Return of Title IV Funds/ Withdrawals

< Back to Financial Aid View Full Return of Title IV Policy

Essential Items to Consider Before Dropping a Class:

Students who don’t complete all the financial aid classes they enroll in may not be eligible for all the aid they receive.

  1. Depending on your decision and when you may need to repay some (or all) of your federal aid.
  2. We recommend that students educate themselves on all options before dropping or withdrawing from a course (see individual boxes below for more information).
  3. Students with too many withdrawals or non-passing grades may have negative Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) implications.
  4. Students who owe a balance to the school may be unable to register for a future term.

  • Dropped Courses

    A dropped course (before the drop deadline) no longer appears on the transcript.

    Impact on Federal Aid Students:

    Students’ Pell grants may be reduced if they drop classes before the Financial Aid Census Date (FAD).

    For more information, refer to Step #5, Receiving your Federal Financial Aid .

  • Partial Withdrawals

    Partial withdrawals are when a student withdraws from one or more classes (but not all) during a semester.

    Impact on Federal Aid Students:

    Students in this situation may be able to keep their federal financial aid if it is determined that they began attending the withdrawn course (or academically participated) and earned academic credit during the term.

  • Total Withdrawals

    Students who officially withdraw from all classes during a semester.

    Impact on Federal Aid Students:

    Students in this situation may be required to repay a portion of the federal financial aid received, based on whether or not they began attending the courses and at what point in the term they began the withdrawal process.



  • Unofficial Withdrawals

    Unofficial withdrawals are when a student stops attending all classes during a semester but never officially withdraws with the Registration Office. These students will receive I, E, or UW grades for all semester or module classes.

    Impact on Federal Aid Students:

    These students often lose financial aid eligibility for future semesters and may have to repay the aid already received. See the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy page for more information.

Still Have Questions?

  • We recommend talking to someone in our office if you are unsure about the impact of dropping or withdrawing from some (or all) of your classes.

  • Click on the “Contact Us” link on the Financial Aid homepage for our contact information.