Withdrawal Policy

All students, except graduating seniors, who are leaving the university are requested to notify personnel in the Office of the Registrar or the Office of Student Affairs.

Any student who has received student loans must complete an exit interview as timely as notified by the Financial Aid Office.

Determining Withdrawal Date

Withdrawal notifications are initiated by the Office of the Registrar or Student Affairs. The withdrawal form includes: reason for withdrawal, last day of attendance, last day on campus. Medical withdrawals are reviewed by a committee before sending decision notifications to the Office of the Registrar. A staff member in the Office of the Registrar processes the withdraw and codes the students as withdrawn and notifies the appropriate individuals and offices, including the Financial Aid Office. Unofficial withdrawals are brought to the attention of the Office of Registrar by faculty – who have the authority to request administrative withdrawal for non-attendance.

Tuition REFUND

A student who withdraws during the semester will receive an adjustment to tuition on a per diem proration (number of days enrolled divided by number of days in the semester) through 60 percent of the primary term.  No refunds will be processed after 60 percent of the primary term has been completed. There is no refund of the student comprehensive fee.

Housing and Meal Plan REFUND

There are no adjustments to the housing charge.  Housing and Residence Life may charge a $250 contract cancellation fee. Meal Plan charges will be adjusted based on usage throughout the primary term.

Financial Aid Refund

A student who withdraws during a semester and is receiving financial aid will have a per diem proration adjustment made to non-federal financial assistance.

Return of Title IV (Federal) Funds

Federal law specifies how to determine the amount of federal assistance to be retained by a student who withdraws during a semester. The amount of federal assistance to be retained is determined on a per diem proration. For example, if a student completes 30 percent of the semester, 30 percent of federal assistance can be retained on the student's account. The unearned funds will be returned as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days from the determination of a student's withdrawal.

If a student received less federal assistance than the amount the proration determines can be retained, all federal funds previously applied toward university charges remain on the student's account. For example, if a student received more federal funds than the proration determines can be retained, the excess federal funding must be returned to the appropriate federal program(s) and the student's account will be charged for the refund(s).

When more than 60 percent of the semester is completed, 100 percent of the federal Title IV funds is considered "earned" and will not be returned to the funding source.

If a student received excess federal funds according to the proration, the university must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

• tuition, fees, and housing charges multiplied by the percentage of excess (unearned) funds, or
• the entire amount of the excess federal funds.

The order of federal programs to receive excess federal funds is:

• Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
• Subsidized Stafford Loan
• PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Grant (SEOG)

If excess federal funds remain after the university has repaid federal programs, the remaining funds must be repaid by the student to specific federal programs in the same order listed above. However, in case loan funds are to be returned, the student (or the student's parent for a PLUS Loan) repay the lender in accordance with terms of the promissory note. That is, the student makes scheduled payments to the lender over the agreed upon time period, usually 10 years or a minimum $50 monthly payment.

If the student is responsible for returning grant funds, the full amount does not have to be returned. The law requires repayment of 50 percent of excess grant assistance by the student and the student must agree to repay the excess grant assistance within one year after receiving notification of the obligation. Repayment is made by the student to the university who will repay the appropriate federal program. The student is ineligible to receive additional federal assistance if repayment has not been made within the year.

Federal funds are considered to be the first payment toward tuition, fees and housing charges. Unless federal funds exceed adjusted institutional charges, the student will not be required to repay funds to the federal programs. Generally, excess federal funds will be repaid to the appropriate federal program by the university and charged to the student's account. Credit balances generated by federal funds must be refunded as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the calculation of R2T4.

POST-WITHDRAWAL DISBURSEMENT

If the student receives less federal student aid than the amount earned, the school must offer a disbursement of the earned aid that was not received. In other words, if all requirements for eligibility of a federal loan or grant program had been met but the aid had not yet disbursed at the time of the student’s withdrawal, the student may be eligible for a disbursement of federal aid after withdrawal. This is known as a post-withdrawal disbursement.

Any federal grant funds that were earned, but not yet applied to the student’s account, may be applied to the student’s allowable charges without written authorization from the student. All federal grants must be disbursed within 45 days of the date that DePauw determined that the student withdrew.

In order to have federal loan funds applied to the account that were earned, but not yet disbursed, the school must get authorization from the student (in cases of Federal Direct Loans) or the parent (in cases of Federal Direct PLUS loans). An authorization form must be sent from the school to the student/parent within 30 days of withdrawal if the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. The student/parent has at least 14 days to respond and accept or decline the funds, and the school has 180 days to disburse the Federal Direct Loan funds or Federal Direct PLUS Loan funds. The information provided in this notification must include the information necessary for the student, or parent for a Direct Parent PLUS Loan, to make an informed decision as to whether the student or parent would like to accept any disbursement of loan funds and must be provided within 30 days of the date of a school’s determination that a student has withdrawn. In addition, the notice must request confirmation of any post-withdrawal disbursement that the student or parent, as applicable, wishes the school to make.

All post-withdrawal disbursements are applied to the student account first. Credit balances generated by federal funds must be refunded as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the post-withdrawal disbursement funds have created an overage on the student account.