Official Withdrawal

An official term withdrawal is defined as a student’s formal notification of their intent to withdraw from all courses for a given term. A student’s withdrawal date is the date on which the student submits official notice to Student Records to drop one or more courses. To officially withdraw from a course or courses, students must submit notice to Student Records either electronically or in person.

Withdrawing from courses may affect student's eligibility for future financial aid. Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to continue receiving financial aid. While withdrawals may not impact a student’s grade point average (GPA), they can negatively affect a student’s completion rate. For more information, please refer to the college’s Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

Student loans may enter a grace period or repayment when a student leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment. Students will be provided with information regarding repayment; however, students are responsible for beginning repayment even if the student did not receive information. Students should refer to exit interview materials, U.S. Department of Education Student Guide, or contact their loan servicer to determine when loan repayment will begin.

Exit loan counseling is required for any student who has received a student loan and completely withdraws from the college.

A federal financial aid recipient who does not officially withdraw from the term and does not provide a last date of academic-related activity will be considered as having completed 50 percent of the term for purposes of calculating the amount of federal financial aid that must be returned. In such cases, the student will not be eligible for a refund based on the college’s refund policy.

Return of Federal Financial Aid

A student’s federal financial aid eligibility must be recalculated if the student withdraws, drops out, is dismissed, or takes a leave of absence before completing 60 percent of the term. Federal financial aid includes Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) and Federal Direct Loans. Institutional charges include tuition, fees, and charges made at the Bookstore using federal financial aid.

The recalculation of eligibility is based on the percentage of earned aid, which is determined using the following formula:

• Number of days attended in the term ÷ Total number of days in the term = Percent of earned aid 

Federal financial aid must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education based on the percentage of unearned aid, calculated as follows:

• Percent of unearned aid × Amount of federal financial aid disbursed = Aid to be returned 

The responsibility for returning unearned federal aid is shared by the college and the student. However, the student is responsible for repaying the college for any amount the college is required to return on the student's behalf, less any refund for which the student may be eligible. As a result, a student who does not complete at least 60 percent of a term may owe a repayment to the college and/or the federal government for the amount of unearned federal financial aid.

Students will be informed by mail within approximately three weeks of the date of complete withdrawal. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that a valid permanent address is on file with the Student Records Office.

A student who owes the college may be restricted from registering for a subsequent term or obtaining an official academic transcript until the debt is paid. Payments should be made to the Business Office. A student who owes a payment to the federal government may be reported to the U.S. Department of Education and be required to provide documentation of a satisfactory payment arrangement before eligibility for federal or state aid is restored.

Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for dates that mark the 60 percent point of each term.