Student Handbook

3.12 Petition for Extenuating Circumstances-petition for tuition adjustment

An enrolled student who withdraws from a course(s) is responsible for paying the entire amount of the course's tuition and fees. While this aforementioned contract is binding, NJC recognizes that there are extenuating circumstances that may contribute to the student's withdrawal action that merit consideration.
A student who has extenuating circumstances which cause them to withdraw from a course(s) will have an opportunity to petition for an institutional grant to assist with their tuition/fees. In these cases, NJC offers the student the right to petition for a grant to partially offset costs and outstanding balance.

Appeal for Extenuating Circumstances per Colorado Community College System (CCCS)

Each college must have a documented process allowing the student to appeal charges on their account due to extenuating circumstances (excluding appeal on validity of charges addressed in the Student Tuition and Fee Policy). If the appeal is granted, the student balance will not be written off or reversed., but will be processed in the order, as follows:

  1. Refunded to and 3rd party that paid the original tuition;
  2. Repaid to any federal financial aid owed to the college as a result of the appeal;
  3. Credit to the student account for any remaining balance;
  4. For any remaining tuition credit, the student may receive a voucher for a future term to be used within the following three terms, or later as deemed appropriate in the circumstances.

NJC Extenuating Circumstances Appeal Process

  1. The Vice President of Student Services will be the college official that has responsibility for disbursement of the extenuating circumstance appeal petition upon request. This official will visit with the student to identify if their situation would possibly be supported through the appeal process.
  2. To be eligible for consideration the student would have to meet the following criteria:
    1. Meet a narrow definition of acceptable extenuating circumstances: serious illness, injury or death of an immediate family member, family crisis requiring student intervention, or serious personal injury or illness.
    2. Petitions must be submitted by the last full-term day of the semester during which the extenuating circumstance occurred.
  3. Completed petitions with attached supporting documentation must be submitted back to the Vice President of Student Services by the last day of class and/or the last day of the semester.
  4. A review will meet as needed each semester to review petitions that have been submitted prior to the last day of the semester during which the withdrawal(s) occurred. The review board will consist of one student success office representative, one student accounts representative, one records office representative, and one financial aid office representative.
  5. Since funding is limited, petitions will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Final decisions will be reviewed and signed by the Vice President of Student Services and the Vice President of Administrative Services.

Revised 6/2019