This fall, Salt Lake Community College is offering a new way to give students peace of mind when making the decision to enroll in college.
GradGuard, according to the the college’s bursar, Ryan Thoroman, “is an optional tuition insurance program that helps protect students and families financially if unexpected situations prevent them from completing a semester.”
Thoroman, whose office oversees billing, collecting, refunding, and cashiering functions, further explained how students benefit from the GradGuard program.
“By enrolling, students can receive a refund of tuition, fees, and other educational expenses, even after the College’s standard drop deadline, if they need to withdraw for a covered reason,” he said.
To be eligible for reimbursement, students must withdraw from all courses due to a covered illness, injury, mental health condition, chronic illness, death or job loss of a tuition payer, or other serious event.
“By covering situations beyond a student’s control, GradGuard gives students and families financial flexibility when unexpected challenges arise,” said Thoroman.
SLCC issues refunds until the last day to drop classes with a refund, which aligns with the last day to enroll in GradGuard for the fall semester on Sept. 16.
“[GradGuard] provides peace of mind, knowing that a large financial setback won’t add stress to an already difficult situation,” said Thoroman.
The insurance cost is 2.6% of the coverage amount. Standard rates for resident students is $65 for $2,500 coverage and $195 for $7,500 for non-resident students. The coverage can be customized by contacting GradGuard.
“It’s relatively affordable. For a resident student taking 12-18 credit hours, the standard coverage of $2,500 only costs $65 and would be more than enough to cover the $2,271 for tuition and standard fees for those courses,” said Brett Iddison, the assistant bursar of support services. “Some courses do have additional course-specific fees they [students] could use the rest [of the reimbursement] towards, or they could take as reimbursement for school supplies.”
Previously, students could file a registration appeal for refunds. Effective this semester, financial adjustments through registration appeals will no longer be available to students. Tuition insurance will be the only financial protection available after the drop deadline.
Interested and eligible students can enroll via SLCCPay+ or by visiting GradGuard’s website. Students must enroll each semester to opt into the tuition insurance.
- Fall 2025 enrollment closes Sept. 16.
- Spring 2026 enrollment closes Feb. 2.
- Summer 2026 enrollment closes June 1.
Students can direct questions to GradGuard support at 866-985-7598 or by contacting their support team.
