Refund Policy
Students who withdraw (from all courses or from an individual course) will be charged tuition on a proportionate basis according to the schedules below based on the part of term for the course. The term “refund” below refers to the percentage of the tuition reduction. Fees are not refundable. As such, the percentage of any payment and/or aid that may be returned to you (if any) may be different.
A student who is considering withdrawing from the University or dropping a class is strongly encouraged to discuss academic implications with his/her advisor and discuss the financial repercussions with Student Financial Services.
For refunding purposes, the 1st week is defined as the first 7 calendar days in the term. Ex: If classes start on a Tuesday, the first week runs from Tuesday through Monday of the following week.
Refund Schedules
Full Term Courses* (Part of Term 1)
- Withdrawal in the 1st Week – 100% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 2nd Week – 80% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 3rd Week – 60% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 4th Week – 50% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 5th & 6th Week – 20% Refund
- Withdrawal after the 6th Week – 0% Refund
*Excludes pharmacy program
*Study abroad programs are excluded from this policy as refund amounts vary by destination. Contact the director of study abroad for information.
Weekend Courses** (Part of Term A & B)
- Withdrawal before 2nd class – 100% Refund
- Withdrawal before 3rd class – 75% Refund
- Withdrawal before 4th class – 50% Refund
- Withdrawal before 5th class – 25% Refund
- Withdrawal after 5th class – 0% Refund
Note: Each weekend consists of two class meetings; one on Friday and one on Saturday. Example: if a student attends the first weekend, then they have attended two class meetings and will be refunded 75% of the tuition.
**Ed.D. students are required to return their laptops and books upon withdrawal. Failure to do so will result in additional charges.
Other Courses (Part of Term 7A, 7B, X, & Z)
- Withdrawal in the 1st Week – 100% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 2nd Week – 75% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 3rd Week – 50% Refund
- Withdrawal in the 4th Week – 25% Refund
- Withdrawal after the 4th Week – 0% Refund
Special Parts of Term (Part of Term S)
- Withdrawal prior to 10% completion point – 100% Refund
- 10% – 19.9% completion point – 75% Refund
- 20% – 29.9% completion point – 50% Refund
- 30% – 39.9% completion point – 25% Refund
- At the 40% completion point – 0% Refund
Return of Title IV Funds
The Federal Government specifies how St. John Fisher University determines the amount of Title IV program assistance a student earns when they withdraw from the University. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are: Federal PELL Grants, TEACH Grants, Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs).
When a student who is a Title IV fund recipient withdraws, the amount of Title IV funds earned is based on the amount of time the student spent in academic attendance. Up through the 60% point in each payment period or period of enrollment, a pro rata schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the 60% point in the payment period of enrollment, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds.
For complete details on the return of Title IV funds when a student withdraws, please review our Return of Title IV Funds Policy [pdf].
Title IV fund recipients who are withdrawing from classes that are part of two 6 or 7-week modules should review our Part of Term Withdrawal Policy [pdf].
Students studying abroad with a Fisher-affiliated program should notify the applicable parties immediately of a withdrawal and review the Study Abroad Withdrawal Process & Refund Policy [pdf]
Return of Non-Title IV Funds
When a student withdraws who has paid using non-Title IV funds, any credit balance resulting from refund calculations will be returned to the student.