Withdrawal & Refund Policy

Students must think through the financial obligations carefully before committing to participate in a study abroad program. Dropping out of a program can result in a substantial loss of funds, as explained below.

This policy applies to all study abroad programs, unless otherwise noted in the program materials.

1. STUDENT WITHDRAWAL

Withdrawing prior to acceptance into the program: Students wishing to withdraw their application from being considered for nomination for an exchange, affiliate, or faculty-led program must change their online application status to "Withdrawn" by clicking the WITHDRAW button on their application home page.

Withdrawing after acceptance, but before committing to the program: Students wishing to withdraw their application after having been nominated for an exchange, affiliate, or faculty-led program must decline their offer by clicking the DECLINE button on their application page.

Withdrawing after having committed to participate: If, under extenuating circumstances, a student has to withdraw from attending a study abroad program after having committed to participating and before the program begins, the student must notify the Center for Global Engagement (in addition to the program faculty leader) by completing a Withdrawal Form. E-mail notifications or cancellations by phone are not sufficient. The date on which the notice is received by the Center for Global Engagement will be the official date of withdrawal. Students withdrawing from participation in an affiliate program must also notify the program provider in accordance with the provider’s policy. Students who file the Withdrawal Form will be eligible for refunds as described below. Students who fail to file the Withdrawal Form with the Office of International Affairs will continue to be responsible for payment of the full program fees.

Any scholarships awarded to students by Longwood University must be repaid before any refund will be issued.
 
a. Faculty-Led Program Non-Refundable Deposits

Faculty-led study abroad programs require a non-refundable deposit to secure enrollment. Amounts for that deposit vary by program and will be communicated by the faculty leader(s) and/or the Center for Global Engagement. The deposit will be forfeited should a student decide to drop out of a program.

b. Airline Tickets

Airfare included in the billable program cost is non-refundable.

c. Tuition and Program Fees

• Faculty-Led Programs
  
  Longwood faculty-led tuition and program fees may be refunded less any unrecoverable funds committed on behalf of the student. These funds may include admission fees, transportation, meals, accommodations, tours, etc. Funds spent on a student’s behalf will be retained to ensure that the costs to the other students in the program do not increase as a result of a smaller group size. Some expenses are fixed amounts and, when divided across fewer participants, the costs per person increase.
  
   Amounts determined as able to be refunded may not be distributed until after the program’s completion.

• Exchange Programs
  
  Refunds for Exchange program tuition and fees follow the regular Longwood Withdrawal policy. There is no deposit charged for exchange programs. Tuition for exchange programs is processed in the same manner as a term spent at Longwood. Other fees (such as room and board) may be required by the host university, and students will be bound by the host’s university’s refund policy.
  
  Students participating in an exchange program will be assessed a non-refundable $250 administrative fee due to Longwood University. The Office of International Affairs will help inform students of when and how to pay this fee. A hold flag is placed on the student’s account if this fee is not paid.
  
  
• Affiliate Programs
  
  Refund policies for affiliate programs vary by provider. It is the student’s responsibility to become familiarized with the provider’s policies.
  
  Students participating in an exchange program will be assessed a non-refundable $250 administrative fee due to Longwood University. The Center for Global Engagement will help inform students of when and how to pay this fee. A hold flag is placed on the student's account if this fee is not paid.

d. Study Abroad Administrative Fee for Exchange and Affiliate Programs

The Study Abroad Administrative Fee for Exchange and Affiliate Programs ($250) is non-refundable after the payment due date.

Students who do not meet their financial obligations will have a hold placed on their Longwood student account until the situation is reconciled.

Withdrawing after the program begins: All charges are non-refundable.

2. STUDENT SUSPENSION AND/OR DISMISSAL

No refunds and no academic credit will be given to students who are suspended and/or dismissed from the program for conduct or academic violation reasons.

3. CANCELLATION OF A LONGWOOD PROGRAM

a. Cancellation due to Insufficient Enrollment

Longwood may cancel a program for insufficient enrollment. The decision to cancel a program due to insufficient enrollment will be made before program fees are charged to the students.

b. Cancellation due to Other Reasons

Prior to departure, programs may also be canceled for reasons other than insufficient enrollment, such as a destination country’s addition to the State Department Travel Warning list.

• If Longwood cancels a program prior to departure for reasons other than insufficient enrollment, every effort will be made to refund any non-committed program fees.
  
  
• If Longwood cancels a program after the departure date, all non-committed funds will be refunded to the student. If it is necessary to cancel a program while in session, every effort will be made to allow students to complete the course in an alternate setting. Decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis depending on the specific circumstances involved.