Withdrawal + Refund Policy

Tuition charges and financial aid awards will be adjusted for students who withdraw from some or all of their classes. A student who withdraws from a class must follow the procedures established by the Office of the Registrar by completing a change of schedule form. A written statement expressing the intent to withdraw, including the date and student’s signature may be accepted in lieu of a change of schedule form. Chatfield will consider the date of withdrawal to be the date the student begins the official withdrawal process by completing the change of schedule form, or the date the student otherwise notifies the Office of the Registrar of the decision to withdraw.


Refund Amounts

100% within the add/drop period.

  • Students may officially drop all classes prior to the start of the semester and receive a complete refund of tuition and fee charges paid for the term.
  • Students who begin attending and then drop all classes within the official add/drop period receive a 100% refund of tuition and fees paid for the term.
  • Any charges incurred other than tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student to pay.
  • The add/drop period for a given semester will be listed on the academic calendar.

0% after the add/drop period

  • Students are responsible for the full tuition and fees charges if withdrawing from one or all classes after the add/drop period.

Financial Aid Recipients

Return of federal funds:

  • Students who receive financial aid funds and withdraw or do not complete all of the classes for which they are scheduled may be required to return federal aid funds.
  • If the withdrawal is during the first 60% of the term, a Title IV refund calculation is required.
  • If the withdrawal is at 61% or later in the term, a Title IV refund calculation is not required. Funds are returned (if applicable) to the federal aid programs in the following order:
    • Unsubsidized FFEL (Stafford) Loans
    • Subsidized FFEL (Stafford) Loans
    • FFEL PLUS Loans
    • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (Federal Work-Study earnings are not subject to the requirement of return of funds).

The Office of Financial Aid is required to adjust charges and financial aid based on the date of withdrawal or nonattendance.

  • If a student received federal (Title IV) financial assistance greater than the amount of the institutional charges, some or all of the federal aid may be required to be returned to federal programs.
  • A student is notified by the Office of Financial Aid within 30 days of the end of the term if a return of the Title IV funds is required.
  • If repayment is required and is not paid, the student becomes ineligible for further Title IV financial aid until the repayment is made.

Chatfield College scholarships, grants, and work-study

  • Chatfield’s scholarships and grants are also subject to reduction for withdrawal up to the 60% point in the term.
  • Institutional work-study earnings are not required to be returned.

Withdrawal from consortium cross-registration

  • Chatfield students who are cross-registered for a class or classes offered by another Greater Cincinnati Consortium institution must follow official withdrawal procedures at both Chatfield and the host institution.
  • Refunds and adjustments to financial aid will be calculated according to Chatfield’s procedures.
  • If the student initiates withdrawal procedures at the two schools on different dates, the earlier of the two dates will be used as the basis for refunds.

Payments of excess financial aid funds

The principal use of financial aid funds is to help eligible students pay for direct college charges, which include tuition, fees, and, in some cases, books.

Some types of financial aid such as Federal Stafford Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal SupplementalGrants, and some outside scholarships are initially received by the college but may be applied to education-related expenses incurred by students, such as transportation, child care, and general living expenses.

Our standard policy is to apply financial aid funds as they are received to first cover student’s direct tuition and fees. If a student’s financial aid funds accumulate over and above the total semester charges, that credit balance (i.e., excess aid) is issued to the student. Students may request, in writing, that credit balances be held for use in a subsequent term.