Refund policy

July 23, 2020

This refund policy addresses how a student's charges may be impacted in the event Augustana College alters the manner of delivery of the academic program or is unable to offer room and/or board for the full duration of the academic program. Student-initiated changes in classification (such as "commuter" or "remote learner" status) may also result in a change to a student's cost of attendance, and are not impacted by this refund policy.

Augustana College issues refunds for students who withdraw from the college in accordance with existing policies that are aligned with federal laws and policies related to federal financial aid.  

In the event that Augustana College may be forced to change its operations, including closing student residences, due to an emergency situation such as a government order related to the continuation of the COVID 19 pandemic, or related to a local public health order or recommendation due to a community health threat, refunds will be considered by Augustana College and determined based on the unique circumstances of any such change.   

Augustana College will not offer refunds for its academic program, even if there are temporary changes to the modality of learning. When making a decision to enroll, students should not expect a discount in the gross tuition charge if the method of learning changes, provided the college continues to deliver its academic program.    

Should a refund be offered, the amount will be based on the circumstances. It is important that students are aware of the following terms that may impact the amount of a refund received:

(1) Institutional aid (merit and need-based aid provided by Augustana College) is offered to students based on the total cost of attendance, even when directed towards a specific service, such as tuition. Refunds reduce the total cost of attendance. For this reason, the amount of institutional aid a student receives will impact the amount of refund any student may receive on a proportional basis, including a refund for room and board only.

For example, a student who receives institutional aid representing 20% of their overall cost of attendance would also have a corresponding 20% reduction in their refund eligibility. This reduction would be applied regardless of what service the institutional aid was offered for.  

(2) Refunds may be made available for some students only in the form of college credit, to be used for future college expenses.

(3) Because refunds or credits lower a student's overall cost of attendance, refunds may impact a student's eligibility for state or federal financial aid. The college's financial aid office will inform a student of any changes to their financial aid eligibility.

(4) Refunds for housing will not be considered after the 14th week of residence. 

(5) Due to the pricing structure of J-term (which is based in part on the optional nature of J-term for many students), refunds will not be considered for cancellation of any portion of the J-term academic program or of room and board during J-term. 

(6) A refund cannot exceed a student's out of pocket expenses.