Refund Information

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://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 your selected refund preference with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. 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tuition and fees paid by a sponsor, donor or scholarship to the source rather than directly to the student who has withdrawn if the funds were made available to the University.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 drops one or more courses for any given term, but remains enrolled in at least one course for the remainder of the semester as a student at this University, may be eligible for refunds. There is a 100% refund (does not apply to students dropping to "0" hours) for dropping courses for the first 12 class days for Fall / Spring terms. Drops must be processed by 11:59 p.m. on the day of the deadline to receive a refund if courses have been paid in full. You cannot drop your only class. You must resign if you are dropping your only course for the term.

Students may drop courses online without the grade of "F" until the deadline. See Add, Drop and Resignation Deadlines.

Osteopathic Medical Students:

Students associated with the College of Osteopathic Medicine will be registered in course blocks required for promotion to the next semester. Osteopathic medical students are not permitted to drop individual courses that are a part of these blocks.

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

Deadlines and dates may be found on the Add, Drop, and Resignation Deadlines webpage.

A resignation is a withdrawal from all courses and becomes effective on the date it is received by the Registrar's Office. This is the date that is used for determining any refund. The student is responsible for clearing all debts owed to the university before any potential refund is issued.

Students who fail to officially resign from the university will receive a grade of "F" for each course in which they are enrolled. If you are enrolled in only one class you must resign. To learn more about the University's policy on student resignations, view the Student Resignation Policy.

If you are a financial aid student and resign, you may be responsible for the repayment of certain types of financial aid received during the term. For more information, view the Return of Title IV Funds Policy. Also, review the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to better understand how this could impact your future aid eligibility.

NOTE: 

  • A resignation will withdraw a student from all registered courses in the entire term. A student cannot resign from a part of term if a grade has been earned in another part of term. Ex. If a student completes Summer I and is registered for Summer II, they will not be permitted to resign from Summer II.
  • If this is your first-semester attending SHSU and you are resigning prior to the Census Day (12th Class day for Fall or Spring/4th Class day for Summer I & II), a new admissions application and non-refundable application fee through ApplyTexas.org are required. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Admissions at 936-294-1828 or email Admissions
  • If a year or more has passed from the term of resignation a new admissions application will be required. If you have any questions, please, contact the Office of Admissions at 936-294-1828 or email Admissions.

A student who is considering resigning from their current semester should visit the Resignation Information page.

Tuition and Fees Refund Schedule

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 installment payment plan participants, the primary difference in the schedule being the requirement for the University to compute the refund based on the assumption the full amount of tuition and fees has been collected.  Therefore, it is possible and probable, that a student enrolled in an installment payment plan could owe more in tuition and fees than already collected by 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. Students who receive Title IV aid should contact the Financial Aid Office for specifics.

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 by visiting the Financial Aid Office located on the 2nd floor of the Estill Building.