Withdrawing - How Does it Impact My Financial Aid
It can be a big decision to withdraw whether it is just from a couple of credits or for the entire term, especially if you receive financial aid. For more information about how to maintain your financial aid, please review our Enrollment and Aid information. Withdrawing from one or more credits can impact your Satisfactory Academic Progress.
What happens if you withdraw from one or more credits?
- If you withdraw from one or more credits but not all enrolled credits for the semester after the drop/add deadline, your financial aid will not be adjusted.
- If you are withdrawing from one or more credits but not all enrolled credits for the semester before the drop/add deadline, your financial aid may be adjusted based on your total enrolled credits.
- If you withdraw from all enrolled credits for the semester after the drop/add deadline your financial aid eligibility may be recalculated per federal regulations. The Department of Education’s Return to Title IV (federal) funds process is completed using the official date of withdrawal reported by the Office of The Registrar.
- The reason for withdrawing will not prevent the review for the return to Title IV (federal) funds from being completed.
- If the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) is required to adjust your financial aid after withdrawing, a letter will be mailed to your permanent address on file detailing the changes.
What happens if you have an unofficial withdrawal?
- A student who remains enrolled but receives a grade of F for all courses or does not receive any passing grades for the semester may be considered a student who failed the semester.
- OSFA mails a letter to the student’s permanent address as notification of the violation of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). The letter instructs the student to provide confirmation from at least one professor during the semester that the student sat for the final exam OR the student is asked to provide the last date of academic activity (submitted assignment, recorded class attendance, etc). If the student does not respond to the letter by the instructed deadline, the OSFA will recalculate the student’s financial aid eligibility for the withdrawal term. OSFA will complete the recalculation of federal funds assuming that the student completed 50% of the semester. OSFA will mail a letter to the student’s permanent address on file detailing any changes to the student’s financial aid.
- If a student stops attending all courses for the semester but does not officially withdraw they are considered unofficially withdrawn for the semester. If OSFA is made aware, the student’s recalculation of federal funds will be completed based on the date our office is informed OR the last known date of academic activity. A letter will be mailed to the student’s permanent address on file detailing any changes to the student’s financial aid.
What happens if you have a retroactive withdrawal?
- Students who are granted approval for a retroactive withdrawal by the Office of The Registrar will have a withdrawal date prior to the current date in which they are submitting withdrawal documents. A student with an approved retroactive withdrawal date prior to the start of the semester or prior to the add/drop deadline will have all financial aid canceled and any financial aid refund received will have to be repaid.
- A student with an approved retroactive withdrawal date prior to the start of the semester or prior to the add/drop deadline will have all financial aid canceled and any financial aid refund received will have to be repaid.
- A student with an approved retroactive withdrawal date after the start of the semester and after the add/drop deadline will require OSFA to complete the recalculation of federal funds using the approved retroactive withdrawal date.
Have more questions about withdrawal and financial aid?
- If you have questions about the withdrawal process, please contact our office. However we are unable to advise on the following:
- OSFA cannot provide an estimate of the amount of aid that may be adjusted using the return to Title IV (federal) funds process once a student has withdrawn.
- OSFA will not advise students of the “best date” to withdraw to avoid financial aid funds being adjusted after the return to Title IV funds review has been completed.