This page summarizes eligibility and procedures for tuition and fee refunds.
Students who have paid quarterly tuition and fees, and later decide not to enroll must notify UCSB using the Cancellation or Complete Withdrawal process.
Stopping payment on a check or money order will not cancel or withdraw your quarterly enrollment, and you will still be responsible for paying all tuition and fees. A charge of $25 will be billed for any payment returned for NSF or stopped payment.
Financial Aid
For information on financial aid disbursements, please visit the BARC website and the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships website.
A "financial aid disbursement" happens when UCSB pays out a student's financial aid funds, such as grants or loans, to the student's BARC account. The funds are applied to the student's BARC account to cover tuition, fees, and other expenses. Any overall credit remaining on myBARC is then refunded to the student.
Refund Schedules
Students who withdraw from the university are required to pay a prorated portion of all assessed fees up to the date of withdrawal, according to
the UC-wide Refund Schedule.
The fee refund schedules are subject to revision, including retroactive revision during the academic year, without notice, by the Federal Government or the Regents of the University of California.
Refund Schedules A and B only apply to Fall, Winter, and Spring quarterly tuition and fees.
Schedule A
New students receiving federal Title IV financial aid* who withdraw in their first quarter of attendance are eligible to receive the following percentage.
Days refer to calendar days, including weekends.
| Cancellation or Withdrawal Date | Refund Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1st day of instruction or prior | 100% |
| 2-7 days | 90% |
| 8-14 days | 80% |
| 15-21 days | 70% |
| 22-28 days | 60% |
| 29-35 days | 50% |
| 36-42 days | 40% |
| 43 days | 0% |
*Title IV financial aid includes Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, College Work-Study, Perkins Loan, Direct Loans, Unsubsidized Direct Loans, and Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS).
Schedule B
All other students (those not eligible for Schedule A refunds) are eligible to receive the following percentage.
Days refer to calendar days, including weekends.
| Cancellation or Withdrawal Date | Refund Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1st day of instruction or prior | 100% |
| 2-7 days | 90% |
| 8-18 days | 50% |
| 19-35 days | 25% |
| 36 or more days | 0% |
Non-Refundable Fees
Students are eligible to use these services through the end of the quarter paid.
Summer Sessions
For the summer quarter refund policy, please visit the Summer Sessions website.
Appeal to the University Refund Policy
Although UCSB cannot grant exceptions to the system-wide refund policy, UCSB can consider information related to circumstances beyond the student’s control such as family-related or personal illness, accident, or an unforeseen event that supports the need to adjust the date of withdrawal, and potentially change the refund amount.
To submit an appeal to the refund percentage, complete the form. The reason for the appeal must clearly state the reason for withdrawal and what prevented submitting the withdrawal form earlier. Course instructors will be contacted to provide student’s last date of attendance or participation. Supporting documents such as doctor’s statements, receipts, etc. must be attached.
Financial Aid Recipients: Please consult the Financial Aid Office prior to submitting this appeal. If your withdrawal date changes, this could affect financial aid billed to your BARC account.
Deadline: Submit appeals for Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters by the end of the academic year (last day of Summer quarter). Late forms will not be accepted.
If you have any questions about information on this page, please email Registration@sa.ucsb.edu.