Financial Policies

Refund Policy

Once you confirm participation in a Wheaton-approved study abroad program, the college begins incurring program-related costs, many of which are nonrefundable. In order to protect the integrity of the study abroad process, the financial commitments of the college and the interests of all program participants, we are obliged to observe the following policies on refunds:

Semester Abroad Program Withdrawal

• Students who withdraw from their study abroad program at any point after final confirmation has been given to the Center for Global Education will be assessed a $500 cancellation fee. This fee will be applied to your Wheaton student account immediately You’ll also be charged all unrecoverable costs, such as airfare and program deposits, that the Center for Global Education has incurred or for which commitments have been made.
• If a student withdraws from their study abroad program due to war or acts of terrorism, every effort will be made to accommodate students into regular classes at the Wheaton campus. If such students are unable to receive credit for the work completed at the host institution prior to departure, and if Wheaton is unable to accommodate students in comparable coursework, students will be refunded 100% minus unrecoverable costs.
• Merit Scholarships and financial aid may not be used to cover charges arising from a student’s failure to participate in the program.
• Financial aid recipients who withdraw from their program after arrival in the host country are subject to the federal refund requirements. Financial aid eligibility is recalculated based on the portion of program attended and fund rules. This may create an unanticipated balance due to the college. Students may contact Student Financial Services at [email protected] to discuss the impact of program withdrawal on their semester costs.
• Final decisions regarding refunds will be made by the Office of Student Financial Services.
• Refunds or charges will be reflected on the Wheaton student bill.

Faculty-led Short-term Program Withdrawal

• Students who officially withdraw, voluntarily or involuntarily, prior to the date of departure from the United States may receive a 100% refund minus any unrecoverable costs that the Center for Global Education has incurred or for which commitments have been made.
• Students who are sent home due to disciplinary action will not receive a refund.
• Students who officially withdraw after arrival in the host country would be accountable for the entire fee applicable for the intended program.
  Exceptions to this rule would apply only in the following circumstances:
  • Death of an immediate family member (defined as parent/guardian or sibling)
  • errorism, civil unrest in vicinity of program, or act of war as defined by the Center for Global Education and the Global Education Advisory Committee.
    Students meeting any of these criteria would receive a 100% refund minus unrecoverable costs.
• Merit Scholarships and financial aid may not be used to cover charges arising from a student’s failure to participate in the program.
• Final decisions regarding refunds will be made by the Center for Global Education.
• Refunds or charges will be reflected on the Wheaton student bill.

Non-Wheaton Short-term Study Abroad Withdrawal

If you participate in a Non-Wheaton short-term study abroad program (January or summer), you will be charged a non-refundable $250.00 administrative fee. This fee is charged for services provided by the Center for Global Education. These services include, but are not limited to, assistance with program selection, advising before, during and after study abroad, as well as transfer credit review and approval. This fee will be applied to your Wheaton College student account once you confirm participation.

Outside Scholarships

If you receive an outside scholarship and withdraw from a study abroad program, the funding is subject to the rules of the scholarship provider.

• Provider rules: The scholarship donor determines if funds must be returned or prorated based on your withdrawal date.
• Your responsibility: If your scholarship is revoked or reduced, you are still responsible for paying any remaining balance or non-refundable costs incurred by Wheaton on your behalf.

Before withdrawing, please contact your scholarship donor and Wheaton’s Center for Global Education immediately to review your specific financial obligations.

Questions?

If you have any questions about how a potential change in your study abroad plans might impact your student bill or financial aid, please reach out to us [email protected].