Partial Dropping or Withdrawal from Classes
Students may withdraw from a class up until the published withdrawal deadline. This may be done online or in person. Students should determine the impact of a withdrawal from one or more courses on financial aid prior to completing the withdrawal, especially in cases where the withdrawal will result in a change from full-time to half-time status or from half-time to less-than-half-time status.
The College recommends that any student withdrawing from all classes for a given semester meet with an advisor to discuss options prior to processing the withdrawal. Students may not continue to attend any course from which they have withdrawn. Students should check their schedules in Owl Link 24 hours after withdrawing from a class to make certain the withdrawal was processed. Students who withdraw in person also should keep their copy of the withdrawal form until they can see that the grade of W has been recorded.
Withdrawal deadlines are published in the academic calendar. The last day to withdraw from full-term (15-week) credit classes during the fall and spring semesters is typically the day before final exams begin. The withdrawal deadline for all other courses is usually the day before the last day of classes. No student may withdraw after a course has ended or after the instructor has submitted an NA grade. The official withdrawal date is the day the Office of Records and Registration receives the proper, signed withdrawal form or the day the withdrawal is successfully completed in Owl Link. Students are responsible for withdrawing by the date published in the academic calendar and following all withdrawal procedures.
Students who follow this withdrawal procedure will receive a grade of W. A grade of W has no impact on the student’s grade point average (GPA) but does count as one attempt at the course.
Students who drop or withdraw from a class may receive a partial refund or no refund at all based on the date that they dropped or withdrew from the class. However, the College also recognizes that students sometimes encounter extraordinary circumstances that are out of their control, which may necessitate a change in academic plans. Students who have experienced an extraordinary circumstance, such as illness, injury, a mental health situation, or an unanticipated, extended incapacitation/hospitalization (or that of an immediate family member) may submit an Exceptional Tuition Refund Appeal request within 45 days of the end of the impacted semester. Students should refer to the Exceptional Tuition Refund Appeal request form for a full list of qualifying exceptions.
Financial Aid Refund Policy for Complete Withdrawal from the College
Federal regulations require that when students withdraw from the College or stop attending classes during a payment period (such as a semester) that the amount of the federal student financial assistance received be adjusted to the amount that has been “earned” up to the point the student withdraws or stops attending classes. The amount of assistance earned is determined based on the portion of the payment period that the student completed. For example, if a student withdraws from the college after attending 30 percent of the semester, they have “earned” 30 percent of their financial aid. If the student has received less than the aid “earned”, the funds are released; if the student has received more than the aid “earned”, the excess funds must be returned. Once the student has completed more than 60 percent of the payment period, they have “earned” all of the assistance awarded.
If the student must return funds, the funds are returned to the financial aid programs in the following order: Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal PLUS Loan Program, Federal Pell Grant and Federal SEOG.
Over Awards
Students may not receive more federal student financial assistance than they “need.” Students who receive federal financial aid awards in excess of their financial need will have their assistance adjusted or reduced until they are no longer receiving an overaward. The student is responsible for repayment to the college of the over-awarded amount. Students should also be aware that they cannot receive federal financial aid at two institutions which they may be simultaneously attending during the same semester.