Title: Student Account Refunds
Procedure No: STO-70
Effective Date: 12/30/2014
Issuing Authority: Student Accounts Office
Contact: Student Accounts at tuition@stolaf.edu or 507-786-3296 or 866-640-4702
Last Updated/Reviewed: 08-26-2025
Purpose of Procedure:
To communicate the timing of student refunds and the process to receive the refund.
Who needs to know these Procedures:
All St. Olaf College students
Procedures:
Credit balances occur due to an overpayment on a student’s account or a financial aid disbursement. If a student would like a refund, the student must fill out the Refund Request form in SIS. Refund requests submitted by Monday at 3:00pm will be processed and typically available that Friday. You will receive an email from the Student Accounts Office letting you know when the refund has been processed. Students can only receive refunds via direct deposit if they are actively working on campus or had their direct deposit information on file with us prior to January 2024. Students that do not meet this criteria will receive paper checks and will be given the option to have the check mailed or be picked up in the Student Accounts office.
Students with credit balances as a result of a financial aid disbursement that relates to the following term are able to receive a refund starting the first day of each semester. If a credit balance occurs as a result of federal student aid, a credit refund will be given within 14 days of disbursement. Credit balance refunds for fall semester will only be given up until the due date of the spring semester tuition bill. At that point, any remaining credit balance from fall is credited to spring semester.
Students with credit balances as a result of anticipated payments (payment plan future installments or anticipated financial aid) will not receive a refund of these anticipated funds. At the time the request is submitted, the balance must be a true credit on the account in order to receive a refund.
Students studying abroad are eligible to receive credit balance refunds early if their program starts before the first day of St. Olaf’s term.
In the case that the student leaves the college and has a credit balance that is $5 or under and does not request this refund in a timely manner, the credit will be written off as long as the credit is not from Title IV funds.