Students who withdraw from the college prior to the end of the add/drop period will receive a full tuition refund, less any nonrefundable or other applicable charges. For Fall 2026, the add/drop deadline is September 15, 2026; for Spring 2027, the deadline is February 1, 2027.

No refunds will be made to students who are dismissed from the college due to disciplinary action, academic performance or who withdraw from classes after the add/drop period ends.

Please note: refunds of tuition or fees and exemption from payment obligations are not available if provision of educational services becomes illegal or impossible due to pandemic, weather or air quality, governmental action, strikes, work stoppages or other labor and civic unrest or other regional or national disasters. In such circumstances, the college may suspend, modify or terminate program operations without liability or penalty.

If a student withdraws during the 2026-2027 academic year due to extraordinary, unforeseen circumstances, that student may petition the Policy Review Committee for a nonrefundable partial tuition credit. Petitions must be submitted no later than April 16, 2027 in order to be considered for tuition credits. Tuition credits are granted rarely and only at the committee’s discretion based on the nature of the extraordinary circumstances and the documentation provided.

Should a credit be granted, it is calculated according to the following scale:

• Students with approved requests who withdraw after the add/drop period but by the following dates are issued a 50 percent credit:
  • Fall 2026: approved withdraw requests through October 16, 2026
  • Spring 2027: approved withdraw requests through March 12, 2027
• Students with approved requests who withdraw after the above dates but by the following dates are issued a 30 percent credit:
  • Fall 2026: approved withdraw requests through November 6, 2026
  • Spring 2027: approved withdraw requests through April 2, 2027
• Students who withdraw on or after November 7, 2026 (Fall 2026) or April 3, 2027 (Spring 2027) are not eligible for any tuition credits.

If a student is granted a credit, the credit is applied toward any remaining tuition balance for the academic period in which the petition was made (Fall 2026 or Spring 2027) and with the following adjustments:

• Any CCA scholarship or state grant assistance that was received for the semester will be reduced by the same percentage used to calculate the tuition credit.
• If the student received any federal aid (Federal Stafford or PLUS Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Pell Grant, or SEOG), the student may be subject to the Title IV Return of Funds Policy (see below).

All tuition credits issued under this policy must be applied to eligible tuition charges no later than April 16, 2027. Any unapplied credits remaining after that date will expire, have no cash value, and will not be refunded or otherwise paid to the student.

Disbursed Federal Funds Owed by Students to Lenders: The college is required by federal law to return any unused portion of federal financial aid for students who withdraw from all classes for the semester before 60 percent of that semester is completed.

Students are required to repay these funds to the college and will be billed accordingly.

Students should consult with CCA financial aid counselors on these matters.

Financial Aid Counseling
Hours: M–F: 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Phone: 415.703.9528
Fax: 415.551.9261
Email: [email protected]

Mail:
Attn: Financial Aid Office
California College of the Arts
145 Hooper Street
San Francisco, CA 94107

Academic Year Housing Cancellation Policy

Students not fulfilling their obligation to the required live-on residency requirement without an approved exemption by June 15 (for Fall start), and by December 1 (for Spring start) will be billed accordingly for the cost of housing at the current rate for a double studio in Founders Hall.

Cancellation Policy (applicable for students not required to live on campus)

Students who have submitted a Housing License Agreement and subsequently submit a Housing Cancellation Form to CCA Housing on or before July 1 (Fall applicants) or December 15 (Spring only applicants) will:

• forfeit their room assignment,
• be released from their Housing License Agreement,
• and be charged a $1,500 Housing Cancellation Fee.

Students who have submitted a Housing License Agreement and subsequently submit a Housing Cancellation Form to CCA Housing after July 1 (Fall applicants) or December 15 (Spring only applicants) but before taking occupancy will:

• forfeit their room assignment,
• be released from their Housing License Agreement,
• and be charged a $2,500 Contract Breakage fee.

Taking occupancy is defined as picking up the keys to an assigned room. Students who do not take occupancy or set up arrangements with CCA Housing, or arrange to do so by the date term courses begin will:

• forfeit their room assignment,
• be released from their Housing License Agreement,
• be charged a $3,500 Contract Breakage fee,
• and incur a housing fee equal to the prorated amount for their assigned space from the start date of the License Agreement through the date that term courses begin.

Students who submit a Housing Cancellation Form after taking occupancy and before the end of the License Agreement Period will incur a $2,500 contract breakage fee and will be charged a prorated amount for the time of occupancy, starting from the scheduled move-in date and ending the date their check-out is complete.

Allowable reasons and methods to cancel housing during the License Period with no contract breakage fee are limited to the following:

• Withdrawal from CCA: Students who withdraw from CCA must submit a Housing Cancellation Form and contact CCA Housing to arrange a checkout. Students will have 72 hours to move out of CCA Housing after terminating enrollment. Students will be charged a prorated amount for the time of occupancy, measured from the scheduled move-in date and ending the date their check-out is completed.
• December Graduation: Students graduating in December 2026 will be released from their License Agreement at the end of the Fall 2026 semester. Students must submit a Housing Cancellation Form to CCA Housing by December 1, 2026 to be eligible for this exception. They are expected to check-out of their Fall housing assignments by Noon on December 17, 2026. Failure to move out by Noon on December 17, 2026 will result in the student being charged the full spring 2027 semester portion of their housing license agreement.

Students who are dismissed from housing and/or enrollment at CCA for academic or disciplinary reasons will be released from their Housing License Agreement. They will incur a $2,500 contract breakage fee and will be charged a prorated amount for the time of occupancy, measured from the scheduled move-in date and ending the date their check-out is completed.

Summer housing applications, contracts, cancellations, and refunds are handled separately. For more information, see Portal.

See Also:

• Live On Residency Policy
• Meal Plan Policy

See Policies in the Financial Aid section for information about financial aid refunds