Refunds

All monies paid by an applicant must be refunded if requested within three (3) days after signing a contract agreement and making an initial payment.

An applicant requesting cancellation more than three (3) days after signing a contract agreement and making an initial payment, but prior to entering the school or within the first week of class, is entitled to a refund of all monies paid minus a registration fee of $150.

  • After first week & up to 25% completion = 70% refund (prepaid students only)
  • After 25% & up to 50% completion = 40% refund (prepaid students only)
  • NO REFUND WILL BE GIVEN IF A STUDENT IS DISMISSED OR WITHDRAWS AFTER 50% OF CLASSROOM HOURS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. THE STUDENT(S) WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY BALANCE DUE.
  • NO REFUND WILL BE GIVEN TO ANY STUDENT WHO IS UTILIZING THE IN-SCHOOL PAYMENT PLAN OPTION AFTER THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS IS COMPLETE.
  • NO REFUND WILL BE GIVEN ON TEXTBOOKS.

The following policies apply to all programs offered by River Valley School of Massage:

  • If for any reason an applicant is not accepted by River Valley School of Massage, a full refund will be made of all monies paid;
  • For applicants who are accepted but fail to enroll, tuition is fully refunded.
  • Students who cancel, or who are terminated after beginning instruction, but prior to 50% of course completion, shall receive a prorated refund based upon the number of clock hours completed to the number of total course clock hours and the amount of monies paid minus the registration fee. Withdrawing students receiving Federal Student Aid are entitled to refunds only after the Return of Title IV Funds Policy has been satisfied;
  • All refunds will be made within 45 days after the cancellation or termination;
  • Cancellation by the student should be in writing by certified mail or in person;
  • Official date of withdrawal from the program is the last date of attendance unless the school receives written notification indicating earlier withdrawal from the program.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy

Students withdrawing from the program are asked to have an interview with a school administrator and sign a statement documenting the date of the withdrawal for their academic records. A student is considered withdrawn if he/she has had said interview, signed a withdrawal form, and has paid any outstanding debts to River Valley School of Massage.

River Valley School of Massage does not assume responsibility for lost or reduced refunds, loss of financial aid or other entitlements.

The student understands that his/her withdrawal from the Massage Therapy program is effective the date the withdrawal form is processed and his/her partial refund to Title 4, if any, will be calculated based on the effective date and in accordance with the published refund schedule.

Any student that stops attending the program, after 5 days of non-attendance, will undergo a status determination. Administration will contact the student to determine the student’s reason for non-attendance. Administrative withdrawal will occur after administration has exhausted all resources for contacting the student and not more than 10 days of non-attendance.

The River Valley School of Massage Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed or fail to return from an approved leave of absence agreed upon date prior to completing 60% of a payment period. The federal Title IV financial programs must be recalculated in these situations. The calculation must be performed even if the student has completed 60% of the payment period to show that River Valley School of Massage determined that the student withdrew. If a student leaves the program prior to completing 60% of a payment period, the financial aid office recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds. Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula: Percentage of payment period completed= the number of clock hours scheduled to be completed on the withdrawal date divided by the number of total clock hours in the payment period. If a student attends River Valley School of Massage and withdraws officially using the withdrawal form, the date the student completed the form will be used as the date of determination. If a student fails to return from a Leave of Absence, the student’s last date of attendance will be used as the date the student withdrew. If a student fails to attend class for 10 consecutive days, resulting in RVSM’s use of the Conditions of Dismissal policy, the 11th missed day will be used as the date of determination.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program within 45 days from the determination of withdrawal based upon the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:
Aid to be returned= (100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period.

If the student earned less aid than was disbursed, River Valley School of Massage must return, in the order specified below, the lesser of- the total amount of unearned Title IV assistance to be returned as calculated, or an amount equal to the total institutional charges incurred by the student for the payment period or period of enrollment multiplied by the percentage of Title IV Grant or loan assistance that has not been earned by the student. Institutional charges for River Valley School of Massage would be tuition and books.

Return of Unearned aid is allocated in the following order, as they apply:

  • Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  • Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
  • Federal Parent (PLUS) Loan
  • Federal Pell Grant

After River Valley School of Massage has allocated the unearned funds for which it is responsible, if the student must pay the refund to the Secretary, a letter will be written to the student or parents (if a PLUS loan was given) to let them know a refund has been made and the student must return funds which the student is responsible in the order specified above. The amount of assistance that the student is responsible for returning is calculated by subtracting the amount of unearned aid that the institution is required to return from the total amount of unearned Title IV assistance to be returned. The student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, must return or repay the amount determined to any Title IV loan program in accordance with the terms of the loan and any Title IV Grant program as an overpayment of the Grant. A student is not required to return the following:

  • The portion of a Grant overpayment amount that is equal or less than 50 percent of the total Grant assistance that was disbursed (and that could have been disbursed to the student for the payment period or period of enrollment).
  • With respect to any Grant program, a Grant overpayment amount, as determined after application of the above, of 50 dollars or less that is not a remaining balance.

A student who owes an overpayment remains eligible for Title IV, HEA program funds through and beyond the earlier of 45 days from the date River Valley School of Massage sends a notification to the student of the overpayment, or 45 days from the date RVSM was required to notify the student of the overpayment if, during those 45 days the student repays the overpayment in full to RVSM; Enters into a repayment agreement with RVSM in accordance with repayment arrangements satisfactory to RVSM; or Signs a repayment agreement with the Secretary, which will include terms that permit a student to repay the overpayment while maintaining his or her eligibility for Title IV, HEA program funds. If the student does not meet any of the above requirements, the day following the 45-day period, as of the date the student fails to meet the terms of the repayment agreement with RVSM or the Secretary will become ineligible for Title IV, HEA program funds. A student may regain eligibility if the student and the Secretary enter into a repayment agreement. Within 30 days of the date River Valley School of Massage's determination that the student withdrew, the school will send a notice to any student who owes a Title IV, HEA Grant overpayment because of the student's withdrawal from the program to recover the overpayment. If RVSM chooses to enter into a repayment agreement with a student who owes an overpayment of Title IV, HEA Grant funds, it will- Provide the student with terms that permit the student to repay the overpayment while maintaining his or her eligibility for Title IV, HEA program funds and Require repayment of the full amount of the overpayment within two years of the date of RVSM's determination that the student withdrew.

River Valley School of Massage will refer to the Secretary an overpayment of Title IV, HEA Grant funds owed by a student because of the student's withdrawal from RVSM if:

  • The student does not repay the overpayment in full to RVSM, or enter a repayment agreement with the school or the Secretary within the earlier of 45 days from the date the school sends a notification to the student of the overpayment, or 45 days from the date RVSM was required to notify the student of the overpayment
  • At any time, the student fails to meet the terms of the repayment agreement with RVSM entered
  • The student chooses to enter into a repayment agreement with the Secretary.

The Secretary may waive Grant Overpayment amounts that students are required to return if the withdrawals on which the returns are based on withdrawals by students:

  • Who were residing in, employed in, or attending an institution of higher education that is in an area in which the President has declared a major disaster exists, in accordance with section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act
  • Whose attendance was interrupted because of the impact of the disaster on the student or school
  • Who withdrawal occurred within the award year during which the designation occurred or during the next succeeding award year

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to the student, River Valley School of Massage would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement. From the date River Valley School of Massage determined the student withdrew, grant funds must be paid within 45 days and loan funds must be paid within 180 days.