Withdrawing
Tuition and Fee Adjustment
Middle Tennessee State University will grant tuition and fee credits for students who make adjustments to their class schedules or withdraw during specific times in a semester. Students who drop classes or withdraw from the university prior to the first day of class will receive a 100% reversal of their tuition and fees. Once a semester has begun, students will be responsible for a portion of their tuition and fees for dropped courses or withdrawing from the university. The fee adjustment percentages are based upon credit hours dropped and not tuition charged. For example, dropping courses during the 75% fee adjustment period means that you will be charged for 25% for each credit hour dropped. Please refer to the current semester’s Registration Guide for fee adjustment periods or Important Dates for the fee adjustment periods.
Even Course Exchange
There are instances where MTSU will allow students to drop and add a class without being charged for the dropped course. The following conditions must be satisfied to evenly exchange one course for another:
- The student must exchange their courses on the same day.
- The number of credit hours of the courses must be the same.
- A student must be exchanging courses within the same part-of-term.
- Accelerated courses (A1, A2) cannot be evenly exchanged with the full term or with each other.
- Summer sessions cannot be evenly exchanged with other parts of terms. (i.e. Summer S3A-term cannot be evenly exchanged with S3B term.)
How Fee Adjustments are Calculated
Tuition and fee adjustments are calculated based upon:
- the date of the withdrawal or the date the course was dropped,
- the fee adjustment multiplier and,
- the remaining number of enrolled hours plus a percentage of the hours which were dropped.
| Fee Adjustment Period | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| 100% | 0 |
| 75% | .25 |
| 25% | .75 |
| After the Fee Adjustment Period | 1.00 |
For example, if a student is enrolled in 15 credit hours and drops to 12 credit hours during the 75% fee adjustment period, the student will be responsible for the full price of 12 hours plus 25% of the cost of the three credit hours that were dropped for a total of 12.75 (see below).
| FEE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD | Original Enrolled Hours | Dropped Hours Times Multiplier | Hours Charged After Drop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75% | 15 | 3 x .25 = .75 | 12.75 |
If a student withdraws from 16 credit hours during the 25% fee adjustment period, the student will be responsible for 12 hours (see below).
| FEE ADJUSTMENT PERIOD | ORIGINAL ENROLLED HOURS | Hours Charged After Withdrawal |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | 16 | 16 x .75 = 12 |
The remaining hours charged are then multiplied by the per hours rate(s) as follows (based on Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 rates):
| Undergraduate Students | Rate Per Hours Up To 12 | Rate Per Hours Over 12 |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Instate | $314 | $62 |
| Undergraduate Out-of-State | $1,128 | $226 |
| eRate Undergraduate | $471 | $471 |
| Regional Scholars Undergraduate | $563 | $62 |
| Graduate Students | RATE PER HOURS UP TO 10 | RATE PER HOURS OVER 10 |
| Graduate Instate | $536 | $107 |
| Graduate Out-of-State | $1,483 | $295 |
| eRate Graduate | $804 | $804 |
| Regional Scholars Graduate | $834 | $107 |
| Program Services Fee | $79 Up To $944 |
For further information regarding tuition and fees, please refer to the tuition and fee section of this site.
Fee Adjustments for Withdrawn Students
The date you withdraw affects any adjustment and grade that you will receive. Please be aware that a fee adjustment at any stage of the withdrawal process does not guarantee that you will receive any adjustment to your student account. If you have received any financial aid, the federal government or your lenders may require that the University return all or part of your aid. Anytime a student withdraws from classes, it is possible that the student will owe a balance to MTSU. Students who drop or withdraw from classes will still have a balance due under the installment payment plan. Fees are adjusted based on the drop or withdrawal date. The adjustment percentage is NOT applied to the amount of payment, but rather as a percentage of adjustment of total fees. A refund would only be issued to the student if the newly adjusted amount of fees is less than the amount that has been paid by the student.
All or part of your aid could be prorated resulting in you owing back the university. A hold will be placed on your account preventing you from receiving grades or transcripts, registering for future semesters, or re-enrolling in the university until the balance is paid in full.
What if I receive federal financial aid and withdraw from all classes?
When you withdraw from all classes, an institutional refund is calculated per the above information. However, if you withdraw (officially or unofficially) from all classes and have received a Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal TEACH Grant, Federal Perkins Loans or Federal Direct Loans, a “Federal Return to Title IV Funds” calculation is performed to determine the amount of federal aid you have earned for the semester. The federal calculation incorporates the number of days you completed during the semester based on the date of your official / unofficial withdrawal from all classes. If your withdrawal date is prior to the 60% point of the semester, MTSU is required to return a percentage of the federal aid you received that was applied toward institutional charges. Additionally, you may immediately owe back a portion of the federal financial aid refund you received. In most cases for students who totally withdraw prior to the 60% point of the semester, the amount of federal aid being returned is greater than the institutional refund. Therefore, withdrawing from all classes typically leaves you owing a balance to MTSU. Refer to financial aid section of the current semester Registration Guide regarding financial aid adjustment deadlines. To review the Return Calculation Policy and examples, click here.
What if I receive military tuition assistance and drop a course or withdraw from all classes?
MTSU will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60 percent portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. Therefore, dropping or withdrawing from all classes typically leaves you owing a balance to MTSU. In instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the educational institution will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.
What if I’m on the Installment Payment Plan and withdraw?
Students who drop or withdraw from classes will still have a balance due under the installment payment plan. Fees are adjusted based on the drop or withdrawal date. The fee adjustment percentage is NOT applied to the amount of payment, but rather as a percentage of the total fees. A refund would only be issued to the student if the newly adjusted amount of fees is less than the amount that has been paid by the student.
To avoid late fees and ineligibility for the installment payment plan in future terms, the student should continue to make payment by each due date. Contact the Bursar’s Office for the new payment amounts after drop or withdrawal. Remember, withdrawal from classes does not negate the student’s responsibility to pay the balance of fees after the semester has begun.