Enrollment Status & Financial Aid Eligibility

Your financial aid eligibility is verified when funds are applied to your UWA student account. Adjustments based on enrollment status changes (drops or adds) are made through the last day to add courses each term.

Undergraduate Enrollment Status

  • 12+ credit hours = Full-time (Full Pell Award)
  • 9 – 11 credit hours = Three-quarter time (3/4 Pell Award)
  • 6 – 8 credit hours = Half-time (1/2 Pell Award)
  • 5 or fewer credit hours = Less than half-time (Pell eligibility depends on EFC)

Graduate Enrollment Status

  • 6+ credit hours = Full-time
  • 3 credit hours = Half-time

Minimum Enrollment Requirements

  • Loans: Must be at least half-time
  • Scholarships: Must be full-time

Graduate students taking undergraduate courses must enroll in at least 6 undergraduate credit hours to be considered half-time.

Withdrawing & Financial Aid Implications

Official Withdrawals

If you receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid, your funds are subject to proration based on the number of days you are enrolled. This proration applies through the 60% point of the semester and is calculated in compliance with Federal Return of Title IV Funds regulations. Any required repayments for unearned Title IV funds are your responsibility and will be charged to your account.

Unofficial Withdrawals

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student:

  • Does not earn a passing grade in any course for the term,
  • Fails to participate academically beyond the 60% point of the semester, and
  • Does not officially withdraw from the University.

For unofficial withdrawals, financial aid will be recalculated in accordance with Federal Return of Title IV Funds requirements, and the student will be required to repay a portion of the aid received. All Title IV repayments are the student’s responsibility and will be added to their account.

No Shows

Students who never attend or participate academically in any of their registered classes are required to repay 100% of the financial aid received for the semester.

Important Note

If you stop attending all of your classes, you must officially withdraw from the University by contacting the Registrar’s Office. Failure to officially withdraw may result in additional financial obligations.

FAQs

What happens if I withdraw from all classes or drop courses throughout the semester?
Please see the Federal Return to Title IV Policy’ concerning how this affects your financial aid. If you receive Federal Title IV aid (Pell Grants, Federal Direct Student Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants, etc.) and withdraw or stop attending classes, UWA will calculate the amount of aid you did not earn. If it is determined that you received aid you did not earn, the funds will be returned to the appropriate Title IV program(s). You have only earned the percentage of aid that reflects the percentage of the term you attended. For example, if you complete 25% of the semester, you only earned 25% of the Title IV aid you were eligible for during the term of attendance. If you attend more than 60% of the term, funds will not be returned. If you receive excess aid for the term attended, UWA must return the unearned portion. You may then be held accountable for paying this amount to UWA. If UWA is not required to return the entire amount, you must repay the remaining amount to the appropriate Title IV program(s). The Federal Direct Student Loans/PLUS Loans you may have borrowed will be repaid according to the terms of the original promissory note. You will only be responsible for overpayment of unearned funds as determined by the US Department of Education Return to Title IV Funds Calculation. A student who owes an overpayment will not be eligible for additional Title IV aid until the overpayment has been resolved. NOTE: Withdrawing and not completing coursework with a passing final grade will directly affect your Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress. Failure to meet this policy will result in suspension of future financial aid.
What is UWA’s Return of Title IV Funds Policy?

To withdraw from UWA, students must complete the Withdrawal Form provided by the Registrar’s Office. The date of the withdrawal will normally be the date the form is completed.

The Higher Education Act, section 484B, 34 CFR 668.22 specifies the formula that requires federal aid recipients to *earn* the aid they received while enrolled. Up through the 60% point in each payment period, a prorated schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the 60% point in the payment period, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds they received.

A student begins earning Title IV funds on the first day of attendance. Therefore, even if a student withdraws before UWA’s last day to register (prior to fund disbursement), the school must perform a return calculation using the number of days the student was determined to have attended class(es).

If it is determined by UWA that a student has ceased to attend class(es) or stopped completing academic-related activity, an unofficial withdrawal will be calculated using the last determined date of attendance or midpoint (based on the date that most benefits the student).

UWA must always return any unearned Title IV funds within 45 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew. UWA must also offer any post-withdrawal disbursement within 30 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew. A post-withdrawal disbursement must meet the current required conditions as outlined in the Return to Title IV Handbook. A post-withdrawal disbursement must be made within 120 days from the date the institution determines that the student withdrew.

UWA must notify a student in writing prior to making any post-withdrawal disbursement of any Title IV loan funds. A student/parent must provide written notification to UWA to request a post-withdrawal disbursement of any Title IV loan funds. The information provided in this notification must include the information necessary for the student to make an informed decision as to whether or not to accept any disbursement of loan funds to pay institutional charges.

Any student who withdraws and was eligible for Federal Pell, UWA will disburse funds to the student account. UWA is not required to notify and/or receive information from the student to disburse Pell funds. Pell disbursed will be calculated as a part of the Return to Title IV calculation.

A school must return Title IV funds to the programs from which the student received aid in the following order:

  1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan
  2. Subsidized Federal Stafford loan
  3. Federal Plus loan
  4. Federal Pell Grant
  5. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  6. A student does not have to repay a grant overpayment of $50.00 or less