Cancellation & Tuition Refund

Cancellation & Tuition Refund Policy

Cancellation of Enrollment Agreement

WUST is required to comply with both SCHEV and ACCSC standards on Cancellation and Refund policy.

Ref 1: SCHEV Standards 8VAC40-31-160 N (1-12)

Ref 2: ACCSC Substantive Standards Section I (D)(2)(a-c), (3)(a-e), Standards of Accreditation

In instances where state or third-party requirements and accrediting requirements conflict, the more stringent requirement shall apply.

A Student’s Right to Cancel

Ref 1: SCHEV Standards 8VAC40-31-160 N (1-12):

The school shall provide a minimum of three business days, excluding weekends and holidays, by which the student applicant must cancel to receive a refund of all money paid less a nonrefundable fee not to exceed $100. The actual date by which the student applicant must cancel shall be specified in the agreement.
The school shall disclose that following the cancellation period, a student applicant may cancel his enrollment agreement, at any time before the first class day of the session for which the agreement was made. When cancellation is requested under these circumstances, the school will refund all tuition paid by the student, less a maximum tuition fee of 15% of the stated costs of the course or program or $100, whichever is less.

Ref 2: ACCSC Substantive Standards Section 1 (D)(2)(a-c), (3)(a-e), Standards of Accreditation:

An applicant has the right to cancel the Enrollment Agreement without financial penalty within three business days, excluding weekends and holidays, of signing the agreement prior to the first class day of the session for which the agreement was made. All monies paid by the applicant will be refunded to the student within a 45-day period following their cancellation notice.

An applicant who cancels within three business days of signing the Enrollment Agreement is entitled to receive a refund of all monies paid by the applicant, even if the cancellation notice is given after the first class day of the session for which the agreement was made.
If an applicant has not visited the school prior to enrollment, the applicant may still request cancellation by written notice without financial penalty within three business days following either the regularly scheduled orientation procedures or following a tour of the school facilities and inspection of equipment where training and services are provided. When cancellation is requested in these circumstances, the applicant is entitled to receive a refund of all monies paid by the applicant.
Following the cancellation period of three business days, an applicant may still cancel the Enrollment Agreement at any time prior to the first class day of the session for which the agreement was made.

Any cancellation requested after the first class day of the session that does not adhere to the cancellation policy as described above will be considered a withdrawal from the university, and will follow the university’s refund policy as stated in the Withdrawal from the University section of the Academic Catalog.

Withdrawal from the University

Student Withdrawal

Any student who withdraws from WUST during the Add/Drop period (Week 1) is entitled to a full tuition fee refund for the session. Written notice of withdrawal is not required for refund payment. In the event of a withdrawal, WUST will refund the tuition fee in the same manner as it was received by the university (credit card payment, bank wire transaction, or check). Please note that the university will only issue refunds to the organization or individual from which the original payment was received. Bank transaction fees and postage fees are non-refundable.

Any student who withdraws from WUST after the end of the Add/Drop period is entitled to a partial tuition fee refund as follows:

*Expenses incurred by the student for instructional supplies, tools, library, service charges, and all other charges that have been represented to the student as separate from the tuition fee in the Enrollment Agreement and School Catalog, or other documents, prior to enrolment in the program are not to be considered in tuition refund computations.

WUST will submit refunds to individuals who have terminated their status as students within 45 days after the determined time of withdrawal. For the purpose of calculating a student’s tuition fee refund, a student’s time of withdrawal shall be calculated as 14 calendar days after the last day of attendance or, in cases where written notice of withdrawal is provided, the date the written notice was submitted, whichever is sooner.

In accordance with SCHEV regulations, WUST is required to determine if a student who is enrolled in classes for a given quarter but has not attended classes intends to return to classes or to withdraw from WUST within 14 calendar days of the last day of attendance for that quarter. If the student is determined to have withdrawn after this 14-day period, the last day of the 14-day period will begin the timeframe for calculating refunds, otherwise known as the time of withdrawal.

Administrative Withdrawal (Termination)

Any WUST student’s status may be terminated, otherwise known as administrative withdrawal, for consecutive non-attendance in violation of the attendance policy, failure to enroll, academic dismissal, or otherwise failing to maintain student status.

In order for a student to be terminated for consecutive non-attendance, the student must have two weeks of consecutive unexcused absences from all of the courses for which they are registered. In these circumstances, WUST is required by SCHEV to determine if the student intends to return to classes or withdraw from the school within 14 calendar days of the last date of attendance for the quarter (SCHEV Standards 8VAC40-31-160 N (1-12)).

Each course at WUST meets once per week either in-person or online. Attendance is measured in participation (i.e. submitting assignments, participating in discussion boards, attending class in-person, etc.) and the deadline to participate is by the end of that particular week. Therefore, attendance for the week is taken/posted by faculty by Sunday 11:59pm. In practice, this means that if a student fails to attend or participate in all of their classes for two consecutive weeks, WUST must begin the administrative withdrawal process by the end of that two week period.

WUST will not consider an approved Leave of Absence (LOA) to be a withdrawal. However, if the student does not resume attendance on or before the end of the approved LOA, WUST must treat the student as a withdrawal. In these circumstances, for refund purposes, WUST will determine the last day of attendance to be the date the LOA was approved.