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Board Policies
Chapter 5 - Administration

Click here for a PDF copy of this policy.

5.12 Tuition and Fee Due Dates, Refunds, Withdrawals and Waivers

Part 1. Authority.

Minnesota Statute 136F.06, Powers and Duties, state that the Board of Trustees shall set tuition and fees and adopt suitable policies for the institutions it governs (see related documents below).

Part 2. Policy Statement

Subpart A. Tuition and Fee Due Date
Colleges or universities shall establish a due date for final payment of tuition and fees. Colleges and universities shall drop all classes for students who have not paid in full, do not have a financial aid deferment, or have not established a payment plan. Colleges and universities shall grant an extension of the payment due date for students who have filed and are awaiting properly approved financial aid from federal, state or other third-party sources.

The president or designee may grant short-term tuition and fee payment deferrals in cases where, due to exceptional circumstances, a student needs additional time to arrange third-party financing or otherwise satisfy a tuition and fee balance due. Deferrals must document the reason for and time duration of the deferral and must be signed by the president or designee.

Subpart B. Payment Plans
Colleges and universities shall provide payment plans for students, permitting them to pay their tuition and fees after the due date provided the minimum first payment amount is paid as defined in procedure 5.12.5. Colleges and universities shall assess a payment plan fee for internal payment plans to cover the costs of processing payments consistent with this policy.

Subpart C. Refunds for Dropped Classes
Students are entitled to have the opportunity to attend one class session for each registered, for-credit course, without obligation. Subject to the refund for full withdrawal provision of Subpart D, students are obligated for any classes dropped after the fifth business day of the term, or one business day after the first class session, whichever is later. For purposes of this policy, business days are defined as Monday through Friday (excluding posted holidays).

If a student is obligated for a dropped class, the student may petition the college or university to apply the amount of the tuition and/or fees for the dropped class to the cost of an added class for the current term.

For courses less than three weeks in length, the colleges and universities shall establish the no-obligation drop-and-refund period of no more than one business day after the first class session for each registered, for-credit course.

Subpart D. Refunds for Withdrawals
Upon expiration of the no-obligation period defined in Subpart C above, colleges and universities shall refund tuition and fees for student who totally withdraw from for-credit courses in accordance with the following schedule:

Withdrawal Period Refund %
1st through 5th business day of term 100
6th through 10th business day of the term 75
11th through 15th business day of the term 50
16th through 20th business day of the term 25
after 20th business day 0

Summer sessions and other terms at least three weeks but less than ten weeks in length.

Withdrawal Period Refund %
1st through 5th business day of the term 100
6th through 10th business day of the term 50
after the 10th business day of the term 0

Class terms less than three weeks in length.

Withdrawal Period Refund %
1st business day of the term 100
2nd through 3rd business day of the term 50
after the 3rd business day of the term 0

Subpart E. Waivers:
The president may waive amounts due to the college or university for the following reasons:

  • Employee Benefit Provided by a Bargaining Agreement
  • Death of a Student
  • Medical Reasons
  • College Error
  • Employment Related Condition
  • Significant Personal Circumstances
  • Student Leader Stipends
  • Course Conditions (A course condition exists when the location or timing of the course results in the student not being able to use the services intended by a fee)
  • Resident Hall Fees
  • Natural disasters or other situations beyond the control of the campus

The president may waive amounts due to the college or university for individual institutional waivers as approved by the Board.

Each college or university shall define the terms under which any authorized waiver will be granted. The college or university must document the reason for all waivers.

The college or university cannot waive the MSUSA or MSCSA student association fee.

Colleges and universities shall, in consultation with students, develop guidelines to implement this policy. These guidelines must be available to students.

Part 3. Accountability/Reporting
Colleges and universities shall maintain records on refunds, drops, withdrawals, nonattendance, and waivers to ensure accountability and accurate reporting in accordance with applicable procedures.


Related Documents:

  • Procedure 5.12.1, Active Duty with the Armed Forces
  • Procedure 5.12.2, Tuition Waiver for Persons Under the Guardianship of the Commissioner of Human Services
  • Procedure 5.12.3, Tuition and Fee Payment Due Date
  • Procedure 5.12.4 - Refund of Tuition and Fees
  • Procedure 5.12.5 - Payment Plans

    to view any of the following related statutes, go to the Revisor's Web site (http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/). You can conduct a search from this site by typing in the statute number.

  • Minnesota Statute 136F.06
  • Minnesota Statute 136F.70, Subd. 1

Date of Implementation: 08/15/07
Date of Adoption: 06/21/00

Date & Subject of Revisions:

08/15/07 - Part 2, Subpart B, is amended by deleting “may” after “universities” and inserting “shall”; on line 34 after “fee” inserting “for internal payment plans” (see July 20, 2005 Board Meeting minutes).

08/15/06 -Part 2, Subpart A, is amended by deleting “may” after “universities” and inserting “shall”.
Part 2, Subpart B, is amended by inserting after “date” the phrase “provided the minimum first payment amount is paid as defined in procedure 5.12.5” (see July 20, 2005 Board Meeting minutes).

(effective 8/15/05)

07/20/05 - Changed the title to include Tuition and Fee Due Dates. Amended Part 2, Added Subpart A to allow presidents to grand tuition and fee deferrals in certain circumstances. Added Subpart B requiring colleges and universities to provide payment plans permitting students to pay tuition and fees. Amended Subpart C obligating students financially for classes dropped after the fifth business day of the term. Amended Subpart D changing “class day” to “business day” and defines schedule for refunds for withdrawals. Amended Part 3 requiring colleges and universities to maintain records on drops, nonattendance and waivers

(effective 8/15/06)

Amended Part 2, Subpart A requiring colleges and universities to drop classes for students who have not paid in full, Amended Part 2 Subpart B requiring students to pay the minimum first payment amount for the plan to avoid drop for nonpayment requirements

(effective 8/15/07)

Amended Part 2, Subpart B requiring colleges and universities to assess a payment plan fee for internal payment plans to cover the costs of processing payments

Click here for additional 5.12 HISTORY

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