Withdrawals and Refunds
Assessments and Academic Programs
Programs
Enrichment and credit-bearing, accelerated programs designed for students at every age and stage of talent development.
Please Review the Following Policies
Listed below are the withdrawal and refund policies for assessments and each of our program types. Please note that refund policies vary depending on the program.
Assessments
KTEA, NWEA MAP, CogAT, PSAT 8/9, and Official SAT Practice powered by Khan Academy Withdrawal and Refund Policies
If you need to change a test registration, you will need to call 847/467-1575 or e-mail ctd-assessment@northwestern.edu to change your registration. Once a test session has been confirmed, a $25 change fee will apply for remote testing and a $70 change fee will apply for in-person testing.
If CTD needs to change or cancel a test date or time (tester illness, system maintenance, etc.), you will be contacted as soon as possible via phone or e-mail. A CTD staff member will work with you to reschedule the test. If a test cannot be rescheduled, a refund will be provided.
Any request to cancel a registration and receive a full refund must be made in writing a minimum of 72 hours prior to the scheduled test date. E-mail the request to ctd-assessment@northwestern.edu. Cancellations made within 72 hours of a test date, but before the date of testing, are subject to the processing fee noted above.
No shows and test day cancellations are not eligible for any refund.
Refunds may take up to four weeks to process.
Important Note: CTD experiences high volumes of submissions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing timeframe. Thank you for your patience during this season.
SAT and ACT Resources Refund Policies
Because CTD provides access to resources for families and students regardless of test participation, fees are not refundable and may not be transferred to a future academic year.
Students who pay for a test and who are unable to test on their scheduled test date may be able to reschedule for a later test date (subject to the test agency policies) by calling the testing agency (College Board or ACT) directly. The testing agency will assess a change-of-date fee.
Please visit the testing agency website for the most up-to-date information and policies. Test fees paid are subject to the College Board and ACT refund policies.
Test Agency Contact Information
- ACT®: 319/337-1270
- SAT®: 866/756-7346
If a test is cancelled due to inclement weather or another emergency, families will be notified by the testing agency about rescheduling options. CTD does not manage the test registrations and is unable to assist with admission tickets, accommodations, rescheduling, or refund requests.
General Policies for Academic Programs
- All refund requests must be made in writing and submitted to the admissions department at ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu. Refunds may take four weeks to process, starting from the time a written request is received by CTD.
Important Note: CTD experiences high volumes of submissions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing timeframe. Thank you for your patience during this season.
- All programs have a $70 withdrawal processing fee, which is non-refundable except in the following cases:
- All course choices are closed
- A course is cancelled
- Financial aid is not adequate for participation
- A student is not accepted into the program
- In the event that CTD cancels a course, families will be contacted about alternative course options or provided with a refund option, as applicable.
- Students dismissed for disciplinary reasons are not eligible for any refund.
Please note: Abandoned applications (i.e. applications that remain incomplete at the deadline for program enrollment) will be withdrawn and a refund initiated, minus a $120 fee.
See program listings below for withdrawal deadlines and program-specific details.
Weekend Programs (Saturday Enrichment Program, Accelerated Weekend Experience)
- Requests for withdrawals and refunds must be made in writing one week prior to the course start date. E-mail the request to ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu .
- Withdrawals are subject to a processing fee of $70.
- Students who withdraw within one week prior to the course start date are refunded 50% of the tuition, less the withdrawal processing fee.
- The tuition is nonrefundable after the start of the program.
- Students who are dismissed for disciplinary reasons are not eligible for any refund.
- Refunds may take up to four weeks to process.
Important Note: CTD experiences high volumes of submissions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing time frame. Thank you for your patience during this season.
Online Core Essentials, Online Enrichment, Online Honors, Online Advanced Placement, and Accelerated Summer Online
- To receive a refund of tuition paid, minus the nonrefundable withdrawal processing fee of $70, requests must be made in writing and received one week before the student's start date of their course. E-mail the request to ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu.
- Students who withdraw between one week before the course start date and 21 days into the class are refunded 50% of the tuition less the withdrawal processing fee.
- No refunds will be granted beyond 21 days of the student's start date. The 21 days include the orientation week.
- Students who are dismissed for disciplinary reasons are not eligible for any refund.
- Refunds may take up to four weeks to process.
Important Note: CTD experiences high volumes of submissions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing time frame. Thank you for your patience during this season.
Academic Day Camps at Chicago Area Sites, Online Family Program, CTD Live Online Summer Courses, and Online Leadership Intensive
- Requests for withdrawals and refunds must be made in writing one week prior to the course start date. E-mail the request to ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu.
- Withdrawals are subject to a processing fee of $70.
- Students who withdraw within one week of the course start are refunded 50% of the tuition less the withdrawal processing fee.
- The tuition is non-refundable after the start of the program.
- Students who are dismissed for disciplinary reasons are not eligible for any refund.
- Refunds may take up to four weeks to process.
Important Note: CTD experiences high volumes of submissions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing time frame. Thank you for your patience during this season.
Academic Summer Day and Residential Camps at Northwestern University
- To receive a refund of tuition paid, less the nonrefundable withdrawal processing fee of $70, requests must be made in writing and received no later than June 13. E-mail requests should be sent to ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu.
- Withdrawals are subject to a processing fee of $70.
- Withdrawals made after June 13 receive 50% of fees, minus the $70 withdrawal fee and deposit.
- Withdrawal requests made after the start of the program, including students who do not arrive at the program, do not qualify for any refund.
- Students dismissed from the program are not eligible for a refund.
- Refunds may take up to four weeks to process.
COVID-19 Refund Policy
- A full refund of tuition paid, less the nonrefundable withdrawal fee of $70, will be provided to students who test positive in the 72-hour window prior to the start of the program.
- If a student tests positive for COVID-19 during the program, a pro-rated refund of tuition and any residential fees paid, less the nonrefundable withdrawal fee of $70, will be provided to students for the days they are unable to attend the program.
- Refund requests should be made in writing to ctd-admissions@northwestern.edu.
- In order for refund requests to be processed, families should upload a copy of student’s positive test result to CampDoc. Test results may be from an antigen or PCR test and must be from an on-campus test provider or licensed third-party vendor; at home rapid test results will not be accepted for refund consideration.
Important Note: CTD experiences a high volume of transactions from June through August annually. During these months, processing times may extend up to 6 weeks from our normal processing time of 1 to 4 weeks. We appreciate your waiting to contact your credit card company to initiate a chargeback during the time you make a refund request and this processing time frame. Thank you for your patience during this season.