SUNY New Paltz has been working with SUNY System Administration to determine a credit/refunding schedule specific to certain spring 2020 student charges most impacted by COVID-19; those charges include room, meal plan and some fees (Athletic, Parking, Course Fees, etc.). Eligible charges and related credit percentages were determined after careful consideration surrounding the student’s ability to utilize the services provided by each fee. We recognize you will have many questions related to this topic, and this letter will attempt to answer your questions. Please review it carefully.
Credit percentages will be assessed to the SPRING 2020 student account as follows:
- *Room: 49%
- *Meal Plan: Up to 49% (depending on actual Dining Dollar usage)
- Athletic Fee: 49%
- Course Fees: Individually calculated
- Student Activity Fee: 17% (determined by your elected Student Association leadership)
- Study Abroad Fees: Various – individually calculated by student
* If you were granted permission to remain in on-campus housing for the remainder of the spring 2020 term, you are not eligible for any room rental or meal plan credits/refunds. For others, certain scholarships and waivers, particularly those specific to room/meal charges, may impact the dollar amount credited to your account.
Your spring 2020 student account will automatically be credited using the schedule listed above. You do not need to take any action for this to occur. Any credit resulting from the COVID-19-related charge adjustments will first be applied to any outstanding spring 2020 or fall 2019 account balance. If there is credit remaining after all outstanding balances are paid, a refund will be generated and mailed to your permanent address on file with the campus. COVID-19-related credits applied to your spring 2020 account will not impact your 2019/2020 financial aid package.
Shortly after we apply the credits, a revised invoice will be available for viewing on my.newpaltz.edu.
Please note: International students will receive an email from the Center for International Programs (CIP) regarding the refund process. These students should please complete the information that CIP is requesting, and the College will follow up with refunds accordingly.
Here are some points that may help you navigate this process:
- Any credit resulting from the COVID-19-related charge adjustments will first be applied to any outstanding spring 2020 or fall 2019 term account balance(s). If there is credit remaining after all outstanding balances are paid, a refund will be generated.
- We understand that the current unprecedented world environment is causing a financial strain for many of our families and that you want to receive refunds as soon as possible. Due to the uniqueness and complexity of the refunding process, not all students will receive their refund at the same time. Our goal is to complete spring 2020 COVID-19-related room, board and eligible fee refunds by late May.
- Due to the cyberattack on some students’ direct deposit refunds earlier this semester, all refunds will be issued via a paper check and will arrive via U.S. mail and be sent to the active permanent address listed in Banner.
- If the student does not have an active permanent address on file, a refund check cannot be mailed.
- Students should visit my.newpaltz.edu > General > Addresses & Phones and review the permanent address on the screen. If the address is not current, please send an email to recreg@newpaltz.edu from your hawkmail account with the corrected address.
- Certain scholarships and waivers, particularly those specific to room rental charges, may impact the dollar amount credited to your account. As a result, a student’s 49% room credit may be less than 49% of the standard/full room rental charge. Resident Assistants (RAs) are not eligible for a COVID-19-related room credit.
Your SUNY New Paltz community is here for you during this challenging time. Our commitment to helping you remain safe and successful is unwavering. We encourage you to reach out to us as needed. Be well!
For questions related to the campus refund process, please email us at Covid19questions@newpaltz.edu.
Sincerely,
Michele Halstead, Vice President for Administration & Finance
