Purpose
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, SUNY Plattsburgh converted all classes to online
learning during the Spring 2020 semester. As part of this response, on-campus students
vacated the residence halls. This policy establishes a methodology to credit student
fees to the accounts of students due to the conversion to online learning that resulted
from the COVID-19 emergency.
Policy
This policy establishes a methodology to credit student fees to the accounts of students
due to the conversion to online learning during the Spring 2020 semester that resulted
from the COVID-19 crisis.
A student is eligible for a credit (i.e. credit-eligible student) if they were enrolled during the Spring 2020 semester on or after March 19, 2020
and incurred charges from eligible fees during the spring semester. Students who withdrew from the college prior to March
19 are not eligible for a credit even if they incurred charges from eligible fees
during the Spring 2020 semester. These students were not impacted by the conversion
to online learning since they had already withdrawn from the college.
The total credit for each eligible student depends upon the amount of eligible fees incurred during the Spring 2020 semester and the proportionate time between March 19 and the end of the spring term, or the actual account balance for each eligible fee:
- Credit-eligible students receive a credit for Athletic Fee, Recreation Fee, and Parking
Fee based on the proportionate time between March 19 and the end of the spring term
(52.3%).
- Credit-eligible students living on-campus prior to the COVID-19 crisis, who no longer
reside in the residence halls after March 30 or their approved extension date, receive
a credit for housing fees based on the proportionate time between March 19 and the
end of the spring term (52.3%).
- Credit-eligible students with residential meal plans receive a credit for meal fees based on the proportionate time between March 19th
and the end of the spring term (52.3%) unless they continue to reside in the residence
halls after March 30 or their approved extension date, or unless they request a continuance
of the meal plan from College Auxiliary Services.
- Credit-eligible students with non-residential meal plans receive a credit that is equivalent to the actual account balance of dining dollars
unless they request a continuance of the meal plan from College Auxiliary Services.
- The Student Association Fee is governed by the Student Association (SA). The SA established
a 30% credit based upon year-to-date revenues and expenditures.
- For all students, any account balance on cardinal cash rolls-over for students who
enroll in Fall 2020. For students who do not enroll in Fall 2020, any Cardinal Cash
account balance of $10 or more will be refunded directly by College Auxiliary Services.
The total credit will be posted to student’s accounts prior to the end to spring term.
If an account is paid in full at this time, the credit will produce a student refund
that will be delivered via the normal college refund process (i.e. BankMobile). If
at this time an account has an outstanding balance in the current academic year (Fall
2019, Winter 2020, and Spring 2020), the credit will first reduce outstanding amounts
due on the account if this is permissible under applicable regulations. Any adjustments
to financial aid that are mandated by federal or state regulations may change the
financial impact of the credit on a student’s account balance.
There is a financial aid adjustment for any credit-eligible student who was awarded
an institutional financial aid program that reduced spring room and meal charges.
For these students, the amount of institutional room and meal awards in their financial aid package are reduced to the same proportion of used room and
meal charges. For example, if a student was originally awarded a $2,500 room award
and their room charge was pro-rated to 47.7% of the original charge based upon this
policy, the room award would also be pro-rated to 47.7% of the original amount (47.7%
* $2,500).
Students who receive a credit forfeit all rights and privileges to access the services
provided by the fee during the remainder of spring term.
Credit Percentages
| Eligible Fee |
Credit % |
| Room |
52.3% |
| Residential Meal Plan |
52.3% |
| Athletic Fee |
52.3% |
| Recreation Fee |
52.3% |
| Parking Fees |
52.3% |
| Student Association Fee |
30.0% |
| Non-Residential Meal Plans |
Dining $ Balance |
| Cardinal Cash |
Rolls-Over or Refund |
| Room & Meal Awards |
Pro-rated to 47.7% |
Definitions
A credit-eligible student is a student who was enrolled at during the Spring 2020 semester on or after March
19 and incurred charges from eligible fees during the spring semester. Students who withdrew from the college
prior to March 19 are not eligible for a credit even if they incurred charges from
eligible fees during the Spring 2020 semester. These students were not impacted by
the conversion to online learning since they had already withdrawn from the college.
An incurred charge is defined as a positive charge on an account for the Spring 2020 term net any waivers
of the charge. For example, an incurred charge does not include an Athletic Fee charge
of $232 and a corresponding Athletic Fee Waiver of $232 because both of these net
to $0. A charge is not considered incurred if it has already been pro-rated, or adjusted
to actual utilization, because the student originally selected the optional fee for
the spring term and then afterwards elected to remove it prior to March 19. For example,
an incurred charge does not include a non-residential meal plan with an original charge
of $750 that has already been reduced to $54 based upon actual utilization, or some
other pro-ration formula, because the student originally selected the meal plan and
then changed their mind prior to March 19.
Eligible fees include Room, Meal Plans, Athletic Fee, Recreation Fee, Parking Fee, Student Association
Fee and Cardinal Cash because of the conversion to online learning. Fees that are
not eligible for the credit include Tuition, College Fee, Educational Technology Fee,
Career Services Fee, Student Health Fee, and other fees because the services provided
by these fees continued upon the conversion to online learning and remained accessible
in an online learning environment.
The proportionate time for Room, Residential Meal Plans, Athletic Fee, Recreation Fee, and Parking Fee is
52.3%. There are 109 days between the first and last day of classes in the Spring
2020 term (between 1/27/2020 and 5/15/2020). This percentage represents the proportion
of days in the spring term between March 19 and the last day of classes (57 days/109
total days). March 19 is the earliest allowable date for the credit under SUNY Guidelines.
The Student Association Fee is governed by the Student Association (SA). The SA established
a 30% credit based upon year-to-date revenues and expenditures.
Non-residential meal plans are composed of two items: dining dollars and cardinal
cash. The actual account balance for non-residential meal plans is equivalent to the amount of dining dollars remaining
on the account. The actual account balance of cardinal cash is equivalent to the cardinal cash account balance at the end of
the spring term.
Residential meal plans include:
- Anytime Dining + $125
- Flex 150 + $650
- Flex 120 + $900
- Flex 120 + $450.
Non-residential meal plans include:
- Dining Mix 750 ($600 dining dollars + $150 Cardinal Cash)
- Dining Mix 500 ($400 dining dollars + $100 Cardinal Cash)
- Dining Mix 250 ($200 dining dollars + $50 Cardinal Cash)
Institutional room and meal awards include:
- Welcome to New York Grant for out-of-state students
- Campus Community Award for international students
- Community Advocate Room and Meal Waivers