Refund Policies

If you are considering dropping classes, exchanging classes (dropping a class and adding another class of equal credit), officially withdrawing from all of your classes, or simply not showing up for classes after the semester begins, it is very important that you review our refund policy to learn when you will be entitled to a reduction in charges or refund of payments.
Tuition & Fee RefundsFinancial Aid Refunds

Notice to Financial Aid/Student Loan Recipients

Before you change your current enrollment plans, contact the Student Financial Services Office to learn how this may impact your financial aid. Enrollment changes may affect your eligibility for financial aid for the current semester and in future semesters. Students are encouraged to review our Financial Aid Withdrawal Policies. For additional information, contact Student Financial Services at or (413) 775-1109.

Refund Policy for Credit Courses

Refund periods vary by semester. Please read the policy carefully. You must drop classes or withdraw according to the official policy in order to receive any reduction in charges or refund of payments. In all cases, the date of your formal withdrawal will determine your eligibility for a reduction in charges. A full reduction in charges will be granted if a course or non-credit class/workshop is cancelled by the college. For non-credit classes, refer to our Workforce Development or Community Engagement.

Refund Deadlines

Refund deadlines vary for classes that do not meet for the entire semester (non-standard semesters) and for intersession and weekend class schedules. Most non-standard class refund deadlines are listed by the Registrar’s Office. If you do not see your class listed, please contact Enrollment Services office at (413) 775-1801 or (413) 775-1807 to inquire about those deadlines.

Generally, for the purposes of obtaining a reduction in charges, if you withdraw from regularly scheduled credit class(es) during the refund period dates, you will receive a reduction in charges of both tuition and fees as follows:

Semester Refund Period Percent Effective Dates
Summer II 2023 100% July 17 to July 20, 2023
Summer II 2023 75% July 21 to July 24, 2023
Fall 2023 First week of semester 100% Sept. 6 to Sept. 12, 2023
Fall 2023 Second week of semester 75% Sept. 13 to Sept. 19, 2023
Winter 2024 Intersession 100% Jan. 2 to Jan. 3, 2024
Winter 2024 Intersession 75% Jan. 4, 2024
Spring 2024 First week of semester 100% Jan. 24 to Jan. 30, 2024
Spring 2024 Second week of semester 75% Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 2024

The specific refund period dates for regularly scheduled credit classes are published on the academic calendar and the reverse of all billing statements.

If you are entitled to a refund of any payments after a reduction in charges, please allow 4 to 6 weeks for refund processing.

If you withdraw from all or some of your classes after the refund periods expire, you will not receive any reduction in charges and you will be responsible for paying all charges remaining on your account. 

Dropping One or More (But Not All) Class(es)

To drop one or more classes, but not all of your classes, before the add/drop deadline:

Dropping All Classes

To drop all of your classes:

Note: Use this form only if you intend to drop all classes and withdraw entirely from GCC or if you are requesting a late withdrawal. If you are dropping only one or some of your classes before the add/drop deadline, use the Drop a Class Form .

Review the Academic Calendar for withdrawal deadlines.

If you need assistance, contact your Advisor or the Advising Center at or (413) 775-1339. Alternatively, you can contact the Enrollment Services Office (C103) at or (413) 775-1801.

For grading purposes, your withdrawal request must be submitted before the last day to drop/withdraw with a grade of “W” per the academic calendar. Any late submittals will be reviewed on a case by case basis by the Registrar and the Dean of Students and granted only under exceptional circumstances. If not approved, a grade will be assigned by the instructor based on the work completed.

In order to receive a reduction in charges and/or a refund of payments, you must complete the official withdrawal process within the specified dates noted by the refund deadlines.

NOTE: There will be no reduction of charges or refund of payments for any withdrawals occurring after the last day to drop with a 75% refund, as noted by the refund deadlines. The $20 registration fee and $35 payment plan fee are non-refundable.  

Withdrawal Prior to Semester Start

If you withdraw from some or all of your credit classes prior to the start of the semester (not before the specific class begins), a full reduction in charges for both tuition and fees, less the $20 registration fee and $35 payment plan fee, will be granted. The registration and payment plan fees will remain on your account and you will continue to be billed for them until paid.

Withdrawal After Semester Starts

Refer to the refund deadlines to determine your eligibility for a refund. If you withdraw from all or some of your classes after the refund periods expire, you will not receive any reduction in charges and you will be responsible for paying all charges remaining on your account. The $20 registration fee and $35 payment plan enrollment fee are non-refundable.

Even Exchange of Classes During Refund Periods

An even exchange of classes is only permitted through the last day of the 100% refund period. After that date, if you drop a class and add another class during the 75% refund period, you will pay full cost for the added class and receive only 75% refund for the dropped class. After the 75% percent refund period, you will be charged at full cost for any added or dropped classes.

Withdrawal Due to Medical Issues

If you withdraw for medical reasons, our regular refund policy applies. There is no refund for medical withdrawal after the refund period has expired. Withdrawal due to health issues is treated no differently than a normal withdrawal. You can obtain all required medical withdrawal forms from the Registrar’s Office or online at gcc.mass.edu/registrar/forms. Please call the Chief Student Affairs Officer for further guidance on medical withdrawals at (413) 775-1868.

Refund Policy for Non-Credit Workshops

Effective February 7, 2024:

Students will receive a full refund for any canceled courses.

For workshops that meet for ten (10) days or fewer:

  • Official withdrawal by five (5) business days prior to the first meeting of the workshop results in a full refund.

  • Official withdrawal between four (4) business days prior to the first meeting of the workshop and the day before the first meeting of the workshop results in a 75% refund.

  • No refund will be given for withdrawals submitted from the day of the first meeting of the workshop to the end of the workshop.

For workshops that meet for more than ten (10) days:

  • Official withdrawal by five (5) business days prior to the first meeting of the workshop results in a full refund.

  • Official withdrawal between four (4) business days prior to the first meeting of the workshop and the day of the second meeting of the workshop results in a 75% refund.

  • No refund will be given for withdrawals submitted from the day after the second meeting of the workshop to the end of the workshop.

Withdrawals must be submitted to  by 11:59 p.m. EST to be considered for that calendar day.

Please allow 3-4 weeks for processing your refund. Learn more from our offices of Workforce Development and Community Engagement.

Refund Appeals: If you are confronted with an unexpected and serious circumstance beyond your control that requires you to withdraw from a workshop, you may submit an appeal to the Dean of Workforce Development in writing requesting a refund. Be prepared to provide sufficient detail and/or documentation to support your claim. Submitting an appeal does not guarantee a refund, and refunds may be granted on a full or partial basis. Appeals must be submitted within 60 calendar days from the date of the event that caused you to withdraw from the workshop. Appeals will be reviewed within 30 calendar days from the date you submitted your appeal.

Requesting an Exception to Our Refund Policy

To learn about requesting an exception to the refund policy visit our Appeals Process section.

When students stop attending classes, officially drop classes, or withdraw from the College, they may have their financial aid payments adjusted to reflect the actual percentage of time that they have attended class(es) and/or other educational activity. This percentage will be calculated by the number of days the student has attended divided by the number of days in the semester. The College and student must return any unearned aid to the appropriate funding sources (i.e. Pell grant, SEOG grant, Stafford Loan). The College will have only thirty (30) days to determine the correct amount of funds the student has earned and notify the student if a refund must be collected for any aid previously disbursed or if there is a balance owed to the College. Students must respond by contacting the Student Financial Services Office within 45 days from the date of the financial aid notification to arrange an acceptable repayment agreement. Students will need to work very closely with the Student Financial Services Office as they stop attending classes, officially drop classes, or withdraw from the College. For questions on how those actions will affect your financial aid package, contact the Student Financial Services Office at (413) 775-1109.

When paying your bill with expected financial aid or student loans, consider the following:

  1. If you are awarded financial aid or student loans by the due date of your bill and your aid will cover your entire balance, you do not need to do anything further as long as you remain eligible for the grants/loans awarded to you.
  2. If you are awarded financial aid or student loans by the due date of your bill but your aid will cover only a portion of your bill, you must pay the difference by the due date of your bill or sign up for the payment plan.
  3. If you are not awarded any financial aid or student loans by the due date of your bill you must either pay your bill in full or sign up for the 4-month payment plan.

If you do not pay your balance in full and you do not sign up for the payment plan by the due date, you will be charged a late fee of $35 if your unpaid balance is $100 or greater.

Financial aid and student loans are tentative and based on your continued enrollment, the number of credits you are taking, and regular class attendance. Therefore, if you stop attending classes, never attended classes, or decrease the number of credits you are taking, your financial aid/student loans may be adjusted and you may end up owing the college money.

Your financial aid/student loans may be adjusted and you may be responsible for repaying your refund and any tuition and fee balance.

Financial aid and student loans are tentative and based on your continued enrollment and attendance of your classes. If you receive a financial aid/student loan excess refund check because your financial aid and/or student loans exceeds your total charges, please be aware that if you officially withdrew, never attended, stopped attending, or reduced the amount of credits you are taking, you may not be entitled to all or some of your financial aid and/or student loans. You must be attending all of your classes regularly in order to remain eligible for your grants/loans.

If you receive an excess refund check and subsequently one or more of your instructors reports to the Registrar that you have not been attending classes, you may end up owing the college for any excess funds you received that you weren’t entitled to. If the Student Financial Services Office reduces your aid/loans, you will be responsible for repaying any excess financial aid refund and/or any tuition and fee balance that may result from the adjustment. You are strongly urged to check with the Student Financial Services Office to learn how your aid will be affected.

You may still owe a balance on your account for health insurance, parking tickets, exam fees, or other charges. Even though you may have a financial aid excess refund, it is still possible for you to have an existing balance on your account for the semester. If that is the case, you will receive a bill with your excess financial aid/student loan check which you are obligated to pay. An obligation hold will also be placed on your account that will prevent you from obtaining additional services from the College such as future registration, grades for the current semester, or academic transcripts until you resolve the balance issue.

Federal regulations prohibit financial aid funds to be used to pay certain charges such as parking fines or world language exam fees. You must pay these types of charges out of pocket.