Title IV Refunds

A refundable Federal Student Aid (FSA) credit balance occurs only if the total amount of FSA program funds exceeds allowable charges. The order in which funds are credited to a student’s account does not determine which award creates the refundable FSA credit. Instead, Berkeley College applies Title IV aid to direct charges (tuition and fees) in the following order:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal PLUS for Graduate Students

Federal Work Study is not directly applied to a student’s account.

When a disbursement of Title IV funds to the student’s account at the school creates a Title IV credit balance, the College will pay the credit balance directly to the student or parent (when applicable) within 14 days after the credit is posted.

• If the student so authorizes in writing, the College will hold Title IV credit balances and apply them toward other regular charges incurred within the same standard academic year and award period (as defined below). The student may revoke this authorization at any time. If a student’s aid package includes a Direct Loan, then the loan period defines the "year." If the student’s aid package does not include a Direct Loan, then the “year” is the standard academic year (period of registration between July 1 and June 30). All funds will be returned within 14 days after June 30 of the standard academic year or the award period, whichever comes first. The exception is if the Borrower Based Standard Academic Year (BBAY) includes periods before and after July 1. In that case, the credit may be held and applied for the second semester in that period.

With a student's written authorization and under special circumstances, the College may apply up to $200 of an FSA credit balance to a prior standard academic year's charges.

This policy is administered in accordance with 34 CFR § 668.164(h) – Title IV, HEA Credit Balances.

Non-Title IV Credit Balance Refunds

The College will also refund credit balances resulting from institutional aid, state aid, private scholarships, or other non-Title IV funding sources. Such refunds will be processed in a timely manner following the creation of the credit balance.

Future-Term Financial Aid

The College generally does not issue refunds based on anticipated or future-term financial aid that has not yet been disbursed and credited to a student's account.

Exceptions

In rare and exceptional circumstances, the College reserves the right to authorize a refund before financial aid has been disbursed for a current semester. Such exceptions may be granted when doing so is determined to be in the best interest of the student and the College and when sufficient safeguards exist to protect institutional and federal funds.

Appeals

Students seeking an exception to this policy may submit a written appeal. All appeals shall be reviewed by:

William Moya
Vice President, Student Finance & Institutional Effectiveness

The Vice President's decision regarding exceptions and appeals is final.

Effective Date of Future Refunds Policy:

This policy is effective July 2026 and shall be reviewed periodically to ensure continued compliance with federal regulations and institutional practices.

Seven-Week Session Students

Any applicable federal and/or Berkeley College Institutional Aid (IA) will be disbursed in full, assuming students will attend all courses, including those in Session II (which does not begin until the ninth week of the semester). If courses are not attended, IA may be reduced/prorated. In addition, if a course or courses are not attended, the loan funds received may exceed charges. In such cases, Berkeley College strongly recommends that students repay such excess loan funds immediately to avoid incurring unnecessary debt.

Students who fail to start Session II will be responsible for repayment of any refunds the College remits to them based on anticipated Session II attendance, which may result in a balance due.