Academic Catalog :: Requirements & Policies - General

Springfield College in Illinois is a non-profit corporation. The annual income from a student’s fees covers only a portion of the cost of his or her education. Therefore, to meet its educational objective, and in fairness to all students, the College must insist on the following regulation: Payments or financial arrangements must be made prior to the first day of each term, session or module.

Tuition

Upon registration, students are considered financially responsible for all tuition and fees. A Summarized Student Statement is generated the 15th of each month. This statement reflects only that activity which has taken place on the student account in the last billing cycle.

Payment Options

1. Payment in Full —Springfield College in Illinois accepts cash, personal checks, money orders, Visa, MasterCard and Discover.

2. Traditional Student Installment Plan — the installment plan requires a 25% down payment by the first day of the term. Three additional payments of 25% are due each month thereafter. A Payment Plan Form must be filed with the Student Accounts Office. If financial aid will be paying a portion of the balance, arrangements to pay the remainder must be made in the same manner.

3. Adult Accelerated Programs Installment Plan — this installment plan allows the total balance to be paid in two (2) payments; the first payment is due on the first day of the session and the second payment is due on the Monday of the fifth week. A Payment Plan Form must be filed with the Students Account Office each academic period. If financial aid will be paying a portion of the balance, arrangements to pay the remainder must be made in the same manner.

4. Employer Tuition Payment Plan — if the student’s employer sponsors a tuition reimbursement program, the employer’s portion of the payment is deferred for thirty (30) days after the end of the academic period. The remaining balance must be paid in full or other payment arrangements made, before the start of the academic period. A signed employer reimbursement form with employer contact information listed needs to be filled out with the student accounts office to be eligible for employer reimbursement.

5. International Students must remit full payment of tuition, fees and housing before an I-20 will be certified. Failure to make payment arrangements before the second week of the term will result in a $100 late fee. For questions regarding billing, please call the Student Accounts Office at (217) 525-1420, Ext. 236.

Delinquency and Default
Students who become delinquent on payments may be withdrawn from all courses during the academic period. In addition, students who owe a debt to the College will not be allowed to register for additional courses, receive grades, transcripts, diplomas or checks of credit for book returns. Debts that become past due will be assessed a $100 fee. Debts that become 90 days past due are in default and remitted to a collection agency.

In the event of default in any amount due, and if the account is placed in the hands of an agency or attorney for collection or legal action, the student agrees to pay an additional charge equal to the cost of collection including agency and attorney fees and court costs.

Credit Balances
Credit balances that result from financial aid funds are processed after the student’s attendance is confirmed, the financial aid funds are received, and all institutional charges are satisfied. The Student Accounts Office will issue a check for the excess funds to the student. If the student receives a credit balance check and subsequently ceases class attendance, they will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy and must return and/or repay any unearned portions of financial aid that they received toward their educational expenses.

Student Withdrawal and Tuition Refunds
Students are considered financially responsible for all institutional charges. It is also the responsibility of students to officially withdraw by completion of the appropriate form, with approvals, and returning the completed form to the Registrar’s Office, located in Dawson Hall. Failure to attend class does not constitute official withdrawal and does not remove financial or academic responsibility nor qualify students for refunds. Students must follow the official withdrawal procedure to be eligible for a tuition refund.

Students may adjust their schedule, up to the last day to add a course, and receive a 100% refund on the courses that are dropped from their schedule. Refunds will not be made for dropped courses after that date, unless it is a complete withdrawal.

Students receiving financial aid are subject to the Title IV Return of Funds Policy, and may owe the College for unearned portions of federal aid due to their withdrawal. Therefore, written notification of withdrawal must be given to the Director of Financial Aid and the Registrar.

Institutional Refund Policies
A 100% refund will be made to all students who officially withdraw completely before the first day of the term or instruction period. Fees, deposits and housing charges are not refundable. Refunds will not be made for dropped courses after that date, unless it is a complete withdrawal.

Tuition for complete withdrawal in a traditional student program may be refunded according to the following schedule.

	Charges	Refund
Up till first day of term	0%	100%
1st full week of the term	10%	90%
2nd full week of the term	25%	75%
3rd full week of the term	50%	50%
4th full week of the term	75%	25%

The Friday after the first official day of the semester constitutes the end of the first week.

Tuition in the Adult Accelerated Programs may be refunded according to the following schedule:

	Charges	Refund
First week of session	0%	100%
Second week of session	75%	25%

Summer and Winter Term Tuition – One day is the equivalent of one week in the refund schedule.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy
Financial aid recipients who withdraw before completing at least 60 percent of the semester will be subject to the Return of Title IV Funds Policy prescribed by the United States Department of Education according to the Higher Education Amendments of 1998.

The number of calendar days attended is divided by the total number of calendar days in the semester, excluding breaks of five days or more. The official withdrawal date is used for the calculation. In the case of unofficial withdrawals, the mid-point of the semester is used as the withdrawal date, unless a later date can be documented. Returns are made through 60 percent of the semester.

The portion of unearned financial aid is returned to the appropriate federal programs as follows:

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan
Federal Perkins Loan (not available at SCI)
Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
Federal Pell Grant
Academic Competitiveness Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Other Title IV Aid Programs

The student will be responsible for any balance due as a result of the required return of funds. This may occur after a student has received credit balance funds, and later withdraws, officially or unofficially. Examples of the Return of Title IV Funds Policy calculation are available in the Financial Aid Office.