Appealing Tuition and Mandatory Student Fee Charges

• Students are responsible for complying with all University dates and deadlines as well as drop and/or withdrawal procedures. Exceptions to these policies are granted only if extenuating circumstances existed which cause the student to be unable to meet the policy requirements.
• Errors in judgement regarding personal schedules, academic ability, or finances are not cause for appeal.
• Changes in financial aid are not cause for appeal.
• Appeals will not be granted in instances of academic misconduct.
• Non-attendance does not alleviate a student of their financial responsibility.
• Medical and/or mental health emergencies are cause for appeal; however, pre-existing conditions are not eligible.
• Supporting documentation will be required on virtually all appeals. Documentation must clearly support the issue, be easily understood, and include applicable dates.
• Classes in which the student is still enrolled or that have been assigned a grade are not eligible for appeal.

Students are responsible for complying with NDSU's Dates and Deadlines.

NDSU follows the North Dakota University System's policies and procedures for refunding dropped classes or withdrawal from a term. For further information, please see Effects of Dropping or Withdrawing.

If there are extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control, an appeal process is available to request an exception to the Tuition & Fee Refund policy. Examples of why an appeal may be denied include:

• The appeal is not received by NDSU within 60 days of the end of the semester in which the charges were incurred.
• Failure to follow proper withdrawal procedures as outlined on the One Stop website.
• Lack of knowledge of applicable dates and deadlines.
• Changes in work schedule or employment.
• Failure to verify class schedule changes.
• Non-attendance of classes.
• Personal errors in judgement regarding the availability of finances to pay associated charges.
• Personal errors in judgement regarding class workload and academic ability.
• Personal errors in judgement regarding time management.
• Personal errors in judgement regarding availability of transportation to and from classes.
• Dissatisfaction with course content or method of instruction. If appealing for this reason, please contact the NDSU Provost Office.
• Inadequate investigation of course requirements prior to registration/attendance.
• Non-qualification, late application, or loss of eligibility for financial aid or scholarships.
• Non-receipt of information/notices sent to student's NDSU e-mail.
• Student errors resulting in the delay of administrative processing relative to registration or the delivery of financial aid funds.
• Not benefitting from course credits in regard to degree requirements or changes in major.
• Not benefitting from a fee (e.g., wishing to appeal the student fees because of not using the Wellness Center).
• Failure to verify self-enrollment in Distance & Continuing Education, online, or self-support courses, resulting in additional tuition charges.
• Lack of documentation to support the appeal request.
• Grades are posted to the student’s academic transcript. In this scenario, the student must successfully Appeal for a Retroactive Withdrawal (PDF) before a tuition/fee appeal may be considered.

• Appeal requests for medical or health conditions must be supported by adequate documentation that proves the condition was debilitating (i.e., hospitalization and/or catastrophic event) and of a duration that would render completion of the class, even with instructor accommodations, unmanageable.
  • The diagnosis must have occurred within the semester in question and the timing of this diagnosis subsequently prevented the student from withdrawing in a timing manner.
• Appropriate documentation may include a written statement from health care professionals or a representative of the service provider.
  • Providing documentation does not guarantee appeal request will be approved.
• Appeals for medical conditions are not automatically granted.
• Students are not eligible to appeal multiple terms based on the same medical condition.