Refunds

Refunds are issued on accounts when there is a credit balance. Depending on the reason for the refund, refund penalties such as drop charges or partial tuition reimbursement may apply. These can reduce the total amount of the refund. Normal processing times for student account refunds after initial disbursements are between 4 and 6 weeks. If you have a compelling reason to receive a refund sooner, submit the Student Refund Request Form.

Parking permits may not be refundable; contact Transportation and Parking Services for details.

Financial Aid Refunds: Financial aid disbursement is initiated ten days before the start of the term and is not available before that date. Dropped classes involving financial aid must be approved by the Office of Financial Aid before a refund is issued. Financial aid refunds can be issued via direct deposit or paper check by mail.

Refund Options

Refunds for payments made by credit card will be credited back to the card. All other refunds are disbursed via the student's selected refund option: direct deposit or mailed paper check. Refunds initiated through direct deposit are usually available within three business days. There is a two-week waiting period for refunded check payments, including electronic (e-check) payments. This waiting period is for funds to clear before any refunds are processed.

Paper refund checks will be mailed to the most recent address on file with Portland State University. If you wish to receive your refund as a paper check in the mail, ensure your address is up-to-date. You can view your address in myPSU on the My Account page.

Refund checks are not provided to students in person. Refunds are only distributed through direct deposit or mailed check.

Direct Deposit

To set up direct deposit:

1. Log in to myPSU.

2. Navigate to the Finances page and select Manage Enrollment, Make a Payment, or Manage Payment Account.

3. Follow the instructions to add an account (you will need the bank routing number and account number).

4. Under Activate this account for: check Reimbursements if it isn’t already checked.

Tuition Refund Schedule and Drop Charges

Review the academic calendar for published add/drop deadlines. If a class is dropped after the first week of the term, only a percentage of the charges is available for refund. For every week that passes up until the fourth week, the percentage decreases.

A course may be dropped during the fifth week of the term using the Special Registration Form, the course will be recorded on the student's transcript as a Withdrawal (W) course and no tuition refund will be issued. Refund consideration is automatic; no special request is necessary. Processing of a refund cannot begin until after the end of the second week. It may take as many as six additional weeks for the refund to reach the student.

The refund schedule is applicable to the academic year (fall, winter, spring). Summer term has its own refund schedule which can be viewed on the academic calendar. Learn more about Summer Term and the overall finance process.

If you drop one or more classes after the first week of the term, you will receive the appropriate tuition refund percentage and will also receive a drop charge. This drop charge will be applied to your student account, as with any other university charge, and is payable in the same ways as other charges to the student account. Refund calculations are based on the total tuition and fees on a student account. Students with outstanding balances for short-term loans, deferred tuition, and any other financial obligations to the university, will have any refund due to them applied against the obligation. 

Completely dropping all classes does not cancel a student's obligation to pay a student loan that was taken out, or a balance owed to the university.

Refund policy and calculation are matters separate from tuition payment arrangements. Refunds for students receiving financial aid are credited back to the proper financial aid account. For more information on this, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid. 

Refund Policies

Dropping All Courses: Dropping all courses does not cancel a student's obligation to pay back a student loan that was taken out or pay a balance owed to the university. Refund calculations in the case of dropping all courses are based on the total tuition and fees associated with a student account, applicable drop charges, and partial tuition refunds. Students with outstanding balances such as short-term loans, deferred tuition, and any other financial obligations to the university at the time when all classes are dropped will have any refund due to them applied against the obligation first before any refunds are released. Refund policy and calculation are matters separate from tuition payment arrangements. Refunds for students receiving financial aid are credited back to the proper financial aid account. 

Health Studies: All Health Studies special course fee refunds are automatic. Contact the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health for estimates on refund wait periods.

Military Service: For information about refunds for students who are being called to active duty, visit the Certification Deployment and Unexpected Withdrawal site or email the Veterans Certification Office at vetcert@pdx.edu.

Overseas Programs: Regular tuition, fees, and surcharges paid by students in special overseas programs are nonrefundable.

Special Course Fees: Academic departments that charge fees in addition to regular tuition maintain their own refund schedules for those fees. Contact the department to get approval for refunds.

Student Health Insurance: Costs associated with PSU’s Student Health Insurance Plan are not refundable after the second week of the term. Insurance fees are deducted before calculating refunds.