Refund Policy

Students must officially drop or withdraw from classes by the published Refund deadline in order to receive a refund or have their fees waived. Refund Deadlines, and other important dates, are listed under the “My Schedule” section of the MyPalomar account and can be viewed by clicking on each specific class and selecting “View Deadlines.” Deadlines can also be found under the Class Schedule. No refunds or waiver of fees will be granted for drops after the refund period, unless the class is cancelled by the College.   Not attending classes does not warrant a refund or waiver of fees It is the student’s responsibility to drop classes by the published deadline.  There is no prorated refund schedule. For full semester-length classes, the refund/waiver of fees deadline is the 13th day after the start day of the class. All refunds, regardless of when class was dropped, will be processed after the Add/Drop period has ended and can take up to four weeks for the refund process to complete.

Classes dropped within the refund period are subject to refund/waiver of the following fees – enrollment, health, student center, representation, and non-resident tuition. Material fees will only be refunded if the student has not used any of the class materials and the class is dropped prior to the end of the refund period. Unused or partial use of materials are not eligible to be refunded.

Parking Permit refunds can be requested by emailing clientrelations@phxgis.com. For questions regarding Parking Permit refunds, please contact the Police Department at 760-744-1150 x 3499.

For all deadlines, including the last day for a refund or waiver of fees, please refer to the Class Schedule.

Automatic Refund Process

Refunds will be processed weekly beginning the fourth week of the semester.  Refunds will be processed automatically for:

  • Credit amounts of $5 or more
  • Cancelled classes
  • CCPG Waiver reimbursements (Note: CCPG only waives enrollment fees; other mandatory fees are not waived.)

Students paying by credit or debit card, will have the refund credited back to the card used. If payment was made by cash, check, ACH, or Payment Plan, a refund check will be mailed to the student’s mailing address on file with the college. Students must ensure that their correct mailing address is on file with the Admissions Office.  Submit a Student Data Change Form to Admissions to update your student record.

For student account credits less than $5, a request can be made to have the amount refunded by emailing the Cashier’s Office at cashiers@palomar.edu. Refunds are only processed after all fees or obligations owed to the College are met.

Military Tuition Assistance Refunds

For students using the Tuition Assistance program through the Military, and in accordance with Title IV of the Department of Education Section 484B (Institutional Refunds), if a student drops a course after the refund period but before 60% of the term length, Palomar College will:

  • Calculate the percentage of earned tuition by dividing the total number of calendar days comprising the payment period or period of enrollment for which assistance is awarded into the number of calendar days completed in that period as of the day the student withdrew.
  • Invoice the Department of Defense the amount of earned tuition. The remaining balance will then be the responsibility of the student to pay the college.
  • Report the applicable grade onto the student’s WebTA Portal.
  • If any tuition had been paid by the Department of Defense on behalf of the student for the course, the college will reimburse the Department of Defense the amount of unearned tuition as it pertains to Title IV of the Department of Education Section 484B (a)(3)(B) PERCENTAGE EARNED.
  • In accordance with Title IV of the Department of Education Section 484B (Institutional Refunds), if a student drops a course 60% of the term length or later, the student will have earned 100% of funds. Therefore, Palomar College will invoice the full amount of tuition to the Department of Defense and the applicable grade will be posted onto the student’s WebTA Portal.

Military Withdrawal Policy: Members of an active or reserve military service who receive orders compelling a withdrawal from courses will be permitted withdrawal at any time during the semester. Upon verification of such orders, the grade symbol MW will be assigned after the “no notation” period. The MW will not be counted in progress probation or dismissal calculations and will not have any adverse effect on the student academic record or enrollment status. Upon petition, the student will also receive a refund of the entire enrollment fee.

Please contact the Cashier’s Office for more information on the Military Tuition Assistance Program.

Page Reviewed 10/23/24 CS