This video will show you how to opt in to or out of Tuition Refund Insurance, which protects your investment in USC tuition and may be purchased for a small fee during fall, spring and summer terms. It provides a refund of tuition and fees to a student who must withdraw from all classes due to an illness or accidental injury. USC has contracted with A.W.G. Dewar, Inc. to provide this program.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What does Tuition Refund Insurance cover?
The insurance covers 85 percent of the tuition and mandatory fees (excluding the student Health Insurance Fee) for the semester if a student withdraws from all classes due to injury, sickness, or psychological and emotional conditions (as defined in the DSM-IV manual). USC grants and scholarships are credited back to the university.
2. What does Tuition Refund Insurance NOT cover?
Tuition Refund Insurance does not cover the following: war or any act of war, declared or undeclared; the use of any drug, narcotic or agent that is similarly classed or has similar effects, unless it is prescribed by a doctor; taking part in a riot; failure to attend classes for any reason other than injury or sickness; withdrawal, if the student receives full or partial credit for an incomplete term, or due to completion of academic requirements, or early graduation; suicide or intentionally self-inflicted injury or sickness; or nuclear reaction, nuclear radiation or radioactive contamination.
3. How much does Tuition Refund Insurance cost?
By default, at the time you register, Web Registration will enroll you in the Tuition Refund Insurance. We’re maintaining the same rate as last year. This will result in a charge equal to approximately .28 of 1 percent of your tuition and mandatory fees, which includes an administrative fee of .05%. The total charge will be added to your student account.
4. How do I opt out of Tuition Refund Insurance?
The Web Registration system automatically enrolls students in Tuition Refund Insurance.
Students may opt to purchase or decline Tuition Refund Insurance up until the 20 percent deadline of session 001, which is the end of week three during fall and spring semester.
For the exact date, please visit the Schedule of Classes website where you will select the term, then click on “Registration Calendar”.
Students who wish to change their Tuition Refund Insurance setting may do so in Web Registration by clicking the “Tuition Refund Insurance” tab and following the system prompts.
5. What is the coverage period for Tuition Refund Insurance?
Tuition Refund Insurance provides coverage for one semester. (For instance, insurance purchased for the fall semester covers courses taken only in the fall.) The insurance becomes effective at the start of the semester and extends until the end of the final exams period.
6. How do I file a claim?
Follow the steps below to file a claim for a tuition refund. Please note that claims must be filed within two years of the end of the semester from which you withdraw.
- Contact the Registrar One Stop Center to verify that you purchased Tuition Refund Insurance for the semester in question. Only students who have purchased Tuition Refund Insurance may file for a tuition refund from Dewar Insurance, Inc.
- Withdraw from all your courses as soon as possible after the occurrence of illness or injury and before the withdrawal deadline (80 percent into the respective session). To withdraw from classes, please use one of the following options:
- Access Web Registration through myUSC and withdraw from courses.
- Email us from your USC email account requesting a withdrawal. Please provide your USC ID number in your request and state that you need to withdraw for medical reasons.
- Authorize another person to withdraw from the classes on your behalf. This can be in the form of a handwritten document. Your authorization must include your name, your USC ID number, the name of the person you would like to designate as your agent, a brief statement requesting withdrawal from all classes for medical reasons, and your signature. Please include a copy of your USC ID or other government-issued ID with the authorization.
- Request a College Medical Withdrawal Certificate packet from the Registrar One Stop Center. Registration staff will provide the forms after you have withdrawn from courses and it has been verified that you have purchased Tuition Refund Insurance. You will need to complete the student portions of the forms. Email the completed Student Information Release form to the Registrar One Stop Center.
- Have your physician complete the Student Medical Authorization form, which you will need to provide. Your physician must then mail the document to Dewar Insurance, Inc., using the address listed on the form. If you received medical treatment for the illness or injury at a USC Student Health Center, please send the Student Medical Authorization form to the address below so that your physician may fill it out:
Student Health Center
Attention: Office of the Executive Medical Director
Los Angeles, CA. 90089-0331
7. What should I do after filing a claim?
Your top priority is to return to good health. The Registrar One Stop Center will work in collaboration with the Cashiers Office to certify your claim and forward the claim to Dewar Insurance, which will send a check to the university. Benefit payment is made to USC to be credited to the student’s account. USC grants and/or scholarships will be credited back to the university. Benefit payments not required to settle your student account with USC will be refunded to you through the Cashiers Office.
Contact Us
If you have questions regarding the Tuition Refund Insurance program or if you need assistance filing your claim, submit a question below or call the One Stop Center at (213) 740-8500.