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Return of Aid

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Financial aid is awarded and earned through enrollment and completion of classes. If you fail to complete classes for which you received aid, you may owe back all or a portion of the aid received. Aid owed back cannot be appealed regardless of the circumstances.

Drop vs. Withdraw

You can only drop a class within the first two weeks of the term (check with Enrollment Services for the last date to drop). Dropping a class, removes it from your academic record. An overpayment or Return of Title IV Funds may result from dropping classes after aid is received.

After the drop period is over, the withdrawal period begins. You can check with Enrollment Services for the last date to withdraw. If you withdraw from a class, it still shows as a class you attempted but did not complete. The class will show on all your academic records with a grade of “W”. Withdrawing from all classes could cause a Return of Title IV Funds.

Learn more about SLCC’s Drop/Withdraw Policy.

Overpayment

An overpayment results when you drop below the enrollment status for which you received aid. For example, if you receive a Pell Grant for full-time (12 hours and above) and you drop to 3/4 time (9-11 hours) you would be expected to repay the difference between the amount you received and the award for 3/4 time. If there were a tuition refund it would be credited toward your overpayment debt. You would have 45 days to make payment to SLCC before the debt is turned over to the Department of Education.

Return of Title IV Funds

Dropping or withdrawing from all classes, or failing to complete any classes, could cause you to owe a Return of Title IV Funds (ROF). Your ROF would be based on a percentage of unearned aid as determined by your last date of attendance. Title IV funds include, Pell Grant, SEOG, Direct Stafford and Perkins Loans. A tuition refund would be first credited toward the ROF. If you are found to owe a ROF you will receive a notice in the mail showing the amount owed to the Department of Education (ED) and the amount owed to SLCC.

Payment of Debt

Any amount owed to the ED will be sent to ED for collection. Failure to pay the debt, by the deadline given, could cause you to become ineligible for future aid at any school. If SLCC is required to return funds on your behalf, you will be billed by SLCC.

The ED can make payment arrangements lasting up to two years. For debts owed to SLCC you should contact the Accounts Receivable Office.