Joint Policies

Student expenses at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University are governed by a number of common policies. Other policies are specific to each college. Please consult both the joint policies below and those pertaining to either Saint Benedict's or Saint John's.

Joint Policies

Tuition

Tuition for full-time students (those carrying at least 12 credits) is an annual fee charged one-half for fall semester and one-half for spring semester. Special rates apply to students with a class load of fewer than 12 credits or more than 18 credits. Tuition applies to all courses whether taken for credit, audit or no credit.

Advance Payment from First-year Students and Transfers

Accepted applicants to Saint Benedict's and Saint John's will receive notice of an advance payment, that should be submitted upon the acceptance of the offer of admission. This advance payment deposit will be credited to the students' tuition account with the first-semester charges.

General

All charges assessed by the colleges (tuition, fees, room and board) are due and payable before completion of registration. The initial payment covering a semester of the college year is due no later than the beginning of that semester; the final payment is due no later than the end of that semester. Remittances are made payable to the college in which the student is enrolled and sent to the Student Accounts Office.

The colleges reserve the right to withhold statements of honorable dismissal, transcripts or records or diplomas until all college bills have been paid or until satisfactory arrangements have been made with the Student Accounts Office. Registration may be blocked or cancelled by the Student Accounts Office for failure to pay fees. Amounts owed from the previous semester must be paid before starting each new semester.

Tuition, fees and other charges are good-faith projections for the academic year. They are, however, subject to change from one academic semester to the next as deemed necessary by the colleges in order to meet their financial commitments and to fulfill their roles and missions.

There are other fees and charges which are attendant upon a student's matriculation or course enrollment at Saint Benedict's or Saint John's. These fees or charges may be determined by contacting the college or university offices which administer the programs or activities in which the student intends to enroll or engage.

Refunds

Refunds of tuition, fees, room and board are made for students who withdraw by formal application through the appropriate campus office according to the following schedule:

Students withdrawing before the first day of classes will be granted 100 percent credit.

90% through the 5th day of classes
80% from the 6th through 10th day of classes
70% from the 11th through 15th day of classes
60% from the 16th through 20th day of classes
50% from the 21st through 25th day of classes
40% from the 26th through 30th day of classes

The charges for tuition, fees, room, and board will be reduced based on the percentages listed above.

If a student withdraws after the sixth week of classes, there is no refund on tuition and room; however, refunds on food may be pro-rated based on the time remaining in the food contract. The date used to calculate the refund will be: the date of withdrawal in the case of a student who withdraws officially; the drop-out date which can be documented in the case of a student who withdraws unofficially.

In case of absence from the colleges, refund of food contract charges is possible for students who are absent for a period of 30 days or more. Students are not eligible for room rental refunds if they are absent or move off campus during the semester.

In cases of prolonged illness which necessitates withdrawal for the remainder of the semester as determined by the colleges, refunds or credits are made in tuition and room from the end of 14 calendar days following the beginning of illness, according to medical records. No tuition is refunded or credited on courses completed.

There is no refund on extra credits or special course fee charges after the last day on which students can withdraw from classes without receiving a W.

Students who are recipients of federal or state financial assistance should be aware that a portion of grants and loans will be returned to the federal or state governments should the student withdraw before 60% of the semester has ended. In addition, grants or scholarships awarded by the institutions may be reduced should a student withdraw before completing the semester.

Return of Financial Aid Funds for Students Who Withdraw

If a student withdraws from school before completing 60% of a semester, the College or University may be required to return some or all of the federal or state financial aid awarded to the student. In general, Federal and State regulations assume that a student "earns" Federal financial aid and state aid in proportion to the number of days of the term the student attended. When a student withdraws before completing 60% of the term, the school must calculate according to a specific formula the portion of the total financial aid the student has earned and is therefore entitled to receive up to the time of the withdrawal. (A sample calculation is available on the financial aid website at http://www.csbsju.edu/financialaid.) Because the financial aid may be reduced when a student withdraws, financial aid may not be sufficient to cover the balance of tuition, fees, room and board charged to the student. Students who are considering withdrawing or who have withdrawn are encouraged to contact the Financial Aid Office and Student Accounts Office for details on how their financial aid is affected and their final balance due based on withdrawal from school.

Refunds for Enrolled Students Called to Military Duty

If a student is called up for active military duty, and withdraws from all classes, the refund is as follows:

Refund of 100% of tuition and fees
Pro-rated refund of housing and food contract

If a student is called up for active military duty, and elects to work with faculty member(s) to take an incomplete grade in one or more classes, the refund will be as follows:

Refund of 100% of tuition and fees for classes in which no credit is received
Pro-rated refund of housing and food contract

Students are encouraged to communicate with the Student Accounts Office, the Academic Advising Office, the Financial Aid Office and appropriate faculty members as soon as possible upon receipt of the government notice.