PAYMENT PLANS & HARDSHIP
Three payment plan options. A clear refund schedule. And a Hardship Policy for when life happens.
Payment Plan Options
Tuition and fees are due each term. You may choose from the following three payment options at the time of registration. All payment plans require automatic payment via debit card, credit card, or bank account.
Option 1
Pay In Full 100% at registration
The simplest option. Pay all tuition and fees at the time of registration and you are done for the term. No further action required.
Option 2
Two-Payment Plan 50% at registration | 50% at Week 5
Half of tuition due at the time of registration. The remaining half is automatically charged at the start of Week 5 (mid-term). Registration fees and any other applicable fees are paid in full at registration.
Option 3
Three-Payment Plan 1/3 at registration | 1/3 at Week 4 | 1/3 at Week 7
Tuition divided into three equal payments. The first payment is due at registration, the second is automatically charged at the start of Week 4, and the third at the start of Week 7. Registration fees and any other applicable fees are paid in full at registration.
All payment plans must be set up at the time of registration. We cannot retroactively add a payment plan after the term has started. Choose the option that works best for you when you register.
Late Payment Policy
Because payment plans run on automatic payments, here is what happens if a payment does not go through.
Within 5 Days of Due Date Grace period. No fee. We assume an honest delay — a card on file expired, a bank account changed, an automatic payment hiccupped. We reach out, you update your payment method, the balance settles, and we move on.
More Than 5 Days Late A $25 late fee is added to your account. We notify you in writing.
More Than 14 Days Past Due Temporary suspension from courses until the balance is resolved. You retain your enrollment status, but you cannot access course materials, submit assignments, or attend live sessions until the balance is current.
Unpaid Balance at End of Term You cannot register for the following term, you cannot receive transcripts, and you cannot graduate until the balance is paid in full.
If you are facing financial difficulty, reach out to the Registrar’s office before you fall behind. We have options. We can almost always work something out — but we can only work with what we know about. Silence does not solve a money problem. Conversation often does.
Refund Policy
JBC honors the financial stewardship of every student. Our refund schedule is clear, published, and applied consistently. Refunds are based on the date of an official, written withdrawal request received by the Registrar — not the date a student stops attending. Students who simply stop attending without filing an official withdrawal receive a failing grade and forfeit all refund eligibility.
Tuition Refund Schedule:
| Withdrawal Timing | Tuition Refund |
|---|---|
| Before the Registration Deadline | 100% |
| Before the Late Registration Deadline | 90% |
| During Week 2 of the Term | 75% |
| During Week 3 of the Term | 50% |
| During Week 4 of the Term | 25% |
| Week 5 of the Term and Beyond | No Refund |
Non-Refundable Items:
- Application Fee — non-refundable under all circumstances
- Registration Fee — non-refundable after the Late Registration Deadline
- Late Registration Fee — non-refundable once paid
- Graduation Fee — refundable up to 15 days before the graduation ceremony
- Returned Payment Fees and Late Payment Fees — non-refundable
Special Circumstances:
We recognize that life sometimes interrupts our plans. The following situations may qualify a student for an extended refund or term credit beyond the standard schedule:
- Documented medical emergencies or serious illness affecting the student or immediate family
- Active military deployment or required military service obligations
- Death of an immediate family member (spouse, child, parent, sibling)
- Other extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the Executive Director
In approved special-circumstance cases, students may receive a pro-rated refund or full-term credit toward a future term, at the discretion of school leadership. Documentation is required.
To withdraw from a course or term, submit a written Withdrawal Request to the Registrar at admin@judahbiblecollege.org. See the Withdrawal Form for complete instructions.
When Life Happens… The Hardship Policy
Life happens. Jobs disappear. People we love get sick. Babies arrive on different timelines than we planned. Spouses get deployed. Marriages crack. The economy shifts. The car breaks down at the worst possible week of the term. The medical bill arrives that no one budgeted for. The diagnosis comes that changes everything.
We have not built Judah Bible College to abandon students in those moments. We have built it to walk with them through them. The Hardship Policy exists for exactly that reason — to give students facing documented hardship a formal pathway to receive institutional support without abandoning their studies and without losing what God has been building in them.
We will not pretend we can solve every situation. But we have walked through real ones with real students, and we have learned what is possible when a school refuses to treat its students as transactions. Almost every time we have walked through a hardship situation honestly with a student, we have found a way forward together.
If you are in one of those seasons right now — or you sense one coming — reach out. Do not assume you have to disappear. Do not assume the math is impossible. Let us see what is actually possible before either of us assumes it is not.
What Qualifies as Hardship
The Hardship Relief process applies to documented circumstances including:
Financial Hardship Job loss, significant income reduction, unexpected major expenses, or family financial crisis.
Medical Hardship The student or an immediate family member is facing a serious medical condition requiring substantial financial or time commitment.
Family Crisis Death of an immediate family member, divorce, custody crisis, or other serious family disruption.
Military Deployment or Transition The student or the student’s spouse is on active deployment or in military transition.
Pregnancy and Childbirth Medical complications, recovery, or new infant care affecting capacity to continue at standard pace.
Other Documented Circumstances At the discretion of the Executive Director, where genuine and verifiable hardship is demonstrated.
What Relief Is Available
Depending on the nature of the hardship, JBC may grant one or more of the following forms of relief:
Modified Payment Plan Adjusted payment schedule with extended due dates and/or reduced installment amounts.
Tuition Deferral Postponement of tuition payment for a specific period — typically up to one term.
Tuition Reduction Partial reduction of tuition for the affected term, granted in extraordinary circumstances.
Course Withdrawal Without Penalty Withdrawal from one or more courses without standard withdrawal fees or grade penalties.
Coordinated Leave of Absence Formal Leave of Absence to allow the student to address the hardship without losing standing.
Graduation Fee Reduction Reduction or waiver of the $100 Graduation Fee in cases of documented financial hardship.
How To Apply For Hardship
01 — Submit the Hardship Application
Complete the JBC Hardship Application form. Describe your circumstances honestly and specifically — we are not looking for performance, we are looking for clarity. Indicate the specific form(s) of relief you are requesting. Submit to admin@judahbiblecollege.org or by mail to PO Box 23527, Chattanooga, TN 37422. All hardship applications are treated with strict confidentiality.
02 — Provide Documentation
Submit appropriate documentation supporting your circumstances. We understand that gathering documentation may itself be difficult — especially in a real crisis — and we will work with you to identify acceptable forms of verification. Examples include:
- Letter from a physician (medical hardship)
- Death certificate or notarized statement (death of a family member)
- Employer separation notice or termination documentation (job loss)
- Military orders (deployment)
- Letter from local pastor verifying circumstances (pastoral support)
- Court documents (legal proceedings, divorce, custody matters)
If you are unsure what documentation to provide, contact the Registrar’s office before you submit. We would rather help you gather the right paperwork than send you back to start over.
03 — Review & Decision
The Executive Director reviews your application and supporting documentation. You will receive a written decision typically within 14 days of receipt of complete documentation. The decision will indicate whether your request is Approved, Partially Approved, or Denied; the specific type of relief granted; the effective date and duration of the relief; and any conditions attached. Urgent situations are reviewed more quickly — reach out by phone if you need an expedited review.
Leave of Absence
Sometimes life does not require financial relief — it requires time. JBC offers a formal Leave of Absence policy that allows students to pause enrollment for a defined period without losing their place at the school, their catalog of record, or their academic standing.
A Leave of Absence is different from a withdrawal. Withdrawal is a formal exit from JBC with no commitment to return. A Leave of Absence is a formal pause with the intention to return at a defined future date. The pause is honored, the place is held, and the student remains officially affiliated with the school throughout.
Leave of Absence is available for documented circumstances including serious medical issues, family crises, military deployment, pregnancy and childbirth, unexpected ministry assignments, and other circumstances that genuinely prevent continued enrollment for a season.
FAQs
Q&A 1: “What if I need a payment plan that isn’t one of the three standard options?”
The three standard plans are designed to cover most students’ situations. If your circumstances genuinely require a different arrangement, submit a Hardship Application. The Executive Director can approve a Modified Payment Plan with extended due dates or reduced installment amounts in documented cases.
Q&A 2: “What if I lose my job mid-term?”
Reach out immediately — do not wait until you fall behind. Job loss is a recognized financial hardship at JBC. The Hardship Policy was built for exactly this kind of situation, and we can often arrange a tuition deferral, a modified payment plan, or course withdrawal without penalty if the timing is right. The earlier you reach out, the more options we have.
Q&A 3: “What if I have to drop a class for medical reasons?”
Documented medical hardship may qualify you for an extended refund beyond the standard schedule, or for course withdrawal without penalty. Submit a Hardship Application with appropriate medical documentation and your situation will be reviewed by school leadership.
Q&A 4: “What if I need to step away for a full term or more?”
That is a Leave of Absence, not a withdrawal. Leave of Absence allows you to pause without losing your place, your catalog of record, or your academic standing. See the Academic Policies & Student Services document for the full process and application.
Q&A 5: “How long does it take to get a hardship decision?”
Most hardship applications receive a written decision within 14 days of receipt of complete documentation. Urgent situations are reviewed more quickly. If you need an expedited review, indicate that on your application or call the Registrar’s office directly.