Refund for Withdrawing from Class

Refunds for courses that are dropped in accordance with the official refund and withdrawal policy schedule for the semester are issued after the add/drop period for each semester.

There is a two-week minimum waiting period for refunded check payments, including electronic (e-check) payments. This waiting period allows you to finalize your enrollment, and for any payments to clear before refunds are processed.

If you have excess financial aid, a refund will be issued two weeks after the funds have been disbursed to your account. If financial aid has not disbursed to your account as expected, you can reach out to finaid@massbay.edu for questions.

Please note:

For the fall semester financial aid refunds are typically processed at the end of October. 

For the spring semester financial aid refunds are typically processed in the middle of March. 

For the summer semester financial aid refunds are typically processed in the middle of July. 

Refunds may be issued as a check, direct deposit, or credit card refund.

Credit Card Refunds

Per common payment card industry standards, refunds for payments made by credit/debit card will be credited back to the card that was used for the payment.  If the credit card payment was made more than 120 days prior to the credit balance being created, refunds will be issued as either a check or direct deposit. The 2.85% credit card service fee is NOT refunded.

Direct Deposit Refunds

If your payment was not made by credit/debit card, we suggest you enroll in direct deposit refunds in your Nelnet account within Bay Navigator. Direct deposit is the fastest way to receive a refund. You must enroll in direct deposit in advance of a refund, otherwise a paper check will be mailed.

If you make a mistake when entering your direct deposit information, an error will occur, and a check will be issued instead. 

Check Refunds

If you have not enrolled in direct deposit refunds, a check will be sent to your mailing address on file in Bay Navigator. For all payment types except credit/debit cards, refunds are issued in the student’s name, regardless of who made the payment. Please ensure your mailing address is up to date in the MassBay Profile tab in Bay Navigator.

If you have excess financial aid, you will receive a refund after the funds have been disbursed to your Bay Navigator account and generated a credit balance. If financial aid has not disbursed to your account as expected, you can reach out to finaid@massbay.edu for questions.

• For the fall semester financial aid refunds are typically processed at the end of October.
• For the spring semester financial aid refunds are typically processed in the middle of March.
• For the summer semester financial aid refunds are typically processed in the middle of July. 

If you would like to see if a refund has been generated, please log into Bay Navigator and View your Account Activity. If your credit balance is the result of a student loan, all required loan documents must be completed before a refund is issued.

If you voluntarily withdraw from course(s) or the College, you will be granted a refund or reduction of tuition and fees according to the official withdrawal and refund policy schedule for the semester. Please review these dates carefully when making decisions related to course withdrawals. 

Lack of attendance or course abandonment does not constitute course withdrawal. If you do not withdraw in accordance with college procedures, you will be responsible for full payment of tuition and fees. The withdrawal date is determined by the date all forms are completed and turned into proper offices. If you withdraw from courses past the official withdrawal and refund policy schedule for the semester, you will not qualify for a refund of any portion of tuition and fees.

Withdrawing from a course may impact financial aid awards. Please visit the Financial Aid Enrollment Changes and Withdrawals page for more information. You are strongly encouraged to seek counseling from the MassBay Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from the college so we can help inform you about possible monetary impact. This will help you make an informed decision. 

If classes are dropped within the REFUND POLICY, then tuition and fee updates will be posted to your Bay Navigator account within 48 hours. If classes are dropped after the REFUND POLICY, no portion of tuition or fees with be refunded or removed from your account.

If you withdraw from courses past the withdrawal and refund policy schedule, you will not qualify for refunds of any portion of tuition and fees. Please review these dates carefully when making decisions related to course withdrawals.

Withdrawing from a course may impact financial aid awards. Please visit the Financial Aid Enrollment Changes and Withdrawals page for more information. Students are strongly encouraged to seek counseling from the MassBay Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from courses so we can help inform you about possible monetary impact. This will help you make an informed decision.

There are two ways to drop a class: submitting an add/drop form to the registrar or using the Self-Service option in the Bay Navigator portal. Students who wish to drop a course should complete only ONE of these options:

1. Courses can be dropped by completing an add/drop form in the link below: 

   https://www.massbay.edu/add-drop-withdraw

                                                           OR

   2.  Students may drop classes through Bay Navigator.