Refund Examples

Percent Refund Approximate Percentage of Course Completed 6 Week Course 8 Week Course 12 Week or Summer-long Semester Course Fall or Spring Full Semester Course
100% Up to 7% Day 1-3 Day 1-4 Day 1-6 Day 1-8
75% 13% Day 4-5 Day 5-7 Day 7-11 Day 9-15
60% 20% Day 6-8 Day 8-11 Day 12-17 Day 16-22
50% 27% Day 9-11 Day 12-15 Day 18-23 Day 23-30
25% 33% Day 12-14 Day 16-19 Day 24-28 Day 31-37
0% Over 33% After Day 14 After Day 19 After Day 28 After Day 37

The procedure for a refund is as follows:

  1. A drop occurs within the 100% refund period of the course. A withdrawal occurs after the initial drop period and before the final third of the part-of-term. Students may drop themselves from a course using the online student information system. Requests to withdraw from a course must be emailed to the Registrar's Office (registrar@messiah.edu). The date and time in Eastern Time Zone of the email determines the refund date and amount. Notifying an instructor does not constitute an official request to drop or withdraw from a course.
    1. In addition to the percentage of tuition refund, a withdrawal from class results in the assessment of a fee. This fee will be added to the student's account. Any approved exception to the withdrawal date may result in a late fee.
    2. Withdrawn courses are indicated with a "W" (withdraw) on the student's transcript. This withdrawal grade is not calculated in the grade point average. After two-thirds of the part-of-term is completed, students are not permitted to withdraw from their course except in cases documented by their physician or employer.
    3. Approval to add, drop, or withdraw from a course once a part-of-term begins results in assessment of a standard processing fee. Any approved exception for a late add or late withdrawal may result in an additional processing fee.
  2. Lab, music, private music lesson, and all other course-related fees, as applicable, will not be refunded after completion of 7% of the part-of-term.
  3. Refunds and adjusted bills will be sent to the student’s home address following withdrawal from the University. Updated billing statements will be available online for students dropping or withdrawing from courses only. Students will be notified if their change in enrollment has required an adjustment to their financial aid award.
  4. In accordance with federal regulations, when federal financial aid refunds are involved, the amounts are allocated in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, other Title IV aid programs.
  5. The term “Title IV Funds” refers to the Federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1956 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans, subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal Direct PLUS loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG.
  6. Institutional and student responsibilities in regard to the return of the Title IV funds:
    1. Messiah University’s responsibilities
      1. Providing each student with the information given in the policy
      2. Identifying students who are affected by the policy and completing the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for those students
      3. Returning any Title IV funds that are due to the Title IV programs
    2. Student’s responsibilities
      1. Returning to the Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for via the Return of the Title IV Funds calculation
  7. Other financial aid will be refunded in proportion to and along the same schedule as tuition.
  8. Messiah University is not required to pay a credit balance that is less than $1.00. Credit balances greater than or equal to $1.00 are automatically refunded to the student upon the student’s graduation or separation from the University.

This policy has been instituted to establish an official withdrawal date, provide a fair and equitable policy for determining refunds for withdrawing students, provide student counseling regarding withdrawal implications, and provide a waiting period at no expense to the student.