If a student wishes to appeal tuition and fee adjustments, the following Tuition and Fee Appeals Procedure must be adhered to.
General Information:
To dispute tuition and mandatory fee charges once a student has officially resigned (after the 100% adjustment period), the student must make a formal appeal to the Tuition and Fee Appeals Committee. Disputes are considered under extenuating circumstances which may include family emergency, unanticipated medical reasons or other unanticipated hardships (see chart below).
All fees associated with Parking and traffic fines and Housing and/or Meal Plans are not subject to appeal through this process.
Once a debt to the University has been transmitted to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office for collection, an appeal is no longer possible through the Tuition and Fee Appeals Committee and the University. Students should then communicate directly with the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office in regard to setting up payment arrangements.
Non-Refundable Fees:
The following are non-refundable fees and will not be adjusted upon approval of appeal:
• Late Fees
• License Fees
• Service Charges (i.e. payment plan fee, immunizations, special program fees, etc.)
• Course/lab fees (Will be determined by the committee per case)
Financial Aid Impact:
In accordance with federal, state and institutional regulations, a student may be required to forfeit financial aid received, which may result in the student owing the University. A student requesting an appeal should meet with a financial aid counselor to determine what the impact may be regarding his/her financial aid award for the applicable term.
Committee Information:
The appeals committee, comprised of representatives from several University departments, will review each student’s request and make a determination based on information provided by the student and University personnel as requested by the committee. The committee will also use duration of class attendance as a determining factor in any adjustment granted. The committee may deny the request or approve it at intervals of 100%, 50%, or 25%.
Process:
1. The student must formally resign from the University or drop all remaining classes before submitting an appeal for the applicable term.
2. The student must complete a Refund Appeal (click HERE to access form), accompanied by supporting documentation. Include any appropriate documentation which supports the reason for the request (see chart below for minimum required documentation). Incomplete appeals will cause delay of the review process. Upon review, the committee may request further documentation.
3. The committee must receive the appeal and supporting documentation no later than 90 days after the end of the term in which the charges were incurred. Appeal information should be mailed or delivered to:
Nicholls State University
Controller’s Office
1st Floor Elkins Hall
ATTN: Tuition and Fee Appeal
P.O. Box 2003
Thibodaux, LA 70310
4. The Tuition and Fee Appeals Committee will review the appeal, and the student will be notified via postal mail when a decision is made.
5. If the request is approved, the student’s tuition and fee account will be automatically adjusted within 2-4 weeks.
Extenuating Circumstances Considered by the Tuition and Fee Appeals Committee:
| Circumstance | Minimum Required Documentation (All information submitted is strictly confidential) | |
Recent medical condition | Dated letter on letterhead from the attending physician from your resignation term containing the nature of your illness/injury, date of onset, dates of hospitalization/physician appointments, severity, and your inability to attend school due to the condition. | |
| Physical or mental illness | Dated letter on letterhead from the attending physician from your resignation term containing the nature of your illness/injury, date of onset, dates of hospitalization/physician appointments, severity, and your inability to attend school due to the condition. | |
| Immediate family emergency (i.e. death or illness) | Death certificate or obituary notice in cases of death. Dated letter on letterhead from the attending physician containing the dates of occurrence, nature and severity of your relative’s illness/injury. | |
Other Extenuating Circumstances (unanticipated hardships that occurred during or immediately before the eligible semester) | General lack of planning to pay for college or lack of being eligible for financial aid does not constitute a recent unanticipated hardship. |
Examples of Non-Qualifying Events:
- Personal misjudgments or irresponsibility involving the following:
• Transportation
• Availability of finances
• Time management
• Academic ability - Misinterpretation or lack of knowledge of University policies/procedures
- Dissatisfaction with Instructor, course content, delivery of instruction, academic progress, University “fit”
- Missing a deadline
- Change of major
Appeals can be submitted only once per applicable term.
