Student Account Policies

If your student account is carrying a credit balance of $1 or more Student and Departmental Account Services will initiate a student account refund. Financial aid still pending does not qualify for a refund. Credit balances will be refunded either via electronic payment or paper check.

Refunds will be released on or after the first day of classes each term. Following the first day of classes, refunds will be released weekly, subject to closures, in accordance with our refund schedule. Students that have elected direct deposit will have their funds automatically released to their preferred bank account on record in the Student Account Center. Students who have not enrolled in direct deposit will have a paper check mailed to the preferred mailing address on record unless that address is an international address.* Refund checks made payable to a parent borrower will be mailed to the parent address on record with Lewis & Clark.

Requests to reissue a refund or reimbursement may result in a fee. Verify Lewis & Clark has the correct preferred mailing address on record in order to avoid a lost check, or preferred bank information on record in order to avoid a failed electronic funds transfer.

*Checks issued to a student with an international address may be retrieved at Student and Departmental Account Services during our hours of operation.

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Refunds Resulting from Financial Aid

Financial aid will be applied to student accounts and used to address allowable charges** incurred. Financial aid funds cannot be applied until all documents have been completed and the funds received.

Federal Regulations restrict how the college can manage Title IV financial aid program funding. Title IV financial aid includes Pell Grant, SEOG, National SMART, Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Direct PLUS funds. If the total amount of Title IV financial aid funds disbursed to a student account exceeds the allowable charges**, the college must receive authorization to pay miscellaneous charges incurred on the student account. Examples of miscellaneous charges include: health center fees, LRAP fee, Green Energy fee, Media Fee, parking fines, etc. To address how to manage Title IV financial aid funds we request students complete the Title IV Authorization located in Self Service. 

Financial aid applied to a student account that exceeds the amount a student has been charged may be refunded to the student. Refunds must be used to cover education-related expenses, off-campus living expenses, transportation and/or books and supplies.

Federal regulations require that credit balances resulting from a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan be refunded to the borrower unless authorization is on file allowing the funds to be released to the student. An authorization must be on file for each Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan borrowed.

**According to federal regulations, allowable charges are defined as tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board (if the student contracts with the institution for room and board).