Refunds

Important: Due to COVID-19, we strongly encourage students to sign up for electronic refunds. With the ever changing situation we cannot guarantee that paper checks can be processed and mailed while Lone Star College facilities are closed. Steps to sign up for an electronic refund profile are provided below.

All refunds are deposited electronically or applied back to the credit card that was used to make payment(s) on the account. If you do not have a bank account with direct deposit set up you will receive a refund by check, which may result in your refund being delayed up to 2 weeks. You can setup a refund profile to receive funds electronically through your myLoneStar account.

• We deduct any debt owed to the college before issuing a refund. LSC adheres to Federal regulations regarding refunds of federal financial aid funds for prior aid years.
• Refunds for amounts paid with a credit card online will be refunded back to that same credit card. This applies to payments made with a pre-paid credit card or a gift card. You are responsible for interest charged to the credit card account while the refund is processed.
• Refunds for amounts paid with a credit card at a campus business office may result in a paper check refund. If you do not wish to receive a paper check refund, you can create an electronic refund profile.
• We highly recommend for all students to create a refund profile. Steps to create an electronic refund profile can be found here
• Refunds of third-party or sponsor payments are sent back to third party sponsors.

Financial Aid Refunds

Fall & Spring

Beginning two weeks after the Official Day of Record (ODR)* and continuing through the end of the term, current term refunds are processed weekly and distributed no later than each Friday afternoon. For questions regarding the disbursement of your financial aid award please contact the Financial Aid Contact center at FACC@lonestar.ed. For questions regarding refunds, please contact your campus Business Office.

Summer

Beginning two weeks after the Official Day of Record (ODR)* and continuing through the end of the term, current term refunds are processed weekly and distributed no later than each Thursday afternoon.

For specific questions about your financial aid eligibility or disbursements please contact financial aid.

Ask a Financial Aid Question

Phone: 281.290.2700
Mon-Fri: 7:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Refunds for:

• Withdrawal
• Financial Aid
• Flex/Non-traditional

Financial Aid Refunds and Federal Return to Title IV (R2T4) Requirements

Once you have begun classes at Lone Star College for a semester and have received Title IV (Federal) financial aid, it is important that you carefully consider the consequences of withdrawing from your classes. The issuance and acceptance of Title IV financial aid is contingent upon strict federal regulations, including how aid must be returned to the Department of Education if a student withdraws from classes. Withdrawal may result in a partial or total loss of your financial aid. If this occurs, the amount of financial aid returned will post to your student account, and you may owe Lone Star College the corresponding amount.

Non-Financial Aid Refunds 

Fall & Spring

Refunds for the traditional (16 weeks) and non-traditional (less than 16 weeks) enrollment credits are processed from the Lone Star College System (LSCS), approximately 18 days after the Official Day of Record (ODR)* and continue weekly thereafter to the end of the current term. Once classes have started, students may not receive a full refund of all payments made. The refund amount is based on an published refund schedule. The date of the drop and length of the course are used to determine the amount refunded. The Drop and Withdrawal Refund Schedules are published in the CREDIT SCHEDULE on the 'Refund Information' page, and in the LSCS Current Catalog on the 'Financial Information and Assistance' page. Students enrolled in a payment plan that drop after classes begin may be required to make an additional payment to cover the costs of the remaining balance. Students will not be refunded more than the amount paid towards their payment plans. Please note payment plan administration fees are nonrefundable.

Summer

Beginning two weeks after the Official Day of Record (ODR)** for the May start date (Mini-Mester) classes, summer enrollment credits are processed from the Lone Star College System (LSCS), and continue weekly thereafter to the end of the summer term.  The Drop and Withdrawal Refund Schedules are published in the LSCS Current Catalog on the 'Financial Information and Assistance' page.

Credit students who drop a course, or who totally withdraw, will have their tuition and standard semester-length fees (except registration fee and payment plan fee) refunded according to the Refund Schedule (see below).

Continuing Education Refunds

Continuing Education Refunds are not provided after the class begins. A full refund is provided if a drop/add form is completed and submitted to the continuing education registration office before the class begins. Non-credit refunds will begin two weeks after the Official Day of Record for the term. Please see
CE Advising for more information on refunds and other questions.

* Official Day of Record – Refer to the CREDIT SCHEDULE

Current Financial Aid Refunds Affected By Prior Year Delinquencies

Current term financial aid refunds may be reduced by up to $200 to recover a delinquent balance owed to Lone Star College in a prior financial aid award year. This recovery will post to your student account prior to the refunding of excess financial aid, and it will reduce the amount of the refund for the current term.

Financial Aid Refunds Subject To Pull Back and Return To The Lender

If this is not your first enrollment period at Lone Star College and you received Title IV financial aid it is very important that you carefully consider the consequences of withdrawing from your classes. The issuance and acceptance of Title IV financial aid is contingent on very strict federal regulations. These regulations may result in a reduction, or a loss of your financial aid. This applies only to students receiving Title IV financial aid under certain circumstances. If this happens a corresponding charge for the financial aid pull back will post to your student account and you will owe this amount back to Lone Star College.

http://www.lonestar.edu/return-title-iv.htm

The following represent a portion of the details:

1. The percent of the term that you complete will be the percent of the amount of Title IV assistance that you will be permitted to keep.
2. The percent will be calculated and the remaining amount that you received must be returned to the Title IV funds as prescribed by law.
3. You will be notified by the financial aid office of the amount you owe to the Department of Education (ED). You will be allowed 45 days to pay in full to Lone Star College the debt owed to ED. After the 45-day period, the debt will be referred to the Department of Education for collection.
4. You must either pay the debt in full to Lone Star College System or make payment arrangements with ED in order to maintain eligibility for Title IV funds.
5. If you receive Title IV assistance, you will need to carefully consider the ramifications of completely withdrawing from your classes. Examples and information are available in the financial aid offices.
6. Once your Title IV refund amounts are determined, they will be refunded to the Title IV programs in the following order:
   1. Unsubsidized Stafford student loans
   2. Subsidized Stafford student loans
   3. Plus Loan program
   4. Pell Grant program
   5. Federal SEOG grant program
   6. Federal Iraq Afghanistan Grant

Refund Schedule For Flexible and Non-Semester Length Classes
(Applicable to fall, spring and summer classes)

Refunds will be made under the following conditions: in compliance with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Policy:

1. If the college cancels or discontinues a scheduled course, a 100 percent refund is granted.
2. Students who drop a course or who totally withdraw before the first class day will have their tuition and fees refunded (EXCEPT for the registration fee, the payment plan service fee, or the late fee - if any are applicable). These refunds are in accordance with the following drops and withdrawals schedule.
3. Students who drop a course or withdraw after the first calendar day of the semester will receive a partial tuition and fees refund (EXCEPT for the registration fee, the payment plan service fee, or the late fee - if any are applicable) in accordance with the following drop and withdrawal schedule.

Note: Title IV (Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Direct Loans) aid recipients are subject to a different policy upon complete withdrawal of classes.

Students enrolled in a payment plan who drop after the class starts will only be refunded the amount they paid towards their balance. Depending on the amount paid towards their payment plan deposit, students may owe an additional amount to cover their remaining charges.

Semester Length Courses

Flex Entry and Non-Semester Length Courses

After classes begin, see drops and withdrawals chart.

Drops and Withdrawals

LSCS Business Office Contact Information

For business office hours, contacts, and phone numbers, visit LSC Business & Bursar Offices

For questions, contact the Financial Aid Contact Center by visiting their website, call 281.290.2700 or email FACC@lonestar.edu.

Please note: phone services are not available while the college is closed for COVID-19