Withdrawal and Return of Federal Funds (R2T4)
A student is considered to have withdrawn from a term if the student does not complete all the days in the term that the student was scheduled to complete.
If the student officially withdraws (with notice) from Elmhurst University completely during a term, several issues are considered:
- Elmhurst University aid is adjusted at the same percentage rate as the tuition and fees withdrawal schedule used by the Office of Student Financial Services.
- If the student has completed 10 days of attendance, the state of Illinois aid will remain the same.
- Federal Title IV funds (Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant, TEACH Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, Subsidized Loan, Unsubsidized Loan, and Parent PLUS Loan) are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
A withdrawal form can be found on the Registration and Records Forms page.
Do You Have to Pay Back Financial Aid?
- In the case of student withdrawal where Title IV funds must be returned, Federal Title IV funds are returned by Elmhurst University to the U.S. Department of Education in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source: Unsubsidized loan, Subsidized loan, Parent PLUS loan, Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant, TEACH Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
- The date of official withdrawal used by Elmhurst University is the date that the Office of Registration and Records receives the student’s written request of the student’s intention to withdraw. Staff in the Office of Registration and Records enter this date into Elmhurst University’s software system and Student Financial Services staff access that information through reports run at least weekly in order to calculate Return of Title IV when applicable.
- When a student withdraws after beginning attendance in the term, all federal Title IV aid will be adjusted based on the number of days that the student has been enrolled for the term using a federal calculation known as Return of Title IV. This is determined by taking the number of days attended as a percentage of the number of days in the term. For example, if the term is 100 days long and the student withdrew after attending 24 days, 24/100 of the Title IV aid is considered earned and would be applied to the student’s account. Once the student has been enrolled for 60% of the term, no more adjustments are made.
- If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned to the U.S. Department of Education by Elmhurst University as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days from the determination of the student’s withdrawal. To this end, the unearned aid will be removed from the student’s account. If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, and for which the student is otherwise eligible, he or she is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received.
- Students enrolled in the cohort portion of a degree completion or graduate program who withdraw during the term may be subject to somewhat different withdrawal calculations per federal and institutional regulations.
Tuition Adjustment Schedule
| Semester Courses | 8-Week Courses* | |
|---|---|---|
| $20 (Per Course) | Prior to or during the first week of the term | Days 1–4 |
| 85% refund | 2nd week of the term | Days 5–7 |
| 70% refund | 3rd week of the term | Days 8–11 |
| 50% refund | 4th week of the term | Days 12–14 |
| 30% refund | 5th week of the term | Days 15–18 |
| No refund | 6th week and thereafter | Days 19 and beyond |
*Courses less than 8 weeks will be reduced proportionately
Withdrawal without Proper Notification
A student who has earned all grades of F for a term but has not officially withdrawn from classes is considered to have unofficially withdrawn. If an instructor indicates in writing to the Office of Student Financial Services that the student has actually earned the F, the student will be considered to have completed the term, and all aid will be retained for the term.
For students who have unofficially withdrawn, the midpoint of the term will be used as the withdrawal date and financial aid will be adjusted according to U.S. Department of Education regulations.