Student Financial Services Offices

Financial Aid Office

The Office of Financial Aid works with incoming and current students to help navigate the process of applying for financial aid. Whether it is aid from federal, state, or institutional resources, our experienced staff is here to assist you in identifying and securing the aid for which you are eligible. 

Student Accounts Office

The Office of Student Accounts works with incoming and current students to help navigate such issues as balance on account, payment plan options, health insurance waivers and provides assistance with getting your account to good financial standing. Our experienced staff is here to assist you with these matters.

 Student Financial Services Policies:

 Tuition Refund/Withdrawal Polices:

Enrollment Changes

Students who change their status from full time to part time, OR part time students who reduce their number of credits, after the Add/Drop period will be responsible for 100% of tuition and associated fees for the semester.
No adjustment is made to the following fees after the published Add/Drop Period: Accident and Health Insurance, Allied Health Fee, Fashion Design/Production Fee, Graphic Design Fee, Excess Credit Fee, and Lab Fees.

Housing Changes

Students wishing to change their status from resident to commuter at any point in the academic year must petition the Director of Residence Life in writing for release from the Housing Agreement, and may be assessed penalty charges as outlined in the Housing Agreement. Students who change their status from resident to commuter after the Add/Drop period, will be responsible for 100% of Room and Board charges for the semester.

Withdrawal During the Semester

Students who withdraw during the course of a semester who receive Federal Financial Aid, i.e. Pell Grant, Direct Stafford or PLUS loans etc., are subject to a recalculation of their financial assistance based on the last date of attendance. Once official notification of the withdrawal or Temporary Leave and the last date of attendance has been received, the Office of Financial Aid will review the students' aid using a federally mandated formula to determine if any of the aid awarded for that term should be cancelled and returned to the source. This will be reflected on the students' billing account and may result in a balance being due to the University.

Treatment of Title IV Aid When A Student Withdraws (R2T4)

The law specifies how Lasell University must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from the University. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are Federal Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs).

Though your aid is posted to your account at the start of each semester, you earn the funds as you complete the semester. If you withdraw during your payment period or period of enrollment, the amount of Title IV program assistance that you have earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you received less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school.

The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rata basis. For example, if you completed 30% of your semester, you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of the semester, you earn all the assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period.

Lasell institutional funds are subject to forfeiture based upon withdrawal from the University.

If you did not receive all of the funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If your post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, your school must get your permission before it can disburse them. You may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so that you don’t incur additional debt. Your school may automatically use all or a portion of your post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition, fees, and room and board charges. The school needs your permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other institutional charges. However, it may be in your best interest to allow the school to keep the funds to reduce your debt at the school.

If you receive excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, your school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

1. your institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of your funds, or
2. the entire amount of excess funds.
The school must return this amount even if it didn’t keep this amount of your Title IV program funds.
If your school is not required to return all of the excess funds, you must return the remaining amount.

For any loan funds that you must return, you (or your parent for a Direct PLUS Loan) repay in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, you make scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.

The requirements for Title IV program funds when you withdraw are separate from any Lasell University refund policy. Therefore, you may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges.

Withdrawal from The University

The following Withdrawal Adjustment Schedule applies to a student who has completed the appropriate steps to cancel his/her enrollment at Lasell. Non-attendance does not relieve the student of financial obligation or imply entitlement to a refund. Please contact the Registrar's Office for proper withdrawal procedures.

Room and Board may be adjusted according to the schedule below only if the room is vacated within the time period determined by the Office of Residential Life. Students remaining in housing past the time period granted will be charged for daily Room and Board.

For purposes of account adjustments, no differentiation is made between voluntary withdrawals or academic suspension. Unpaid charges may remain after adjustments and will be owed to the University.

If a student loses campus privileges or is suspended or dismissed due a COVID-19 protocol violation, there will be no refund for tuition, fees or room and board. 

*For purposes of determining account adjustments due to withdrawal, a week of enrollment ends on a Friday, regardless of the number of courses scheduled or attended during that period.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

A student must make “Satisfactory Academic Progress” each semester the student is enrolled to remain eligible for financial aid at Lasell. Satisfactory progress is defined both by the number of credits successfully completed and the grade point average. If a student’s semester grade point average falls below 2.0, the student is no longer maintaining the standards of satisfactory progress. Additionally, a student is expected to successfully complete a minimum of 12 credits per semester. In general, a student is expected to complete all bachelor degree requirements within six years. A student with extenuating circumstances will be evaluated individually. If a student fails to meet these satisfactory progress guidelines, s/he will be placed on probation for the following semester. The Office will inform such students in writing of this decision. The student remains eligible for financial aid during this probationary period. If the student meets academic progress standards in the following semester, no further action is taken. However, if the student does not meet these standards for a second consecutive semester, s/he will be placed on financial aid suspension. During financial aid suspension, a student may not benefit from any source of financial aid offered by the Office.

The student does retain the right of appeal of this decision. The student must appeal the decision to suspend within 30 days. Appeals must be made by the student in writing and must explain the reasons the student failed to meet these guidelines and what academic plan the student has to ensure success in meeting these guidelines in the future. The appeal may also include supporting documentation from faculty members, advisors, and parents. The appeal should be made in writing to the Director of Financial Aid. The Director will present the appeal to the Financial Aid Review Committee for evaluation. The Office will inform students in writing of the decision regarding the appeal. If approved, the student will be eligible to receive one additional semester of federal financial aid. If after the next semester on suspension with appeal, the student continued to fail to meet these guidelines, the student will be placed on financial aid suspension without the right to appeal.

In general undergraduate students must complete 120 credits to achieve their degree. Students must be making progress toward their degree at a certain pace. For a student to be considered as progressing normally, the student's ratio of earned credits to attempted credits (or pace towards degree completion) must be no less than as shown on the following table:

Attempted credits are those credits for which students were still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester's Add/Drop period. Withdrawals are counted as attempted credits. Students who withdraw during the course of a semester who receive Federal Financial Aid, i.e. Pell Grant, Direct Stafford or PLUS loans etc., are subject to a recalculation of their financial assistance based on the last date of attendance. Once official notification of the withdrawal or Temporary Leave and the last date of attendance has been received, the Office of Financial Aid will review the students' aid using a federally mandated formula to determine if any of the aid awarded for that term should be cancelled and returned to the source. This will be reflected on the students' billing account and may result in a balance being due to the University.

Financial Suspension Policy

In extreme cases, a decision may be made to place a student on financial suspension. In the case of financial suspension, the student will receive a letter from the Office of Financial Aid and the Academic Review Committee. The notification will inform the student that his/her financial obligations must be settled immediately or he/she will be suspended from the University as of the date specified in the letter. Financial suspension means that the student will no longer be able to attend classes. Financial suspension will continue until the student has met his/her financial obligations to the University. The Office of Student Accounts will notify the appropriate faculty members that the student has been suspended, and should not be admitted into their classes; simultaneously, the Registrar's Office will be notified of this action.

Enrollment and Payment Obligations:

By registering as a student at Lasell University, you are agreeing to pay all charges on your student account when due and understand that this constitutes a legal financial obligation. Student account charges may include but are not limited to; tuition, mandatory student fees, housing fees, parking fines and late payment fees. You are personally responsible for all amounts due regardless of financial aid eligibility or other financial assistance.

Failure to meet financial obligations by the published due date may result in a late payment fee of 1.5% of the outstanding balance applied monthly. A stop will be placed on the student's account that will prevent future registration or add/drop, the release of official transcripts, and the release of a diploma.

Students who drop or withdraw from some or all of the classes registered for, will be responsible for all or a portion of the tuition and fees in accordance with the published tuition refund schedule.

Students who are receiving Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits and have provided Lasell University the appropriate documentation will not have their student account placed on stop, will not be subject to late fees, nor will they be subject to any penalties related to outstanding balances, while awaiting payment from the VA. Penalties will not be restricted if a student owes additional payment beyond the amount of tuition and fees the VA will be paying. 

The University reserves the right to withhold all of its services to students who have not met their financial obligations. Such services include canceling registration, issuing of transcripts, grades, diplomas, etc. Lasell University may refer delinquent accounts to an outside collection agency. All fees charged by the agency based on a percentage at a maximum of 40 percent, together with all costs and expenses including reasonable attorney’s fees will be the responsibility of the student to pay. Delinquent accounts may also be reported to one or more of the national credit bureaus

Important Privacy Information

The Office of Student Accounts' official means of communication are via the student's Lasell email account and/or the student's home address on file. It is important to understand that communications will be directed toward the student, rather than a parent or guardian. If a parent or other individual is assisting with educational finances, please discuss all billing information with that person.

Per Federal regulations on the right to privacy, specific student account information may only be shared with the student and their shared users/participants when contacting the Office of Student Accounts. Students who wish to allow account access to a third party, including a parent, should add them as 'Authorize Payers'.  Should a parent or third party wish to make payment on the student's behalf, it is the responsibility of the student to share all correspondence, including ebill statements, with those individuals. ebills are generated in the student's name and therefore, the student bears the responsibility for payment. 

Special Note:  'Authorize Payers' (parent/s or sponsor) may be added to your student's account.  This will allow them to view account detail and to make payments toward the student's account.  To add 'Authorize Payers' the student can log into MyLasell, under University Resources, select Pay MyBill, and then select 'Authorize Payers'. The Authorize Payers will then receive an email invite with access instructions.

Please note, other than the student, no one may access their student account until they have been added as 'Authorize Payers' and they have accepted the invitation.

Code of Conduct

Lasell University expects each member of the staff of the Office of Financial Aid to maintain exemplary standards of professional conduct in all aspects of carrying out his or her responsibilities, including all dealings with any entities involved in any manner in student financial aid, regardless of whether such entities are involved in a government sponsored, subsidized, or regulated activity.

In doing so, a member of the staff in the Office of Financial Aid at Lasell University should:

• Refrain from taking any action for his or her personal benefit.

• Refrain from taking any action he or she believes is contrary to law, regulation, or the best interests of the students and parents he or she serves.

• Ensure that the information he or she provides is accurate, unbiased, and does not reflect any preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.

• Be objective in making decisions and advising his or her institution regarding relationships with any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.

• Refrain from soliciting or accepting anything of other than nominal value from any entity (other than an institution of higher education or a governmental entity such as the U.S. Department of Education) involved in the making, holding, consolidating or processing of any student loans, including anything of value (including reimbursement of expenses) for serving on an advisory body or as part of a training activity of or sponsored by any such entity. As a general guide, and subject to more restrictive laws and policies, a total retail value of not more than $10 should be considered reasonable.

• Disclose to his or her institution, in such manner as his or her institution may prescribe, any involvement with or interest in any entity involved in any aspect of student financial aid.

• Neither Lasell University as an institution nor any individual officer, employee or agent of the institution may enter into a revenue sharing agreement with any lender.

• An officer or employee of Lasell University who is employed in the Office of Financial Aid or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to education loans, or an agent who has responsibilities with respect to education loans, shall not accept from any lender or affiliate of any lender any fee, payment, or other financial benefit (including the opportunity to purchase stock) as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.

• Lasell University shall not:
  
  a. for any first-time borrower, assign, through award packaging or other methods, the borrower's loan to a particular lender; or
  
  b. refuse to certify, or delay certification of, any loan based on the borrower's selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency.

• Lasell University shall not request or accept from any lender any offer of funds to be used for private education loans, including funds for an opportunity pool loan, to students in exchange for the institution providing concessions or promises regarding providing the lender with:
  
  a. a specified number of loans made, insured, or guaranteed under Title IV;
  
  b. a specified loan volume of such loans; or
  
  c. a preferred lender arrangement for such loans.

• Lasell University shall not request or accept from any lender any assistance with call center staffing or financial aid office staffing.

This code of conduct is applicable to any member of the Lasell University community who, in the course of performing his or her assigned job duties, will make decisions, sign contracts or enter into agreements or relationships that would directly or indirectly impact the Student Financial Aid Office and violate this code of conduct.

Questions, Concerns, Grievances

Lasell University strives to deliver the highest quality educational experience possible to its students.  The Lasell University Academic Grievance Process is available to Lasell University students who seek to resolve any grievance related to academic matters.   The Lasell University Academic Grievance Process can be found under Academic Undergraduate Policies section of the catalog.

 For further information on the Lasell University Academic Grievance Process, students should inquire with their Academic Advisor or the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.  Lasell University desires to resolve student grievances in an efficient, fair and amicable manner.  Concerns regarding any aspect of Lasell University operations should be filed directly with Lasell University authorities.   Additionally, inquiries or grievances may be registered with the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education at:  http://www.mass.edu/forstufam/complaints/complaints.asp.

Non-Academic Student Grievance Policy

Before invoking the Student Grievance Procedure, a reasonable effort shall be made by those involved in a dispute to resolve it amicably. A dispute is most effectively handled and resolved by those closest to the problem, having the best understanding of the issues, and having the ability to formulate a mutually acceptable resolution. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the student, the potential subject of a grievance, and the University to resolve disputes through open and cooperative dialogue. Only when such efforts are unsuccessful should the Student Grievance Procedure be invoked. Throughout all phases of the Student Grievance Procedure, all reasonable efforts shall be made to maintain confidentiality in accordance with applicable law.

Students wishing to submit a formal grievance related to Lasell's financial aid policies can submit the Student Grievance Policy form.

Title IX

Lasell University is committed to maintaining a conducive learning environment for all students and a professional workplace for its employees. Lasell University prohibits all discrimination on the basis of sex and all sexual misconduct, which includes: sex discrimination, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and retaliation. In the event a member of our campus community experiences sexual misconduct, Confidential Resource Advisors are available to provide information and resources to students and employees without instituting a Title IX investigation.

Title IX Reporting Form

CONSUMER INFORMATION POLICIES

State Distance Education Complaint Process can be found at https://www.lasell.edu/discover-lasell/facts-figures-and-faces/our-institution/consumer-information-policies.html.
If some or all of the expected financial aid and loans do not appear on the statement, the student may not have completed the necessary paperwork or the award may have changed. Payment in full is still expected in the event additional paperwork.