which he or she is requesting a refund will be charged for the full term and will forfeit the refund. The off-campus program requires the student to be away from campus during the time meals are served. Students on the 180 meal per semester plan are not eligible for meal refunds at any time.  For students participating in Cornell faculty led courses off campus, meal refunds are requested by the professor and issued prior to departure.

For short field trips, box meals can be obtained from the College Food Service if the instructor notifies the Director of Food Service in writing at least four days in advance. Students with special schedules should consult the Food Service Director for possible assistance in arranging their meals.

Please confer with the appropriate faculty member for policies related to off-campus charges, meal refunds, etc., (also available from the Business or Registrar’s Office)