SJSU’s Guidelines for Campus Refunds

Sent: March 22, 2020
From: Charlie Faas, VP for Administration and Finance and Patrick K. Day, VP for Student Affairs

Translations of these guidelines into Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Chinese (traditional and simplified) will be made available on the SJSU Health Advisories website over the next few days.

In light of the evolving circumstances related to Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), and consistent with campus refund policies and Title 5 CCR § 41802 (Title 5) regulations, San Jose State University (SJSU) has established a guide concerning the refund of fees charged by the campus based on guiding principles established by the California State University’s Chancellor Office.

The guidelines framework below is based on the principle that SJSU will refund fees for services and facilities for which students have paid but that the university is unable to provide. In addition, SJSU will waive cancelation and penalty fees associated with changes resulting from circumstances associated with COVID-19.

Campus remains open and all instruction is continuing by a variety of means. According to provisions of Title 5, SJSU has determined that tuition and mandatory fees have been earned. Therefore, there are no refunds on tuition and mandatory fees, as they are being delivered, albeit by a variety of means. 

Below are the refund decisions and reasoning for university housing, parking, dining and other student fees.

Refund Decisions

University Housing

Refunds of housing room and board fees will be provided to those students who choose to vacate university-owned student housing prior to the end of their license agreement and shall be made in accordance with existing campus refund policies and procedures. The university cannot refund or reimburse students living in housing that is not owned by the university.

SJSU encourages students, faculty and staff living in residence halls to return to their permanent residence or move to a safe off-campus location, provided they can travel safely to that location. For any Spartan that needs to remain or does not have a safe alternative, SJSU will continue to provide housing and dining services.

Residents who wish to cancel their licenses and check-out must do so by March 30. All forms and additional check out information are available online. 

SJSU Housing will process prorated refunds starting on March 30:

  • Approximately 42% of your semester rent will be prorated unless you vacate after 3/30
  • You should begin to see refunds by mid-April

If you choose to leave campus and cancel your license agreement or have already left and did not remove all your belongings, please complete the following steps:

If you have already left and did remove all your belongings: 

  • Step 1: Complete and submit License Cancellation and Express Check Out Forms
  • Step 2: Return your keys and access card to us via drop off to your building front desk or mail to:
    • University Housing Services
      One Washington Square
      San Jose, CA 95192-0133  

Parking

Refunds of campus parking fees will be provided to students, faculty and staff who apply for a refund, and will be processed in accordance with existing campus refund policies and procedures. Please note that there will be no processing fee. SJSU Parking Services will process prorated refunds based upon the week you submit your refund request form [pdf].

Please note that SJSU campus is open and parking rules still apply. If you request a refund, then return and park on campus, you will need to purchase a daily parking permit.

Students, faculty and staff who choose to cancel their remaining campus parking agreements must complete the following:

Note: If you have a parking pass for the Campus Village Garage in Housing, a refund will be processed along with your housing license cancellation.

Dining

Refunds of campus dining fees will be provided to students who cancel their housing license and will be processed according to existing campus refund policies and procedures.

For University Housing Services (UHS) meal plan refunds:

  • Students must submit meal plan refunds to UHS during checkout
  • UHS will submit requests to Bursar’s Office for processing
  • Bursar’s Office will calculate and process refunds within 4-6 weeks
  • Students will receive refund amount

For non-Housing meal plans or declining balance accounts:

If you remain in Campus Housing and previously had a meal plan, you cannot cancel.

If you remain in Campus Housing and previously did not have a meal plan and now wish to add one, contact paul.cingolani2@compass-usa.com.

Other Refund Options

Graduate Students 

If your graduation date needs to be changed from May to August because of challenges completing your thesis or dissertation during this semester, we will waive the $10 fee normally charged for a change of graduation date.

Financial Aid Considerations

Withdrawal from all coursework may alter the cost of attendance and affect student financial aid packages, and must be processed according to state and federal financial aid regulations. Additional information can be found on the SJSU financial aid website.

As a reminder, these guiding principles are established to ensure refund policies are fair to students, recognize SJSU’s financial obligations including debt service, and not jeopardize the financial sustainability of essential functions.