Withdrawing from Classes

Because financial aid is typically initially awarded prior to registration, your initial financial aid award is based on the assumption that you will maintain a full-time enrollment status, and you will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded.

Withdrawing from all courses at UNC Charlotte

When you withdraw from all courses at UNC Charlotte (for any reason, including medical withdrawals):

  • Title IV aid includes Federal Direct Loans, Perkins Loans, PLUS Loans, Pell Grants, SEOG Grants, ACG Grants, and SMART Grants.
  • If your federal student loan is reduced (based on the Withdrawal Tuition & Fees Adjustment Schedule), the amount of the reduction is returned to the loan lender. That amount is then charged to the student’s account.
  • The amount you will be billed will depend on the date of withdrawal, the percentage and amount of institutional refund, and/or the last date of class attendance.
  • For example, if your student loan has to be reduced by $1,000, then the university would pay $1,000 back to the lender (which would also reduce your overall loan debt). However, you, the student, would then owe the $1,000 to UNC Charlotte immediately.
  • You may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV (federal) aid that you were originally scheduled to receive.
  • The Office of Financial Aid determines your amount of earned and unearned Title IV aid.
  • If your loan is reduced:
    • If your federal student loan is reduced (based on the Return to Title IV Calculation), the amount of the reduction is returned to the loan lender. That amount is then charged to the student’s account.
    • The amount you will be billed will depend on the date of withdrawal, the amount of disbursed or eligible to be disbursed financial aid, and the amount of unearned financial aid.
    • For example, if your student loan has to be reduced by $1,000, then the university would pay $1,000 back to the lender (which would also reduce your overall loan debt). However, you, the student, would then owe the $1,000 to UNC Charlotte immediately.
  • ​​Review Withdrawaling information for additional information if the withdrawal is due to an extenuating circumstance.
  • Read more about adjustments to your financial aid.
If you drop a class or classes – before the add/drop period ends
  • If you drop classes and fall below full-time status, your financial aid award may be adjusted/decreased based on the number of credits you keep for the term.
  • If you received a refund before the drop/add period, you may have to return some or all of that refund.

Read more about adjustments to your financial aid.

If you withdraw from one course (‘W’ grade) – after the add/drop period
  • When you withdraw from course(s) (following the add/drop period) and receive a “W” grade, these unearned grades can affect your eligibility to receive financial aid for your upcoming terms.
  • Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress section to review the completion rate policy.

Read more about adjustments to your financial aid

Unofficial withdrawal – having no passing grades
  • Students who fail to properly withdraw may be held liable for the charges on their account, including tuition, fees, housing, dining, books, etc. At the end of each term, the Office of Financial Aid will identify federal financial aid recipients who earned no passing grades (a combination of all F’s, W’s, U’s, and I’s) for that term. These students are considered “unofficially withdrawn”.
  • Because you were given aid for these classes, our office must confirm your attendance and participation in your classes to determine the eligibility for aid received for that term. Eligibility for aid is based on the last date of attendance. Using this date, we calculate the amount of aid you may keep and the amount that must be returned, by performing a Return of Title IV funds (R2T4) calculation.
  • Students are notified by email if they are required to submit documentation proving class attendance.
    • ​Acceptable documentation of an academically related activity includes: physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students, submitting an academic assignment, taking an exam, an interactive tutorial or computer-assisted instruction, attending a study group that is assigned by the school, participating in an online discussion about academic matters, and initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a questions about the academic subject studied in the course.
  • Examples of documentation NOT acceptable as an academically related activity include: participating in academic advising, living in student housing, participating in a university meal plan, student’s self-certification of attendance, logging into an online class without active participation.
  • The deadline for returning proof of participation will be detailed out in the email received from our office.
  • You are responsible for reimbursing UNC Charlotte for unearned/returned aid resulting from the R2T4 calculation. You will be billed on your student account for the amount that you will owe back to the university.