Peralta Community College District's Only Student-Run Publication
Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Peralta Community College District's only student-run publication.

The Citizen

Secondhand clothes in a variety of sizes and styles sit on a rack in the newly opened clothing exchange, where PCCD students can now access free clothes and shoes. (Photo: Desmond Meagley)
Laney clothing exchange gets permanent home
Free 'clothing store' available to Peralta students
Desmond Meagley, Staff Writer • March 11, 2024
Read Story
New district chancellor Tammeil Gilkerson delivered an impassioned speech introducing herself to PCCD at Spring 2024 Flex Day. Other keynote speeches, performances, info sessions, and trainings were held throughout the day. (Photo: Faiza Ali/PCCD)
Spring semester kicks off at districtwide Flex Day
Ivan Saravia, Staff Writer • January 31, 2024
Read Story
Archives

Peralta to give refunds, questions remain

Half of parking fees to be refunded, but ‘enrollment fees’ unclear
Peralta+to+give+refunds%2C+questions+remain

After weeks of deliberation, Peralta Community College Chancellor Regina Stanback Stroud announced that the district will be offering refunds to students who opted for an Excused Withdrawal (EW) when dropping classes in response to COVID-19. Whether all students will receive direct refunds, and how refunds will be distributed, remains unclear.

The announcement came during the April 21 Board of Trustees meeting and was repeated by Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Siri Brown during the April 23 student virtual town hall meeting.

“We are in the process of working on the back-end processes for issuing refunds to students for enrollment fees and 50% prorated parking pass fees. So, you may know that there are some students who paid all their fees this semester and some who did not. And so, if students have not paid their fees this semester, then the refund would be applied to the balance that’s still owed.”

Brown said the district will make an announcement with more details when more information becomes available. The refunds will be offered for students who used an Excused Withdrawal from March 10 to the end of the semester. 

Although Excused Withdrawals usually require documentation, the district has made an exception for spring 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. Students can use an Excused Withdrawal up to one year after the completion of the course, meaning that if they are dissatisfied with their grade, they have until the end of spring semester of 2021 to replace their grade with the EW. Unlike Withdrawals (W), Excused Withdrawals do not negatively impact a student’s grade-point average, ability to retake the class, or student academic progress that can influence financial aid.

According to the district website, all students who drop spring 2020 classes on or after March 26 will automatically receive an EW on their transcript. Students who dropped between March 10 and March 26 will need to fill out a Request for Excused Withdrawal form.

A March 20 executive order from California Community College State Chancellor Eloy Oakley suspended requirements to make it easier for districts to give refunds to students who withdraw due to hardship from COVID-19. On April 14, during a student media teleconference, Oakley said he “expects” districts to give refunds to students who ask for them. 

Multiple requests for clarification regarding how and when students should expect to receive refunds from the district were not responded to by the time of publication. 

 

Jacquelyn Opalach contributed reporting.

About the Contributors
Isis Piccillo, Editor in Chief
Editor-in-Chief Isis Piccillo was born and raised in the Bay Area. An avid reader and lover of libraries, Piccillo knows reading has been key to developing their writing voice. They are invested in covering and amplifying the voices of marginalized and underrepresented groups, especially in the areas of health and science. When not frantically copyediting or furiously writing, Isis can be found on the soccer field, or with food.
Jacquelyn Opalach, Features Editor
Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Jacquelyn Opalach is a student reporter who has been pursuing journalism since she was 15. Opalach is particularly passionate about the safety net that journalism provides for small communities, and is interested in the intersection of ethical reporting and investigative journalism. When she isn’t scoping out a new story, Opalach is likely sampling out a new recipe in the kitchen, forever trying to satisfy her insatiable sweet tooth.
Leave a Comment
Donate to The Citizen
$0
$500
Contributed
Our Goal

Comments (0)

All Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *