Appeal Guidelines
The College realizes that, on rare occasions, students may need to appeal the published refund deadlines due to extenuating circumstances such as:
- Military deployment
- Death of an immediate family member (parent, child, spouse, or sibling)
- A documented student medical emergency
- Verifiable error on the part of Grand Rapids Community College
- Other: Provide a detailed explanation of the situation and include relevant documentation
The following reasons are not accepted:
- Incarceration/parole violation
- Job change
- Acceptance into another school
- Relocation
- Unaware of College withdrawal schedule
- Loss of transportation to/from class
- Personal/family concerns that impose on study/class time
- Incorrect course advising recommendations provided by “other” college
- Enlisting in the Armed Forces
- Issues between the student and the instructor
In all cases, the extenuating circumstances must have interrupted your ability to:
- Attend class(es) for a substantial length of time
- Complete the semester
- Adhere to the College’s refund policy
Process
If you receive Financial Aid, you must consult with a Financial Aid staff member to determine how the withdrawal will impact your current and future Financial Aid eligibility.
Student must withdraw from classes prior to completing the Tuition and Fee Refund Appeal Application. Classes must be dropped by the 70% drop deadline in order to be considered for a tuition and fee refund. Classes will remain on transcript with a 'W' grade. If you are not appealing all classes, you will need to submit supporting documentation explaining why you are able to remain in some of your classes but not the others. If you have an extenuating circumstance that occurs after the 70% drop deadline, please review the Late Semester Hardship Withdrawal Request process (refunds are not considered with this process).
Attach supporting documentation. Examples of supporting documentation include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Medical Emergency - Letter from health care provider explaining the general nature of medical emergency and dates in which the medical emergency occurred. The letter should also address how the medical emergency impacted the student’s ability to attend class.
- Death of Immediate Family Member - Obituary or death certificate
- College Verifiable Error - Documentation substantiating the error
Appeals will be accepted for review for 30 days after each semester. Appeals submitted after this time period will not be accepted.
The refund appeal will be reviewed once we receive the Tuition and Fee Refund Appeal Application and supporting documentation.
An appointed committee will review appeals within 10 business days. After a decision has been made, we will contact you via your GRCC e-mail.
Filing an appeal does not relieve you from your current financial obligation to Grand Rapids Community College. You are responsible for all charges assessed on your account pending a decision. Any outstanding charges on your account after the appeal has been processed is the student's responsibility.
In the event of a student death, this form can be completed by an immediate family member over the age of 18. An immediate family member is defined as a parent, spouse/partner, child, and/or sibling.