What Happens to Your Financial Aid if You Withdraw?
If you fail to attend all courses, withdraw from the University during the period of your award, or if your registration is canceled, all or a portion of the funds you received must be repaid. The refund will be prorated according to your date of withdrawal, course load reduction, or canceled registration. Financial aid funds credited to your student account will be adjusted. There will likely be an outstanding balance on your student account that you will be obligated to pay.
If you fail to attend all your courses, withdraw or cancel enrollment during the first term of an award, your subsequent term(s) of aid will be canceled. You must submit a Change of Status form to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to reinstate aid for any remaining term(s) for the award year.
You must come to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships before you fail to attend all courses, withdrawal, or a change of enrollment status to discuss the effects of your decision.
Official Return of Title IV Aid Policy
Please read the following policy carefully: If you received Federal Title IV funds and completely withdraw, are expelled, drop out, or otherwise fail to complete a period of enrollment for which charges were incurred, the University will first determine whether:
- You didn’t attend any class and overpayment provisions apply. In this situation, 100% of the aid funds would be returned to the Title IV, state, or institutional programs; or
- You attended at least one class and regulatory repayment requirements apply. In this situation, the University must calculate the amount of aid that was “unearned” at the time of departure from the University.
Unearned Title IV funds — other than Federal College Work Study — must be returned to the appropriate financial aid program. You “earn” Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time you remain enrolled. The percentage of time you remain enrolled is the percentage of aid you earned.
For example, if you remain enrolled in 37 out of 73 calendar days for a term, you’ve earned 50% of your aid — so 50% must be returned to the appropriate aid program(s). If you remain enrolled for at least 60% of the term (44 out of 73 calendar days), you earn all of your aid for that term.
If you fail to attend all your classes, or abandon (drop out of) your classes without officially notifying the University, all or a portion of your aid will be cancelled and returned to the appropriate program. If you fail to provide official notification, the beginning or midpoint of the term may be used as your withdrawal date. If you’re able to document classroom-related activity after the midpoint of the term, a later date may be used in the calculation.
According to federal guidelines, the responsibility for repaying unearned aid may be shared by the University and you in proportion to the aid each is assumed to possess. The University’s share is the lesser of: a) the amount of unearned aid, or b) your institutional charges multiplied by the percentage of aid that was unearned. Your share is the difference between the total unearned amount and the University’s share.
Order of Reductions
If you withdraw before completing the term, some of your financial aid may be considered unearned and must be returned. Aid is reduced in a specific order based on federal and state requirements, which may result in a balance you owe to CSUSB.
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Federal PLUS/Grad Loan
- Federal PLUS Loan
- Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Federal TEACH Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
- Federal Pell Grant
- State Cal Grant (A, B and B Access)
- State University Grant (SUG)
Reductions in aid from the above programs may create a balance that will be due from you to the University. Your share of a federal grant will be reduced to half per federal law. Your share of an unearned federal loan will be returned by the University to the Department of Education. You may owe the University for any balance due as a result of return of federal grants or loans to the Department of Education.
Note: You are responsible for repaying federal student loans that you otherwise receive and retain according to the terms of the promissory note.
