December 24, 2012
Around Town by Neal Tepel
SUNY campuses will now refund tuition to students forced to withdraw because of the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy.
"SUNY students whose studies were disrupted by Hurricane Sandy need not worry about getting their money back and can instead focus their energy on their families and rebuilding," Governor Cuomo said. "SUNY campuses have served as staging areas for emergency relief workers and opened their doors as shelters for their neighbors in need. Students from across the state have organized donations and fundraisers. I commend Chancellor Zimpher and Chairman McCall for their continued partnership in the state’s response and recovery efforts."
SUNY is authorizing each campus president to waive tuition liability and to refund tuition for students who withdraw from the Fall 2012 and/or Spring 2013 terms because of the hardships caused by Hurricane Sandy. State University regulations provide for "hardship" withdrawals and the refund of tuition, at the discretion of each campus president, but only in the event a student withdraws before the mid-point of an academic term.
Since Hurricane Sandy occurred after the Fall 2012 term midpoint, and because of the magnitude of the storm, SUNY leadership modified the regulation to help students avoid undue hardships.
