Refund Policy
Refunds & Return of Financial Aid
Tuition refunds are based upon the week in the semester, as shown in the table below. No tuition refunds will be issued after week 5 of the semester, and some fees are non-refundable. Reduction of institutional aid awarded by Luther College will align with the tuition refund table (e.g., 40% tuition refund will result in 40% reduction in institutional aid). Federal aid will be returned based upon federal regulations. A student who withdraws before completing 60% of the term is subject to the federal return of funds calculation; this rule applies to Federal Pell, SEOG, or TEACH grants, and to Federal Direct or PLUS loans. For more information, see the Financial Aid website.
Tuition insurance is available. For more details please see our Tuition Insurance web page. Tuition Insurance complements our refund policy and can provide 80% reimbursement for eligible tuition payments, room and board, and other nonrefundable expenses if you withdraw for a covered illness or injury at any time during the plan period.
Spring 2025 Semester:
| Withdrawn End of Day: | Tuition Refund Percent |
|---|---|
| 02/05/2025 | 100% |
| 02/09/2025 | 90% |
| 02/16/2025 | 80% |
| 02/23/2025 | 60% |
| 03/02/2025 | 40% |
| 03/09/2025 | 20% |
| 03/10/2025 | 0% |
Fall 2025 Semester:
| Withdrawn End of Day: | Tuition Refund Percent |
|---|---|
| 09/03/2025 | 100% |
| 09/07/2025 | 90% |
| 09/14/2025 | 80% |
| 09/21/2025 | 60% |
| 09/28/2025 | 40% |
| 10/05/2025 | 20% |
| 10/06/2025 | 0% |
Board
The fixed costs involved with operating the dining service do not decline when a student is no longer enrolled, so the board charge will be reduced by 35% to determine the variable cost. The remaining variable amount will be divided by the number of weeks in the term to determine a per week amount.
Example: The full board charge is $3,040, of which $1,976 is variable cost ($3,040 * (1-.35) = $1,976)Â
If a student withdraws in week 6 (by October 12, 2024), they would have 10 weeks remaining out of 16 weeks or 62.5% of the term. $1,976 * .625 = $1,235 would be their board refund.
Room and General Fees
If a student withdraws before the first day of class, charges will be refunded at 100%. If a student withdraws after these dates, the student will not receive any refund for their room or general fees (Health and Well-Being, Technology, Student Activity, Commencement, Lifetime Academic Transcript, Course Fees).
Spring 2025 deadline to receive a 100% room refund is February 5, 2025 end of day. Fall 2025 deadline to receive 100% room refund is September 3, 2025 end of day
Dropping Classes (still enrolled at Luther)
If a student drops a class by the last day to add/change registration for a full semester course, their tuition will be calculated based on actual enrollment on the last day to add/change registration for full semester courses.
If a student drops a class after the last day to add/change registration in full semester courses and remains enrolled in other classes, no adjustments will be made to tuition.
J-Term
Students are required to complete two January terms while enrolled at Luther. Students who enroll for the fall semester or the year but who choose not to participate in a January Term course are not entitled to a refund of room, board, or tuition charges for January Term.
Music Lessons
Group (Class) Lessons: A student who withdraws from a group lesson will have the full course fee refunded if the course is dropped by the last day to withdraw from a class without record.
Applied (Private) Music Lesson: A student who withdraws from an applied music lesson will be billed at the prorated rate for each week registered. After a designated time, the full fee for the semester will apply. Please refer to the music lesson refund schedule at Music Lessons. No refund in fees will be made for absences from private lessons, except on account of illness of more than two weeks’ duration.
Newly Married
A student who marries during the academic year is not exempted from the original housing agreement. The above refund schedule will apply for the semester unless arrangements for temporary housing were made with the residence life office prior to the beginning of the semester.
Requested to Leave Luther
If the college requests for a student to withdraw because of unsatisfactory academic progress or infraction of college regulations, the student receives refunds as determined by the administration.