Know This!

What Happens If I Totally Withdraw Or Stop Attending All Classes?

TOtally Withdraw (Official Withdrawals):

After your official withdraw from all USF courses for a term is processed by the University Registrar, you will be notified within 30 days if you owe an immediate repayment of financial aid student aid (e.g. student loans, Florida Bright Futures, etc.)

The amount of federal student aid that you must repay is determined by the Federal Formula for Return of Title IV funds (Section 484B of the Higher Education Act). This law also specifies the order in which funds are to be returned to the financial aid programs from which they were awarded, starting with federal student aid loan programs (e.g. Direct Loan) and then all federal student aid grant programs (e.g. Federal Pell Grant, SEOG, etc.).

  • The earned amount is determined by multiplying the total federal student aid (other than FWS) for which you were eligible to receive by the percentage of time enrolled for a term up to your official withdrawal date or Last Date of Attendance (LDA) in an academic related activity, whichever comes first.
  • If more aid was disbursed than was earned, the amount of Title IV aid that you must return (i.e. not earned) is determined by subtracting the earned amount from the amount actually disbursed.
  • If less aid was disbursed than was earned, you may submit a request to receive a late disbursement for the difference. Your notice will include instructions on how to arrange for a Post Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD).

Stop Attending All Classes (Unofficial Withdrawals):

You should monitor your grades closely at the end of each semester and respond as soon as possible to an "unofficial withdrawal notice" to avoid unnecessary billing as well as holds on future term registration and official transcript holds.

  • Instructors are required to report the documented Last Date of Attendance (LDA) in academic related activity for each unsatisfactory grade.
  • If you receive all unsatisfactory grades (i.e. 'F','I', 'U' or missing grades – M) for a term you will be considered "unofficially withdrawn".
  • After grades are posted, you will be notified that you are being considered as "unofficially withdrawn".
  • Within 30 days, we are required to begin the Return to Title IV Repayment (R2T4) calculation and billing process.
  • Students must complete more than 60% of the term to earn 100% of Title IV aid. For detailed information regarding the formula used to determine the percentage, click here.
  • If the instructor has not provided a documented LDA, we will assume you unofficially withdrew at the 50% point of the term.
  • If you believe your instructor(s) incorrectly reported your LDA, you will have 30 calendar days from the last date of the term to submit a Verify Last Date of Attendance (VLDA) form to your instructor/academic department and return it to the Office of Financial Aid for review.
    • If the repayment amount is revised, you will receive a revised repayment notice.
    • It may take 2-4 weeks to restore funds that were billed and returned to the Federal Student Aid programs (including loans).
    • Reinstatement of funds is not allowed by the U.S. Department of Education if more than 180 days have passed after a term ends. There are no exceptions.

NOTE: If you receive unsatisfactory grades for a course you never attended contact the Academic Regulation Committee (ARC) for your college. In addition, you will need to request a full tuition & fee refund via the University Registrar.

FEDERAL WITHDRAWAL POLICY
TREATMENT OF FEDERAL STUDENT AID WHEN A STUDENT WITHDRAWS

Repayment & Refunds:

Any institutional refunds (e.g. tuition & fees, housing, etc.) you receive will be applied to any federal student aid repayment amount you owe.

You must request institutional refunds from the corresponding USF department according to their established policy/procedures/contract, etc.

You should not expect to receive any institutional refund until all federal student aid programs are repaid in full for the entire amount paid to you that term. This includes retroactive non-fee liable drops approved by the University Registrar when those hours were included in your enrollment status to initially disbursed federal student aid grant funds (e.g. Pell, SEOG, etc.).

You should also not expect to receive any institutional refund until all non-federal aid programs that require a repayment (e.g. Bright Futures, etc.) for totally withdrawn students until those aid programs are also repaid in full.

STUDENTS AFFECTED BY MILITARY MOBILIZATION

The attached letter from the US Department of Education addresses the treatment of students and borrowers who are members of the National Guard or Reserves and who have been ordered to active military duty as a result of the recent terrorist attacks.