Policies & Procedures

Communication to Students

University communications are sent to students through the following channels:

• Webcat
  •  Students receive billing statements, register, view grades, student accounts, and financial awards through Webcat.
• University Email
  •  Important notifications are sent by many departments and offices via the UNH email address that is assigned by the University. Students are responsible for checking this email account on a regular basis.
• myUNH
  • University announcements and many more information sources are available through this student portal system - myUNH.
• Campus Address
  • University mailings are sometimes sent to campus addresses. Mail may be picked up at Granite Square Station Student Postal Center in the MUB.
• Permanent Address
  • Some notifications are sent in the student's name to the permanent mailing address.
• University Policy on Electronic Communication
  • The University of New Hampshire often communicates with students on official matters in written form. The progression of technology has prompted the University to adapt both its administrative and educational communications to benefit from this technology. In those instances when the University chooses to communicate with students through technology (including but not limited to email, portal communications, and electronic messaging), it often does so with the use of University-generated UNH Username. The University will provide and maintain this UNH Username; it will be the responsibility of the student to monitor official communication sent by the University to this UNH Username on the UNH email system, as well as those posted to the UNH Portal (myUNH) and accessible with this UNH username.

Withdrawal, Leave of Absence, or Change to Part-Time Status

Please refer to the Withdrawal/Leave/Change to Part-Time Schedule below, which corresponds with UNH's main academic calendar for Fall and Spring semester start dates. Students in special programs that use alternative calendars should consult their departments for deadlines.

Please refer to the Checklist for Students Who Are Graduating or Leaving UNH for additional steps students should take if not returning to UNH.

Fall 2024 Semester begins August 26, 2024

Spring 2025 semester begins January 21, 2025

Any degree candidate who withdraws from the University and subsequently enrolls as a special (non-degree) student during the current semester or the next academic year will continue to be billed for tuition and fees at the same rate as degree candidates, using appropriate rates for resident/non-resident and undergraduate/graduate status.

How to Initiate a Withdrawal or Leave of Absence from the University

A withdrawal/leave of absence form must be filed with the Registrar's Office at unh.withdrawals@unh.edu when a student withdraws or takes leave from the University. The date the student officially notifies the Registrar's Office is the official date used to determine financial adjustments. Tuition and mandatory fees are reduced according to the above schedule. Once financial adjustments have been made, any overpayment will be refunded to the student. Refund processing will take approximately 45 days.

Change to Part-Time Status

Students who drop from full-time to part-time status will be responsible for a portion of the full-time tuition and mandatory fees in accordance with the above schedule. Please complete a “Change in Enrollment Form” under the STUDENT FORMS drop down menu on the Financial Aid website. Please note that taking a reduced course load may affect your financial aid package.

Food & Housing

Students should refer to the Room and Board agreement for the food & housing refund policy.

Federal Aid

If federal financial aid has been received, it will be returned to the lender in accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations in effect at the time of withdrawal or leave. Please note that the return of aid may create an unpaid balance owed to UNH. Specific details regarding federal regulations and an estimated calculation are available from UNH Student Accounts upon request. There is no return of federal aid once the student has completed over 60% of a semester.

Tuition Protection Plan

Tuition insurance for reimbursement of tuition, fees, room and board in the event of medical withdrawal due to illness, injury or psychological conditions. Tuition Protection Plan

Late Fees

Non-payment of billed balances can result in late fees and may result in students being disenrolled from classes. Late fees are based on the amount of the outstanding balance. Effective May 2022, late fees will be assessed monthly. The calculated late fee is 2% of the billed amount or $100 (whichever is lower). Any outstanding balance could cause a financial hold which prevents registration and the mailing of transcripts and diplomas.

Posting of Payments

With the exception of financial aid, payments are applied to the oldest charge first.

Returned Check Policy

Checks that have been returned for insufficient funds are assessed a $30 return check charge. A bank check, money order, or cash must be used to replace a returned check. If two or more checks are returned for insufficient funds, the University will be unable to accept future personal checks for that student account.

Refunds on Student Accounts

Students whose actual payments exceed their charges may request a refund from UNH Student Accounts after receipt and settlement of the tuition bill, and after any check payments have cleared (10 business days). Refunds may be requested online through the Webcat. Before a refund is issued, all monthly payments must be received, loan notes and loan checks must be signed, and the student's account must be free of holds. In accordance with merchant agreements, accounts with credit card payments made during the term will be refunded to the credit card first. Any remaining credit will be processed via check or direct deposit. It is the student's responsibility to initiate a refund request. Refunds are made in the student's name unless the credit is the result of a Parent PLUS loan. PLUS credits are refunded to the parent borrower. Please allow two weeks for processing of refund requests.

Federally regulated (Title IV) refunds will be automatically generated within the required time frame if not previously requested by the student. The required time frame is defined as 14 days after the credit balance occurs or 14 days after the first day of class if the credit balance occurs on or before the first day of class.

Note: Federal funds may not be disbursed to student accounts any earlier than 10 days before the start of classes.

UNH PLUS Loan Refund Policy

Parent Loans to Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are federal Title IV funds specifically designated to pay for undergraduate educational expenses. PLUS loans are disbursed directly to the student’s billing account.  When the loan proceeds are disbursed, an email or letter is sent to the parent PLUS Loan borrower indicating the funds have arrived. The borrower has the option to cancel the loan within 30 days. If the loan is not canceled the PLUS loan funds will be applied to federal Title IV charges.

If any credit remains after these charges are paid, a calculation based on federal regulations will determine which portion of the refund can be requested by the student and which portion will be available to the parent. If the parent PLUS borrower submits a request in writing or allows permission through the PLUS loan application, the full credit balance can be made available to the student.

PLUS refunds are issued according to the following guidelines:

• If the PLUS loan borrower elects for the student to receive the refund, the full credit balance would be available for the student to request online through Webcat.
• If the parent PLUS loan borrower elects to receive the refund directly, available PLUS loan credit will be refunded directly to the borrower via check.
• If the PLUS loan borrower has elected to receive a refund directly, no changes may be made after the refund request has been entered. Prior to processing of the refund the parent borrower may choose to allow the refund to be issued to the student. A written statement to UNH Student Accounts must be signed by the PLUS borrower and include the student’s name, ID and brief explanation. To comply with federal regulations, this or the submission of a new loan application are the only options to change the refund recipient.

After the PLUS refund is requested by the PLUS Loan Coordinator, if future payments are received from sources other than another PLUS Loan, any overpayments resulting in a credit balance will be deemed to be from other sources, and any new credit balance will be made available to the student.

Title IV Allowable Charges and Credit Balance

Total Title IV Allowable Charges MINUS total Title IV Financial Aid equals the Title IV Balance. If the Title IV Balance calculated is negative, this is a Title IV Credit Balance.