Refund Information

This is an archived copy of the 2019-2020 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit catalog.shsu.edu.

Tuition and Fees Refund Policy

A student enrolled at Sam Houston State University may receive a refund of tuition and fees as a result of dropping courses or resigning from the University as indicated in the following schedules.

Refunds and credits from one department will be applied to any other outstanding balances in other departments. Any remaining refund will be sent to Bank Mobile and credited to the Bearkat OneCard or other selected refund preference. The University may refund tuition and fees paid by a sponsor, donor or scholarship to the source rather than directly to the student who has withdrawn if the funds were made available to the University.

Refund policies were established by Senate Bill No. 604 of the 65th Legislature and adopted by the Board of Regents, Texas State University System, in August of 1977 and by the applicable federal regulations dealing with first semester financial aid students.

Dropping Courses

A student who submits a request to drop one or more courses in any given term or summer session but remains enrolled in at least one course may be eligible for refunds. The refund schedule for dropping courses follows.

Fall and Spring Terms

Date Refund %
First 12 class days 100%
After 12th class day None

Summer Sessions

Date Refund %
First 4 class days 100%
After 4th class day None

NOTE: Class days are university class days, not the number of days an individual class meets. Class days are to be counted from the first class meeting of on-campus daytime courses as indicated in the Academic Calendar.

Resignations/Withdrawals

A student who officially withdraws from all courses at Sam Houston State University within a term may be eligible for a refund of tuition and the specified fees, based upon the courses in which the student is enrolled on the official date of withdrawal. Refunds are made in accordance with the following schedules.

State Statutory Refund Schedule of Tuition and Fees

Refund Schedule For Terms Greater Than 10 Weeks

Date Refund
Before the 1st class day 100% (Less $15 Matriculation Fee)
1st class day through 5th class day 80%
6th class day through 10th class day 70%
11th class day through 15th class day 50%
16th class day through 20th class day 25%
Thereafter No refund

Refund Schedule For Terms Less Than 10 Weeks But Greater Than 5 Weeks

Date Refund
Before the 1st class day 100% (Less $15 Matriculation Fee)
1st class day through 3rd class day 80%
4th class day through 6th class day 50%
Thereafter No refund

Refund Schedule For Terms Up To 5 Weeks

Date Refund
Before the 1st class day 100% (Less $15 Matriculation Fee)
1st class day 80%
2nd class day 50%
3rd class day and thereafter No refund

NOTE: Class days are University class days, not the number of days an individual class meets. Class days are to be counted from the first class meeting of on-campus daytime courses as indicated in the Academic Calendar.

The above refund schedules assume all fees have been paid in full. A different schedule applies to the installment payment plan participants, the primary difference in the schedule being the requirement for the University to compute the refund based on the assumption that the full amount of tuition and fees has been collected. Therefore, it is possible and probable, that a student in the installment plan could owe more in tuition and fees than already collected by the University. These extra amounts, if any, would be due and payable before the student would be allowed to resign from the University.

Students who receive Title IV aid and resign on or before completing 60% of the semester will be required to repay the percentage of unearned financial aid according to the federal “Return to Title IV Aid” formula derived from the 1998 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Repayments are to be returned to lenders and/or program accounts in the following statutorily specified order provided the student has received funds through the program:

  1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  3. Federal Perkins Loans
  4. Federal PLUS Loans
  5. Other federal, state, private or institutional sources of aid
  6. The student

More details regarding the “Return to Title IV Aid” policy may be obtained through the Financial Aid website or from the Financial Aid Office.

Tuition Rebates for Certain Undergraduate Students

A tuition rebate program was created by Senate Bill 1907, 75th Texas Legislature, and is authorized by Section 54.0065 of the Texas Education Code.

The purpose of this program is to provide tuition rebates that will provide a financial incentive for students to prepare for university studies while completing their high school work, avail themselves of academic counseling, make early career decisions, and complete their baccalaureate studies with as few extraneous courses as possible. Minimizing the number of courses taken by students results in financial savings to students, parents, and the state.

Students are required to apply for the rebate prior to receiving their baccalaureate degrees. Applications are available online through the Registrar’s homepage.  For further details regarding eligibility, please visit the Office of the Registrar