The following policy governs refunds as a result of withdrawal from the university or individual courses.

Tuition

• 100% refundable through the end of the registration change period as designated by the Registrar.
• 75% refundable through the end of the third week of the semester.
• 50% refundable through the end of the sixth week of the semester.
• No refund after the sixth week of the semester.

Special course or laboratory fees

• 100% refundable through the end of the registration change period as designated by the Registrar.
• No refund after the registration change period as designated by the Registrar.

Room

• Pro-rata refund (based on a 16-week semester) is calculated from the end of the week in which the student withdraws plus two additional weeks.
• No refund after the sixth week of occupancy.

Board

• Pro-rata refund (based on a 16-week semester) is calculated from the end of the week in which the student withdraws, plus two additional weeks.

Contact information

Admission Office: 507-457-1700
Office of Residence Life: 507-457-1409
Student Services: toll-free 877-304-4273 or 507-457-6655
Business Office: 507-457-1444
Financial Aid Office: 507-457-1437
Office of the Registrar: 507-457-1501

Payment Plans
The following payment plans were designed to assist your family as it prepares for and budgets for the cost of your education. You may choose either the Standard Payment Plan or the 10-Payment Plan to fit your need.

Standard Payment Plan
The annual fees will be divided into two semesters. All semester charges minus the pending financial aid for the semester are to be paid by August 5, 2008 for the first semester and January 5, 2009 for the second semester. Work study is not included in determining the payment plan. Once computed, your payment could change if changes are made to a financial aid package.

Any additional fees* such as special course fees, health service charges etc., are to be paid by the 5th of the month following their appearance on the statement.

Payment Schedule

Aug. 5: first semester charges
Sept. 5: * any additional fees
Oct. 5: * any additional fees
Nov. 5: * any additional fees
Dec. 5: * any additional fees
Jan. 5: second semester charges and *any additional fees
Feb. 5: * any additional fees
March 5: * any additional fees
March 5: $500 deposit for next academic year
April 5: * any additional fees
May 5: * any additional fees

10-PAYMENT PLANS

The annual fees will be divided into 10 equal payments minus any pending financial aid. Each of the 10 payments will be due the fifth day of the month, commencing July 5 with the final scheduled payment due April 5. Work study is not included in determining the payment plan. Once computed, your payment could change if changes are made to a financial aid package.

Any additional fees* such as special course fees, health service charges etc., will increase the payment due the month following their appearance on the statement.

Payment Schedule

July 5: monthly payment
Aug. 5: monthly payment
Sept. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Oct. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Nov. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Dec. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Jan. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Feb. 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
Mar. 5: monthly payment and* any additional fees
March 5: $500 deposit for next academic year
April 5: monthly payment and * any additional fees
May 5: * any additional fees

Past due balances

• Finance charges of 1% each month (12% annual) will be charged on any portion of the account which becomes past-due.
• Requests for transcripts will not be honored with an outstanding or past-due balance.
• Registration for the following semester will not be allowed.
• If a student makes little or no effort toward fulfilling the payment obligations, he or she may be suspended from extra-curricular activities or from the university.

Statements
Tuition statements will only be sent electronically (via email) to students and eligible parents.  The billing statement will be sent from Student Services at Saint Mary's.  Please verify that Saint Mary's University e-mail is not blocked by your spam filter.

If you do not receive an eBill, please notify Student Services at studentservices@smumn.edu.

Deposits

Current students are required to pay a $500 registration deposit due March 5. This deposit will allow registration for the fall term. This registration deposit is non-refundable. (This deposit is applicable to the Fall Semester billing). Any student who has secured campus housing and at a later date decides to live off-campus will forfeit this deposit.

Students entering August 2008 will be required to pay the $300 confirmation of attendance due upon acceptance.

Financial Aid
Federal law requires institutions and/or the student to return the portion of your financial aid that is considered UNEARNED. This policy applies only when, during the term, the student withdraws from ALL classes AND the percentage of the term completed is equal to or less than 60%. Course load reductions that leave a student with at least one remaining class are not affected by this policy.

The following example illustrates how the new policy works:

1. Calculate the percentage of the term completed (# days completed ˜ # days in semester x 100). If greater than 60%, then no return of financial aid is required. If less than or equal to 60%, then proceed to step #2.
2. Determine the percentage of financial aid EARNED by multiplying the total amount of financial aid received for the term by the percentage in step #1. You are permitted to keep this amount in your student account.
3. Determine the amount of UNEARNED financial aid that must be returned to financial aid programs accounts by subtracting the amount of EARNED financial aid (determined in step # 2) from the total amount of financial aid received for the term.
4. There are specific calculations that determine how much of the UNEARNED financial aid must be returned to the federal program(s) by the institution and how much must be returned by the student.
5. There is a prescribed order in which funds must be returned to the programs: (1) federal loans, (2) federal grants, (3) other federal aid.
   

It is possible, depending on the date of withdrawal, to have no refund of tuition and fees, although part of the financial aid may be required to be returned. For example, if a student withdraws from the university after the end of ALL refund periods, it is possible that the student may owe the full amount of billed costs. Even if the student does not finish the term, he/she may still be charged for these fees.

Furthermore, if the withdrawal occurs after the end of ALL refund periods but on or before 60% of the term is completed, the student may be required to repay all or part of the financial aid as determined in steps #1-5 above. If the student is required to repay all or part of your financial aid, they will be notified of the amount required to be repaid. In addition, future registration at Saint Mary’s University and requests for academic transcripts may be denied until repayment is complete.

To initiate the refund process, obtain a withdrawal form from the Academic Advising Office (67 Griffin Hall). After completing the form by getting the required signatures, the Office of the Registrar will withdraw the student and the Business Office will calculate any refund of fees. The Financial Aid Office will perform the appropriate calculations to determine the amounts (if any) of the financial aid that must be returned to the program accounts.

This notice contains important information about the student’s rights and the university’s responsibilities under the Fair Credit Billing Act.

Notify the university in case of errors or questions about a bill. If a student thinks a bill is wrong, or if a student needs more information about a transaction on a bill, write the university on a separate piece of paper at:

Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
700 Terrace Heights #8
Winona, MN 55987-1399

The university must hear from the student no later than sixty (60) days after it sent the student the first bill on which the error or problem appeared. The student may telephone the university, but doing so will not preserve the student’s rights.

In the letter, give the university the following information:

a. the student’s name and account number
b. the dollar amount of the suspected error
c. a description of the error or an explanation of why the student believes there is an error. If the student needs more information, describe the item about which the student is unsure.

The student’s rights and the university’s responsibilities after receipt of written notice:

The university must acknowledge the student’s letter within thirty (30) days, unless it has corrected the error by then. Within ninety (90) days, the university must either correct the error or explain why it believes the bill was correct.

After the university receives the student’s letter, it cannot try to collect any amount the student questions or report the student as delinquent. The university can continue to bill the student for the questioned amount, including finance charges. The student does not have to pay any questioned amount while the university is investigating, but the student is still obligated to pay the parts of the bill that are not in question.

If the university finds that it made a mistake on the student’s bill, the student will not have to pay any finance charges related to any questioned amount. If the university did not make a mistake, the student may have to pay finance charges, and the student will have to make up any missed payments on the questioned amount. In either case, the university will send the student a new statement of the amount that it thinks the student owes and the date it is due.

If the student fails to pay the amount that the university thinks the student owes, it may report the student as delinquent. However, if the university’s explanation does not satisfy the student and the student writes to the university within ten (10) days stating that the student still refuses to pay, the university must tell anyone to whom it reported the student that the student has a question about the bill. The university must tell the student the name of anyone to whom it reported the student. The university must tell anyone to whom it reports the student that the matter has been settled when it finally is.

If the university does not follow these rules, it cannot collect the first $50 of the questioned amount, even if the bill was correct.