Federal Student Aid (FSA), also known as Title IV funding, is awarded under the assumption that a student will complete course(s) for the entire semester and/or payment period for which the funds were awarded.
When a student ceases attendance, officially and/or unofficially, in a course, regardless of the reason, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds originally awarded.
The return of funds to the federal government is based on the premise that financial aid is earned in proportion to the length of time during which the student attended. A pro-rated schedule determines the amount of federal aid a student has earned while attending. For example, a student who withdraws in the second week of the semester has earned less of his/her financial aid than a student who withdraws in the fifth week.
Once the 60% point in the semester/payment period is reached, a student is considered to have earned all of the financial aid originally awarded and will not be required to return any funds.
Financial aid that is processed for a student who never begins attendance in any class will be canceled.
If a recipient of Title IV funds stops attending Youngstown State University after beginning attendance, the amount of Title IV assistance earned by the student must be determined. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned to the federal program(s). If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, and for which the student is otherwise eligible, he or she is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received.
Earned aid is determined based on the number of calendar days the student attended classes (i.e., the number of days in the term prior to the date of withdrawal) divided by the total number of calendar days in the term excluding scheduled breaks of at least five consecutive days. The result is a percentage of federal aid funds that the student is entitled to keep. For example, a student who attends 20% of the term has earned approximately 20% of their financial aid.
As a result of a withdrawal, students who received federal funds will be required to repay unearned aid. The repayment calculation is performed utilizing the federal government's repayment planner.
Whether your withdrawal activity happens at once (a drop of all classes) or over a period of time (through series of successive dropping of classes until all have been dropped), a student who has a complete withdrawal from all coursework for a term is evaluated for return of aid based on a date of withdrawal. The date used will be the date associated with the withdrawal from your final course of the term or the last date of official withdrawal, whichever is later.
A student who takes specific action to drop or withdraw from a course for a term is an "official withdrawal." In these cases, Youngstown State University will use the date of the drop or withdrawal.
A student who fails to officially withdraw or drop a course but ceases attendance in his or her coursework will be considered an "unofficial withdrawal" and assigned a NAF for a final grade. Youngstown State University will then use the midpoint of the term as the student's date of withdrawal.
The total federal aid disbursed at the point of withdrawal less the earned amount constitutes the unearned aid that must be returned to the federal government within 45 days of the date it has been determined the student has withdrawn. The university will allocate the return of unearned aid in the following order:
The total amount of aid returned may result in the student owing Youngstown State University if the remaining aid does not cover charges for that same period of enrollment. For example, if a student lives in on-campus housing or received financial aid refunds prior to withdrawing from classes, a balance may be owed to Youngstown State University even if the course withdrawals all occurred in the 100% tuition refund period. An outstanding balance can prevent future registration.
Once the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships has completed the return of Title IV calculation, they will send the student written notice by email.
Normally a student’s Federal Title IV aid has posted while the student is still enrolled. However, in some cases, students may qualify for a disbursement of federal Title IV aid after completing the withdrawal process if the amount of aid they received was less than the amount they earned based on the return of Title IV calculation. This process is known as a “post-withdrawal disbursement.” If a student is determined to be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement of either federal grants or federal loans, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will send them an email to notify them of their eligibility.
Students eligible for grant funds via post-withdrawal disbursement will automatically have those grant funds applied to their bill without needing to take any additional actions. Students who are eligible for a post-withdrawal loan disbursement will have to notify Youngstown State University in writing that they wish to receive the loans. Instructions for this written notification will be included in the email sent by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Students eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement will not necessarily receive those funds as a refund. Youngstown State University will use the post-withdrawal disbursement to cover any charges on the bill related to tuition, housing, or other institutional charges prior to issuing funds to the student. A refund will only be issued if there is a credit balance on the student’s account after the charges have been paid.
To fully understand the financial consequences that will occur at (or soon following) the end of the term, students who have federal aid and who completely withdraw from classes (at once or over the course of the term) are required to speak with staff from the Financial Aid Department by calling 330-941-3505 or visiting the Penguin Service Center during Financial Aid walk-in hours.
Effective July 1, 2021 (Summer 2021), The U.S. Department of Education has revised regulations regarding students enrolled in a semester with multiple sessions. The new rules have added three R2T4 Exemptions that replace the need for a student to earn a passing grade in their last session in order to have earned 100% of their federal aid. The following exemptions apply to Summer’s "Unofficial Withdrawals":
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