Withdrawing from classes can impact your financial aid. If you decide to withdraw, you may be required to return a portion of your Title IV Aid, which includes Pell Grants, SEOG, and Direct Loans. Understanding how this process works and the potential consequences can help you make an informed decision.
Add/Drop Classes
If you decide to drop one or more of your classes, you may required to return a portion or all of your financial aid you have received for that semester.
- If your financial aid has not been disbursed and you add or drop a class, your financial aid will be adjusted.
- If your financial aid has been disbursed and you ass or drop a class before the 12th class day, your financial aid will be adjusted. You may be required to repay some of your federal grants and/or loans if you dropped a class.
- If your financial aid has been disbursed and you add or drop a class after the 12th class day, there will be no change to your financial aid, unless you have failed to begin attendance.
Official Withdrawals
If you decide to withdraw and go through the official withdrawal process. Please be aware that if you withdraw from all of your courses after the semester begin, you may have to return some of the financial aid that you have received. Federal regulations required that the Office of Student Aid complete a a Return to Title IV calculation to determine the amount of money to return. This could leave you with a balance on your account.
In the event that no academic activity can be documented, you will be considered as not having attended.
Unofficial Withdrawal
Federal financial aid regulation states that if you earned unsatisfactory grades (e.g. FS, FN, I, Q, QL, and/or U), you may be considered an unofficial withdrawal (if you stopped attending without providing official notification of your intent to withdrawal.)
In the event that no academic activity can be documented, you will be considered as not having attended.
Notice of Continuation
Students enrolled in modules (any course that does not span the entire semester) - Federal regulation states that a student who is enrolled in modules is considered to have withdrawn for Title IV purposes if the student ceases attendance at any point prior to completing the payment period, unless the school obtains a Notice of Continuation from the student at the time of the withdrawal/drop that they intend to return for a future module that begins within the payment period OR meets one of the R2T4 exemptions.
Attendance Verification
Federal financial aid regulations require the university to confirm whether you began attendance in at least one course to establish eligibility for federal student aid. Based on the information the University receives, adjustments to financial aid awards may be necessary and will likely result in a balance due on your student account.
Instructors will confirm if you began attendance or became academically engaged in your courses through the Howdy portal. Instructors may reference any of the following to confirm that you began academic engagement:
- You attended a class (in-person or synchronous online) where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students
- You submitted an academic assignment
- You took an exam
- You participated in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction
- You participated in a study group, online discussion, or group project that is assigned by the institution
- You interacted with an instructor about academic matters
Please note that the following DO NOT constitute attendance for financial aid purposes:
- Logging into an online class without active participation (including accessing prerecorded lectures that do not allow for direct interaction between the instructor and students)
- Living in university housing
- Utilizing university meal plans
- Meeting with an academic advisor or participating in group advising
- Attending a voluntary or informal study group not assigned by the university
Your financial aid will remain unchanged if the instructor confirms your attendance in the class. However, if we do not receive confirmation of your attendance in the course(s), we are required to adjust your financial aid based on the remaining enrolled hours. In the event that we do not receive confirmation of attendance for ANY enrolled course, we are required to cancel ALL of your federal financial aid.
Withdrawals and Return to Title IV Funds
Withdrawal from Programs Offered in Modules & Determining if a student has withdrawn from a Program. Examples of these situations can be:
- You are enrolled in a course in the first 5 week, the second 5 week, and the third 5 week. You drop the first 5 week and second five week course. You are NOT a withdrawal because you are still enrolled in the third 5 week course. A Notice of Continuation is required to determine if you intend to return for the third 5 week course. If you fail to return the Notice of Continuation, you will be considered a withdrawal.
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Same scenario, however you complete the first 5 week course and drop the second and third 5 week course. You ARE a withdrawal and subject to Return to Title IV calculations. |
- You are enrolled in a course in the first 8 week course, second 8 week course and one 16 week course. You drop your two 8 week courses. You are NOT a withdrawal because you still enrolled in your 16 week course. You have had a change of enrollment and your aid may be adjusted.
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Same scenario, however you complete your first 8 week course and drop your second week course and 16 week course You ARE a withdrawal and subject to Return to Title IV calculation. |
Withdrawal Exemption
Under the September 2, 2020 final regulations, the Department establish withdrawal exemption criteria which if met, allows a student who has withdrawn or otherwise ceased attendance to NOT be considered a withdrawn student for Title IV purposes, which means that no R2T4 calculation is required for that student. Prior ro conduction a R2T4 calculation for a student who has ceased attendance during a payment period or period of enrollment, a school should review the student's circumstances to see if the student qualifies for any of the R2T4 withdrawal exemptions.
The withdrawal exemption categories are as follows:
- Withdrawal exemption for graduates/completers
- A student who completes at the requirement for graduation from his or her program before completing the days or hours in the period he or she was scheduled to complete is not considered to have withdrawn
- This exemption applies to all types of programs (with or without modules)
- Withdrawal exemptions for programs offered in modules
- A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes one module that includes 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules
- A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes a combination of modules that when combined contain 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules
- A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required for the institution's definition of a half-time student under §668.2 for the payment period
Please note that all of the withdrawal exemptions apply to both undergraduate and graduate students as long as the student and program meet the underlying exemption criteria (i.e. the program is offered in modules, the students are graduates, etc.). Finally, a student only needs to meet one of the withdrawal exemptions to be exempt from R2T4.