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Withdrawals & Adding/Dropping Courses

Refund of Institutional Tuition, Housing and Food Charges

LMU operates with an annual budget developed through advance planning built around the institutional mission and goals, including financial obligations to faculty and others who provide necessary services essential for operation. In the event a student drops one or more classes, withdraws, or is administratively dismissed from the University for disciplinary or financial reasons after registration is completed and prior to the end of a semester of enrollment, the student's eligibility for a refund of tuition and/or housing and food charges will be pro-rated as indicated by the refund policy. A student must complete a Change of Schedule form obtained from the Office of the Registrar for dropping one or more classes. Any situation in which all classes are dropped is considered to be a withdrawal from the University. Any notification of withdrawal and request of refund must be made in writing. Should the student fail to officially withdraw, all semester charges will become immediately due and payable.

Housing and food charges will not be refunded to any student who withdraws from campus residency but remains enrolled at LMU during the semester or term.

Refund Schedule

Applicable institutional charges for fall and spring semesters will be refunded according to the following schedule:

  • During the first week of the semester: 100%
  • During the second week of the semester: 75%
  • During the third week of the semester: 50%
  • During the fourth week of the semester: 25%
  • After the fourth week of the semester: 0%

No refund of institutional charges will be made after the fourth week of the semester.

Refund schedules pertaining to summer and mini terms are adjusted to the varying length of the terms. They appear in the Class Schedule published for the given term.

Withdrawals

The official withdrawal process begins in the Office of the Registrar. A withdrawal form must be completed, and all the necessary signatures must be obtained. Oral requests do not constitute official notification. The official date of withdrawal used to compute the refund is the date that the Registrar's Office physically receives the form.

Registrar


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Refund of Financial Aid

Federal regulations determine how colleges and universities handle Title IV funds when a recipient withdraws from school. This policy is separate from the university's refund of institutional charges. The Return of Title IV funds (R2T4) includes Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal PLUS loans, and Federal Direct Loans. The federal policy states that up through the 60% point in each semester, a pro-rata schedule will be used to determine how much Title IV aid the student has earned. For example, if the student has attended 31% of the enrollment period, the student has earned 31% of their Title IV aid, and 69% of the aid must be returned to the federal government. After the 60% point in the semester, the student has earned 100% of the aid for which the student was eligible. Additional information on the Return of Title IV funds may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Services.

Refund of Housing Reservation and Damage Deposit

The housing reservation and damage deposit are refundable at the end of the student's tenure in campus housing, provided no damage or loss has occurred in the student's room, as indicated by a check-out sheet, and keys have been returned. If a student has an outstanding account balance with the University, any refundable deposit must first be applied against the student's outstanding account. If the student's outstanding account balance exceeds the refundable deposit, the student will not be entitled to a refund of the deposit.

Refund of Credit Balance

If a combination of grants, scholarships, and/or payments creates a credit balance to the student's account, the Office of Student Financial Services will refund the credit balance to the student by means of a check or by direct deposit. All institutional scholarships must be applied toward tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and food expenses. All federal, state, and institutional grants are credited to the student's account first, and any scholarships are applied to the balance of the student's aid eligibility for the semester.

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Learn More

Credit Refunds

Satisfactory Academic Progress

When a student drops courses or withdraws, it may affect the student’s future eligibility for financial aid. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requires students to complete at least 67% of the classes that they attempt. Students who fail to meet SAP guidelines are placed on financial aid warning for the next semester of enrollment. During that semester, if the student does not meet SAP guidelines, the student is placed on financial aid suspension. 

Important Dates
  • December 31, 2023: The 2024-2025 FAFSA is available to complete on the Federal Student Aid website.
  • August 1, 2024: Deadline to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA for TN Promise.
  • April 15, 2024: Deadline to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA for Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA).
  • January 31, 2024: Deadline for the Annual & Endowed Scholarship Application.
  • December 2023: Due to FAFSA Simplification, the release of the 2024-2025 FAFSA has been delayed. The FAFSA form will be available by December 31, 2023.
  • November 15, 2023: The Annual & Endowed Scholarship Application opens.
Contact Us

Student Financial Services
Location: DAR-Whitford Hall
Phone: 423.869.6336
Fax: 423.869.6347
Email: finaid@LMUnet.edu

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