When you officially withdraw from the institution, we use the date that you started the process with the Registrar’s office as the withdrawal date and then two separate calculations listed below must take place:

  1. Depending on when you dropped, a refund of all or partial fees may be calculated by the Registrar's office.
  2. Financial Aid & Scholarships must calculate the return of federal funds.

If you cancel your registration prior to the first day of classes, this policy will not apply to you. Also, if you drop some but not all of your classes, these policies will not apply as long as you begin attendance in one or more of your classes; however, you should notify Financial Aid and Scholarships because your continued eligibility may be affected. To cancel, withdraw, or take a personal leave of absence, contact the Registrar’s Office.

How Unearned Financial Aid Is Calculated

Students who receive federal financial aid must “earn” the aid they receive by staying enrolled in classes. The amount of federal financial aid assistance the student earns is on a pro-rated basis. Students who withdraw or do not complete all registered classes during the semester may be required to return some of the financial aid they were awarded based on the Return of Title IV (R2T4) Calculation. Once 60% of the semester is completed, a student is considered to have earned all of their financial aid and will not be required to return any federal funds.

The following formula is used to determine the percentage of unearned aid that has to be returned to the federal government:

Days Attended ÷ Total Days in Semester = Percent of Aid Earned

  • The percent earned is equal to the number of calendar days completed up to the withdrawal date, divided by the total calendar days in the payment period (less any scheduled breaks that are at least 5 days long)
  • The payment period for most students is the entire semester. However, for students enrolled in modules (courses which are not scheduled for the entire semester or term), the payment period only includes those days for the module(s) in which the student is registered.
  • The percent unearned is equal to 100 percent minus the percent earned

The amount you are charged in tuition and fees, as well as any subsequent adjustments of your charges, also affect the recalculation of institutional financial aid.

Financial aid in excess of the amount earned is reduced in the following priority:

  1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  2. Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
  3. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
  4. Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan
  5. Federal Pell Grant
  6. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
  7. Teacher Education Assistance for College & Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

Federal Pell Grant Attendance Requirement

Federal regulations require that you begin attendance in each class you’re enrolled in for purposes of the Federal Pell Grant program. If you don’t begin attendance in all of the classes in which you’re enrolled, your federal Pell grant may be reduced.

Types of Withdrawals

For financial aid purposes there are two types of withdrawals:

  • Official Withdrawal: Leaving the university by dropping all classes for the term.
  • Unofficial Withdrawal: The student receives all fail (U/F) grades or a combination of all fail (U/F), audit (AD), and withdraw (W) grades for the term.

Determination of the Withdrawal Date

The withdrawal date used in the R2T4 calculation of a student’s federal financial aid is the actual date indicated on the official withdrawal record. If a student stops attending classes without notifying the university, the withdrawal date will be the last date of academic activity determined by the university. This means that if a student ceases attending their classes, they may be subject to an R2T4 calculation using their last date of academic activity in place of an official withdrawal date, necessitating the return of some or all of their federal financial aid. 

Definition of Academic Related Activity

When determining the withdrawal date for an unofficial withdrawal, the last date of an academic related activity might be used. One example of UNLV’s academic-related activities includes, but is not limited to, physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students. All documentation to be submitted as proof of academic participation must include: the course name, the date it was submitted, student information (name, student number, or NETID), and confirmation it was received by the professor.

Acceptable

  • Exams, quizzes, or tutorials
  • Computer-assisted instruction
  • Completion of an academic assignment, paper or project
  • Participating in an online discussion about academic matters
  • Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course (must be course content specific)
  • UNLV required study group where attendance is taken

Not Acceptable

  • Student's self-certification of attendance that is not supported by school documentation
  • Living at UNLV on campus housing
  • Participating in the school’s meal plan
  • Participating in academic counseling or advising
  • Emails requesting an extension to assignments, quizzes, papers, or other coursework
  • Non-academic related extenuating circumstance documentation

Student Notification of Repayment

A notification letter outlining the amount returned to the federal Department of Education will be emailed to the student's permanent address. UNLV will return funds on the student's behalf to the appropriate federal aid program(s) and subsequently will bill their Cashiering student account. A statement reflecting these charges will be sent to the student. The student is responsible for all charges resulting from a Return of Title IV Calculation.