Changes to your enrollment can affect your financial aid eligibility. If you are thinking about dropping a course, withdrawing from one or more classes, or withdrawing completely from the semester, it is important to understand how those decisions may impact your aid.
How Enrollment Changes Can Affect Financial Aid

Financial aid is often based on your enrollment status. Dropping courses or withdrawing may result in:

  • Reduction of grant eligibility
  • Cancellation or reduction of student loans
  • Loss of eligibility for future aid
  • A balance due to the college
  • A required return of federal financial aid funds
  • Your aid may be adjusted if you change your schedule before or during the term.
Dropping Courses

If you drop one or more courses but remain enrolled, your financial aid may still be affected depending on the date you drop the course, your new enrollment level, and the type of aid you received.

  • Pell Grant may be reduced if your enrollment drops below full-time or if attendance in coursework is not established.
  • Federal Direct Loans require at least half-time enrollment to remain eligible.
  • State or institutional aid may require full-time enrollment or a minimum number of credit hours.
  • Dropping courses may also affect your ability to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.
Withdrawing From All Courses

If you withdraw from all classes before completing more than 60% of the term, federal regulations require the school to calculate how much of your federal financial aid you earned. This is called a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation.

What This Means

When you withdraw completely:

  • You do not automatically earn all of your financial aid.
  • The school must determine the percentage of the term you completed.
  • Unearned federal aid may have to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education.
  • You may owe the school a balance.
Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)

Federal financial aid is earned based on the number of days you attend during the semester.

If you withdraw before completing 60% of the term, a portion of your federal aid may be returned.

Returned funds may include Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan.

If you complete more than 60% of the term, you are generally considered to have earned 100% of your federal aid for that semester.

Unofficial Withdrawals

Students who stop attending classes without completing the official withdrawal process may still be considered withdrawn for financial aid purposes.

If instructors report that you stopped attending all courses, the Financial Aid Office may perform a Return of Title IV Funds calculation based on your last date of attendance or academically related activity.

This may result in reduction of aid, return of federal funds, or a balance owed to the institution.

Impact on Future Financial Aid Eligibility

Dropping courses and withdrawals can also affect your future financial aid eligibility by impacting your course completion rate, cumulative GPA, and maximum timeframe for degree completion.

These factors are reviewed under the college’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.

Before You Drop or Withdraw

Before making any changes to your schedule, you are strongly encouraged to speak with the Financial Aid Office, your academic advisor, and the Student Accounts or Billing Office if applicable.