Federal Return of Title IV Funds regulations require that when a student completely withdraws on or before completing 60% point of the semester, the amount of financial aid (federal grants and loans) earned must be calculated and prorated based on the percentage of days a student attends through the 60% point of the semester.
The percentage of aid earned is determined by dividing the number of days the student attended classes during the enrollment period by the total number of calendar days in the enrollment period. In other words, a student earns aid solely based on the time they attended classes or an academically related activity.
Until a student has passed the 60% point of a semester, only a portion of the student's aid has been earned. After the 60% point, a student is eligible for all aid disbursed or aid that could have been disbursed, provided eligibility criteria have been met.
All students must exit the university using the official withdrawal/leave of absence procedures. Undergraduate students must complete the appropriate paperwork with Academic Advising in the Center for Academic Excellence, located on the first floor of the Berry Library.
Graduate students must contact the School of Graduate Studies and complete the appropriate paperwork.
Continuing and Professional Studies (CPS) students, also known as Evening students, are not required to take a leave of absence unless they receive financial aid.
Before taking a leave of absence or withdrawing, students must review their financial aid and bill to understand the ramifications of taking a leave. A student's financial aid may be prorated based on regulations and program guidelines. The Financial Aid Office will determine eligibility for funds. Students who do not reenroll within six months of taking a leave of absence may lose their federal Direct Loan grace period. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office in the Student Navigation Center for assistance.
The date a student begins the withdrawal/leave of absence process is the date the Financial Aid Office will use to determine their exit date.
Students who walked away (stopped attending all classes) and didn't formally exit the university will have a Return of Title IV Fund calculation done based on faculty-reported class attendance records. This can occur at any point during the semester a student leaves or the following semester.
Any funds owed to the government due to this calculation must be repaid or arrangements made to pay to remain eligible for aid. Students must contact the Financial Aid Office to understand their rights and responsibilities.