Registrar Appeal Policy

To receive a refund of tuition, a class must be officially dropped on or before the quarter of the class. The quarter point of a class is found in the student's enrollment deadlines as the "cancel date" and in the class search under section dates as the "last day to drop with refund." If a student experiences extenuating circumstances that prevent them from taking enrollment actions prior to the deadline, refunds may be issued outside the standard refund period by submitting a Registrar Appeal form. Tuition appeals can only be submitted for the current semester and up to three semesters prior and do not cover housing, insurance charges, or other possible fees.

The Registrar Appeal form requires a personal statement explaining the reason for the requested exception, which includes the term and classes for which the appeal is being requested, and any supporting documentation.

Undergraduate students taking 12-18 credit hours are charged a flat tuition rate. If a course is dropped and credit hours remain within the 12-18 range, a refund will not be granted. Changes in a student’s full-time status may have negative impacts on scholarships or aid and should be discussed and reviewed with Student Accounts or the Office of Financial Aid before submitting a Registrar Appeal.

Extenuating circumstances may have more than a financial effect on students. Resources available for students include Counseling & Psychiatric Services (CAPS), who provide Crisis Resources for Students, the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Education and Compliance, and the University Ombudsperson.

Examples of extenuating circumstances that may be considered for a tuition or late enrollment fee appeal include:

Death of a student's family member
  • Certificate of death, obituaries, or funeral program.
  • Relationship to the deceased
Military Deployment
  • Deployment papers if the student's military unit was activated and deployed during the semester.
Non-Attendance and Participation
Students requesting an appeal based on non-attendance or participation will need to attest none of the following actions occurred:
  • Physically or virtually attending class
  • Submitting an assignment
  • Submitting an assessment or exam
  • Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction
  • Posting in a discussion forum related to an academic matter
  • Posting in an online study group as part of a course assignment
  • Contacting an instructor to ask a question about course content or an academic matter (not a personal matter)
The Office of the Registrar will initiate an attendance check with the class instructor and this data will be used to assess attendance/participation.

Physical or Mental Health
  • A statement from a physician or hospital on official letterhead with a signature, including the student's name, dates of treatment, and confirmation of the student's inability to attend.
  • Medical bills, insurance claims, or specific medical information should not be submitted.
  • Students withdrawing from all their classes for medical reasons must follow the Medical Withdrawal Policy.
Late Enrollment Fee
  • An email from the department or MSU staff member to roreview@msu.edu stating the reason why the student could not be enrolled prior to the class start.
Other extenuating circumstances may be considered
  • Must be documented on official letterhead by the source supporting the claim.
  • Official documents substantiating the claim.
  • Special circumstances must include the dates of the occurrence.
The following circumstances are not considered valid for a tuition appeal:
  • Personal errors in judgment involving transportation, availability of finances, academic ability, technology, caregiving, or time management.
  • Misinterpretation or ignorance of university deadlines, policies and/or procedures.
  • Dissatisfaction with instructor, course content, delivery of instruction, or academic progress.
  • Inadequate investigation of course requirements prior to enrollment and attendance.
  • Non-qualification, late application, or loss of eligibility for financial aid or scholarships.
  • Student errors resulting in the delay of administrative processes related to enrollment or disbursement of financial aid funds.
  • Voluntary acceptance of employment or other activity impacting ability to attend classes.
  • Loss of employment
Excerpt from the Academic Programs Catalog