In order to withdraw from a program, you'll need to log-in to your Via Profile and withdraw your application. This is done by going to the “My Programs” tab on the left side then finding the appropriate program. After clicking on the program file, under the dates, there should be a line that reads “No longer going?” and give you the option to withdraw.
** Dropping your education abroad courses and/or notifying your program director, department or other MSU office is NOT sufficient to officially withdraw. **
All refund policies will be based on the date and time your withdrawal is completed in your Via Travel profile. Failure to withdraw from a program may have serious financial consequences.
You are considered a participant in the program and will continue to accrue financial penalties per the Education Abroad Refund/Charge Policies until your withdrawal is complete in Via Travel.
Prior to Commitment
You may withdraw from a program at any point and for any reason prior to commitment with no financial penalty. The $100 application deposit will be refunded to your MSU Student Account.
Failure to withdraw will result in the $100 application deposit remaining on your account. Late fees will accrue if this bill is not paid by the due date.
If you are denied acceptance into the program, your application will be withdrawn, and you will be refunded the $100 application deposit.
After Commitment
Once you have committed to a program, you are responsible for the $100 application deposit and the $200 commitment deposit, regardless of program type. Additional financial penalties may apply.
For exchange, direct enrollment, internship, independent study, and affiliated programs, you will be held to the refund policy of the host institution or provider organization. For more information, please contact the relevant Education Abroad Program Coordinator.
For faculty-directed programs or First-Year Seminars Abroad/Away, if the start date of the program is MORE than 60 days away (75 days away as of January 1, 2025), you will be financially responsible for the $100 application deposit and the $200 commitment deposit. If the start date of the program is 60 days or LESS away (75 days or less as of January 1, 2025), the following refund schedule will apply:
It is your responsibility to understand the financial implications of withdrawal. Please ask for clarification from the Office for Education Abroad if needed.
It is also your responsibility to withdraw from any Michigan State University education abroad courses, if applicable. Any tuition refund will be dependent on university policy.
Students who must withdraw from an education abroad program because they lack a passport and/or visa, are on State or Federal Probation and are not allowed to leave the U.S., or for any other legal reasons, are held to the same withdrawal policies, procedures, and penalties as for other reasons.
Refunds for air transportation are subject to the rules and regulations of the appropriate airline or travel agency, over which the Office for Education Abroad has no jurisdiction or control.
If you are considering withdrawing voluntarily from a program after arrival on-site, you must begin by discussing the situation with the MSU personnel (program leader, resident director, or foreign student adviser) on site. The MSU personnel will work with the Office for Education Abroad to determine if a solution exists for the situation. If, after consultation, you still plan to withdraw from the program, you must submit a signed and dated statement of explanation to the on-site personnel. This statement must indicate your understanding that, effective on the date indicated, you will no longer be considered a participant in the program, and are therefore responsible and liable for your own behavior, housing, insurance, transportation home, etc.
If you withdraw after the program's first day, you will be financially responsible for the entire program fee.
Michigan State University's academic policies regarding withdrawal may apply. Please consult the Office of the Registrar's website.
You should also consult with the Office of Financial Aid regarding the impact of your withdrawal on your federal financial aid and other financial support. Withdrawal from any semester during the regular academic year may result in cancellation of a student's financial aid award for the remainder of the academic year.
If you withdraw from a program for any reason, you will be required to return any scholarship funds disbursed by the Office for Education Abroad. If the program withdrawal is done after the award is disbursed, you will be billed for the award amount. This amount will be posted to your MSU student account.
When you are abroad you are part of a program and serve as a representative of MSU, Michigan, and the United States. You must comply with the Statement of Responsibility that you signed when you applied to your program, any rules and restrictions established by your program director and/or host institution, and the laws of your host country/countries. In addition, you must comply with MSU policies and regulations including MSU's Spartan Life Student Handbook, General Student Regulations, and Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Policy.
Violation of any of these policies may result in your being removed from the program.
For full details regarding the implications of student misconduct, please refer to the Office for Global Health, Safety, and Security.
If you are removed from a program after you arrive on site, all conditions as stated in the Statement of Responsibility apply including the withdrawal refund policies described above. Please note that this may include academic dismissal according to MSU academic policy.
The Office for Education Abroad will provide a full refund of all program fees paid to MSU.
Additional expenses related to bringing the participants home (or to another approved program location) will be borne by the Office for Education Abroad (for example, airline ticket change fees associated with early departures home or to a new program location). Refunds of program fees paid to MSU will be prorated and may be limited due to non-recoverable contractual obligations.
Refund of tuition fees paid to MSU will depend on how much academic credit the student in the program will still be able to receive for work already completed or to be completed through alternative arrangements. The Office for Education Abroad will make every attempt to arrange with program leaders and departments suitable alternatives to completing planned academic credit.
If MSU does not suspend a program, but a student chooses to withdraw from a program due to safety and security concerns or for any other reason, the regular refund policy will apply.
If a student misses three or more consecutive class days without explanation, the program director will seek to determine the location of the student. Once located, the student will be reminded that attendance is an indispensable part of the education abroad experience and academic consequences as outlined in the course syllabus will apply. If the student cannot be located, it will be considered an emergency situation and the emergency contacts listed on the student's application may be contacted. Failure to attend any required program activities (including field trips, classes, guest lectures, etc.), will not be considered an official withdrawal from the program and students will be held to the regular Education Abroad refund policies.
In the event of serious infractions of housing regulations or behavior that negatively impacts the housing situation, the procedures outlined on the Office for Global Health, Safety, and Security's Student Conduct While Abroad webpage will apply. If a student is removed from housing but remains in the program, the student will be responsible for locating and paying for alternative housing. No refund of the program housing will be granted. If alternative housing cannot be found, the student will be removed from the program and forfeit academic credit and any financial refund. If the Office for Education Abroad becomes aware of or is invoiced for damage to on-site housing, the responsible student(s) will be held financially accountable and the costs will be passed on to the student(s) as a charge to their MSU Student Account.
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