The school closed mid-year — what happens to my tuition and records?
Last updated: 2026-07-12 · Educational content; not legal advice.
Short answer
When a school closes or a program is discontinued, your two priorities are your records and any tuition you paid for education you did not receive. Regulators oversee closures: CHED for higher education and DepEd for basic education require an orderly wind-down, including the safekeeping and transfer of student records and, typically, assistance to place affected students in other schools. Immediately request certified copies of your records and transcript in writing, keep all your receipts and proof of payments, and file with CHED or DepEd, which hold the closing school's records and can direct where they are deposited. Where you paid for a term you could not complete, raise a refund claim in writing and escalate it to the regulator with your receipts.
Primary sources
Frequently asked
Where do my records go if the school shuts down?
Closures are regulated: CHED (higher ed) and DepEd (basic ed) require an orderly wind-down and oversee the safekeeping and transfer of student records. Request certified copies immediately and, if the school is unreachable, ask the regulator where the records were deposited.
Can I get a refund for a term I could not finish?
Raise a written refund claim for tuition paid for education you did not receive, attach your receipts, and escalate to CHED or DepEd. Keep proof of every payment.
How do I keep studying?
CHED and DepEd typically assist in placing affected students in other schools; use the records-transfer process, request certified copies of your records, and ask the regulator about receiving-school options.
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Your rights as a student or parent — whether a school can withhold your transcript (TOR), diploma, or Form 137 over an unpaid balance and how to get your records for transfer, the prior consultation and 70%-to-personnel conditions on any tuition increase (RA 6728), tuition refunds when you withdraw early, who qualifies for free college and the Tertiary Education Subsidy under the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931), your right to due process before a school can suspend or expel you (Guzman v. National University), a school's duty to act on bullying (RA 10627, Anti-Bullying Act) and on gender-based sexual harassment (Safe Spaces Act, RA 11313), the prohibition on hazing (RA 8049 as amended by RA 11053), hidden or excessive miscellaneous fees, a revoked scholarship, a school that closes mid-year, and how to file a complaint with CHED (higher ed), DepEd (basic ed), or TESDA (tech-voc).