The university released an announcement March 27 confirming that adjustments will be made for Spring 2020 housing, dining and parking charges. The information below provides details about adjustments to student accounts due to the impact of the coronavirus on UMass Amherst operations.
What charges are being adjusted?
Housing fees, meal plan fees and student parking fees will be adjusted.
- Students who had been living in residence halls on campus as of March 22 will receive a credit for the remainder of the semester if they moved off campus.
- Students who have not used their meal plan since March 22 will receive a credit for the remainder of the semester.
- Students who purchased a parking permit for Spring 2020 will receive a credit for the remainder of the semester.
- Students who remain on campus and use the campus meal plan will not receive a cost adjustment.
How was my adjustment calculated?
Residential Halls
Your student account will be adjusted for the remaining seven weeks of the semester.
Meal Plans
Residential Meal Plans: Your student account will be adjusted for the remaining seven weeks of the spring semester based on the total cost of the meal plan.
Off-Campus (Commuter) Meal Plans: Your student account will be adjusted for the value of remaining dining meal swipes and dining dollar balances.
Parking
Your student account will be adjusted for the remaining seven weeks of the spring semester.
Why was my financial aid adjusted?
The university provided you with campus-funded need-based financial aid to help cover your cost of attendance. Your financial aid was based on your total cost of attendance, which includes room and meal plans. Since your cost of attendance has decreased through this adjustment, the campus is adjusting your financial aid proportionally. Only campus-funded need-based grant aid was considered in the adjustment. No federal or state aid, institutional or outside scholarships, or loans were considered.
What do I have to do to have my account adjusted?
No action is required by any of our students. The university is working on reviewing student accounts and calculating adjustments. We expect that students will be notified of a change to their account no later than April 17, 2020.
Will I receive a refund?
Many factors will be considered when determining eligibility for a refund as a result of the expected cost adjustments.
- If you currently have a balance due, the credit will be applied to the balance and reduce the amount due.
- If you are on a payment plan, your remaining installments will be adjusted or cancelled if no longer needed.
- After all adjustments are made:
- If your account still shows a balance due, you will continue to receive a monthly billing statement.
- If your account has a credit balance, the university will issue a refund.
When will I receive my refund?
The process for reviewing housing, meal plan and parking charges is underway, and we expect that students will be notified of the adjustment to their account no later than April 17, 2020. Any resulting refunds will be issued to students within two weeks after that date.
How do I get my refund?
Students who are receiving a refund as a result of this cost adjustment will have three options for a refund method:
- Students may apply their refund toward the Fall 2020 tuition bill by completing the ‘Apply Credit to Future Terms’ form on the Bursar’s Office website no later than April 17th. The form can be found at this link.
- Students may take a cash refund for the current term. No action is required other than ensuring that you are signed up for direct deposit through the university’s Excess Express program. Instructions are available at www.umass.edu/bursar/refunds-and-excess-express. You must enroll no later than April 17.
- Students who do not take action as described above will be issued a paper check that will be mailed to their permanent address as listed in SPIRE. Due to the recent stay-at-home orders in effect for Massachusetts, the processing of paper checks to be mailed home could take up to four weeks. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in Excess Express.
What if I’m on a Payment Plan?
We have suspended the April 10 installment of your payment plan. There will be no automatic deduction on April 10. The next installment will be scheduled for May 10, and the final installment will now be set for June 10. Once the cost adjustments have been posted to your account, we will contact you with the particulars of how to adjust your payment plan if needed.
Will I receive an adjustment for tuition since my classes are all online now?
There will be no reimbursement of tuition for the Spring 2020 semester since coursework and instruction are continuing remotely, and students who complete their courses will earn their full credit.
What’s the best way to ask more questions?
We will continue to update our Frequently Asked Questions and encourage you to check back regularly. You can also email us at bursar@admin.umass.edu.
Updated April 27, 2020
