Billing Policies & Procedures
Learn about Winona State’s policies and procedures about billing and payments.
If you want to be refunded for dropping classes or withdrawing from WSU, you must follow official procedures during the drop/add period.
It’s important to know the differences between withdrawing from WSU and dropping classes.
If a student reduces their course schedule for the convenience of the University, the student’s tuition will be adjusted without penalty.
Refunds on fees will be on the same basis as tuition when withdrawing or dropping credits.
You will not be refunded for textbooks and materials. However, you may sell back used books to the University Bookstore.
Fall & Spring Terms
If you withdraw from the term or drop classes at different points in the semester, you can expect different refund amounts for the original tuition and fees charges.
The following schedule applies only to courses greater than 3 weeks in length.
| Business Days into the Term | Fall Semester Dates | Spring Semester Dates | Refunded Amount if Withdrawing from the Term | Refunded Amount If Dropping Less Than All Classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to and including Day 5 or one day after class session for classes that begin later in the semester | Aug. 26-30, 2024 | Jan. 13-17, 2025 | 100% | 100% |
| Day 6-10 | Aug. 31-Sept. 9, 2024 | Jan. 18-27, 2025 | 75% | 0% |
| Day 11-15 | Sept. 10-16, 2024 | Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2025 | 50% | 0% |
| Day 16-20 | Sept. 17-23, 2024 | Feb. 4-10, 2025 | 25% | 0% |
| Day 21 or later | Sept. 24, 2024 | Feb. 11, 2025 | 0% | 0% |
Courses Lasting 3 Weeks or Less
To get a full refund for courses lasting between 3 days and 3 weeks, you must drop the course before the class starts or within one day after the first class meeting.
You will not get any refund if you wait to drop until the second day of class or later.
Courses Lasting 3 Days or Less
To get a full refund for a course lasting 3 or less days, you must drop the course before the first day of class.
You will not get any refund if you drop the course after it begins.
Other Situations
If you’ve been awarded Title IV grants or loans, those funds must be returned when you withdraw from WSU.
This includes Stafford loans, Perkins loans, and Pell grants as well as other types of federal financial aid programs.
See the full Return to Title IV Policy (PDF).
Faculty-led travel programs have their own refund policy. Check the individual faculty-led program for details.
Contact the Study Abroad Office for more information about faculty-led travel programs.
Refunds follow a similar policy for summer courses, but the drop/withdraw deadlines vary.
Check the individual course information in Student eServices for drop/withdrawal deadlines and refund details.
The last day to drop a summer course is generally a day before or a day after the course starts, depending on the course length.
When enrolling in courses at Winona State, you agree to the financial responsibility for all charges on your student account. This includes promising to pay Winona State University the full amount of your financial dues according to the payment schedule.
In addition, you agree to pay any and all costs, including collection, attorney, and litigation costs incurred by Winona State in efforts to collect the financial responsibility if you default on your account balance.
Students with unpaid balances at the end of the semester will receive a statement of debt by mail followed by a collection notice to resolve the debt within 20 days.
Ask about payment arrangements with the Student Accounts Office by calling 507.457.5076 or visiting Maxwell 205.
Unpaid account balances remaining at the end of the semester are subject to referral for collection to Minnesota Department of Revenue, as outlined within Minnesota State Procedure 7.6.2 and required by Minnesota Statute MS 16D.04 subd. 2.
If a student account is referred to the Minnesota Department of Revenue, collection fees will be added to the account as allowable under Minnesota Statue, section 16D.11.
Collection agencies are authorized by Minnesota law to take the following actions to collect the debt:
- Get a judgment against you
- Garnish your wages
- Fine your bank account
- Issue subpoenas
- Seize your property
- Cancel your state tax refund, lottery winnings, or vendor payment
- Revoke or deny renewal of a professional license you may have
- Report account status to credit bureaus
- Refer your debt to a private collection agency, which can add up to 40% in collection fees
To enroll in a future semester at WSU, you must pay all debt in full. This includes all collection fees.