College enrollment deposits are generally refundable if you withdraw before May 1, the date most U.S. colleges treat as the enrollment commitment deadline for fall first-year students. After that date, the deposit is almost always non-refundable, and the school keeps it as compensation for having to fill your seat from the waitlist. A handful of situations change that answer, including Early Decision offers, graduate program timelines, denied student visas, and housing deposits that follow their own rules.
The May 1 Rule
May 1 is the National Candidates Reply Date for first-year undergraduates entering in the fall. The National Association for College Admission Counseling recommends schools use it as the earliest enrollment confirmation deadline, meaning admissions offices are encouraged not to require deposits before that date.1NACAC. Guide to Ethical Practice in College Admission If you change your mind before that date, you can usually withdraw and get a full refund.
One caveat matters. In 2019, NACAC settled an antitrust case with the U.S. Department of Justice, and the resulting consent decree prohibited the organization from enforcing its recruiting rules, including the May 1 standard.2Federal Register. United States v. National Association for College Admission Counseling May 1 is still the norm at most schools, but individual colleges are free to set earlier or later deadlines. Check your admissions letter and the enrollment agreement you signed before assuming May 1 applies to your situation.
Undergraduate deposits typically run from about $200 to $500, with more selective schools trending higher. Some schools credit the deposit toward your first semester’s tuition; others treat it as a separate administrative fee.3UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Guide to Decision Release
After the Deadline Passes
Once the deposit deadline has passed, the money is almost universally gone. The enrollment agreement you signed when submitting the deposit spells this out. Schools do occasionally make exceptions, but the bar is high, and you’ll need documentation: a revised financial aid award showing a major reduction in your package, a doctor’s letter for a serious medical event, or evidence of another circumstance genuinely beyond your control. A change of mind, a better offer from another school, or a late waitlist acceptance will not qualify.
Early Decision Deposits
If you were admitted through Early Decision, the May 1 window does not apply. ED agreements are binding commitments, and most schools expect a non-refundable deposit well before May 1. The exact date varies, but ED I deposits often fall in January or February, and ED II deposits in March or April.4College Board. Early Decision and Early Action
The ED agreement itself is not legally enforceable the way a lease or loan would be. No school is going to sue you for tuition. But colleges share information about ED admits, and if they learn you applied Early Decision at two schools or backed out to enroll somewhere else, both schools can rescind your admission. The one widely accepted reason for release is that the financial aid package makes the school genuinely unaffordable. If that is your situation, contact the financial aid office right away and ask to be released in writing before walking away from the deposit.
Graduate and Professional School Deposits
Graduate programs, law schools, medical schools, and MBA programs typically charge higher deposits than undergraduate programs, often $500 to $1,000, and use different refund structures. Many use tiered deadlines where the refundable amount shrinks over time. A law school might refund $300 of a $500 second deposit if you withdraw before July 1, $200 by mid-July, $100 through early August, and nothing after that.5University of Miami School of Law. Seat Deposit Information for Admitted Students
Professional school deposits are also more likely to be split into two installments, with the first entirely non-refundable and the second following a sliding scale. Transfer and visiting graduate students are commonly required to pay a fully non-refundable deposit regardless of timing. If you’re weighing multiple graduate offers, read each school’s deposit page carefully. The refund windows are shorter and the amounts are larger.
Housing and Orientation Deposits Are Separate
Your enrollment deposit and your housing deposit are almost always separate transactions governed by different offices and different cancellation policies. A housing deposit secures your dorm assignment under a residential license agreement, not the enrollment contract, and typically runs $200 to $600.
Housing deposits usually follow a sliding scale: the closer you cancel to move-in day, the less you recover. Canceling in May or early June may get you a full or partial refund; canceling in late July likely gets you nothing. The deadline that matters is whatever your housing agreement states, not May 1.
Orientation fees are the hardest to recover because the money goes toward pre-purchased materials, staff time, and reserved space. Once you’re assigned to a session, most of that fee has already been spent. Cancel as early as possible if you need to, but expect little or nothing back.
International Students and Visa Denials
International students often face higher enrollment deposits, sometimes $1,000 or more, because schools want stronger signals of commitment before issuing a Form I-20. These deposits are typically non-refundable with one important exception: if you are denied a visa, many schools will refund the deposit as long as you can prove you paid the SEVIS fee and applied using that school’s I-20.
The SEVIS I-901 fee itself, currently $350 for F-1 and M-1 students, is a separate federal payment with its own rules. It is not refundable if you decide not to come to the United States, if your visa is denied, or if you are denied entry at the border. Refunds are only issued when you paid more than once or paid in error, and you must request the refund within 90 days of the overpayment.6ICE. I-901 SEVIS Fee Frequently Asked Questions
If a school approves your deposit refund after a visa denial, expect both your admission and your I-20 to be canceled immediately. You will not be able to defer or reuse the same I-20 for a future term. Reapplying means starting over. If there’s any realistic chance the visa will still come through, think carefully before requesting the refund.
Waitlist Offers and Double Deposits
Waitlist offers almost always arrive after May 1, so by the time one comes in, you’ve already deposited elsewhere. Accepting the waitlist offer means paying a second deposit and forfeiting the first. Schools know this is how the timing works and generally do not refund the original deposit just because a better offer arrived late.
If you’re still hoping to hear from a waitlist, budget for two deposits. Treat the first as the cost of holding a guaranteed seat while you wait, not money you expect to recover.
How to Request a Refund
If you’re within the refund window, the process is straightforward. Log into the student portal and look under financial services or the bursar’s office for a withdrawal or refund option. If there’s no dedicated form, email the bursar from your institutional email address. Include your full legal name, student ID, and a reference to the original payment, such as a transaction confirmation number or a screenshot from the payment portal.
If you’re asking for a refund after the deadline, you’re requesting an exception. Gather documentation supporting your reason and submit everything at once rather than in pieces; incomplete requests get delayed or denied. Some schools require hard copies sent by certified mail with a return receipt, so confirm the format before relying solely on email.
Processing runs about two to four weeks at most schools. If you paid through a third-party processor such as Convera or Flywire, the school has to approve the refund before the processor can release funds, which can add another 10 to 15 business days.7Convera. How Long Will It Take to Receive a Refund Approved refunds typically go back to the original payment method; if that account is closed, expect a paper check to the address on file.
Do Not File a Credit Card Chargeback
If a refund request is denied, disputing the charge through your credit card company is almost always a mistake. A chargeback does not erase the debt from the university’s perspective. It just means the school didn’t get paid for a charge it considers valid.
The consequences are steep. The university can place a hold on your account, blocking transcripts, diplomas, and future registration until the balance is cleared. It can send the debt to collections. Even if you win the dispute with your card issuer, the school can pursue the balance independently. For a $200 to $500 deposit, the fallout is wildly disproportionate to the amount at stake. Work the formal appeal process instead.