Refunding room and board due to COVID-19

On April 24, Vice President for Finance and Administration Laura Johnson sent an email to the campus community regarding refunds for room and board in the spring semester. 

Residence hall agreements began on Jan. 20 and were scheduled to end on May 10, spanning a total of 110 days. Since residence halls were officially closed on March 23, credits for unused room and board charges after March 22 will be prorated based on the room type, the day the student left campus, and actual fees paid by the student and their family to Washington College, according to Johnson. 

“Students whose room and board fees were covered by institutional grants are not eligible for credits or refunds,” Johnson said in the April 24 email. “Resident Assistants whose room fees were partially covered through their RA contracts will be eligible for prorated credit only to the extent of their personal financial contributions to the fees.”

Student accounts will be credited by May 1. Students will be eligible for a refund or credit only to the extent that their overall student account is settled and results in a credit balance through one of three avenues. 

According to Johnson, credit can be applied towards a future semester and will be included as part of the financial aid offer letter. If students are graduating or wish to request the refund of a credit balance, students must provide their direct deposit information in the Student Self Service portal to complete the refund request process. The deadline for requesting a refund is May 15.  Refunds will automatically be applied as credit for the fall semester otherwise. 

The last option students have for the refund is to donate it back to WC. More information about refunds for room and board can be found in Johnson’s April 24 email. 

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