Frequently Asked Questions
With the surge in Omicron across the country, flight disruptions and our return to campus so close to New Year’s Day, Belmont's classes for this semester will begin fully online on Wed., Jan. 5. Residence halls will remain closed until Sat., Jan. 15, and the University plans to resume fully in-person classes on Tues., Jan. 18 after the MLK holiday.
Why has Belmont decided to begin the semester fully online and delay in-person classes until January 18?
We are committed to the health and safety of our entire campus community. Given the Omicron surge, as well as our scheduled return so close to the New Year’s holiday, we decided to begin the semester fully online and delay in-person classes until mid-January. This pause in our return to in-person living and learning will allow any infections contracted over the holidays to run their course while giving extra protection to more vulnerable members of our campus.
Because we are a largely residential community, we must consider the impact that a large surge in cases of COVID, and the increased transmission rate seen with the omicron variant, could have on on-campus living. While current information indicates that the severity of symptoms for those infected by the omicron variant is less severe than previous strains, especially among a largely vaccinated community like ours, we must consider the potentially negative impacts that come from the significantly increased transmissibility of this variant among a large group of people who are living and learning together. The impact that large numbers of infections would have on our campus resources, our ability to support students and our surrounding community weighed heavily in making our decision. With this in mind, we decided to begin fully online this semester to give our community more time and greater runway from the holiday season and the surge in case counts across the country.
We are confident that these measures will increase our ability to move forward successfully with in-person instruction this semester. Belmont continues to commit significant resources towards maintaining robust testing, treatment, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine protocols. We are pleased these efforts resulted in the successful completion of a fully in-person experience for Fall 2021. This has been and will continue to be our primary goal for Spring 2022 as well.
We also recognize this change in schedule will create additional questions, and the FAQ below is intended to respond with details as information is confirmed. Please check back often as this page will be frequently updated.
CLASSES / BRUINBOOKS / ORIENTATION
- My classes are online for two weeks. Will they meet at the same time? And how will I know how to join them?
- New and Transfer Student Orientation sessions were scheduled for Monday, January 3 and Tuesday, January 4. Is that canceled, too?
Updated
My BruinBooks shipment is being delivered to my dorm/apartment. How will I get them?New
Will classes meet on MLK Day Jan. 17?
Faculty will be in touch with you soon with details on how your classes will meet online between January 5 and January 18. We are aware that students live in different time zones which could make accessing classes at regularly scheduled CST times challenging. We have asked faculty to be aware of, and flexible with, online instruction in the first week of classes, though students may have to sit in on a class early in the morning of their home time zone.
Orientation will shift to a one-day virtual event on Monday, January 3. More information on how to access virtual orientation (for both parents and students) will be emailed to students soon from Belmont’s Orientation team. Additional information regarding orientation activities and campus tours during the Jan. 15-17 move in window will be shared with impacted students when available.
With Belmont moving courses online from Jan. 5-14 due to the impact of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, the Bruin Books team is taking steps to ensure students are ready for classes to begin remotely.
Previously, students were emailed with options to either pick up books on campus or have them shipped to a selected location.
After careful consideration and concerns about current shipping times, we are modifying the plan to ensure course materials are here at Belmont when students arrive for move-in prior to the January 18 return to in-person courses. We will not be re-directing the packages already received on Belmont's campus.
Please be aware that your faculty are prepared to work individually with you if you do not have access to materials as they typically would when the semester begins. Some will be able to provide the necessary materials electronically via Blackboard – please check your courses and discuss with your faculty as soon as possible.
If students are in the Nashville area prior to move in, they may pick up book orders at the 1508 Delmar Avenue location Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm
For additional questions, contact the Bruin Books team at 615-460-6418.
RESIDENCE HALLS
- There are supplies in my dorm that I need access to for the semester. Can I get into my room to get them?
Yes. Please contact your Residence Director during business hours to arrange a time to access your dorm and pick up any necessary materials.
ROOM & BOARD REFUNDS
- With the delayed start, will I get a refund on my housing and meal plans?
New
How were proration/refund amounts determined?New
When will I be notified of my proration/refund amount?New
How will proration/refunds be processed?New
What happens to the credit on my account?- Certain individuals receiving Federal Title IV financial aid will be automatically refunded the credit amount according to how the student account is set up to receive refunds (check, direct deposit, etc.).
- Students whose room and board funding source was Stafford loans, Private Education loans, Parent Plus loans and/or Pell Grants will be refunded the corresponding portion of the credit amount according to how the student account is set up to receive refunds (check, direct deposit, etc.).
- All other students: Credit amounts will be automatically refunded according to how the student account is set up to receive refunds (check, direct deposit, etc.).
New
If I’m getting a refund, what’s the fastest way to receive it?
The University will be providing pro-rated room and board refunds for residential students through January 15 based on this schedule change.
Residence Hall and Meal Plan proration amounts will be applied as credits to a student’s account. These credits should appear on student accounts by January 14. If you have questions about your credit amount, please email the Office of Student Financial Services at studentaccounts@belmont.edu.
WITHDRAWALS & LATE FEES
New
Will Belmont extend the withdrawal deadline to allow students the option for a full refund?New
What if I withdraw after the January 21, 2022 deadline?New
Will Belmont be assessing late fees to the student accounts?
Yes, we are extending the deadline to withdrawal from the University and from University housing while receiving a full tuition/housing refund until January 21, 2022 at 11:00 p.m. CST.
Note: For a withdrawal, typically the student would forfeit any institutional merit aid, but for this semester we will make an exception and hold any merit aid for them in the fall. If a student attends another school after withdrawing and returns in the fall, their grades will be reviewed to determine if the student continued to meet the 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement for the merit aid before reinstatement takes place.
If a student withdraws and doesn’t enroll at another school in the spring, any student loans will start their grace period, so students and parents will need to be aware of those dates. They can check https://studentaid.gov/ or check with their loan servicer for more specific information.
If a student receiving Hope Scholarship funds withdraws from Belmont for spring 2022, the student will need to enroll in another Tennessee school in order to maintain HOPE eligibility.
Students who are receiving HOPE and are wanting to request a Leave of Absence (LOA) in the spring term of 2022 due to circumstances related to COVID-19, will be required to submit an appeal request describing those circumstances in order to continue eligibility in the fall term of 2022. Students may appeal once you return. Please keep in mind that we will be requesting COVID-19 related documentation that supports the reason for appealing.
For more information on the HOPE Scholarship: https://www.belmont.edu/sfs/scholarships/hope.html
As an exception for Spring 2022, the deadline to submit a Leave of Absence application with required documentation has been extended to January 21, 2022: https://www.belmont.edu/registrar/apolicies/leave-absence.html
Students who fully withdraw after the January 21, 2022 deadline for 100% refund will fall under the established university withdrawal policy which can be viewed here: https://www.belmont.edu/registrar/apolicies/withdrawal.html.
Students will receive a refund percentage based on the last date of attendance and confirmed by the Registrar’s office. Please see the chart below that lists the percentage of tuition to be refunded based on the date of university withdrawal.
SPRING 2022
Date of Official Withdrawal |
Refund of Tuition |
January 3 - January 21 |
100% |
January 22 - January 26 |
80% |
January 27- January 31 |
60% |
February 1 - February 3 |
40% |
February 4 - February 8 |
20% |
After February 8
|
0% |
Because we understand the full uncertainty of the spring semester and to allow our families time to make a fully informed decision, we will extend the payment due date to January 11, 2022 to assist our families without late fees.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS?
This site will be updated as needed when new details are confirmed so please check back often. In addition, faculty and staff are encouraged to reach out to their chair/dean or supervisor with specific questions. Students and parents are encouraged to directly contact the offices listed below if they have urgent concerns or questions. Thank you for you patience and understanding as we all do our best to navigate this pandemic and minimize its impact on our community.
Course questions: Please contact individual faculty for Spring 2022 courses via email/Blackboard.
Orientation: orientation@belmont.edu
Residence Life: reslife@belmont.edu
Student Financial Services: finaid@belmont.edu