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University of Wisconsin students who paid for meal plans and residence hall rooms only to leave halfway through the semester because of the COVID-19 pandemic will receive refunds, according to a UW System announcement.

The refunds will be prorated and cover the period after individual campuses’ spring breaks. Students cannot carry their refund into the next school year because of rules related to federal financial aid.

“We recognize the tremendous upheaval this pandemic has inflicted on the lives of our students, and we appreciate their patience and their sacrifice,” System President Ray Cross said in a statement. “This reimbursement is the right thing to do.”

But students at some campuses may not see their refund directly deposited into their bank accounts if they owe money elsewhere, such as a tuition bill.

UW-Madison student housing director Jeff Novak told students and parents in a Facebook Live video Wednesday that housing credits would first be applied toward outstanding bills and any remaining money would return directly to students — a point that seemed to frustrate some people watching the video.