Withdrawals and Leaves of Absence
Tuition refund schedule and policy
Full-time students who withdraw or take a leave from RISD after the fall or spring semester begins are charged a portion of tuition, room and board as follows:
| Withdrawal or leave date | Tuition charged*** | Housing and dining charged | Fall 2024 dates | Spring 2025 dates |
| First week | 0% | 5%** | 9/4–11* | 2/13–20* |
| Second week | 33% | 33% | 9/12–18 | 2/21–27 |
| Third week | 66% | 66% | 9/19–25 | 2/28–3/6 |
| Fourth week and after | 100% | 100% | 9/26 and after | 3/7 and after |
* Off-campus dining values begin on September 1 for Fall 2024 and January 17 for Spring 2025. You may be assessed additional housing and/or meal plan charges after move-out. Keep in mind that the amount you are charged for housing and dining is based on the date you move out from campus, not the date that you submit the leave of absence/withdrawal request.
** Room and board charges for the first week begin on move-in day and run through the first week of classes.
*** Please note, the academic and technology fee and student activity fee are both non-refundable after the add/drop period ends.
Summer 2025 refund schedule and policy
Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence from RISD after their summer program begins are charged a portion of tuition as follows:
| Leave or withdrawal date | Tuition portion charged |
| Day 1–2 | 0% |
| Day 3–4 | 50% |
| After day 4 | 100% |
Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence from RISD after their summer program begins are charged a portion of room and board as follows:
| Leave or withdrawal date | Room & Board portion charged* |
| Day 1–7 | Daily rate |
| After day 7 | 100% |
* Additional charges and adjustments may be assessed after SFS receives official notification from the Registrar’s Office. We base charge adjustments for room and board on move-out date, not withdrawal date.
Withdrawn student outstanding balance policy
If you fully withdraw from RISD with an outstanding balance on your student account, you have 180 calendar days to satisfy this balance. Accounts not paid in full or satisfied through an agreed-upon payment plan will be sent to an outside collections agency, in which case you may be responsible for collection and/or legal expenses.