Attendance, Withdrawals and Return of Funds
Attendance
Regular class attendance is required for students receiving financial aid. Students must begin attendance in all scheduled courses and actively participate throughout the semester in order to earn their financial aid funds.
Attendance information is collected from faculty in order to establish and verify financial aid eligibility. Students reported for non-attendance in any or all of their courses could have their financial aid reduced or withdrawn.
If a student is not attending classes, the student is expected to complete the college’s official withdrawal process by contacting the Office of Enrollment Services.
A determination of a student’s unofficial withdrawal will be made within 14 calendar days of when the student stopped attendance.
Withdrawals
Students receiving federal financial aid who officially or unofficially withdraw from all courses may be required to repay a portion of the federal aid funds received for the term. This process is called “Return of Title IV Funds”, and the repayment amount is based on the number of days in the student’s period of enrollment and the student’s last date of attendance. A federal formula is used to calculate the amount of aid earned and the amount of the overpayment.
When determining the last date of attendance, Jefferson College must always use the student’s last date of academic engagement as documented in official attendance records reported by faculty. This date will be earlier than the official withdrawal date listed on the student’s withdrawal form, unless the student withdraws from courses on the same day as the student’s last academic engagement in coursework.
Policy
You can view our Overpayment Policy here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Overpayment is the disbursement of more federal student aid funds to a student than they're eligible to receive. A student who withdraws from or quits attending all courses prior to completing at least 60% of the semester has not earned all of their aid and must return (repay) the unearned portion of the funds.
The federal overpayment policy applies to the following Title IV programs: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, and Parent (PLUS) loans.
A federal formula is used to determine how much federal aid a student earned and how much they need to return. Factors that affect the calculation include the number of calendar days the student completed, the total number of calendar days in the semester, the amount of Title IV aid disbursed, and the institutional charges assessed to the student.
Jefferson College will use your last date of academic engagement as indicated in official attendance records reported by faculty to determine your official or unofficial withdrawal date. The more days you attend, the more aid you earn, and the less the overpayment.
This policy only applies to students who withdraw from or cease attendance in ALL classes prior to the 60% point of the semester. It does not impact students who are still enrolled and actively attending at least one other course that spans the entire semester.
If the overpayment calculation determines that you are required to return funds, Jefferson College will notify you via mail. The College will return the overpayment to the Department of Education on your behalf and bill you for the balance due. Any unpaid balance will be subject to collection action, and you will not be allowed to register for future semesters until the bill is paid. Students may not use the next semester's financial aid to pay a past due balance.
