You should familiarize yourself with refund policies before withdrawing from online college courses. It is not uncommon for students who are enrolled in traditional or online courses to withdraw from the course if they are overloaded, they have been accepted into a waitlisted course, or if the class is too demanding. While withdrawing from a class does not typically affect your standing with the school, making it a habit to enroll in courses that you do not intend on attending can have a negative impact on your chances of transferring to graduate school. If your major concern is whether or not you will receive the money that you have paid back when you withdraw from an online class, read on and learn what you should know before you make a hasty decision.
Refund Policies When You Withdraw From Class Early
Many students will waitlist classes that are already completely full at the time of registration. In an effort to ensure that they can attend school the next semester, these students will register for classes they may not necessarily want to take. This is one of the more common reasons for registering for a class that you would like to withdraw from. If you are granted a spot in a waitlisted class, you may want to withdraw from the course that you took as a backup plan. In this scenario, you may be entitled to a refund, but the answer depends on the school.
Many online schools and traditional schools that offer online courses will give students a full refund of the tuition fees collected if you withdraw from the class before it starts. Most schools require that you have your request to withdraw processed at least one full business day before classes begin. The school may not refund students the registration fee or health fees that were charged.
Partial Refunds and Other Refund Policies That You Should Know
Not all students will qualify for a full refund when withdrawing from an online class. If you get your request in to the registration office early enough, you will be issued a full refund. If, however, you start to attend class and then withdrawal after class starts, you may be entitled to a partial refund. There is a specific deadline that will be available through the registration office that will tell you the last day to withdrawal and receive a refund. Many schools will require you to put in your notice within the first 7 to 14 day of the start of the semester for any refund. If you fail to meet the deadline for withdrawing, you will receive no refund.
Conclusion
Schools may consider the length of the class to determine how long a student has to withdraw and still receive a refund. Remember that that refund policies of each school can differ. If you have attended courses at one college and received a refund, it does not necessarily mean that the new college you are attending will offer you a refund. It is important to plan ahead of time to prevent having to withdraw from any classes. If you choose to withdraw, you might not only lose your money, you may also delay graduation and affect your standing as a student. Consider the affect of withdrawing from online college courses, and make smart choices.
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