Official Withdrawal/Refund Policies
Financial Liability
All students sign the Financial Responsibility Agreement prior to registration. In a published Niagara University policy, it is understood a student will pay in full all charges assumed at registration. Failure to attend classes does not alter the charges or entitle the student to a tuition refund. Students will not be permitted to receive their diploma until their student account is paid in full. In the event that Niagara University has to hire a collection company or attorney to collect delinquent accounts, the student must reimburse Niagara University for reasonable collection fees, or attorney fees and court costs.
Official Withdrawal from the University (Tuition and Fees)
To remain in good standing with the university, all full-time undergraduates seeking to discontinue attendance must officially withdraw in accordance with the following procedure:
- The student reports to the academic advisor’s or dean’s in writing.
- The student completes an exit survey online.
Part-time undergraduate and all graduate students unable to withdraw in person must inform their dean’s office in writing. An email from the student’s MyNU email account to the dean’s office can be accepted.
Upon completion of the withdrawal process outlined above, the refund of tuition and fees will be based on the number of weeks remaining in the semester at the date of official withdrawal.
If the student officially withdraws during:
| Calendar week of | Refund % |
|---|---|
| The week classes begin | 100% |
| Second full week of classes | 80% |
| Third full week of classes | 60% |
| Fourth full week of classes | 40% |
| Fifth full week of classes | 20% |
| No tuition refund | 0% |
Official Withdrawal from Residence Life (Room and Board)
Resident students must officially withdraw from Residence Life to receive any refund of room and board charges. A $200 administrative fee will be charged to resident students withdrawing from housing the week classes begin. Resident students must officially withdraw from Residence Life to receive any refund of room and board charges. To avoid the $200 administrative fee between the fall and spring semesters students should withdraw from Residence Life by the end of the fall semester. No refund will be granted after 60 percent of the enrollment period has passed (nine weeks). Refunds are calculated based on the official date of withdrawal from housing as determined by the Office of Residence Life and the above table. If a student has used more Gallagher Gold dollars or meals than the prorated charges, they may be liable for the difference.
Current Room and Board Policy for 20/21
| Calendar week of | Refund % |
|---|---|
| The week classes begin | 100% |
| Week two | 95% |
| Week three | 80% |
| Week four | 75% |
| Week five | 75% |
| Week six | 70% |
| Week seven | 60% |
| Week eight | 50% |
| Week nine | 40% |
| After ninth week of classes | 0% |
Deposit Refunds
Returning students pay a $300 housing deposit before May 31 to reserve accommodations for the fall semester. Should extenuating circum-stances prevent a student’s return to Niagara University, this fee will be refunded provided the Office of Residence Life is notified in writing and complete withdrawal from the university occurs before June 1. Deposits made by first-time students for tuition, room and board are nonrefundable.
Committee on Refunds
An appeal for refund of tuition, room and board may be made to the committee on refunds provided that continued attendance and/or residence by the student is made impossible by reasons of serious illness (supported by a doctor’s certificate) or by changes in conditions of the student’s employment (supported by the employer’s certificate) or other emergencies which, in the opinion of the committee, is clearly beyond the control of the student. An application for refund may be filed in person or by mail in the records office and must be made in writing on the form provided for that purpose. If the student is prevented by illness or distance from obtaining the regular form of such application, he/she should address a letter to the Records Office indicating the courses to be dropped and carefully explaining his/her reasons, together with supporting certifications. (See section on withdrawal from university for proper procedures.)
Financial Aid Refund Policy
If a refund is due a student under the Niagara University refund policy and the student has received any financial aid other than Federal Work Study, part of the refund must be returned to the sponsoring aid programs. The amount of refund is determined by the Student Accounts Office in accordance with the preceding Niagara University refund policy listed in this catalog. Policies for returning a portion of that refund to sponsoring aid programs are as follows:
Niagara University Grants and Scholarships and Private Grants and Scholarships
The student’s account will be credited with a prorated grant/scholarship. The percentage used in proration will be the same as the percentage of revised tuition liability; i.e., a student eligible for a refund equivalent to 60 percent of tuition charges has incurred a 40 percent liability. The student’s account will be credited with 40 percent of the semester grant/scholarship award.
Federal Programs (Title IV)
Regulations require each educational institution to have a written policy for the refund and repayment of federal aid received by students who officially withdraw during a term for which payment has been received. These policies are effective only if a student completely terminates enrollment or stops attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period.
Federal aid is earned in a prorated manner on a per diem basis based on the academic calendar up to the Federal 60 percent point in the semester. Federal aid and all other aid is viewed as 100 percent earned after that point in time. A copy of the worksheet used for this calculation can be requested from the Financial Aid Office. After the dollar amount to be refunded to the federal programs has been determined, the refund is applied to the accounts in the following sequence:
- Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Student Loan
- Subsidized Federal Stafford Student Loan and Federal Nursing Loan
- Federal PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
An official withdrawal is required, and a student’s failure to complete the appropriate forms as outlined in the chapter on general academic information may result in a smaller refund, or no refund.
The official withdrawal date is determined using the following criteria:
- Date student began Niagara’s withdrawal process or date student otherwise provided official notice
- Date related to circumstance beyond student’s control
Federal Program Repayment Policy
The amount of Title IV aid that a student must repay is determined via the Federal Formula for Return of Title IV funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. This law also specifies the order of the return of the Title IV funds to the programs from which they were awarded which is listed above.
A repayment may be required when cash has been disbursed to a student from financial aid funds in excess of the amount of aid a student earned during the term. The amount of Title IV aid is earned by multiplying the total Title IV aid (excluding Federal Work Study) for which the student qualified by the percentage of time during the term that the student was enrolled.
If less aid was paid than earned, the student may receive a late disbursement for the difference. If more aid was disbursed than was earned, the amount of Title IV aid that must be returned is determined by subtracting the amount earned from the amount actually disbursed.
The responsibility for returning unearned aid is allocated between the university and the student according to the portion of disbursed aid that could have been used to cover university charges and the portion that could have been disbursed directly to the student once university charges were covered. Niagara University will distribute the unearned portion of the disbursed aid that could have been used to cover university charges and the portion that could have been disbursed directly to the student once university charges were covered. Niagara University will distribute the unearned aid back to the Title IV programs as specified by law. The student will be billed for the amount the student owes to the Title IV programs and any amount due to the university resulting from the return of Title IV funds used to cover university charges.
State Scholarships
Refunding proration is done according to specific regulations of the sponsoring state. Copies of common refund examples are available in the financial aid office.