Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. Service members should speak with their Education Services Officer (ESO) or counselor within their military service prior to enrolling at Cottey College.

When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of TA funds originally awarded. To comply with the new Department of Defense policy, Cottey College will return any unearned TA funds on a proportional basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending.

The amount of aid earned by the student must be determined as of the date of withdrawal. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount earned, unearned funds must be returned to the funding agency. The percent earned equals the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the semester.

If a service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, and the service member notifies the school of their obligation, Cottey College will work with the affected service member to identify solutions that will not result in a student debt for the returned portion.

ADD/DROP POLICY

A student may add courses during the first six days of instruction if facilities, equipment, and enrollment permit. Both the academic advisor’s signature and the course instructor’s consent are required. Students may appeal a denial of consent to the division chair and the vice president for academic affairs. After the sixth day of instruction, a student may not add a course unless her academic advisor agrees, the instructor consents, and the vice president for academic affairs approves.

A student may drop courses during the first ten days of instruction without penalties or charges. These courses do not appear on the transcript.

The eleventh day of instruction through the twelfth week of instruction, a student withdrawing from a sixteen-week course must pay a $15 per course withdrawal fee. A grade of W will be recorded on her transcript.

Permission to withdraw from a course after the twelfth week of a semester is possible only in extenuating circumstances by special permission of the vice president for academic affairs.

WITHDRAWAL FROM THE COLLEGE

In order to withdraw from the College any time during the semester and avoid punitive grades, a student must obtain a withdrawal form from the Office of Academic Records and obtain the required signatures. No refund will be given (if applicable) until this form is processed.

Calculation:
When a student officially withdraws from the College, the date of withdrawal will be used as the last date of attendance. If a student stops attending, without officially withdrawing, Cottey College will determine the last date of attendance based on information received from faculty.

Cottey will readmit a service member with the same academic status she had when she last attended or was accepted for admission.  This applies to any student who cannot attend school due to military service. The student must notify the registrar at Cottey of military service and intent to return to school as follows:

• Notification of military service – The student (or an appropriate officer of the armed forces or official of the Department of Defense) must give oral or written notice of such service to Cottey as far in advance as is reasonable under the circumstances.  This notice does not have to indicate whether the student intends to return to Cottey.
• Notification of intent to return to Cottey – The student must give oral or written notice of her intent to return to Cottey within three years after the completion of the period of service.  A student who is hospitalized or convalescing due to an illness or injury incurred or aggravated during the performance of service must notify the school within two years after the end of the period needed for recovery from the illness or injury.  A student who fails to apply for readmission within these periods does not automatically forfeit eligibility for readmission but is subject to Cottey’s leave of absence policy.

After the notice of intent to return is provided, the student will be readmitted in the next semester unless she requests a later date or unusual circumstances require the school to admit her at a later date.  The student will be readmitted with the same academic status, which means:

• To the same program to which the student was last admitted or, if that program is no longer offered, the program that is most similar to that program, unless she chooses a different program;
• At the same enrollment status, unless the student wants to enroll at a different status;
• With the same number of credit hours previously completed, unless the student is readmitted to a different program to which the completed credit hours are not transferable, and
• With the same academic standing the student previously had.

If the student is readmitted to the same program, for the first academic year in which she returns, Cottey will assess the tuition and fee charges that she would have been assessed for the academic year during which she left.  However, if her veterans education benefits or other service member education benefits will pay the higher tuition and fee charges for the year, Cottey may assess those charges to the student.