Explainer: What’s included in the 52% rebate?
Students that utilized Augustana’s housing, dining and parking over interim and the spring semester will be issued a 52% rebate or refund, Augustana administrators said in an email last Thursday.
The rebate is a response to the university’s decision to transition to online classes amid COVID-19 concerns, meaning the majority of students would be moving home or off-campus, away from the university, its dorms, meal plans and parking lots.
Though each student will receive individual rebate information by April 9, the information will be updated via the student portal for each student at my.augie.edu as soon as it’s available.
Students can request a refund or have the rebate applied as credit for the following semester. After requesting a refund, the student can expect the business office to process it within seven to 10 business days.
The university calculated the rebate percentage based on March 13, as campus departments were open through that date.
Students with Augustana merit-based scholarships will receive prorated rebates, as 20% of those scholarships are used to offset the costs of housing and dining on an annual basis.
How does the rebate address flex dollars?
The flex dollars will be incorporated into the rebate. Currently, Augustana is working with Sodexo to determine how many flex dollars have been spent. The university is also considering the amount of students left on campus.
“All dining programs will be included in the rebate,” Shannan Nelson, Augustana’s chief financial officer and executive vice president, said. “The formula might be slightly different than the regular 52% because of how those dollars get allocated, but they’ll be included in the equation somehow.”
Do students that need to stay on campus still receive the rebate?
The university has not yet decided, Nelson said, so the options for students staying on campus remain unclear.
“I haven’t decided yet on whether we are going to issue all credit and then start over for those that are remaining, just because our business relationship is changing with Sodexo for the rest of the semester,” Nelson said.
What does the rebate mean for off-campus students?
The rebate will not affect off-campus students without a meal plan, housing plan or parking pass, Nelson said. Students with prorated scholarship awards, or students with Augustana merit-based aid that live off campus without a meal or housing plan, will not be affected by the rebate.
However, off-campus students can expect to receive the rebate if they have either a meal plan, parking pass or both.
Will the rebate affect an outstanding balance on a student’s account?
Yes. If a student owes money to the university, the rebate will be used to cover that balance, according to Nelson.
For additional questions and concerns, students can email the business office at businessoffice@augie.edu.
