Administrative Procedure 8.770 Administrative Procedure 8.770

Refund Methods

1. Cash Refund – The University does not issue cash refunds.


2. Credit Card Refund – Credit card refunds posted within 90 days of the original credit card payment will be posted to the same credit card.  If multiple credit card payments were posted within this 90-day period, the first credit card used for payment will be refunded.


3. Direct Deposit Refund (eRefund) – Direct deposit is the fastest and most secure way to receive a refund.  Students are required, unless prohibited by either state or federal law, to sign up for direct deposit by entering bank account information into the student eCommerce system per AP 8.802.  Students are responsible to review and update bank account information timely.
   
   
   1. ACH direct deposits can be transmitted only to U.S. savings or checking accounts.
   
   
   2. Once enrolled in direct deposit, the student will continue to receive all refunds via direct deposit until the student deletes bank account information on-line, or the account is administratively restricted by authorized University personnel.
   
   
   3. A student can only designate one bank account at a time for a direct deposit.  Any changes made by the student to bank account information will replace the previous information.
   
   
   4. It is the student’s responsibility to verify that all direct deposit payments have been credited to bank account before writing checks against funds or withdrawing cash.
   
   
   5. A refund cannot be split between direct deposit and a paper check.
   
   
   6. The University reserves the right to initiate, correct and adjust refund entries posted in error to a student’s account at any time.
   
   
   7. Parent PLUS loan credit balances may be direct deposited into a student’s bank account provided the parent who is the borrower on the loan has provided written or on-line authorization to the University to transfer the loan proceeds to the student.


4. Paper Check Refund
   
   1. Checks are mailed to the student’s mailing address on file in the student information system. If no mailing address is available, then the permanent address on file in the student information system will be used.

Refund Schedule

1. The President establishes the schedule of refunds of tuition and fees as defined in Board of Regents policy 6.201, Authority to Set Tuition and Fees. Refund schedules for student housing, library, meal plan, parking charges and certain Student Exchange and Study Abroad programs are established separately.


2. Refunds are based on the amount of tuition and fees charged and not on the amount actually paid.


3. If a class is officially cancelled, students will automatically receive a full refund of tuition and fees that were paid related to the cancelled class.


4. Refunds will be processed via the refund method selected above on the 10th, 20th and last day of the month, unless these dates fall on a weekend or holiday, whereby the refunds will be processed the prior business day.

Uniform Tuition Refund Schedule

1. Tuition and Special Course Fee Refund Policy – Regular Academic Semester
   1. The refund period at all institutions shall be 20% of the instructional period (21 calendar days), beginning with the first day of instruction for the semester per the University’s Academic Calendar. The instructional period includes all calendar days beginning from the first day of the semester and ending on the last day of instruction.
   
   
   2. In the event a student initiates a complete withdrawal from the University (or College), changes from full-time to part-time status, or changes from one tuition rate to another during the three-week refund period, tuition and special course fees are refunded as indicated below:
      
      1. 100% refund for complete withdrawal only if made on or before the last day of late registration (add period) as established at each institution.
      
      
      2. 100% refund for change in status or tuition rate if made on or before the last day of late registration (add period), unless otherwise stipulated by federal regulations.
      
      
      3. 50% refund for complete withdrawal or change in status or tuition rate if made after the late registration period (add period) but on or before the end of the refund period (third week of instruction), unless otherwise stipulated by federal regulations.
      
      
      4. 0% refund if complete withdrawal or change in status or tuition rate is made after the refund period, unless otherwise stipulated by federal regulations.


2. Mandatory Student Fees Refund Policy – Regular Academic Semester
   
   1. 100% refund if complete withdrawal is made system-wide on or before the last day of late registration (add period) as established at the student’s home institution.
   
   
   2. No refund of mandatory student fees if partial withdrawal is made on or after the first day of the semester.


3. Tuition and Special Course Fees Refund Policy – Non-Semester Long Credit Courses
   
   The refund period at all institutions shall be 20% of the part of term. The instructional period includes all calendar days beginning from the first day of the part of term and ending on the last day of the part of term. No refunds will be made for courses where the instructional period is 10 days or less, except before the first day of instruction. Refunds for credit courses that are not semester long shall be as follows:
   
   
   1. 100% refund for complete withdrawal only if made on or by the second day of the part of term.
   
   
   2. 100% refund for change in status or tuition rate if made on or by the second day of the part of term unless otherwise stipulated by federal regulations.
   
   
   3. 50% refund for complete withdrawal or change in status or tuition rate if made after the second day of the part of term but on or before 20% of the part of term unless otherwise stipulated by federal regulations.


4. Mandatory Student Fees Refund Policy – Non-Regular Academic Semester
   
   1. 100% refund if complete withdrawal is made system-wide before the first day of the semester.
   
   
   2. No refund of mandatory student fees if partial withdrawal is made on or after the first day of the semester.
   
   
5. Non-Credit Courses or Workshops Refund Policy
   
   Refunds for non-credit courses or workshops shall be established and published by the respective program offering the course prior to the start of the course or workshop.
   


6. Non-Credit Courses or Workshops Refund Policy
   
   
   1. Federal financial aid credit balance refunds are determined by refund and repayment rules issued by the U.S. Dept. of Education for Federal Title IV student financial aid programs.
   
   
   2. For students receiving military tuition assistance (TA) funds from Department of Defense (DoD), credit balance refunds are determined by refund and repayment rules issued by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S, Department of Veterans Affairs. Please see http://www.fmo.hawaii.edu/student_accounts/index.html#tab5_6 for additional information.

Refund Processing

1. Campus business/cashier offices will review and process any eligible refunds or credit balances reflected on a student account.  Pending financial aid for current or future semesters is not refundable.


2. Title IV Federal Student Aid credit balance refunds are processed as soon as possible but no later than 14 days after:
   
   
   1. The date the balance occurred on the student’s account, if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period, or the first day of classes of the payment period if the credit balance occurred on or before the first day of class of that payment period.
   
   
   2. Any excess PLUS Loan funds must be returned to the parent.  Therefore, if PLUS Loan funds create a credit balance, the credit will be given to the parent.  However, the parent may authorize the school to transfer the proceeds of a PLUS Loan directly to the student for whom the loan is made.
      
      1. Tuition and fee refunds due to a complete withdrawal, change from full-time to part-time, drop-in credit hours, or change from one tuition rate to another are processed after the end of the 50% drop period for the semester.
      
      
      2. If a refund results from an overpayment made by a personal check, the refund will be processed after a 5 business day wait period or the end of the 50% drop period, whichever is later, to verify the check payment has cleared the University’s bank.

Minimum Refund Amount

Payee

1. Credit balances that are a result of a Parent PLUS Loan will be refunded directly to the parent who is the borrower of the loan, unless the parent has provided written or on-line authorization to the University to transfer the loan proceeds to the student.


2. Excess payments made by third parties or external sponsor organizations shall be refunded in accordance with that sponsor organization’s directives.


3. Refunds to a deceased student shall be payable to the estate of the deceased student, provided appropriate documentation. Exceptions may be approved by the Bursar when an eRefund account has previously been created.

Outstanding Financial Obligations Owed to the University