CUW Room and Board Refunds

You are asking for money you never had. Some of your room and board would have been paid by your financial aid, which Concordia owns. They have a right to keep their money you did not use.

We aren't paying for housing-- we're giving them some of the money back that they were giving us for housing, specifically 13.5% of our financial aid for the semester.

They did this in their recent email.

6 years ago Featured

As a parent of a CUW freshman, this is extremely upsetting news to us. We will be praying that admin corrects this selfish error (We must TRUST that God will provide for all our needs, even Universities) AS WELL AS the decision if we are to send our son back for future enrollment!

As a mom of three currently enrolled 2020 spring Concordia students (one at CUW, one at CUC, and one at CUNE), I am disappointed in the way CUW has handled their refund process. CUC and CUNE gave a complete refund to all students who were unable to use the rest of their room and board for the spring semester. It was hard enough on them not to be able to finish their face-to-face classes with the campus experience that they paid for, but then having to pay for housing and food elsewhere (when it was already taken care of) was an extra burden. Please reconsider reimbursing our students for at least what they had not used. Thank you. On an additional note: CUNE has also given extra money to students through their emergency relief fund. Here was their response to their suffering students (sent by email on April 28th): "We know some of you may have been impacted financially due to the transition of campus to fully online operations, while others may be experiencing a loss of income within your household due to COVID-19. As such, both our financial aid and student success teams are committed to assisting you through financial challenges you may have. "Through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress, Concordia will be receiving limited Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to be distributed to any student who has been impacted financially with unforeseen expenses due to the transition of campus operations from face-to face learning to fully online learning. The funds, available to students with a FAFSA on file, may be available to cover expenses related to food and housing changes, unexpected travel from moving home, additional health care needs or other circumstances related to this change."

They don’t care about your financial need; bleed them dry!

Many state schools broke down refunds for each category, room/board, meal plan, and fees. No scholarship money was taken away from the students. Refunds were processed 1st week in April, 2 weeks after closure of the campus. CUW provided no details on the refund break down and notified students 7 weeks after closure. This is how the 50% refund letter should read: $1390 paid, $695 refunded for meal plan $4195 paid, $2,097.50 refunded for housing $200 paid, $50 refunded for parking Total refund: $ 2,842.50 CUW you “OWE” students the proper refund!! If the school is having financial problems, then provide a credit for the shorted approx. $1000 to returning students tuition in the fall. Refund graduates or those not returning appropriately! Now that would be a way to “MAKE THINGS RIGHT” FOR RETURNING CUW STUDENTS! The way this refund has been handled by CUW is “COMPLETELY UNCOMMON”! Other schools who are transparent, refund calculations were clearly detailed by category. Unacceptable and unethical; Make.It. Right. CUW!

Some aid goes to room and board. That's what they're taking back. It's completely fair.

Guys, please respect the financial decisions of the university. Wanting all 50% of your room and board back is like wanting the full price back on clothes that you bought when they were on sale. Some of your financial aid contributed to room and board, and the school has a complete right to keep the room and board money they originally gave you for this quarter. Chill out, the virus is getting to you!

I am the parent of April Xiong who is a full time student at Concordia.

Silly Lutherans

6 years ago Featured

I received a refund that was less then that aid that was stripped from me after signing an acceptance letter of the granted aid a year prior. Therefore, I not only was forced out of my dorm, cut off of my meal plan, but I also lost money. CUW you can do better than this, think about the wellbeing of your students. This is uncommon and not in a righteous way. I am disappointed in my own school.

PETITION Concordia University Wisconsin had a CHOICE when this action was taken and although probably legal, depriving students of funds they paid...for a service that was only half fulfilled... is highly UNETHICAL! The turbulent financial skys ahead will undoubtedly strain the checkbooks of students and their families! Many students face the possibility they will not be able to afford to return. How disappointing CUW does not recognize this and act in a "Christian way!" CUW perhaps cannot "carry their student's crosses" for them but it sure can see fit to SPLIT the load!

This is stright

I just wanted to add that I am so grateful for receiving some form of a refund, but all because we get a refund does not mean I do not have feelings about how much/little it was or the process that determined the amount each student receives. I think about it like this... My friend buys a pen using all their own money, and I buy the same pen using some birthday money AND my own money. We both return the pen. My friend gets all her money back. When I return the pen, the store gives me some of my money back, and then sends the rest of the money back to my relative. In real life, if I returned the pen, I would have received the full money amount. I love CUW!! I am so happy I am getting an education from there, but if we are not going to get the full refund amount that would have been expected, I would like to see the calculations/equation used on my specific account to determine MY personal refund. I think students deserve this.

This isn't right, they were all sent home. Why are they paying for housing. You didn't house them.

I need mah money!

James, CUW students have the right to voice their opinion, whatever that may be. While your opinion is certainly valid, there is no reason to use this comments section as a means to discredit the opinions of others. None of us actually recall signing up to pay $5,600 to be kicked out of housing half way through the semester. While many of us are grateful for the refunds we did get, we still acknowledge that it is far less money than we actually paid to the university. I know of students who left in March who received refunds as low as $22. Those receiving the lowest refunds are those who are in the greatest financial need, especially during this time. We had all anticipated that CUW would give us the full $2,800 because that is the value of the goods/services we did not receive. It is also just the right thing for them to do for their students. Maybe the University should have given us what we are rightfully owed and trusted that God would provide for them. Most college students did not benefit from the stimulus relief checks, and nor did their families receive anything for them. However, CUW is currently sitting on over $3.6 million given to them through the Cares Act to help offset their losses and provide relief to students. We chose to go to Concordia because it is a place where we feel valued and recognized as a person instead of a number. However, when CUW used a loophole that preserved its own self-interest at the expense of student need, we did not feel valued. Many of us are out of work and have parents who are out of work as well. There are major concerns throughout the CUW community on how we will be able to afford the expenses of next semester. We had hopes that God would provide for us through our university, however we put our hope in the wrong place. Many of us have reached out to administration on this issue to no avail. If you have the privilege to avoid financial concerns at this time, then consider yourself lucky and do not discredit the opinions

In regards to the long comment below.... Sir, as much as I love CUW as the next person, we just want our money back. My financial well being is much more important than the schools, and considering some of us are graduating this week, my financial well being is much more important. The fact that they did take an extra $1000+ from people when that could be used for bills, food, and other stuff people need to survive. All people are doing is asking for their money back. We are not at school, there is no need to take away more money when no one is there. (And if they are in debt, maybe building new buildings and increasing tuition costs every year isn't the best idea. Just saying.) I want my money back if I am not there. Everyone does. Do not be yelling at people for quoting the Bible when they are providing evidence to their reason, just as you are doing. Not everyone can rely on their parent's money, so just let people protest and sign this petition in peace.

Let me translate for you folks, “Don’t inaccurately quote the Bible by literally directly quoting it to support your view because it disagrees with that I think. Now let me directly quote the Bible to agree with what I think.”