Do most colleges allow you to drop a class and get credit on your account if you do it early ?

Question

I just now got access to one of my online classes and through no fault of my own i am already behind. Class just started this week and they would not give me my classes until i paid. I decided to call my college and see if i could drop this class and have a credit put on my account for future classes/ books. But my college would not allow this and they said my only option is to just drop the class. So i just wasted 500 dollars. Are most colleges like this, it seems completely unreasonable.

Answer 1

Most colleges allow a period where you are allowed to receive a full refund, 50% to whatever refund. It usually is within the first month to receive any refund.

Colleges will not refund you for the textbooks or supplies that you might have purchased but I'm sure that you'll be able to sell the textbooks anyway.

If not losing the 500 is an option for you and if you haven't gone through it, maybe talking to your professor and letting him/her know the situation at hand so you two can talk about it to work something out.  

Answer 2

I believe most colleges will have a drop/add period. This means that, within a time period determined by the college (usually a few weeks) you can add and drop a class without worrying. That's awfully sad that your college doesn't work like that - I'm sorry they wasted your $500.

Answer 3

The right to drop classes means that you wont get a failure on your transcript.  It's not like returning an object you don't want and getting a refund.  Getting behind might NOT be your fault, but it's not their fault, either.  They provided everything they promised to provide; the rest is up to you.  Dropping a class before it starts should entitle you to SOME level of refund, and dropping it very shortly after starting MIGHT get you some fraction of a refund.  But some schools, particularly ones that offer only on-line classes might not allow any refund after the class starts.  Yes, it is pretty much the same with all colleges.

Answer 4

Most colleges have some sort of schedule, where if you drop the class before X date (say, before the first day of class), you get all your money back, and if you drop it before Y date, you get 50% back, but if you drop it past Z date, you get no money back at all. Since you started the class late, it's likely you missed the refund dates, which is why you  owe the money.

What I'd have you do is go ahead and take the class, but devote yourself to trying to get caught up. First, contact the professor, tell her you enrolled late, and ask for extra help and extensions on any upcoming assignments. Second, start working through the material, as quickly as you can, from the beginning, contacting the professor as you have questions.