Withdrawal from School & Return of Funds

If you choose to withdraw, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence from the University, contact their school of enrollment first. The withdrawal process may vary by school, so start with the website for each individual school or check with the Record in UREG. SFS has also created a resource for students leaving the University. Once you have started the process with your school, the school will notify the University Registrar and then Student Financial Services for adjustments to your account and/or financial aid.

If you are not receiving any Title IV federal financial aid in the semester from which you are withdrawing, please refer to the University’s Tuition and Fee Adjustment Policy for information about what funds may be returned to the student.

If you are receiving Title IV federal financial aid in the semester from which you are withdrawing, the process is different.  SFS is required by federal rules to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a semester. In these cases, we have to recalculate the your federal financial aid, including Pell Grant, SEOG, TEACH Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, and PLUS loans.

Leave of Absence

If you have received Title IV loans (Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans or Graduate PLUS Loans) and do not return from an approved leave of absence, some or all of the repayment deferral period may be exhausted, and loans may go into repayment. For purposes of the Title IV programs, the date of withdrawal is backdated to the first day of the approved leave of absence. This policy also includes students who do not return from an approved leave for study abroad.

Withdrawal

After you begin the withdrawal process with the University, we will determine a revised amount for University charges and a recalculation of financial aid.

We will adjust federal Title IV financial aid based on the federally defined formula called Return of Title IV aid (R2T4),

We will adjust any financial aid from state sources based on the formula determined by the individual state grant program. The Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program and the Virginia Commonwealth Assistance Program use the percentage of aid earned calculation from the federal R2T4 formula.

We will adjust non-University awards based on the guidelines provided by the organization that provided the scholarship or grant.

Return of Funds Calculation

In general, SFS will determine the total number of days in a term (including weekends) and subtract any breaks of five days or longer. SFS will then take the date of withdrawal of the student and determine the number of days that the student attended in the term. The number of days attended is divided by the number of days in the term and the resulting percentage is used to determine the amount of Title IV aid earned in the term.

For example, if a term is 111 days in length and a student withdraws after 8 days, the resulting percentage is 7.2%. The student will have earned 7.2% of their Title IV financial aid. This percentage is multiplied by the amount of Title IV aid disbursed as of the date of withdrawal in a term to determine the total amount of Title IV aid earned.

Student Financial Services will use the R2T4 worksheet to determine how much and what type of Title IV aid has been earned by the student and how much and what type of aid must be returned by SFS and/or the student. If Title IV aid must be returned, it will be returned in this order:

  1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan
  2. Subsidized Direct Loan
  3. Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
  4. Direct Parent PLUS Loan
  5. Pell Grant
  6. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
  7. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant
  8. TEACH Grant

In some cases, students are able to receive a disbursement of Title IV aid after withdrawal. This occurs when the amount of Title IV aid earned by the student is greater than the amount of Title IV aid disbursed for the term at the time of withdrawal. SFS will contact students who are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.  

The requirements for Title IV aid when students withdraw are separate from the University’s Tuition and Fee Adjustment policy. Therefore, students may owe funds to the University to cover unpaid institutional charges. The University may also charge a student for any Title IV aid that it is required to return.

Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy

All students who withdraw follow the University's Tuition and Fees Adjustment Policy. 

Tuition and Fees: In the event a student withdraws from the University, tuition and fees will be charged on a percentage basis based on the school week within which the student withdraws. The effective date of withdrawal is determined by the Dean of the school in which the student is enrolled, and is recorded on the official withdrawal form, which the student must complete as part of the withdrawal process. Any refunds due to the student because of withdrawal will first be offset against any other allowable amounts owed to the University.

Residence Hall: No refund of residence hall rent shall be made in the event of withdrawal after the fifth class day of each semester. Upon vacating student housing facilities, the room key must be returned to the Student Accommodation Office. The date the room key is returned to the Student Accommodation Office is the effective termination date of the student housing contract.  Students should contact Residence Life with any questions about their housing charges.

Dining Services: The Dining Services contract covers meal plans for both fall and spring semesters. When you cancel your contract you must notify the Contract Coordinator at (434) 982-5140 by the specified deadline. There is a $50 non-waiver administrative fee to cover processing charges. This charge is also assessed if you withdraw from the University. For further information regarding contract meal plans and charges call (434) 982-5124 or visit their website.

Upon Your Return to the University

Please note that if you leave the University for any reason and return in a later semester, you will be subject to the tuition and fee rates established by the Board of Visitors for the academic year in which you return, based upon your academic level upon your return. Your school of enrollment can confirm your academic level upon your return.