Withdrawal Refund Policy (California)

A student may withdraw from the CIA at any time after the cancellation period (described in the enrollment agreement) and receive a pro rata refund if the student has completed 60% or fewer of the scheduled class days in the current payment period in your program though the last day of attendance. The refund will be less any application or deposit fee not to exceed $250, and less any deduction for equipment not returned in good condition, within 45 days of withdrawal.  New, unused equipment may be returned to the college’s student affairs manager within 20 days of withdrawal for a refundable credit to the student account.

Tuition and Institutional Refunds including Housing, Board and other Fees

If a student has completed 60% or more of the period of attendance for which the student was charged, the tuition, housing, board and other fees is considered earned and the student will receive no refund. If the student has received federal student financial aid funds, the student is entitled to only a pro-rated refund of any moneys not paid by federal and/or institutional student financial aid.

For the purpose of determining the eligibly for a refund under this section, a student shall be deemed to have withdrawn from a program of instruction when any of the following occurs:

  • The student notifies the CIA of the student’s withdrawal or the date the student plans to withdraw, whichever is later.
  • The CIA terminates the student’s enrollment for failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress, failure to abide by the rules and regulations of the institution, absences in excess of maximum set forth by the institution, and/or failure to meet financial obligations due to the CIA.
  • If the student fails to return from any leave of absence.

For the purpose of determining the amount of any pro-rated refund, the date of the student’s withdrawal shall be deemed the last date of recorded attendance. The amount refunded will be calculated using the daily charge for the program (total institutional charges, divided by the number of days in the program), prior to withdrawal.  

Note: In addition to the above, California residents, or students enrolled at the California campus, may be subject to a non-refundable STRF fee. For students who enroll after April 1st, 2024, the fee is $0.00 (zero dollars and zero cents) per $1,000 of institutional charges. The STRF rate is subject to change based on the balance in the STRF account.