Tuition Refund Policies

Trinity Law School Cancellation and Tuition Refund Policy - Juris Doctor and Master of Legal Studies Programs

Cancellation of Courses

The University reserves the right to cancel any course. If a course section is canceled entirely and a replacement is not offered, students will receive a full refund of tuition paid for the canceled course. 

Refund Policy for Title IV Funds

Withdrawal Date 

The day the student withdraws (determined by the University) is the date that

• the student began the official withdrawal process prescribed by contacting the Student Life Office; or

• the student otherwise provided the University with official notification of the intent to withdraw.

For the student who does not begin the school’s official withdrawal process or notify the school of the intent to withdraw, the midpoint of the period of enrollment for which Title IV assistance was disbursed is used (unless the institution can document a later date).

If the school determines the student did not begin the withdrawal process or notify the school of the intent to withdraw due to illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other such circumstances beyond the student’s control, then the school may determine the appropriate withdrawal date.

Percent of Aid Earned 

The percentage of the period of enrollment for which federal aid was awarded is determined by dividing the total number of calendar days within the period of enrollment into the number of calendar days completed as of the day the student withdrew.

The percentage of aid earned during this period is equal to the percentage of the term completed. The percentage of “unearned” aid is determined by subtracting earned aid from 100%. The school is required to return the lesser of the unearned aid percentage applied to the institutional charges and the unearned percentage applied to total federal aid received.

Once more than 60% of the semester is completed, a student is considered to have earned all of his/her financial aid and will not be required to return any funds.

If this calculation indicates that funds should be returned, a specific order of refund has been established by the federal government (as applicable):

  1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
  2. Federal Direct PLUS Loan
  3. Other Title IV assistance (as applicable)

The school must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible as soon as possible but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew. 

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement 

If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, and for which the student is otherwise eligible, he or she is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received.

If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, the school must get the student's permission before it can disburse them. A notification regarding the post-withdrawal disbursement will be sent to the student within 30 days of the date the student school determines the student's withdrawal. A student may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so additional debt is not incurred.

Excess Funds 

If a student receives (or the school receives on the student’s behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned based upon the calculation described above, the school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of

  • the student’s institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of their funds, or
  • the entire amount of excess funds.

The school must return this amount even if it did not keep this amount of the student’s Title IV program funds. If the school is not required to return all of the excess funds, the student must return the remaining amount. Any loan funds that the student must return, must be repaid in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, the scheduled payments must be paid to the holder of the loan over a period of time.

The requirements for Title IV program funds when a student withdraws are separate from any refund policy that the school may have. Therefore, a student may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. The school may also charge a student for any Title IV program funds that the school was required to return.

When aid is returned, a student may owe an outstanding balance to the University. In this case, it his/her responsibility to contact the Financial Aid and Business Services Office to make payment arrangements.

For additional information on refunds to Title IV sources, please call: 714-836-7121.

For additional questions regarding Title IV program funds, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the Web.

Right to Cancel

This policy applies to all Trinity Law School students enrolled in the Juris Doctor (JD) and Master of Legal Studies (MLS) programs.

A student has the right to cancel their enrollment agreement and obtain a refund of institutional charges paid. The cancellation period extends through the student’s attendance at the first class session, or the seventh calendar day after enrollment, whichever is later.

Notice of cancellation must be submitted in writing through one of the following methods only:

Notice is effective on the date it is received by the institution. Verbal notice or written notice delivered to any other person or office does not constitute effective notice of cancellation and will not be honored.

Upon timely cancellation, Trinity Law School will refund 100% of institutional charges paid, less the following non-refundable charges (applicable to both programs):

  • Application fee: $35.

The following charges will be refunded in full upon cancellation within the cancellation period:

  • Enrollment Deposit: $100 (when collected).

  • JD students: Exam fees (collected but not yet administered); Student Life Fee: $50.

  • MLS students: Student Life Fee: $25 per sub-term; no exam fee​.

  • STRF assessment (both programs).

Refunds will be issued within 45 calendar days of the date of cancellation.

Student-Initiated Withdrawal

This section applies to all JD and MLS students withdrawing from Trinity Law School after the cancellation period.

A student who wishes to withdraw must submit written notice of withdrawal through one of the following methods only:

The withdrawal is effective on the date the written notice is received by the institution. Verbal notice or written notice delivered to any other person or office does not constitute effective notice of withdrawal and will not be honored.

Students receiving financial aid are strongly encouraged to contact the Financial Aid and Business Services Office before submitting a withdrawal notice to understand the impact on their aid obligations.

Institution-Initiated Withdrawal

This section applies to all JD and MLS students.

Trinity Law School may withdraw a student by issuing written notice of withdrawal. Grounds for institution-initiated withdrawal include, but are not limited to, failure to meet verifiable academic engagement requirements, violation of institution policies, or lack of attendance.

For purposes of this refund policy, a student who has not engaged in any verifiable academic activity for 14 or more consecutive calendar days without an approved leave of absence may be withdrawn by the institution. The effective date of an institution-initiated withdrawal for lack of engagement is the student’s last documented date of verifiable academic activity.

This provision is in addition to, and does not replace, the academic attendance and verifiable engagement standards described elsewhere in this catalog.Submission through the student portal at tlsportal.tiu.edu.

Refund Upon Withdrawal

Trinity Law School does not provide refunds beyond those required by California law. Upon withdrawal after the cancellation period — whether student- or institution-initiated — a student is entitled to a pro rata refund calculated as follows. The calculation method differs by program due to their different term structures.

Juris Doctor (JD) Program

The enrollment period for JD students is the full 15-week semester (e.g., January 12, 2026 – May 9, 2026). The pro rata refund is calculated as follows:

  • Refund = Total tuition and eligible fees paid − (Daily charge × Calendar days attended) - $35 Application Fee.
  • Daily charge = (Total institutional charges for the semester - $35 Application Fee) ÷ Total calendar days in the semester
  • Calendar days attended include any scheduled days prior to the last date of attendance for which the student was absent

Master of Legal Studies (MLS) Program

MLS students are charged per credit hour and their courses run within sub-terms (e.g., Spring 1: January 12 – March 3; Spring 2: March 9 – April 28). The pro rata refund is calculated separately for each sub-term as follows:

  • For courses in the sub-term in which the student withdraws: Refund = Sub-term charges paid − (Daily charge × Calendar days attended in that sub-term) - $35 Application Fee
  • Daily charge = (Total charges for courses in that sub-term - $35 Application Fee) ÷ Total calendar days in that sub-term
  • For courses in any subsequent sub-term that has not yet begun at the time of withdrawal: 100% refund of all charges paid for those courses

Non-Refundable Charges — Both Programs

The following charges are included in the pro rata refund calculation:

  • Tuition (both programs)
  • JD students: Exam fees (pro rata); Student Life Fee $50 (pro rata)
  • MLS students: Student Life Fee $25 per sub-term (pro rata within the active sub-term; full refund for future sub-terms not yet begun)

The following charges are non-refundable after the cancellation period under all circumstances:

  • Application fee: $35 (both programs)
  • Enrollment deposit: $100 when collected (both programs)
  • STRF assessment (both programs)

60% Completion Threshold: Once a student has completed more than 60% of their enrollment period, the institution has earned all institutional charges and no refund is owed. For JD students, the enrollment period is the full semester. For MLS students, the enrollment period is the active sub-term. A student who withdraws after the 60% point of their enrollment period is not entitled to a pro rata refund of tuition or fees for that period. This threshold is consistent with California Education Code § 94919(c).

No refunds will be made except as calculated above. The institution does not provide discretionary refunds, exceptions, or adjustments beyond the pro rata calculation required by California law.

Refunds will be issued within 45 calendar days of the date of withdrawal. If any portion of a refund is made to a third party on the student’s behalf, the institution will provide the student with written notice itemizing the amounts, recipients, and dates of each refund within 45 calendar days of the withdrawal date.

Fee Treatment Reference by Program

Fee Within Cancellation Period After Cancellation Period
Application Fee - $35 (both) Non-refundable Non-refundable
Enrollment Deposit - $100 (both) Refundable in full Non-refundable
Exam Fee - $250/$800 (JD only) Refundable in full Pro rata (semester basis)
Student Life Fee - $50 (JD) Refundable in full Pro rata (semester basis)
Student Life Fee - $25/subterm (MLS) Refundable in full Pro rata (sub-term basis); full refund if subterm not yet begun
Tuition - JD Refundable in full Pro-rata (semester basis)
Tuition - MLS (per credit hour) Refundable in full Pro-rata (subterm basis); full refund if subterm not yet begun
STRF assessment (both) Refundable in full Non-refundable