Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

• I. Curriculum Tuition/Fee Refunds
• II. Continuing Education Tuition/Fees Refunds
• III. Other Refund Circumstances

I. Curriculum Tuition/Fee Refunds

A. Definitions

1. Academic Period - an academic term or subdivision of an academic term during which the College schedules a set of course sections.  
2. Non-regularly scheduled course section - is any of the following: a) a class where a definitive beginning and ending time is not determined; b) a class offered in a learning laboratory type setting; c) a self-paced class; d) a class in which a student may enroll during the initial College registration period or at any time during the semester; or e) any class not meeting the criteria for a regularly scheduled class.
3. Off-cycle course section - a regularly scheduled course section that is not offered consistent with an academic period.  
4. Officially Withdraw - the removal of a student from a course section by one of the following methods:  
   1. The student notifies the authorized College official, as defined by the College’s published procedures for withdrawal, of the student’s intent to dis-enroll in a course section as outlined in the College’s published procedures for withdrawal; or 
   2. The College removes the student from the course section because the College cancels the course section or for any other reason authorized by written College policy. 
5. On-cycle course section - a regularly scheduled course section that is offered consistent with an academic period.  
6. Regularly scheduled course section - is a class that meets any of the following criteria: a) assigned definite beginning and ending times; b) specific days the class meets is predetermined; c) specific schedule is included on the College’s Master Schedule or other official College documents; d) class hours are assigned consistent with the College’s catalog; or e) identified class time and dates are the same for all students registered for the class excluding clinical or cooperative work experience. 
7. Census Date - The date marking the end of the add/drop period for a course section, as determined by the College in compliance with the State Board of Community Colleges Code.

The College shall issue tuition refunds, using State funds, and fees only in the following circumstances:  

B. Refunds for On-Cycle Course Sections  

1. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College prior to the first day of the academic period as noted on the College calendar. 
2. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the College cancels the course section in which the student is registered. 
3. After an on-cycle course section begins, the College shall provide a seventy-five (75%) percent refund to the student for tuition only if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College from the course section prior to or on the ten percent (10%) point of the academic period.¹ 

C. Refunds for Off-Cycle Sections  

1. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College prior to the first day of the off-cycle course section. 
2. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the College cancels the course section in which the student is registered. 
3. After an off-cycle course section begins, the College shall provide a seventy-five percent (75%) refund to the student for tuition only if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the college from the course section prior to or on the ten percent (10%) point of the course section. 

D. Non-Regularly Scheduled Course Sections 

1. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College prior to the first day of the non-regularly scheduled course section. 
2. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for both tuition and fees if the College cancels the course section in which the student is registered.   
3. After a non-regularly scheduled course section begins, the College shall provide a seventy-five percent (75%) refund to the student for tuition only if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College from the non-regularly scheduled course section prior to or on the tenth (10th) calendar day after the start of the course section.  

II. Continuing Education Tuition/Fees Refunds

A. Definitions 

1. Non-regularly scheduled course section - is any of the following:  a) a course section where a definitive beginning and ending time is not determined; b)a course section offered in a learning laboratory type setting; c) a self-paced course section; d) a course section in which a student may enroll during the initial College registration period or at any time during the semester; or e) any class not meeting the criteria for a regularly scheduled class. 
2. Officially Withdraw - the removal of a student from a course section by one of the following methods:
   1. The student notifies the authorized College official, as defined by the College’s published procedures for withdrawal, of the student’s intent to dis-enroll in a course section as outlined in the College’s published procedures for withdrawal; or
   2. The College removes the student from the course section because the College cancels the course section or for any other reason authorized by written College policy.  
3. Regularly scheduled course section - is a course section that meets all of the following criteria:
   1. Has an assigned definite beginning and ending times;
   2. Has specific predetermined days and times the course section meets;
   3. Students may enroll during the initial registration period of any time prior to the census date;
   4. The course section is consistent with the course standards pursuant to 1 D SBCCC 300.5(c); or
   5. Times and dates are the same for all students registered for the course section excluding clinical or cooperative work experience.   
4. Independently Scheduled Course Section - is a course section that meets all of the following criteria:
   1. Where the begin and end times of the course are not defined;
   2. Instructional content is delivered asynchronously; and
   3. A student may enroll during the College’s initial registration period of enroll at any time prior to the census date of the course section.
5. Census Date - The date marking the end of the add/drop period for a course section, as determined by the College in compliance with the State Board of Community Colleges Code. 

B. Refunds.

The College shall issue tuition refunds using State funds only in the following circumstances:

1. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for tuition and fees if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College from the course section prior to the first course section meeting.
2. The College shall provide a one hundred percent (100%) refund to the student for tuition and fees if the College cancels the course section in which the student is registered.
3. After a regularly scheduled or independently scheduled course section begins, the College shall provide a seventy-five percent (75%) refund of tuition only upon the request of the student if the student officially withdraws or is officially withdrawn by the College from the course section prior to or on the census date of the section.  This section applies to all course sections except those course sections that begin and end on the same calendar day.  The College shall not provide a student refund using State funds after the start of a course section that begins and ends on the same calendar day.
4. After a non-regularly scheduled course section begins, the College shall provide a seventy-five percent (75%) refund of tuition only upon the request of the student if the student withdraws or is withdrawn by the College from the course section prior to or on the tenth (10th) calendar day after the start of the course section.

III. Other Refund Circumstances

A. Death of a Student  

If a student, having paid the required tuition and fees for a course section, dies prior to completing that course section, all tuition and fees for that course section shall be refunded to the estate of the deceased upon the College becoming aware of the student’s death. 

B. Military Refund  

Upon request of the student, the College shall: 

1. Grant a full refund of tuition and fees to military reserve and National Guard personnel called to active duty or active-duty personnel who have received temporary or permanent reassignments as a result of military operations that make it impossible for them to complete their course requirements; and 
2. Buy back textbooks through the Colleges’ bookstore operations to the extent allowable under the College’s buy back procedures. 
3. The College shall use distance learning technologies and other educational methodologies, to the extent possible as determined by the College, to help active-duty military students, under the guidance of faculty and administrative staff, complete their course requirements. 

C. Self-Supporting Tuition and Fees  

Refunds to students enrolling in self-supporting curriculum courses and self-supporting continuing education courses shall be regulated in the same manner as stated in Sections I and II.   

Approved by the Board of Trustees, November 13, 2023
Legal Reference: N.C.G.S. §§ 115D-5; -39; 1E SBCCC 900.1 - 900.5; 1G SBCCC 200.94