If a student chooses to individually withdraw from any study abroad program after committing to participate, the student must complete the Study Abroad Withdrawal Form. The completed form must be submitted to the Center for Global Engagement via electronic or hard copy; verbal notification of withdrawal plans will not be accepted. Withdrawals are effective the same day that the Center for Global Engagement receives official documentation. Students failing to officially withdraw from the program by submitting the form will be considered enrolled in the program and will continue to be responsible for all program fees. Refunds will be determined based on the policy for the specific program type; more information on the refund policy is outlined below. 

To submit in person or by mail: Center for Global Engagement, Holland Yates Hall, 2^nd Floor

To submit via e-mail attachment: studyabroad@jmu.edu

This category includes: any of the short-term faculty-led programs during fall, winter, spring, or summer break.

All application fees and program deposits are non-refundable, in addition to any non-recoverable costs already expensed on behalf of the student.

If a student withdraws after the following dates, students are 100% responsible for the program fee, plus any non-recoverable costs already expensed on behalf of the student.

If a student withdraws after the official start date of the program, the student will be responsible for paying 100% of the tuition charges, in addition to the program fee.

This category includes: Semester in Antwerp, Semester in Florence, Semester in London, Semester in Salamanca, and Semester in Scotland.

All application fees and program deposits are non-refundable, in addition to any non-recoverable costs already expensed on behalf of the student.

If a student withdraws from a JMU Semester Abroad Program after the following dates, students are 100% responsible for the program fee, plus any non-recoverable costs already expensed on behalf of the student.*

If a student withdraws after the above dates, but prior to the official start date of the program, they will be refunded 100% of the tuition and room & board charges.**

If a student withdraws after the official start date of the program, the student will be responsible for paying 100% of the tuition charges and room & board charges** in addition to the program fee.

Transfer of the non-refundable deposit: In the case where a student absolutely cannot attend during the admitted term, the deposit can be transferred ONE TIME ONLY within the same program to a future term that has space available. Note that this only applies to the deposit and not to forfeited program fees or non-recoverable costs as subject to the timeline above.

*If a student is admitted to the Semester in Antwerp program but is later denied from the College of Business program, only the application fees and program deposit will be forfeited. Students will not woe the program fee and not be bound by the dates outlined above.

**A separate room & board fee (in addition to the program fee) is charged for fall and spring semesters only.

If students withdraw after the dates as outlined above, they will incur program-related charges on their UBO account. Any student can choose to appeal the withdrawal fees if they feel their withdrawal from a program is due to one of the following criteria: active military duty, life-threatening family illness or death, medical emergency, or unanticipated change in financial situation. Students who wish to appeal the withdrawal fees can email studyabroad@jmu.edu and request the Study Abroad Withdrawal Fee Appeal form.

Appeals are unlikely to be successful if the withdrawal is due to: a change in academic plans, not understanding the financial obligations of a program, not receiving a scholarship or aid amount expected, selection for another opportunity (different program, job, internship, etc.), issues related to securing necessary visas, anxiety related to travel or larger global concerns, or other reasons that do not meet the above criteria. 

The Withdrawal Fee Appeal Committee meets regularly and will review submissions on a rolling basis. All committee decisions are final and will be made within 30 days of submission, when possible. 

Prior to withdrawing from any program, the Center for Global Engagement encourages all students receiving financial aid or university scholarships to consult with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to see how a program withdrawal will affect the overall aid package and scholarship allocations.

For students receiving study abroad scholarships through the Center for Global Engagement, the scholarship allocation will be removed and returned to the CGE, and the student will be ineligible to apply for a study abroad scholarship in future terms.

In some instances, the Center for Global Engagement may make the decision to cancel a program. If a program is cancelled due to insufficient enrollment, all program fees and tuition* will be refunded. If a program is cancelled due to deteriorating security and safety conditions, including but not limited to, political unrest, natural disaster, or other catastrophic events beyond control, the CGE will refund any program costs that have not yet been disbursed. The CGE will make every effort to recoup costs already expensed on students’ behalf, but may not be able to recover all funds. The CGE will not provide reimbursements for airline tickets since students purchase airfare on their own and are enrouraged to enroll in trip cancellation insurance. Prior to committing to a program, students must seek out any information related to safety, health, legal, environmental, political, cultural, and religious conditions in host countries to make the best-informed decision about participating on a program. For more information, please visit our Travel Considerations page.

Regardless of reason for cancellation, the application fee is non-refundable, but can be applied to a different program within the same term.

* Please go to the Cost of Attendance Calculator to see the estimated cost of attendance for your program of study.