<p>i started classes at berkeley and gave them a one time $300 deposit to get started and was told it would be returned to me or if i wanted, i could use it for registering next term. I said i would use it for books next term. when the next term started and i asked regarding the money, i was told that the money was “Absorbed”. i was very upset since i counted on that money for books. i was transferred several times and was told there was nothing i could do. since classes were starting the next week the person who told me the money was “Absorbed” also told me to take out a loan to cover registration again -so i did. She also said that i had to pay every single semester. needless to say it was a big mistake as i could not afford all the books (new editions of course so that i could not buy used ones) and i had to drop a class. i then found out that what this person (high up in the ranks) said to me is not true. She was so mean and treated me like i was nothing on the phone. this happened over a year ago and it still makes me angry that i was treated this way. has anyone ever heard of this.</p>
<p>Do not every believe what you are told unless you have it in writing. If there is not a specific form or letter explaining the policy, be sure that you get a letter signed by someone who has responsibility for the item. At the very least, get an email.</p>
<p>It sounds like you paid a $300 enrollment deposit, and that you were told that if you didn’t actually enroll it would be refunded to you. Since you did enroll, that $300 would have been part of your fees for the year. Either you misunderstood what you were told, or the person explaining things did a very, very bad job of explaining. If you have the person’s name, you could write a note to him/her and tell your story. You aren’t going to get any money out of it, but you could encourage that person to be more careful when explaining things to new students.</p>