Withdrawal and Its Impact on Financial Aid

If you stop attending classes or withdraw from all classes during a semester or summer term, you may be required to repay some of your federal grants and/or loans. If you cancel all of your classes, you will be required to repay all aid — federal, state, institutional and private. This page will provide more information on how withdrawing will affect your financial aid.

Official Withdrawal or Cancellation

If you decide to leave the university, you must follow the official withdrawal process, including getting approval from your dean’s office. Please be aware that if you withdraw from all classes after the semester begins, you may have to return some of the financial aid that you had received. Federal regulations require that the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid complete a Return to Title IV calculation to determine the amount of money to return. This could leave you with a balance on your account that would need to be paid immediately. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid is notified by the Registrar when a student has officially withdrawn from classes. The calculation for Return of Title IV funds is based on when a student initiates the withdrawal process by speaking with an academic advisor, a member of the Registrar’s staff, or completing the University’s withdrawal form.

In the event no academic activity can be documented, you will be considered as not having attended.

Unofficial (Stop Out) Withdrawal or Cancellation

Federal financial aid regulations state that if you earn unsatisfactory grades or status (e.g. F’s, X’s, I’s, Q’s, and/or no grades assigned) in all courses for a semester, you will be considered an unofficial withdrawal (stopping out without documented dean’s approval), and a return of federal grants and/or loans must be calculated unless the institution can document that you engaged in academic activity beyond the 60% point of that semester. Official UT records and verification of academic activity from official university sources will be reviewed to assist in this determination. If the last date of academic activity cannot be documented as occurring on or after the 60% point of the semester, all or a portion of federal funds will be returned through the return of Title IV funds process.

In the event no academic activity can be documented, you will be considered as not having attended.

Determining Repayment

The amount that you need to return is calculated from a formula provided by the federal government. The amount returned depends on the type of financial aid you received, the effective date of your withdrawal and the institutional expenses you incurred. Repayment is due immediately to The University of Texas at Austin. If courses are officially canceled or no academic activity can be documented, all federal aid must be returned.

All repayments are due immediately to The University of Texas at Austin, and balances are viewable on What I Owe. Funds must be repaid prior to receiving additional student aid at The University of Texas at Austin or any other institution. A financial bar for the amount owed will be placed on your UT records until the amount is paid in full.

If the amount paid to you was less than the amount you earned, you may be eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of any earned aid that was not paid out prior to your leaving the university. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will notify you if you are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. For federal loans, you will have to sign a statement agreeing to accept the loans.

If you are withdrawn by your Dean at or beyond the 60% point in the semester, your financial aid is considered “earned,” and you are not required to return any funds. The 60% point of the spring 2025 semester is March 25, 2025.

Allocation of Returned Federal Funds

Title IV funds must be returned to the programs from which the student received aid during the semester in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source:

• Unsubsidized Direct Loans (other than Direct PLUS Loans)
• Subsidized Direct Loans
• Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grants
• FSEOG
• TEACH Grants
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

Refunds for Students Withdrawing from the University

Students who withdraw from the University receive a refund of a percentage of their tuition. The percentage varies as shown below according to the student’s effective withdrawal date.

Spring 2025

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Classes dropped prior to the first day of class are considered not attempted. Withdrawn courses or courses with unsatisfactory grades or status (e.g. F’s, X’s, I’s, Q’s, and/or no grades assigned) are considered attempted and unsuccessfully completed and will negatively affect your pace toward degree completion as well as count toward maximum timeframe. Please review our Satisfactory Academic Progress policy.

If the last date of academic activity cannot be documented as occurring on or after the 60% point of the semester, the withdrawal date will be considered the midpoint of the semester unless documented otherwise.

Impact During the Summer Semester

Financial aid for the summer semester is awarded based on (1) the number of hours and (2) the sessions enrolled and can be adjusted on the date of the official enrollment count. If your funds are released before your enrollment changes, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid may be required by federal regulation to return all or a portion of your original aid offer.

Adjustments for adds and drops:

• Whole-session, first-term and nine-week term: June 11, 2024 (4th class day)
• Second-term: July 18, 2024 (4th class day)

Students enrolled in a composite of whole summer, nine-week, and/or first session in conjunction with second session courses will be reviewed on the final session II date.

First Class Day

Withdrawal before the first class day is considered a cancellation of classes and results in the removal of all financial aid. Student Accounts Receivable will process a 100% refund, except for a $15 matriculation fee and any optional fees.

Withdrawal after the first class day is subject to a partial payment of tuition, and financial aid will be recalculated based on the number of days you were enrolled.

60% Point of the Semester

If you are withdrawn by your Dean at or beyond this date, your financial aid is considered “earned,” and you are not required to return any funds. There are four dates for the 60% point in the summer.

• Whole Summer: July 21, 2024
• Nine-week: July 10, 2024
• First-term: June 28, 2024
• Second-term: August 5, 2024

Second Summer Session Enrollment

If you begin attendance in a first, nine-week, or whole session course and then drop out of the first term (drop all first, nine-week, or whole summer courses) you will be considered withdrawn. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will ask you about your plans to attend Summer Session II (second term). If you do plan to return for the second term, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will ask you to provide a statement from your second term instructor, confirming that you have attended at least one day of class. Our office must collect this information directly, as the university does not require instructors to take attendance. This information must be submitted between July 15 and July 18, 2023.

 

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