Policies
Satisfactory Academic Progress
A student must make “Satisfactory Academic Process” each semester she is enrolled to remain eligible for financial aid at Lasell. Satisfactory progress is defined both by the number of credits successfully completed and the grade point average. If a student’s semester grade point average falls below 2.0, the student is no longer maintaining the standards of satisfactory progress. Additionally, a student is expected to successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits per semester. In general, a student is expected to complete all bachelor degree requirements within six years. A student with extenuating circumstances will be evaluated individually. If a student fails to meet these satisfactory progress guidelines, s/he will be placed on probation for the following semester. The Office will inform such students in writing of this decision. The student remains eligible for financial aid during this probationary period. If the student meets academic progress standards in the following semester, no further action is taken. However, if the student does not meet these standards for a second consecutive semester, s/he will be placed on financial aid suspension. During financial aid suspension, a student may not benefit from any source of financial aid offered by the Office.
The student does retain the right of appeal of this decision. The student must appeal the decision to suspend within 30 days. Appeals must be made by the student in writing and must explain the reasons the student failed to meet these guidelines and what academic plan the student has to ensure success in meeting these guidelines in the future. The appeal may also include supporting documentation from faculty members, advisors, and parents. The appeal should be made in writing to the Director of Student Financial Planning. The Director will present the appeal to the Financial Aid Review Committee for evaluation. The Office will inform students in writing of the decision regarding the appeal. If approved, the student will be eligible to receive one additional semester of federal financial aid. If after the next semester on suspension with appeal, the student continued to fail to meet these guidelines, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension without the right to appeal.
In general undergraduate students must complete 120 credits to achieve their degree. Students must be making progress toward their degree at a certain pace. For a student to be considered as progressing normally, the student's ratio of earned credits to attempted credits (or pace towards degree completion) must be no less than as shown on the following table:
When total attempted credits are: |
Earned credits must be at least: |
Less than 26 credits | 50% of scheduled credits |
26 through 50 credits | 55% of scheduled credits |
51 through 75 credits | 60% of scheduled credits |
76 through 100 credits | 65% of schedule credits |
101 through 125 credits | 70% of scheduled credits |
126 credits and above | 75% of scheduled credits |
Attempted credits are those credits for which students were still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester's Add/Drop period. Withdrawals are counted as attempted credits. Students who withdraw during the course of a semester who receive Federal Financial Aid, i.e. Pell Grant, Direct Stafford or PLUS loans etc., are subject to a recalculation of their financial assistance based on the last date of attendance. Once official notification of the withdrawal or Leave of Absense and the last date of attendance has been received, the Student Financial Planning Office will review the students' aid using a federally mandated formula to determine if any of the aid awarded for that term should be cancelled and returned to the source. This will be reflected on the students' billing account and may result in a balance being due to the University.
Enrollment and Payment Obligations
By registering as a student at Lasell University, you are agreeing to pay all charges on your student account when due and understand that this constitutes a legal financial obligation. Student account charges may include but are not limited to; tuition, mandatory student fees, housing fees, parking fines and late payment fees. You are personally responsible for all amounts due regardless of financial aid eligibility or other financial assistance.
Failure to meet financial obligations by the published due date may result in a late payment fee of 1.5% of the outstanding balance applied monthly. A stop will be placed on the student account that will prevent future registration or add/drop, the release of official transcripts and the release of a diploma.
Students who drop or withdraw from some or all of the classes registered for, will be responsible for all or a portion of the tuition and fees in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule.
Students who are receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits and have provided Lasell University the appropriate documentation will not have their student account placed on stop, will not be subject to late fees, or will not subject to any penalties related to outstanding balances, while awaiting payment from the VA. Penalties will not be restricted if a student owes additional payment beyond the amount of tuition and fees the VA will be paying.
Lasell University may refer delinquent accounts to an outside collection agency. All fees charged by the agency based on a percentage at a maximum of 40 percent, together with all costs and expenses including reasonable attorney's fees will be the responsibility of the student to pay. Delinquent accounts may also be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus.
Important Privacy Information
The Office of Student Accounts' official means of communication are via the student's Lasell email account and/or the student's home address on file. It is important to understand that communications will be directed toward the student, rather than a parent or guardian. If a parent or other individual is assisting with educational finances, please discuss all billing information with that person.
Per Federal regulations on the right to privacy, specific student account information may only be shared with the student and their shared users/participants when contacting the Office of Student Accounts. Students who wish to allow account access to a third party, including a parent, should add them as shared users/participants. Should a parent or third party wish to make payment on the student's behalf, it is the responsibility of the student to share all correspondence, including ebill statements, with those individuals. ebills are generated in the student's name and therefore, the student bears the responsibility for payment.
Special Note: 'Shared users/participants" (parent/s or sponsor) may be added to your student's Student Account Center (SAC) account. This will allow them to view account detail and to make payments toward the student's account. To add users/participants, the student can select the 'Manage Account Access' button at the top of the SAC landing page.
Please note, other than the student, no one may access their SAC until they have been added as a shared user/participant and they have accepted the invitation.
Student Enrollment Deposits
Students are required to submit a non-refundable enrollment deposit once per year. New students to Lasell will deposit based on the deadlines set by Admissions. Returning students will pay the deposit prior to fall registration (March) or spring registration (November) only if they did not attend in the fall. All deposits are credited to the upcoming semesters' tuition and fees. The non-refundable deposits are as follows:
- $400 Resident Enrollment Deposit OR $200 Commuter Enrollment Deposit
- $100 Resident Parking Deposit
- 500 *Study Abroad Deposit
*A $400 Resident Enrollment Deposit OR a $200 Commuter Enrollment Deposit is also required in addition to the $500 Study Abroad Deposit.
Students who have paid the Parking Deposit AND completed the Parking Lottery Registration will see both the credit for the Parking Deposit and a charge for the Annual Parking Fee on the Fall bill.
Students who have not paid a deposit by the deadline, and/or have an outstanding balance due to any University department (i.e. tuition and fees, parking fines, judicial fines and library fines), will not be permitted to participate in Fall Pre-Registration for classes, Room Draw and/or Parking Registration.
Payment Information
Payment Due Dates: Please contact the Office of Student Accounts with any questions regarding your statement well in advance of the payment due date.
Charges incurred after the payment due date are due immediately.
Payment Due Dates:
Undergraduate Due Dates:
Summer 2020: May 1, 2020
Fall 2020 semester: August 1, 2020
Winter 2021: December 14, 2020
Spring 2021 semester: January 1, 2021
Graduate and Online Summer Course Due Dates:
Summer 1/Main/Online 2020: May 12, 2020
Summer 2/Online 2020: July 1, 2020
Fall Session 1 & Main 2020: September 1, 2020
Fall Session 2 2020: October 21, 2020
Winter Session 2020: December 18, 2020
Spring Session 1 & Main 2021: January 12, 2021
Spring Session 2 2021: March 16, 2021
Plese see the Payment Information webpage for details on how to pay.
PLEASE NOTE: If you plan to use loan funds to pay for any outstanding balance on your account, the loan application must be complete and approved, with confirming paperwork forwarded to Lasell University's Office of Student Financial Planning, by the payment due date.
Tuition Refund/Withdrawal Schedule
Enrollment Changes
Students who change their status from full time to part time, OR part time students who reduce their number of credits, after the Add/Drop period will be responsible for 100% of tuition and associated fees for the semester.
No adjustment is made to the following fees after the published Add/Drop Period: Accident and Health Insurance, Allied Health Fee, Fashion Design/Production Fee, Graphic Design Fee, Excess Credit Fee, and Lab Fees.
Housing Changes
Students wishing to change their status from resident to commuter at any point in the academic year must petition the Director of Residence Life in writing for release from the Housing Agreement, and may be assessed penalty charges as outlined in the Housing Agreement. Students who change their status from resident to commuter after the Add/Drop period, will be responsible for 100% of Room and Board charges for the semester.
Withdrawal from the University
The following Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule applies to a student who has completed the appropriate steps to cancel his/her enrollment at Lasell. Non-attendance does not relieve the student of financial obligation or imply entitlement to a refund. Please contact the Registrar's Office for proper withdrawal procedures.
Room and Board may be adjusted according to the schedule below only if the room is vacated within the time period determined by the Office of Residential Life. Students remaining in housing past the time period granted will be charged for daily Room and Board.
For purposes of account adjustments, no differentiation is made between voluntary withdrawals or academic suspension. Unpaid charges may remain after adjustments and will be owed to the University.
If a student loses campus privileges or is suspended or dismissed due a COVID-19 protocol violation, there will be no refund for tuition, fees or room and board.
UNDERGRADUATE Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule for Tuition, Room and Board, and Comprehensive Fee |
|
Prior to the Academic Calendar's 'First Day of Classes' |
100% credit of above fees, less enrollment deposit |
Through first week* of classes |
90% |
Through second week* of classes |
80% |
Through third week* of classes |
70% |
Through fourth week* of classes |
60% |
Through fifth week* of classes |
50% |
Through sixth week* of classes |
40% |
Through seventh week* of classes |
30% |
Through eighth week* of classes |
20% |
Through ninth week* of classes |
10% |
After ninth week* of classes |
No credit of charges |
GRADUATE Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule for Tuition and Room and Board Full Semester Courses |
|
Prior to the Academic Calendar's 'First Day of Classes' |
100% credit of above fees, less enrollment deposit |
Through first week* of classes |
90% |
Through second week* of classes |
80% |
Through third week* of classes |
70% |
Through fourth week* of classes |
60% |
Through fifth week* of classes |
50% |
Through sixth week* of classes |
40% |
Through seventh week* of classes |
30% |
Through eighth week* of classes |
20% |
Through ninth week* of classes |
10% |
After ninth week* of classes |
No credit of charges |
GRADUATE Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule for Tuition Eight Week /Summer Online Courses |
|
Prior to the Academic Calendar's 'First Day of Classes' |
100% credit, less enrollment deposit |
Through first week* of classes |
80% |
Through second week* of classes |
60% |
Through third week* of classes |
40% |
Through fourth week* of classes |
20% |
After fourth week* of classes |
No credit of charges |
UNDERGRADUATE/GRADUATE Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule for Tuition Winter Session Courses |
|
Prior to the Academic Calendar's 'First Day of Class' |
100% credit, less enrollment deposit |
After 'First Day of Class' |
No credit of charges |
*For purposes of determining account adjustments due to withdrawal, a week of enrollment ends on a Friday, regardless of the number of courses scheduled or attended during that period.
Withdrawal During the Semester
Students who withdraw during the course of a semester who receive Federal Financial Aid, i.e. Pell Grant, Direct Stafford or PLUS loans etc., are subject to a recalculation of their financial assistance based on the last date of attendance. Once official notification of the withdrawal or Leave of Absence and the last date of attendance has been received, the Student Financial Planning Office will review the students' aid using a federally mandated formula to determine if any of the aid awarded for that term should be cancelled and returned to the source. This will be reflected on the students' billing account and may result in a balance being due to the University.
Code of Conduct
Lasell University expects each member of the staff of the Office of Student Financial Planning to maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct in all aspects of carrying out his or her responsibilities, including all dealings with any entities involved in any manner in student financial aid, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a government sponsored, subsidized, or regulated activity.
In doing so, a member of the staff in the Office of Student Financial Planning at Lasell University should:
- Refrain from taking any action for his or her personal benefit.
- Refrain from taking any action he or she believes is contrary to law, regulation, or the best interests of the students and parents he or she serves.
- Ensure that the information he or she provides is accurate, unbiased, and does not reflect any preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.
- Be objective in making decisions and advising his or her institution regarding relationships with any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.
- Refrain from soliciting or accepting anything of other than nominal value from any entity (other than an institution of higher education or a governmental entity such as the U.S. Department of Education) involved in the making, holding, consolidating or processing of any student loans, including anything of value (including reimbursement of expenses) for serving on an advisory body or as part of a training activity of or sponsored by any such entity. As a general guide, and subject to more restrictive laws and policies, a total retail value of not more than $10 should be considered reasonable.
- Disclose to his or her institution, in such manner as his or her institution may prescribe, any involvement with or interest in any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.
- Neither Lasell University as an institution nor any individual officer, employee or agent of the institution may enter into a revenue sharing agreement with any lender.
- An officer or employee of Lasell University who is employed in the Student Financial Planning office or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, shall not accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
- Lasell University shall not:
a. for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower's loan to a particular lender; or
b. refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower's selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.
- Lasell University shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with:
a. a specified number of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under Title IV;
b. a specified loan volume of such loans; or
c. a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.
- Lasell University shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.
This code of conduct is applicable to any member of the Lasell University community who, in the course of performing his or her assigned job duties, will make decisions, sign contracts or enter into agreements or relationships that would directly or indirectly impact the Student Financial Aid Office and violate this code of conduct.
Questions, Concerns, Grievances
Lasell University strives to deliver the highest quality educational experience possible to its students. The Lasell University Academic Grievance Process is available to Lasell University students who seek to resolve any grievance related to academic matters. The Lasell University Academic Grievance Process can be found at: https://www.lasell.edu/academics/academic-catalog/undergraduate-catalog-2019-20/academic-policies-19-20.html and at https://www.lasell.edu/campus-life/office-of-student-affairs/student-handbook/policies-and-issues-of-general-conduct-x36502.html.
For further information on the Lasell University Academic Grievance Process, students should inquire with their Academic Advisor or the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs. Lasell University desires to resolve student grievances in an efficient, fair and amicable manner. Concerns regarding any aspect of Lasell University operations should be filed directly with Lasell University authorities. Additionally, inquiries or grievances may be registered with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education at: http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp.