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Financial Aid Refund and Scholarship Return Policy
Withdrawal Process
If a student chooses to individually withdraw from any education abroad program after committing to participate, the student must communicate with the education abroad team about their change in plans in writing through a withdrawal request form. Verbal notification of withdrawal plans will not be accepted. The process differs slightly depending on whether the student is withdrawing from a faculty-led program or a semester/year/summer program. Please see the details below. Withdrawals are effective the same day that the OIP receives official documentation through the withdrawal request form.
Students failing to officially withdraw from the program by submitting the form will be considered enrolled in the program and will continue to be responsible for all program fees. Refunds will be determined based on the policy for the specific program type; more information on the refund policy is outlined below.
Students who want to withdraw from their faculty-led program
Students must email both the faculty leader of the program and fleap@appstate.edu about their choice to withdraw. Students will then complete the Faculty-Led Education Abroad Withdrawal Request. The date of withdrawal is determined by the date that the student completes the form. A faculty-led program coordinator will respond to students to confirm receipt of request and to share any additional relevant information.
Students who want to withdraw from their semester/year/summer program
Students will log into their Via portal and go into the program details page. On the left side of the screen there will be a button with the words “withdraw” or “request to withdraw” (this wording differs according to the status of the application. Students will then complete the Education Abroad Withdrawal Request Form.
The Education Abroad team will respond to students to confirm receipt of request and to share any additional relevant information.
Refund Policy for Withdrawals
There is no guarantee of a refund as a result of withdrawing from education abroad. The education abroad administrative fee and the faculty-led program deposit is non-refundable regardless of the official date of the student's withdrawal.
The refund policy is dependent upon the program type. It is the student’s responsibility to correctly identify the program type applicable to their situation. Types of programs include: Faculty-led programs, Exchange programs, and Affiliate programs. Please see details outlined below.
Faculty-led Education Abroad Programs
This category includes any of the short-term faculty-led programs during fall, winter, spring, or summer terms.
The $300 OIP fee is non-refundable, as are any non-recoverable costs already expensed on behalf of the student.
If the student withdrawal does not affect the viability of the program and the withdrawal occurs prior to the spending of any program fees, then the student will be refunded all charges except for the OIP fee.
If the student withdrawal does not affect the viability of the program but spending has started on the program, then the student will be refunded for fees not yet spent OR allocated at the time of withdrawal.
If a student withdraws after the official start date of the program, the student will be responsible for paying the program costs as well as 100% of the tuition charges.
Things to keep in mind:
- Failure to abide by the schedule of payments (making late payments or no payments) does not constitute an official cancellation on the student's part.
- Any refunded fees will not be deposited until after the program has returned and all program expenses have been calculated and resolved so an accurate refund can be determined, which can take several weeks after the program has returned.
Semester Exchange
If the student cancels their participation in the program due to their withdrawal from the University or any other reason(s), after submission of their initial deposit but before the start of the program , the student's education abroad administrative fee is non-refundable. Any additional expenses paid out by the student (i.e., housing, flights, passports, visas, etc.) are the responsibility of the student and are not subject to refund by the university.
Affiliate Programs
Students should review all affiliate withdrawal policies before committing to the program. If the student cancels their participation in the program due to their withdrawal from the University or any other reason(s), after submission of the student's initial deposit but before the start date of the program, the student will be subject to the Appalachian withdrawal policies as well as the affiliate program policies. The education abroad administrative fee is non-refundable regardless of the official date of the student's cancellation. Any additional expenses paid out by the student (i.e., flights, passports, visas, etc.) are the responsibility of the student and are not subject to refund by the university.
Withdrawal Fee Appeal Process
Any student can choose to appeal the education abroad administrative fee or faculty-led deposit fee if they feel their withdrawal from a program is due to one of the following criteria: active military duty, life-threatening family illness or death, medical emergency, or unanticipated change in financial situation. Students who wish to appeal the withdrawal fees can email studyabroad@appstate.edu and request the Education Abroad Withdrawal Fee Appeal Request form.
Appeals are unlikely to be successful if the withdrawal is due to: a change in academic plans, not understanding the financial obligations of a program, not receiving a scholarship or aid amount expected, selection for another opportunity (different program, job, internship, etc.), issues related to securing necessary visas, anxiety related to travel or larger global concerns, or other reasons that do not meet the above criteria.
The Education Abroad team meets regularly and will review appeal submissions on a rolling basis. All committee decisions are final and will be made within 30 days of submission, when possible.
Withdrawal After Program Start Date
Students who leave a program after the official start date for any reason will not receive a refund of fees paid or expenses incurred. Withdrawal after the program start date may also result in a reduction or return of Financial Aid.
Program Cancellation
All Appalachian State programs are subject to modification or cancellation due to natural disaster, political instability, insufficient participation or other causes. In the event of a program cancellation it may not be possible to refund any fees or expenses that have already been paid out. Any additional expenses paid out by the student (i.e., flights, passports, visas, etc.) are the responsibility of the student and are not subject to refund by the university.
Cancellation Insurance
If the student withdraws from the program, the cancellation policy above will apply and the student will be responsible for the amount owed regardless of the student's financial aid eligibility. Because a withdrawal for any reason may put the student at risk of financial loss, the student may wish to consider purchasing trip cancellation insurance. There are several companies out there with multiple packages. We strongly advise the student to read the policy carefully to see exactly what circumstances are covered before purchasing.