Fee Refund Policy

How Refunds Are Calculated

• To qualify for a full refund of mandatory campus fees, and nonresident tuition if applicable, all courses must be dropped through the online registration process prior to the first day of the academic term.
• Resident students who drop some but not all units on or before the last day of the drop period in CPReg, changing their enrollment status from over half-time units to half-time units or less, will be entitled to a refund of the resulting reduction in the Tuition Fee plus half of any college based portion of the campus academic fee. For fall, winter, and spring terms, half-time units is 6 units. Refunds for summer term are dependent upon the summer fee structure which can vary from over half-time units/half-time units or less to a per unit fee. Please view the Fee Payment Schedule for the current summer fee structure. Note: Drop period does not include Late Appeal, Course Withdrawal Petitions, or Unit Changes processed through the Office of the Registrar after CPReg closes for the term.
• Nonresident students who drop some but not all units on or before the last day of the drop period in CPReg will be entitled to a refund of the applicable difference in tuition. If the dropped units changes enrollment status from over half-time units to half-time units or less, nonresident students will also be entitled to a refund of the resulting reduction in the Tuition Fee plus half of any college-based portion of the campus academic fee. For fall, winter, and spring terms, half-time units is 6 units. Refunds for summer term are dependent upon the summer fee structure which can vary from over half-time units/half-time units or less to a per unit fee. Please view the Fee Payment Schedule for the current summer fee structure. Note: Drop period does not include Late Appeal, Course Withdrawal Petitions, or Unit Changes processed through the Office of the Registrar after CPReg closes for the term.
• For terms 4 weeks or longer, beginning with the first day of the academic term, students who drop all courses prior to the end of the drop period in CPReg or who officially withdraw up through the sixty percent point in the academic term shall be entitled to a pro-rata refund of Category I and II mandatory systemwide and campus fees including non-resident tuition if applicable. After the sixty percent point in the academic term, a student is not entitled to any refund of tuition and mandatory campus fees. The length of the academic period is calculated from the first day of the academic term through the last final exam day of the term, including weekends but excluding any breaks of five (5) days or more. Category III Miscellaneous Course Fees are 100% refundable until the last day of the drop period in CPReg and non-refundable after that date. The International Student Fee and Commencement Fee, Category IV fees, are non-refundable beginning with the first day of the academic term. The Student Involvement and Representation Fee (SIRF), Category 'other', is 100% refundable until the last day of the drop period in CPReg then non-refundable after that date unless the student chooses to OPT Out of SIRF via their Student Center's Account Activity screen by the term's census date. After the term's census date, SIRF is non-refundable and OPT Out period is ended.
• For terms or courses of less than four (4) weeks, a student registered for a term or course of less than four (4) weeks shall not be entitled to any refund of tuition and mandatory fees if the student fails to either drop the courses or cancel registration prior to the first day of instruction.

How Often Refunds Are Calculated

• Registration fee refunds, and tuition refunds if applicable, resulting from a full drop BEFORE the term begins or from a partial drop in units during the drop period are credited to the student’s Cal Poly account within 5 days.
• Pro-rated registration fee refunds, and tuition refunds if applicable, resulting from a full drop on or after the first day of the term are credited to the student’s Cal Poly account within 7 business days after the end of the drop period in CPReg. Registration fee refunds, and tuition refunds if applicable, resulting from a withdrawal are credited to the student’s Cal Poly account within 5 business days after the Records Office posts the withdrawal date.

How Refunds Are Disbursed

Once a refund of registration fees or other fees is credited to the student’s account, it is treated in the following manner:

1. The credit shall be first applied toward any required return of student financial aid funds that have been received by the student or on his/her behalf from federal, state, institutional, or external sources that were conditioned on the student’s enrollment.
2. Any remaining credit available after item (1) above will be applied to other charges owed to the University.
3. The student concurs that the balance of any credit after the application of (1) and (2) above shall remain as a credit on the student’s account. The student may request a refund of the credit by submitting an electronic Refund Request Form.