At the University of Arizona, all students must register and pay tuition and fees to attend class. Complete registration instructions, procedures, and deadlines for which every student is fully responsible are detailed in the Registration Information page and the Dates and Deadlines Calendar.
To be eligible for an automatic refund of tuition, program fees, and other fees, students must drop courses by specified Refund Dates. Tuition and fees will not be recalculated or reversed after the refund deadline and students are responsible for all tuition and fees. If a student has missed this deadline for extenuating circumstances they have the option to submit a Tuition Appeal.
What is a Tuition Appeal?
The Tuition Appeal process was developed for students who believe that their tuition responsibility should be reduced because of unforeseen circumstances that prevented their participation for the duration of the term or session. Tuition Appeals pertain to classes that have already been dropped or withdrawn.
Because each student bursar account has a unique combination of completed payments, financial aid, scholarship funds, late fees, or past due balances, an approved tuition appeal that reduces the student’s tuition and fee responsibility may not result in actual funds being returned to the student.
This appeal is not intended for use by students who are seeking
financial assistance or relief related to a completed and graded class or term.
What is considered an extenuating circumstance for a Tuition Appeal:
Qualifying extenuating circumstances are expected to have caused a clear loss of ability for the student to start or continue to successfully interact with university resources, technology, and classes for that term or session.
Examples of qualifying extenuating circumstances might include:
Emergent hospitalization or incapacitation of the student or family member
Natural disasters
Other emergent and unexpected personal circumstances
Unexpected military orders or service
What is not considered an extenuating circumstance for a Tuition Appeal:
Not knowing or misunderstanding the dates and deadlines. For example, enrolling in a class past the refund deadline and subsequently withdrawing from that class is not considered an applicable reason to request tuition reduction through appeal.
Personal financial hardship, or attempt to reduce debt or past due balance
Not meeting financial aid requirements and deadlines for aid disbursement
If you are considering filing a tuition appeal, before proceeding, please review the important information below:
Tuition Reduction Resulting from Appeal is Not Guaranteed
Having an approved complete withdrawal or retroactive withdrawal for a class or term does not guarantee an approved tuition reduction will be granted because of a tuition appeal.
Earned Grades
Earned grades typically demonstrate continued participation through the end of the class, as such, earned grades typically disqualify the class from consideration for any tuition reduction.
Academic Record Review
Data on your academic record will be reviewed as part of the appeal process. The information gathered may include enrollment and drop/withdrawal dates, and class attendance and participation information from the University learning management system. In approved appeals, this data is typically closely aligned with the circumstances and dates provided by the student in their personal statement and other appeal evidence.
Impact to Bursar Account
Because each student bursar account has a unique combination of completed payments, financial aid, scholarship funds, late fees, or past due balances, an approved tuition appeal that reduces the student’s tuition and fee responsibility may not result in actual funds being returned to the student.
If the tuition appeal results in a reduction in tuition responsibility, and all changes have been paid and the student account has a refundable credit balance, a refund may be issued. Contact the Bursar Office for more information.
Tuition Rate
Students are expected to review and understand their personal tuition rate for each term. Many students who drop classes during the term will not see a change in tuition if they remain enrolled above their tuition cap.
Return of Financial Aid
Students whose appeals are approved may be responsible for returning some or all the financial aid they were awarded based on the Return of Title IV (R2T4) Calculation component of the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid Withdrawal Policy
What to expect when submitting the appeal
Students have one year from the term the student is appealing to submit a tuition appeal. The decision made by the Tuition Appeal Commitee is final.
The Tuition Appeal Form requires that students answer basic questions about the term and reason for appeal, and may require additional documents such as:
Personal Statement
This statement should explain the extenuating circumstance and its impact on the student’s ability to withdraw during the term and continue to interact with campus resources and classes.
Other evidence and supporting documentation
Supporting documentation can include email correspondence with UA faculty/Staff, obituaries with relevant dates, birth or death certificates, news articles or anything else that has relevant dates that will support the personal statement and available data on the student record. Submissions without documentation are rarely approved.
An approved University Medical Provider form (if applicable)
If using a University Medical Provider form, students should download the form and complete as directed. Note: If students have a completed medical provider form that was used on a withdrawal request for the same term, they can upload the same form in the tuition appeal request, a second form is not required.
If you are ready to proceed with your tuition appeal, you can click the button below. You will receive an email confirmation when your appeal is received, and a decision will be made in four to six weeks. Do not submit duplicate requests.
Additional Support
- The Office of the Registrar can answer questions to help you determine if submitting a Tuition Appeal is the best choice for you.
- Visit the Bursar’s Disputing a Charge webpage for information regarding charges not associated with tuition and their Refund Options webpage for receiving refunds for an approved appeal.
- Financial Aid Recipients should consult the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid regarding rules and regulations pertaining to ANY award if the student plans to drop or withdraw from units.
If you are in need of emergency funding, visit the Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid to learn about one-time special circumstance funding.