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Refund Process & Policy

Refund Process

Refunds are permitted only in the event of a credit on your student account. Refunds will not be made based on the anticipation of receiving loans, scholarships or other payments or credits. To assist in the refund process, we request that you complete a Refund Request Form for each refund being requested. If the student wishes to have the refund go to someone other than themselves, please provide this information on the Refund Request Form to inform the Student Accounts Office who the refund/payment should be made. Also, please indicate if you would like the refund to be picked-up in person, have check mailed or if funds are to be direct deposited into your bank account (If you are choosing direct deposit, please complete the direct deposit information in myCap).

For credit balances that are created solely from Title IV Funds, (Federal Aid, ie: Federal Direct Loans, Federal Plus Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant) automatic refunds will be issued every two weeks to fulfill federal requirements. Please Note: If you wish to return any portion of your Federal Loans, you must notify us in writing immediately so we can make the necessary adjustments prior to issuing your refund. If you request a loan reduction after you receive your refund, the process will be completed only after you have returned to Capital the money that is to be sent back to your lender.

Students who withdraw from all courses or from the university during a term should understand that reimbursements are made to aid programs first and the student last. Withdrawals at any time may affect loan repayment and eligibility options and students should always check with the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing. Since Capital University is required by the Department of Education to complete a prescribed federal refund calculation for students who receive federal title IV financial assistance, you could end up with a balance with the university.

Students who are eligible for a refund should complete a refund request form (PDF). This form is also available in the Student Accounts Office. 

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

When students register for courses or requests an assignment in our residence halls, students are accepting responsibility for charges unless they withdraw in accordance to university policies. The following are Capital University’s refund policies: exceptions to these rules are made only under conditions determined by the University.

Notice of Withdrawal

In order to be eligible for a refund upon withdrawal and/or the dropping of a course, a student must notify the University Registrar’s Office in writing of his/her intentions or should complete the course drop online via myCap. Tuition refunds are calculated as of the date of withdrawal or last class attended as verified by the instructor of the course being dropped.

Tuition, Room and Meal Policy

Students who withdrawal from the University or drop individual courses within the first six weeks of the semester are held responsible for tuition and fees based on the student’s official withdrawal and/or drop date as determined by the Registrar’s Office. University housing and board plans will be refunded on a pro-rated basis as determined by the Office of Residence Life and Housing. The official check-out date will determine the pro-rated refund for all housing related charges. Should a student withdraw or drop coursework after the sixth week of the semester, no tuition is refunded. University housing and board plans will continue to be refunded on a weekly pro-rated basis based on your official check out date. Course fees will only be refunded if they are dropped during the two week add/drop period. The same policy applies to emergency leaves.

Standard Academic Year Refunds

For standard courses, (14 to 16 weeks in length) the refund policy is:

  • Withdrawal through the 2nd week of the semester 100%
  • Withdrawal through the 4th week of the semester 75%
  • Withdrawal through the 6th week of the semester 50%
  • Withdrawal after the 6th week of the semester 0%

As stated above, the deadline to receive any refund(s) for a course fee (i.e. Private/Group Lessons, Nursing Clinical Fees, Professional Ed Fees …) will be the second week of the semester. No course fees will be refunded after this date.

Medical withdrawals will follow the university’s approved withdrawal policy. Medical appeals will be handled on a case by case basis

The effective date of withdrawal and or drop is determined by the last date attended as verified by the instructor.

Any unpaid charges owed by the student will be deducted from the calculated refund.

Non-standard Refunds

Traditional Undergraduate Summer Sessions

Refunds are based on 10 weeks of class.

In the summer sessions, enrollment dropped on the days listed below will warrant the corresponding refund:

  • Withdrawal through the 2nd week of the semester: 100%
  • Withdrawal through the 4th week of the semester: 75%
  • Withdrawal through the 6th week of the semester: 50%
  • Withdrawal after the 6th week of the semester: 0%

Modified Summer Sessions

Capital University also offers courses that are listed as Mods (courses generally 6-8 weeks in length) and Mod OTH (courses that are 3-5 weeks in length). The Mod OTH courses are often short term courses that are only offered in the summer. An example of this type of course would be in the Summer Science Institute. These refund policies are listed below

Modified (Mods) – Courses 6-8 weeks in length
  • Through 1st week of the course: 100%
  • Through 2nd week of the course: 75%
  • Through 3rd week of the course: 50%
  • After 3rd week of the course: 0%

The deadline for course fees to be refunded is the end of the first week. No refunds for course fees will be issued after this date.

Modified Other – Course that are 3-5 weeks in length
  • Through 2nd day of the course: 100%
  • Through 4th day of the course: 75%
  • Through 6th day of the course: 50%
  • After 6th day of the course: 0%

The deadline for course fees to be refunded is the end of the 2nd day of course. No refunds for course fees will be issued after this date.

Summer Science Institute

In the Summer Science Institute, sessions I and II, the tuition refund available is calculated by calendar days.

  • Days 1 and 2: 100%
  • Days 3 and 4: 75%
  • Days 5-8: 50%

After 8th calendar day 0%

Room and Board Refunds

Students who withdraw from the University during the semester must move out of university housing within 48 hours following the exit interview. The effective move out date will be determined by the Director of Residence Life and Housing and generally coincides with the date items are removed from the residence halls and when keys are returned. Exceptions must be approved by the Director of Residence Life and Housing. Upon checking out, students must turn in the appropriate paperwork along with the key.

For students withdrawing on a voluntary basis, housing and board refunds are granted on a pro-rated basis and generally coincide with the date items are removed from the residence hall and when keys are returned. Resident students who withdrawal, take a leave of absence or choose not to attend school without fulfilling their signed housing agreement will be charged a housing cancellation fee of $300.

Financial Aid - Title IV Refund Calculation

Students who withdraw prior to the first day of classes will have all of their financial aid (University, Federal and State) returned to the program administrators.

Students who withdraw during the first six weeks of the semester will have a portion of their financial aid returned to the appropriate agencies. Capital and State aid is returned at the same percentage rate as the tuition is refunded; for example, if a student receives a 75% refund of tuition, 75% of institutional aid will be returned to the institutional funds and State of Ohio funds will be returned to the Ohio Board of Regents.

Federal financial aid, including parent loans, student loans, grant aid, and Department of Defense (DOD) Tuition Assistance Funds is earned on a per diem basis. For example, if there are 100 days (including weekends) in a semester, each day attended allows the student to keep 1% of the federal aid programs total for that semester. A student who stayed 30 days would be able to keep 30% (30 days/100days) of his or her federal aid and 70% (the remainder) would be returned to the federal program administrators.

Federal financial aid that is to be returned as determined by the Return to Title IV Refund Calculation is credited in the following order: Unsubsidized Direct Loan, Subsidized Direct Loan, Perkins Loan, PLUS loan, Pell Grant and FSEOG. For example, if a student receives $1000 in loans and $500 in grants and we are required to return $900, the full $900 is credited towards the loan; therefore the student would withdraw with a $100 loan and a $500 grant. When funds are owed back to the US Department of Education, this process will be completed by the Financial Aid Office within 45 days of learning about a student’s withdrawal.

In some cases, the federal Return to Title IV Refund Calculation will result in the withdrawing student being eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement if, prior to withdrawing, the student earned more federal financial aid than was disbursed. In these cases, Capital will disburse these funds to the student’s account within 14 days to cover any remaining charges or to be refunded to the student, as appropriate. If the disbursement is as a result of additional loan eligibility, the Financial Aid Office will first ask for the student’s permission to process the additional loan.

For students who withdraw after the first six weeks of the semester but before 60% of the semester is over, no Capital or State aid is returned.

  • Federal financial aid, including DOD Tuition Assistance Funds, will still be returned on a per diem basis as the example above reflects.
  • It is possible for a student to withdraw and owe more money to the University than if they were to finish the semester

For students who withdraw after completing 60% of the semester, no Capital, State or Federal financial aid is returned upon withdrawal. 

A Federal Return of Title IV Refund Calculation will be done within 30 days of notification that the student has withdrawn. Official withdrawal is when a student provides notification of intent to stop attending the University. Unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student does not notify Capital University but stops attending their courses. As an attendance-taking institution, regardless of the type of withdrawal, the official withdrawal date will be determined by the last date of attendance as specified by the faculty and verified by the Student Affairs Office and communicated to all University departments involved.

Students must usually begin repaying back student loans within six months after the official withdrawal date. Should you have any questions about the financial aid adjustments, please contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing.

For questions concerning the Title IV refund calculation, please contact the Financial Aid or Student Accounts offices at 614-236-6511.

If you have questions about the DOD Tuition Assistance refund calculation, please email Jeff Cisco or call 614-236-6631.