Dispute a Charge

Understand (and dispute) fees on your bill

Contact Student Central with questions about:

  • Tuition
  • Mandatory fees
  • Program fees
  • Course-related fees
  • Drop/add fees
  • Schedule change fees

How to appeal a fee

If you drop a course or withdraw from all courses after the refund period due to significant or unusual circumstances, you have the right to submit an appeal of the fee refund policy. You must do so within one year of the end of the semester in which you dropped the course or withdrew from all courses. Appeals will not be considered if you are still attending and/or received a grade other than W.

Appeals will only be considered for the three reasons listed below:

  • University error
    • Requires documentation from the department.  
    • Only a signed supporting memo from the acadmic department on IU letterhead will be accepted.
    • Examples of university error include:
      • Student was misadvised to take a course. 
      • Student was unable to meet with advisor/school official to discuss enrollment path due to advisor/official being unavailable. 
      • Student was given information by a university official that resulted in financial penalties that the student would not have otherwise incurred. 
  • Student Medical
    • Requires the Bursar Medical Documentation form to be completed by the student's doctor.
    • All sections of the form must be completed.
    • The form must be signed and dated by a medical professional.  
  • Immediate Family Emergency or Death
    • Death— required documentation is an obituary listing the name of the student as a survivor, death certificate, or something from the funeral home listing the student as an immediate family member.
    • Severe illness—requires official letter from the family member's (patient) medical provider that states the student's withdrawal was necessary due to the family member's condition.

After dropping the course or withdrawing, complete and submit the tuition and fees dispute appeal form on One.IU. Be sure to follow all instructions listed. We’ll review your appeal and send you notice of our decision.

If the withdrawal was due to medical reasons, a medical provider must complete the bursar medical documentation and you must upload it with your tuition and fees dispute appeal form.

Only students may complete the tuition and fees dispute appeal form, and it will not be accepted if someone other than the student (e.g. parent, spouse, etc.) completes it.

Keep in mind that submitting an appeal does not exempt you from late fees or financial holds. We recommend you pay your bill in full by the published deadlines, even if you intend to appeal.

What about those other fees?

Any time you register for classes, receive a housing assignment or meal plan, visit the Health Center, fail to return a library book, park in the wrong space, or do anything else that causes an IU department to charge you a fee, your student account will be charged.

If you need more information about these fees or want to dispute a fee, contact the office or department that charged the fee. For example: