Cancellation and Refund Policies

Distance Education Refunds
Refunds for all courses, except Jewelry Business Management, use the number of lessons submitted in the calculation; refunds for Jewelry Business Management use the number of days enrolled in the calculation. There is a non-refundable $24.95 shipping and handling fee for US and Canadian shipments.

Lab Class Refunds
Students will receive a refund of the unused portion of tuition calculated on a pro rata basis based on the number of hours remaining in the course, calculated from the student’s last date of attendance or date GIA receives official notice of withdrawal from the student.

GIA New York Refunds
GIA or you can terminate enrollment at any time. GIA will refund to you either all or part of your tuition payments according to the following refund schedules for the respective programs, courses, or Lab classes.

The notice of cancellation must be addressed to the Director of New York Education and may be delivered in person, by phone, fax, e-mail, or mail:

Phone: 212-944-5900 ext. 3063
Fax: 212-719-9563
E-mail: nyedu@gia.edu
Mail or in person: 270 Madison Ave, 2nd floor, New York, NY 10016-0601

The failure of a student to immediately notify the School Director in writing of the student’s intent to withdraw may delay a refund of tuition to the student, pursuant to Section 5002 (3) of the New York Education Law.

The date GIA receives your official notice of cancellation or your last day of class attendance is the date of cancellation. The refund will be mailed within 30 days after GIA receives the cancellation notice.

Students who cancel within 7 days of enrolling or receiving notice of a fee increase, or within 3 days of signing the enrollment agreement, taking a campus tour or attending orientation receive a refund of all monies paid. 

Thereafter, a student will also be responsible for the cost of any textbooks or supplies accepted, plus tuition liability as of the student’s last date of physical attendance as set forth in the tables below (Tuition = total price – application fee – books & materials).

The application fee is only paid once, when a student applies to GIA for the first time. GIA does not collect an application fee for subsequent enrollments. Refund calculations will only consider the application fee when the fee has been paid and the student enrolled at GIA for the first time.

Refund Policy for Graduate Gemologist Diploma Program, Graduate Diamonds Diploma Program, Graduate Colored Stones Diploma Program, and the Jewelry Design Course
Tuition liability is divided by the number of quarters in the program. Tuition is limited to the quarter during which the student withdrew or was terminated, and any previous quarters completed.

Example of refund calculation for a student enrolled in Graduate Gemologist program
Student paid $18,730 total price (includes $50 application fee) and canceled enrollment during 15^th week of the program. GIA is entitled to application fee ($50), books and materials fees ($1,280), and the price of the portion of the course completed by the student (100% of the first quarter and 50% of the second), according to the refund policy above. This example assumes the student paid the one-time application fee of $50.

Refund Policy for Programs of Six or Fewer Weeks in Duration, Including Lab Classes

Example of refund calculation for a student enrolled in Diamond Grading Lab class (35 hours total)
Student paid $1345 total price (includes $50 application fee), canceled after 1 day = 7.0 hours (7.0/35 = 20% completed). GIA is entitled to application fee and a portion of the cost of the class, according to the refund policy above. This example assumes the student paid the one-time application fee of $50.