Withdrawal and Refund Policy

Withdrawal Notice

Students must immediately report in writing their intent to withdraw to the Office of the Dean of the College, located in Barn 123. The Dean’s Office will issue an official notification to the Business Office and Financial Aid to calculate changes (if required) to charges for the term and/or per-day financial aid earned.

For students withdrawing during the term, the following date classifications are recorded.

1. Date of Notification | This is date student confirms either verbally or in writing that they are withdrawing

2. Date of Determination | This is the date that the school determines a student is withdrawn.  

3. Official Withdrawal Date | This is the student's last date of class attendance and the date reported for enrollment and funding earned. 

For students who attend classes but withdraw from the College by the deadlines below, an adjustment may be made to charges. If applicable, a portion of aid funds received will be returned to sources according to institutional, federal, and, where applicable, outside guidelines. The official withdrawal date determines how much federal student aid a student has “earned” (by virtue of being enrolled and present) and how much must be returned per the federal “return-of-funds” calculation. 

Certain charges are nonrefundable, including fines (library, parking, maintenance, etc.), meal tickets, the transcript fee, the health service charge, fees for health services provided, enrollment deposits for new matriculants, and interest charges due to late payment.

Tuition, Room, and Board Charges

For all programs, should a student choose to cancel an enrollment before the first day of classes, all tuition, room and board charges will be removed from the student account. Charges begin accruing on the first day of classes within the term. Should a student withdraw (as determined by the Dean’s Office) for any reason after classes have begun, the calculation of tuition, room, and board will be revised for the term based on the following guidelines:

• Undergraduate Program     
  • Once classes have begun, charges are recalculated for withdrawing students on the following scale:
  • Withdrawal during the first 5 days of classes. A student withdrawing for any reason, on or during the first five calendar days of the academic term, will be charged 25% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 11th day of classes. A student withdrawing on the sixth through tenth calendar days of the academic term will be charged 50% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 21st day. A student withdrawing on or during the eleventh through twentieth calendar days of the academic term will be charged 75% of the full term charges;
  • After the 20th calendar day in the academic term. Students will be charged 100% of the scheduled term charges for tuition, room and board.
     
• Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program 
   
  • Withdrawal on or during the first 3 days of classes. A student withdrawing on the first, second, or third day of classes, will be charged 25% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 8th day of classes. A student withdrawing on or during the fourth day through the seventh day of classes will be charged 50% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 15th day of classes. A student withdrawing on or during the eighth day through the fourteenth day of classes will be charged 75% of the full term charges;
  • After the 14th day. Students will be charged 100% of the scheduled term charges.
  • Summer term only. Above rules are applied per-class.
     
• Graduate Programs 
   
  • Withdrawal on or during the first 5 days of classes. A student withdrawing on or during the first through the fifth calendar day of classes will be charged 25% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 11th day of classes. A student withdrawing on or during the sixth day through the tenth day of classes will be charged 50% of the full term charges;
  • Withdrawal before the 15th day. A student withdrawing on or during the eleventh day through the fourteenth day of classes will be charged 75% of the full term charges;
  • After the 14th day. Students will be charged 100% of the full term charges beginning on the fifteenth day of classes.

Other Charges and Fees

• Withdrawal fee: All withdrawals are subject to a $200 withdrawal fee.
• Undergraduate Health Center and activities fee: After the first day of classes, students will be charged 100% of the full term amount.
• Undergraduate enrollment fee: This is a non-refundable $500. fee.
• Postbaccalaureate and graduate deposit: Applied as a credit in the first term.
• Other charges, fees, and fines: There will be no refund of, or credit against, any other charges, fees, or fines incurred by the student.

Refund of Credit

Should a credit balance exist after all charges and financial aid have been finalized on a student account, a refund will be made only to the extent that no other amounts are owed to the College. Amounts owed to the College after application of any adjustment to term charges or loss of financial aid, will continue to be the full responsibility of the student and/or the financially responsible party.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is earned per calendar day of attendance, beginning on the first day of classes, in accordance with federal regulations for Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4).

• Federal aid. Should a student withdraw before 61% of the academic term has been attended, federal aid (i.e. Pell, SEOG, subsidized student loan, unsubsidized student loan, PLUS loan) is subject to a pro-rata calculation to determine the amount of funds that were not earned.
• Returning funds. The College must return funds determined to be “not earned” to the Federal government and the student is responsible for all charges not covered by aid. This return of funds can cause the student to owe more money to the College.
• Earned aid. After attending 61% of the calendar days in an academic term, students earn 100% of their financial aid eligibility, and no return of financial aid funds will be required.
• Financial aid handbooks. Further explanation and specific examples in each program can be found in the financial aid handbooks for undergraduates and graduate programs.
• Programs 
  • Undergraduate Program​​ includes the fall and spring terms. Enrollment of 12 credits or more is considered full-time for financial aid purposes. Enrollment changes to part-time will cause a recalculation of financial aid eligibility and may require a return of federal funds.
  • Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program includes the summer, fall, and spring terms. For financial aid purposes, postbaccalaureate students are enrolled as fifth-year undergraduates and are eligible to apply for federal financial aid in the fall and spring terms. The summer term is not eligible for federal funding, but alternative/private loans can be utilized.
  • Graduate Programs - The MFA in Writing Program is a low-residency program in the winter and summer terms. Graduate students are eligible to apply for federal financial aid; generally in the form of unsubsidized student loan. The capstone/graduation portion of the grad programs is not eligible for financial aid.

Off-Campus and Meal-Plan Exemptions

Undergraduate Program. The following policy for undergraduate off-campus and meal-plan exemptions is in effect for all approvals, regardless of the reason for the request. All undergraduate students receiving assistance from Brockway Scholarship, Bennington Grant and/or Presidential Scholarships could be affected. 

Bennington's financial aid is awarded with the expectation that students will live on campus and be on the full meal plan. 76% of financial aid that is awarded to a student is applied to tuition, 13% to on-campus housing, and 11% to a full meal plan. Should you choose to move off-campus or to one of the non-standard on campus housing options, or change your meal plan,there may be a change to your charges and your financial aid. This means that the following reductions will apply:

• 13% reduction of institutional funding sources for approval of off-campus housing;
• 11% reduction of institutional funding sources if exempted from the College meal plan

Students are eligible to apply for financial aid for off-campus housing and off-campus meal expenses through student/parent loans or other outside sources.

• Thinking of moving to Welling Townhouse?
• Thinking of moving to Paran Creek?

Postbaccalaureate and Graduate Programs. The off-campus and meal-plan exemptions do not apply to postbaccalaureate or graduate programs.

Schedule of Earned Charges

Below is a chart representing the daily schedule of earned tuition, fees, room, and board charges per day within an academic term.

Undergraduate Program

• Before classes begin = 0%
• 1st day of classes = 25%
• 2nd day after classes began = 25%
• 3rd day after classes began = 25%
• 4th day after classes began = 25%
• 5th day after classes began = 25%
• 6th day after classes began = 50%
• 7th day after classes began = 50%
• 8th day after classes began = 50%
• 9th day after classes began = 50%
• 10th day after classes began = 50%
• 11th day after classes began = 75%
• 12th day after classes began = 75%
• 13th day after classes began = 75%
• 14th day after classes began = 75%
• 15th day after classes began = 75%
• 16th day after classes began = 75%
• 17th day after classes began = 75%
• 18th day after classes began = 75%
• 19th day after classes began = 75%
• 20th day after classes began = 75%
• 21st day (or more) = 100%

Postbaccalaurete Premedical Program

• Before classes begin = 0%
• 1st day of classes = 25%
• 2nd day after classes began = 25%
• 3rd day after classes began = 25%
• 4th day after classes began = 50%
• 5th day after classes began = 50%
• 6th day after classes began = 50%
• 7th day after classes began = 50%
• 8th day after classes began = 75%
• 9th day after classes began = 75%
• 10th day after classes began = 75%
• 11th day after classes began = 75%
• 12th day after classes began = 75%
• 13th day after classes began = 75%
• 14th day after classes began = 75%
• 15th day after classes began = 100%
• 16th day after classes began = 100%
• 17th day after classes began = 100%
• 18th day after classes began = 100%
• 19th day after classes began = 100%
• 20th day after classes began = 100%
• 21st day (or more) = 100%

Graduate Programs

• Before classes begin = 0%
• 1st day of classes = 25%
• 2nd day after classes began = 25%
• 3rd day after classes began = 25%
• 4th day after classes began = 25%
• 5th day after classes began = 25%
• 6th day after classes began = 50%
• 7th day after classes began = 50%
• 8th day after classes began = 50%
• 9th day after classes began = 50%
• 10th day after classes began = 50%
• 11th day after classes began = 75%
• 12th day after classes began = 75%
• 13th day after classes began = 75%
• 14th day after classes began = 75%
• 15th day after classes began = 100%
• 16th day after classes began = 100%
• 17th day after classes began = 100%
• 18th day after classes began = 100%
• 19th day after classes began = 100%
• 20th day after classes began = 100%
• 21st day (or more) = 100%