Do colleges have the right to charge you for a full semester if you dropped out but a have a medical excuse?
My friend is being forced to pay the full amount for a semester at her community college in NYC. She had dropped out because she needed to take the time to go to therapy which is a medical urgency and priority. The school still believes that she owes them the rest of the money (the rest of $3,000 per semester). Their reason is that they lose money when people drop out after claiming a seat. I feel that she has a valid excuse to leave and doesn’t owe the money. She is an international student and I feel that they are taking advantage of her. Please give me advices, school related blogs, legal blogs/contact, emails, info etc. Thanks.
Most colleges do have compassion for their students, but they also have a fiduciary duty to manage their finances with prudence. It’s not unusual for a student who needs to withdraw for whatever reason late in the term to be charged. You didn’t state when precisely she withdrew, but if it happened recently and she’s attending a college that operates on the typical late August / early September to early / mid December term then she’s attended the majority of the semester already. A major factor to consider is whether she went through the proper steps to officially withdraw for the rest of the semester, or whether she simply stopped attending class. Most colleges require you to submit a form requesting to withdraw from the term explaining why. In cases of a medical, psychological, or personal emergency then some sort of letter is sometimes required to verify the need for the leave. Usually, when the withdrawal is approved a student is made aware of their financial obligation and the impact the leave will have on their transcript. Did your friend talk to her academic advisor, the financial aid office, and others about her need for a medical leave? It seems like she would have been advised about the situation so she wouldn’t be in shock about still owing funds.
I am in remission for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have problems with my lungs as a result of intensive radiation to my chest, and so when I was hospitalized for a serious case of pneumonia during the winter quarter I was urged to withdraw for the rest of the term. I didn’t want to withdraw, and fortunately I recovered to the extent that it wasn’t mandatory, but if it had been, I still would have been charged tuition fees. This was quite literally a life-or-death situation at one point because my temperature had reached 108 and I was in intensive care. At my university (Stanford) students who need to take a leave after the start of classes receive a pro rated refund up to the term withdrawal deadline. After the withdrawal deadline, it’s rare for a refund to be given. I believe they do make some exceptions, but as a general rule, you have to pay. In the circumstance of a medical or personal withdrawal they will list on your transcript that you’re on a university-approved leave so it won’t be marred with W’s.
I am sympathetic about your friend’s situation, but I don’t think her college is being cruel or unreasonable with her. Consider things from their perspective. If she hadn’t enrolled in those courses, chances are someone else could have taken her spot and paid for them. Why should they have to lose out on that money when it wasn’t their fault? Almost every college has their policy about withdrawing from the term and the fees owed on their website and in their student handbook, so she should have been able to find out this information for herself before decided to withdraw. Also, though I do realize that therapy can be very necessary, it doesn’t constitute a medical or even a psychological emergency. If she had been hospitalized for mental health reasons that would be another matter. I would encourage her to try to have a calm conversation with her financial aid office and see if they would be willing to work with her. She might want to ask her psychiatrist or therapist to write a letter on her behalf explaining the need for therapy. This probably isn’t going to be of significant help, but it might help a bit.
Best wishes to her. You’re a good friend to be concerned about her and willing to help.
~ skylark : )
Yes they do have the right and for that very reason.
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She has a valid reason to leave, and so they will allow her to withdraw from her courses without flunking her.
However, she registered for the courses and started them, so they certainly have a right to keep the tuition.
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no, they can’t give you the money back, they can only give you neither withdraw or dropped out.
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self
Most colleges do have compassion for their students, but they also have a fiduciary duty to manage their finances with prudence. It’s not unusual for a student who needs to withdraw for whatever reason late in the term to be charged. You didn’t state when precisely she withdrew, but if it happened recently and she’s attending a college that operates on the typical late August / early September to early / mid December term then she’s attended the majority of the semester already. A major factor to consider is whether she went through the proper steps to officially withdraw for the rest of the semester, or whether she simply stopped attending class. Most colleges require you to submit a form requesting to withdraw from the term explaining why. In cases of a medical, psychological, or personal emergency then some sort of letter is sometimes required to verify the need for the leave. Usually, when the withdrawal is approved a student is made aware of their financial obligation and the impact the leave will have on their transcript. Did your friend talk to her academic advisor, the financial aid office, and others about her need for a medical leave? It seems like she would have been advised about the situation so she wouldn’t be in shock about still owing funds.
I am in remission for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and have problems with my lungs as a result of intensive radiation to my chest, and so when I was hospitalized for a serious case of pneumonia during the winter quarter I was urged to withdraw for the rest of the term. I didn’t want to withdraw, and fortunately I recovered to the extent that it wasn’t mandatory, but if it had been, I still would have been charged tuition fees. This was quite literally a life-or-death situation at one point because my temperature had reached 108 and I was in intensive care. At my university (Stanford) students who need to take a leave after the start of classes receive a pro rated refund up to the term withdrawal deadline. After the withdrawal deadline, it’s rare for a refund to be given. I believe they do make some exceptions, but as a general rule, you have to pay. In the circumstance of a medical or personal withdrawal they will list on your transcript that you’re on a university-approved leave so it won’t be marred with W’s.
I am sympathetic about your friend’s situation, but I don’t think her college is being cruel or unreasonable with her. Consider things from their perspective. If she hadn’t enrolled in those courses, chances are someone else could have taken her spot and paid for them. Why should they have to lose out on that money when it wasn’t their fault? Almost every college has their policy about withdrawing from the term and the fees owed on their website and in their student handbook, so she should have been able to find out this information for herself before decided to withdraw. Also, though I do realize that therapy can be very necessary, it doesn’t constitute a medical or even a psychological emergency. If she had been hospitalized for mental health reasons that would be another matter. I would encourage her to try to have a calm conversation with her financial aid office and see if they would be willing to work with her. She might want to ask her psychiatrist or therapist to write a letter on her behalf explaining the need for therapy. This probably isn’t going to be of significant help, but it might help a bit.
Best wishes to her. You’re a good friend to be concerned about her and willing to help.
~ skylark : )
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