Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Refund Policy

Notification of withdrawal requests must be made in writing and addressed to the appropriate Dean's Office. A full refund will be given to students who withdraw after tuition, fees, room and board have been paid, but who withdraw prior to registration and prior to the first day of classes. After the beginning of classes, the refund of tuition, room, board, and return of federal and institutional financial aid and education loans and other sources of payments, are prorated based upon the percentage of the semester that the student is enrolled. If the student is enrolled past 60% of the semester, there is no refund of costs of attendance, and no financial aid or loans will be returned to the grantors. The official withdrawal date used to determine the enrollment period is determined by the appropriate Dean's Office. This policy applies only to charges processed by the Colleges on the student's account. The student activity fee, technology fee, health services fee, student health insurance premium, vehicle registration fee, HWS Fulfill book rental fee, and private music course fees are also excluded from refunds.

Refunds of Overpaid Amounts

Refunds of overpaid amounts will be mailed to you upon request, except when otherwise required by Federal Title IV regulations. Note any refunds to be made to a party other than the student must be submitted in writing to Student Accounts. Refund checks are normally issued within 14 business days of the initial request.

Enrollment Down Payment

The enrollment down payment is posted to the student's upcoming first term, and is applied as a payment to their first semester bill. Please note that should a student decide not to matriculate into HWS, the enrollment down payment is forfeited.

Tuition Insurance

The Tuition Refund Plan offered by A.W.G. Dewar, Inc., is an insurance plan to protect your tuition and fees if a withdrawal is necessary due to personal illness or accident. Details are mailed to home addresses during the summer months. We highly recommend this valuable, affordable insurance. The cost of the insurance for the 2025-26 year is $671 for on-campus students and $546 for off campus students. In order to be accepted, your application must be postmarked prior to September 01, 2025, the first day of fall term. Coverage and application information is available at www.collegerefund.com/college/1441/1/coverage. Questions regarding the plan should be addressed to A.W.G. Dewar at 617-774-1555.