From Schools:
- Scenario: If a school has a no refund policy:
- Action: Please request written documentation of this policy.
- Scenario: If the school claims the student attended, and asks if they can offer a partial refund.
- Action: Please provide proof that the student attended your school and the amount you believe is owed.
- Question: A student can opt out at any time, why are we being asked to pay back the funding we received?
- Answer: If the student did not attend your school, you are being compensated for a service that you did not provide. The law allows for tuition payments to participating schools for participating students who attend and or attended the school. As the student(s) in question did not attend your school you must return the funds.
- Question: What’s the deadline for returning funds, and how should we report it in our books?
- Answer: The deadline to return the funds is stated in the letter you received and is 30 days from the date you received the correspondence.
- Question: If we have multiple refund requests, can we submit them in a single batch?
- Answer: Yes
- Question: Where in the law does it state that we need to pay tuition back for an eligible student if they opted out?
- Answer: If the student did not attend your school, you are being compensated for a service that you did not provide. The law allows for tuition payments to participating schools for participating students who attend and or attended the school. As the student(s) in question did not attend your school you must return the funds.
- Question: Can I make monthly payments?
- Answer: We prefer one payment, but we are willing to work with the school. Please have the school submit a plan that deem reasonable.
- Question: Who can I contact to ensure the payment was received?
- Answer: All communications should go through Odyssey, once payment has been sent please let us know.
- Question: I would like to speak to GESA about this. Who can I talk to?
- Answer: Please let us know your concerns/questions and we will escalate them to the appropriate GESA personnel.
From Parents:
- Question: We cannot afford to pay this back, what do we do?
- Answer: We can accept partial payments on a monthly basis until the amount is fully paid.
- Question: We were eligible when we made the purchase, we do not think it is fair.
- Answer: Your initial eligibility was based on documents you provided and attestations that you made. However, upon reviewing your application and verifying the information you provided, it was determined that you were in fact ineligible for the program.
- Question: We do not want to pay this back, we are no longer interested in the program.
- Answer: We understand that you may not wish to return the funds or participate in the program. However, you applied for the program and spent program funds. Further, upon reviewing your application and verifying the information you provided, it was determined that you were ineligible for the program. Thus, any funds that you spent must be returned.
- Question: We were told we did not have to pay it back since we were approved when we made the purchase.
- Answer: I am unsure as to who would have told you this. Our regulations state that improper use of funds may result in funds being returned to the program. (Regulation 7.8)
- Question: Can we just return the product to the vendor?
- Answer: No, there is a strict no refund policy.
- Question: I do not want to pay back, how can we appeal this?
- Answer: You can file an appeal if you believe your child was in fact eligible for the program at the time the funds were spent. However, you cannot appeal the amount of funds owed or the fact that funds are owed if your child is/was ineligible for the program.
- Question: Can I make monthly payments? I cannot afford to pay this all back.
- Answer: We prefer one payment; however, we will work with parents who wish to make monthly payments.
- Question: I would like to speak to GESA about this. Who can I talk to?
- Answer: Please let us know your concerns/questions and we will escalate them to the appropriate GESA personnel.
- Question: What is the deadline to return funds?
- Answer: The deadline to return the funds is stated in the letter you received and is 30 days from the date you received the correspondence.
- Question: What would happen if I refused to pay back?
- Answer: You may be referred to the Georgia Attorney General’s office for further investigation.