Student Refund Policy

Credit Balance Refund Policy:
A credit balance is an overpayment on student's account resulting from Financial Aid, loans received or an excess payment.

Credit balance refunds will be available when a credit actually exists on the students account. Anticipated Financial Aid must be received and posted to the student's account in order for a credit to exist.

Credit balances that are a result of Federal Aid have specific refunding guidelines set by the Department of Education.

Credit balances that are the result of a payment plan will not be refunded until the payment plan is paid in full in March of each year. However, the payment plan may be adjusted to reduce the credit on the student account.

The Student Accounts office requires a written request in order to issue a refund to either a student or a parent. This request should be mailed to the Financial Services Office 300 North Washington Street Campus Box 437 Gettysburg, PA 17325 or by e-mail to finserv@gettysburg.edu.

Refund checks are issued once a week on Tuesday afternoons. Requests for refunds must be made by 10:00am on Monday in order for the refund to be processed that week.

If a refund is not requested, the credit balance will remain on the student account to offset future charges.

Withdrawal Refund Policy:

     A Student must notify the Registrar's Office in writing that he/she intends to withdraw or request a leave of absence from Gettysburg College. (Please see the withdrawal and leave of absence policy.) The date the written notice is received by the Registrar's Office will be the official date of withdrawal/leave of absence.

     Financial aid recipients, who leave the college during a term, will have their Title IV aid recalculated according to the federal refund requirements. These requirements state: " If a recipient of Title IV aid withdraws before completing 60 percent of the payment period, (approximately 9 weeks of school) the institution must calculate the amount of Title IV aid the student did not earn. The amount of unearned aid equals the difference between the Title IV aid that was disbursed or could have been disbursed for the payment period and the amount of Title IV aid that was earned. Schools must return the unearned portion of the Title IV funds." (see FSA Handbook:  Award Year 2008-2009, Volume 5, pp. 5-11 - 5-15)

     Title IV funds include and will be returned in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National SMART Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) and Other Title IV Grant Funds.

     Students receiving financial assistance may have a portion of their original award returned to the programs as required by federal regulation and the Gettysburg College refund policy, thus creating a balance due to the college. For this reason, students who are contemplating withdrawing, during a term of enrollment, are strongly encouraged to meet with the Financial Services and Financial Aid Office prior to leaving the college.

Refunds for Tuition, Room and Board will be calculated as follows:

100 percent if notice is received by the end of the twelfth day of classes
80 percent if notice is received by the end of the third week of classes
50 percent if notice is received by the end of the fourth week of classes
25 percent if notice is received by the end of the sixth week of classes

     No refund will be calculated after the end of the sixth week of classes. Full tuition is due and payable by that time.

     Exceptions to the stated refund policy may be granted for reasons of health or in the case of academic dismissal.

Required Withdrawal for Disciplinary Reasons (Involuntary Withdrawal)

     A student who is required to withdraw for disciplinary reasons will forfeit all fees which he or she has paid.