Housing and Dining Refund Information and FAQs
HOUSING/DINING
REFUND MESSAGE
To ECU Students:
The safety and welfare of our campus is our top priority. During challenging times, it is important to stay connected with family, including your Pirate family. We want to make sure you are updated regarding campus operations and any significant changes related to COVID-19 as it relates to ECU. Please continue to monitor the ECU Coronavirus Website for updates and information.
This message will provide information on housing and dining refunds for the Fall 2020 semester, which we know has been a concern for many of you.
On-Campus Housing
Effective Aug. 30, 2020, ECU students who paid the housing fee to live in residence halls during the Fall 2020 semester will receive a prorated credit for housing applied to their student account. The starting date of August 30, 2020 coincides with ECU closing the residence halls to students. The refund timeframe is expected to take 3-5 weeks to process.
Prorated housing credit for eligible students living on-campus will be processed through student accounts. Any charges existing on the students’ account will be deducted from the total, and the remaining amount will be refunded to the student.
Note – Any student approved for an exception to remain living on campus for the fall semester will NOT receive any housing or dining refunds.
Dining Services
Effective Aug. 30, 2020, ECU students who have purchased a Meal Plan will receive a prorated credit to cover the used portion of their plans through Nov. 29, 2020.
Note – Any student approved for an exception to remain living on campus for the fall semester will NOT receive any housing or dining refunds.
All Purple Meal Plan holders will receive a credit for the unused All Access portion of their meal plan; in addition, any unused Pirate Meals will be credited at the rate of $6 per meal. All unused Purple Bucks will also be credited to their student account.
All Gold Meal Plan holders will receive a credit for any unused Meals at a rate of $6 per meal, which will be credited to their student account. Unspent Gold Bucks will remain active on the student’s dining account for future use as is the current practice for unused Gold Bucks. Students may request a refund of those amounts consistent with the current policy as needed.
During the remainder of the fall semester through Nov. 29, 2020, at least one of the two dining halls will be open seven days per week from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Gold meal plan swipes are no longer a payment option, but students can use debit/credit cards, cash or Gold Bucks for payment.
For students who have Gold Bucks in their account today, those Gold Bucks will roll forward to next semester. Graduating students will receive a refund for their Gold Bucks after graduation.
If you wish to maintain your dining plan, which includes Purple and Gold plans, contact Dining@ecu.edu for additional information.
Processing Refunds
It is important to remember that the amount of refunds will vary based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, the residence hall/campus neighborhood where the student lives, any pending charges on the student account, and the amounts remaining on meal plans, etc. Processing the prorated refunds for housing and dining will take three to four weeks to complete.
For additional questions, submit an email to COVID19@ecu.edu and use the subject line “ECU Housing/Dining Refund Question.” University staff will be monitoring and responding to questions with the most up-to-date information available.
For more details about the housing and dining refunds, please read the Housing/Dining Refund Message in full.
What happens if a student owes a balance on his/her cashier account?
If the student owes a balance on account, the system will apply the credit to the outstanding balance. If the balance owed is larger than the credited amount, the student will not receive a refund. If the balance is less than the credited amount, the student will receive a partial refund for the difference in the two amounts (balance remaining – credit amount = partial refund).
What happens if a student does not owe a balance on account?
The full amount of the credit will be refunded.
Will all refunds be processed through cashier accounts?
Yes, all credits will go through the ECU cashier account system so that credits will be applied to any outstanding balances (fines, fees, payment plans, etc.).
When will the refund process start?
ECU anticipates the process will start in mid-September but could take 3-5 weeks for processing. Refunds will be issued based on a student’s refund profile in TouchNet – ACH or paper check.
What date will refunds be based on for calculating the housing refund payment?
Refund calculations will begin Aug. 30, 2020 and continue through the end of the housing contract (Nov. 29, 2020).
Note – Any student approved for an exception to remain living on campus for the fall semester will NOT receive any housing or dining refunds.
How are refunds impacted by a student living in quarantine/isolation and won’t be released until after Aug. 30?
Once the student is officially released from quarantine/isolation, the student will move all their belongings out of the residence hall and return the key/fob to the Neighborhood Service Office. Based on the date the key/fob are returned to the NSO, the student will receive a prorated refund. The student will be contacted directly by Campus Living for additional instructions and information.
Will any portion of Gold Dining Plan be refundable?
Gold plans will have all unused Gold Meals translated into a dollar amount and processed as a credit to the student’s account. Unspent Gold Bucks will remain active on the student’s dining account for future use as is the current practice for unused Gold Bucks. Graduating seniors with unspent Gold Bucks will receive a refund consistent with current dining practice after graduation. All other students may request a refund of those amounts consistent with current policy.
Will any portion of the Purple Dining Plan be refundable?
All Pirate Meals for Purple Meal Plan holders will be translated into a dollar amount and converted to Purple Bucks in the student’s dining account. That individualized prorated amount will transition into the All-Access plan which determines the amount that will be credited to the student’s cashier account.
Will students receive a credit if they were awarded a full or partial scholarship (e.g. Athletes, TAs, GAs, etc.), or will the credit be issued to the original funding source?
Housing and Dining refunds for all ECU students on full or partial scholarships will be credited to the student’s account. Students may receive outside scholarships with additional requirements that must be met to retain the scholarship. Cashier will have to review scholarship documentation on file to determine if the student can retain a credit balance.
Will ECU students with $0 EFC (Pell, need-based), receive the credit or will it be issued to the original funding source (i.e. Federal or State Aid)?
Just like Scholarships above, Housing and Dining refunds for all ECU students with $0 EFC will be credited to the student’s cashier account.
Can refund amounts be held and applied to cashier account balances next year? Or can students offset the housing and/or dining refunds with a roll-forward credit into next semester?
No, all housing and/or dining refunds will be processed based upon the student’s refund profile in TouchNet. ACH and/or check refunds provide the most immediate impact for students and credit roll-forwards may potentially impact a student’s financial aid calculation in the following year.
Will every student’s refund amount be the same?
No, the amount of refunds will vary based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, the residence hall/campus neighborhood where the student lives, any pending charges/holds on the student account, and the amounts remaining on meal plans, etc.
How can students contact ECU if they still have questions?
Students can submit an email to COVID19@ecu.edu and use the subject line “ECU Housing/Dining Refund Question.” University staff will be monitoring and responding to questions with the most up-to-date information available.
If a 529 plan distribution was used to pay amounts owed on a student’s account, are there any tax consequences if a refund is issued?
For expenses initially paid via distribution from a 529 College Savings Plan, students, parents, and authorized users are strongly encouraged to consult their plan advisor/administrator upon receipt of a refund. The IRS potentially allows for refunded amounts to be “recontributed” to a plan in order to avoid any tax ramifications, but the administration of this process is outside of ECU’s purview. Again, please consult a tax advisor and/or 529 plan advisor/administrator immediately. Failure to do so may result in tax and/or penalties being assessed by the IRS and the NCDOR.