1. Purpose
   1. It is the purpose of this university policy to create a Tuition and Fee Appeals Board (TFA Board) and to establish the guidelines by which the Board will operate.
   2. The purpose of the TFA Board is to adjudicate written appeals from students to decide whether or not to cancel tuition and/or related fees based on University guidelines.
   3. The TFA Board will be the final arbiter of appeals for tuition and/or related fees. It will have no authority to alter or establish tuition or fee policies for the University, but will be authorized to cancel tuition and/or fees for individual students on a case-by-case basis when circumstances warrant.
       
2. Board Membership and Meetings
   1. The TFA Board will be comprised of six voting members and one Chair or his/her designee. The composition of the TFA Board will consist of: (a) two members appointed by the Vice President for Finance and Business Operations; (b) two members with student expertise appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; (c) one faculty member appointed by the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs; (d) one student member appointed by the Student Senate.
   2. Board members appointed by the Vice President for Business Operations and the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs will serve a three-year term. The member appointed by the Student Senate will serve a one-year term.
   3. A quorum is met by having four voting members present. The Chair will be the University Ombudsperson (or his/her designee) who shall have voice without vote, except in the event of a tie, in which case the Chair will be allowed to cast the deciding vote.
   4. The Chair will convene the Board at least monthly to review the written appeals that have been filed. The Board shall act solely from the written documentation and deliberations at the meetings. The TFA Board will not consider in-person appeals by students or their representatives.
       
3. Appeal Process and Notification
   1. The TFA Board will consider appeals submitted by current and former students for cancellation of tuition and/or fees assessed for registration and/or tuition-related assessments in the event the responsible University office has rejected requests for cancellations previously submitted to that office.
   2. The decisions of the Board will be communicated in writing to the student/appellants by the Chair. The Chair will also notify the applicable University offices (e.g. Office of the Registrar, Student Accounts Receivable Department, Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid, etc).
   3. Documents and deliberations pertaining to appeals are confidential to the extent permitted by law.
       
4. Time Limitation
   1. The TFA Board will consider only those appeals that are filed within one calendar year following the last day of the academic term in which the challenged fees were assessed.
   2. Depending on the circumstances, the Board may render a one-time only decision, which prohibits students from seeking an additional cancellation using an identical or similar rationale.
       
5. Cancellation(S) For Medical Reasons And Nonattendance
   1. The TFA Board will review appeals for tuition cancellation for medical reasons and for nonattendance. In these instances, the students must first have applied for cancellations to the University Registrar and been denied or the deadlines for submitting applications for cancellation to the University Registrar have expired.
   2. The TFA Board shall follow University guidelines published in the "Statement of Tuition and Fee Regulations" for cancellations based on medical withdrawal and nonattendance.
       
6. Special Consideration
   1. The TFA Board may cancel tuition and/or fees if there are exceptional or extenuating circumstances (e.g. death of an immediate family member) such that the TFA Board considers a cancellation of tuition or fees are warranted.
       
7. Duration
   1. This executive order is revocable at any time at the discretion of the President and without notice.
       
8. Effective Date
   1. This university order is effective upon issuance.

Signed by President M. Roy Wilson; January 28, 2019