Add / Drop / Withdrawal

Managing Add, Drop, Change, Withdrawal

Official notice of all withdrawals, failure to attend or schedule changes (including no attendance in any class(es)), must be made in writing or in person to Advising. If you do not submit formal schedule changes, withdrawals, etc. in person or in writing to your advisor, you will be fully charged and not eligible for any tuition refund.

How Are Refunds Calculated?

Refunds are calculated based on the day you submit written or in-person notice to your DU advisor. The date of official notice is used to calculate your refund amount, which is pro-rated. No refunds will be given without submitting written or in-person notice, except for Administrative Withdrawals in accordance with the Attendance Policy (UG Attendance Policy and GR Attendance Policy).

When will I Receive My Refund?

Refunds are based on the full tuition charge per course only. Fees, food, housing and books are nonrefundable.

Can Refunds be Applied to New Classes?

If you are eligible for a refund and are not withdrawing from DU, you may want to have the full tuition amount (that was paid with personal funds) credited against tuition charges for future semesters. If you choose the credit, you will not receive a refund check, but your full tuition credit as described will apply toward another DU class(es).

What if I have refunds of excess financial aid?

Your financial aid disburses to your account after the semester has started. All your aid disburses directly to your Davenport student account to pay all charges on the account first. Any excess financial aid will be refunded if there is a credit balance on your account after disbursement. Grants and scholarships typically disburse after the first week of the semester.

Timeline: It can take up to 14 days for Accounts Receivable to process a credit balance (refund) after your financial aid is disbursed to your account. Davenport is required to perform an audit of each student account prior to sending excess financial aid.
What if my loan has not posted? If your loan has been approved by the lender, loans will disburse on the date listed on your Notice of Loan Certification. If that date has passed and the funds have not been disbursed, check your financial aid tracking documents on the Accounts & Services tab of the portal to see if you have any documents that need to be submitted. You can also contact your advisor.
Loans have been disbursed, but I have not received my money: It can take up to 14 days for Accounts Receivable to process a credit balance (refund) after your financial aid is disbursed to your account. Also, be sure to select a refund preference at https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoicesid/. Check your student account to confirm that you have a credit balance. Contact your advisor if you still have questions.
Schedule for processing excess financial aid: Credit balances (refunds) are processed twice weekly on Wednesday and Friday. It can take 24-48 hours for funds to be deposited into your account after Davenport sends the funds to BankMobile Disbursements.

Can I receive my excess aid prior to the start of a semester?

General Statement: Davenport generally disburses aid (Census Policy) in the following manner (FA Deadlines):

Gift Aid = on the 10th day of the start of a given semester or session. This allows for Davenport’s attendance policy process to confirm whether students have initiated attendance or not.
Loans = after the 100% charge date for a semester. This is to ensure that student loans cover tuition, fees and all book charges for the semester.

Some exceptions to the policy can be made under the following conditions:

Early disbursement of federal aid (prior to the standard policy listed above) will only be considered for educational reasons such as a student participating in study abroad programs, or in the case of a national emergency as declared by the President of the United States or the governor of the state in which the student is currently residing.Even in those circumstances, DU is limited in the allowable time frame.
Federal aid can be disbursed up to ten (10) calendar days prior to the start of a given semester. The student must also meet all applicable eligibility regulations and Davenport policies.
The amount of an early disbursement will not necessarily be the full 100% of the student's eligible federal aid. The early disbursement may be only a portion of the total disbursement for the semester, as related to the necessary expense. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis.

All requests for early disbursements are reviewed by the appeals committee.

What if I disagree with a refund calculation?

If you believe you are entitled to an exception to the refund policy:

Complete the Charge Appeal Form and provide supporting documentation explaining any extenuating circumstances on which the appeal is based.
Students have up to 30 calendar days following the end of the semester in question.
Students also receive a written decision on their appeal within 45 business days, based on the Appeals Committee review schedule.
Students are allowed two (2) appeals for their lifetime at Davenport University.

If You Withdraw and are a Financial Aid Recipient

When a financial aid recipient withdraws from all classes or does not complete all classes for which he or she is scheduled through the 60 percent point in time of the semester, the University calculates an amount to be returned based on the Refund, Repayment, and Withdrawal Schedule. The University calculates the amount to be returned in accordance with applicable federal and state regulations. The financial aid earned by the student before withdrawal is determined by calculating the amount of the semester completed as of the date of official notice of withdrawal. If the amount of federal aid disbursed exceeds the amount of federal aid earned as of the date of withdrawal, either the University or the student, or both, are required to return some portion of federal aid. Late disbursements for which students are eligible are required to be included.

When a student withdraws from current classes but is scheduled in a later-starting class for the semester (usually a session 2 class), he or she will be required to complete an Intent to Attend (ITA) form within one week of withdrawal. If the student does not complete the form or submit it within the required timeframe, his or her later-starting classes will be dropped without charge to the student.

Loan exit counseling is required for all students who have received Federal loans and are no longer enrolled half time or have graduated. Click Here to complete exit loan counseling.

Refund and Withdrawal Schedule

Click here to view the schedule.

Return to Title IV Funds Policy

The amount of the semester students have completed as of the date of withdrawal is calculated by counting the number of calendar days that have elapsed in the semester and dividing that number by the total number of calendar days in the semester. Scheduled breaks of five days or longer are excluded from the calculation. Students who complete a session 1 course and then withdraw from, are administratively withdrawn from, or drop all 15 week, 12 week, 10 week, or session 2 courses will be considered a withdrawal for the semester and a federal return calculation will be completed.

Students who stop attending a course without officially withdrawing will be given a grade of F and the instructor will report a last date of academic activity. This date will be used in calculating the amount of the semester completed for the Return of Title IV Funds calculation. In the event that an LDA can not be determined Davenport will use the midpoint of the semester.

The amount of the semester completed by the student determines the earned and unearned amounts of aid. If the amount of federal aid already disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, the unearned funds must be returned, by the University or the student or both. If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, he or she may be eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not previously received. Students and/or parents will be notified of any post-withdrawal disbursement eligibility for grant and/or student loan funds within 30 days of the date of determination of withdrawal. Post-withdrawal disbursements of grant funds are made automatically within 30 days of the date of determination of withdrawal. The student or parent borrower must respond within 14 calendar days in order to receive the post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds. For students and parents who have responded to the notification of eligibility for a receive a post-withdrawal loan disbursement, the University will disburse the loan funds within 30 days of receiving the signed acknowledgement.

The unearned percentage of federal aid is multiplied by the charges for the semester and by the total amount of aid disbursed for the student; the University is responsible for returning the lesser of these two amounts. Students may be required to return any unearned aid less the amount returned by the University.

All Return to Title IV calculations are completed within 30 calendar days of the date of determination of withdrawal. Funds are turned to the US Department of Education within 45 calendar days of the date of determination. If a student is required to return funds to the US Department of Education (an overpayment), the student will be notified within 45 days of the date of determination. The student must repay the amount of the overpayment to the university in full within 45 calendar days of the date of the notice, or the debt will be referred to the US Department of Education for collection. In all overpayment situations, the student’s overpayment status will be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). Students in overpayment are not eligible for federal financial aid at any institution.

If the Return to Title IV Funds calculation results in a credit balance on the student’s account, it will be returned to the student (or parent, for a parent PLUS loan) as soon as possible, but no later than 14 calendar days after the calculation is completed.

FEDERAL FUNDS ARE RETURNED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER, BOTH BY THE UNIVERSITY AND THE STUDENT:

Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
Federal PLUS Loans
Pell Grants
IASG (Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant)
Federal SEOG
Other federal aid programs

Students will receive a written notice of any federal funds returned by the University. Invoices for any balance owed to the University will be sent out according to Bursar Office policy. Any funds left on account at the University as a credit balance at the time of withdrawal will be used first to satisfy unpaid charges owed the University.

At the end of every semester, students who withdrew unofficially from the University (that is, stopped attending all classes before the end of the semester) may be required to have a return of federal funds calculation performed if the documented last day of attendance, as reported by the faculty, was on or before the 60 percent point in time of the semester. The calculation procedures outlined above are then followed, and the student is notified of any federal funds returned on his or her behalf. If it is determined that a student never attended a class or classes, the financial aid will be reduced according to the students revised enrollment status.

No adjustments to charges, tuition, fees, etc. are made for students who stop attending without official notice of withdrawal. An invoice will be sent to students who owe a balance to the University according to Accounts Receivable policy.

Sample R2T4 Calculation

Additional information on the return of federal funds calculation procedures and requirements, including additional examples, may be obtained by contacting the Financial Aid Office.

Returning Title IV Financial Aid (R2T4): QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

WHAT IS A WITHDRAWAL?

A course withdrawal means the student officially withdraws from the individual class online or by contacting the CRO. The student receives a W grade, if s/he withdraws by the deadline date published each semester. The amount of the charges for the class will depend on the timing during the session or semester the student withdraws.

IS AID AFFECTED BY WITHDRAWING FROM A SINGLE COURSE?

Sometimes aid from the state of Michigan (MTG, MCS) must be reduced due to course withdrawals, depending on the timing of the course withdrawal within the semester.

Also, if a course has a later start date within the semester, dropping it from the student’s schedule can impact eligibility for federal aid (Pell, FSEOG, student loans). Pell Grant eligibility is based on a student’s enrollment status (full time, three-quarter time, half-time or less than half-time), and student loans require continuous half-time enrollment.

WHAT IS A COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL?

When a student withdraws from or stops attending all scheduled classes for a semester, s/he becomes a complete withdrawal, and the university is required to determine the amount of financial aid earned by performing a federal mandated calculation, if the student was awarded any federal aid for the semester. Throughout the semester, the Financial Aid Office is notified if a student becomes a complete withdrawal. A student who unofficially withdraws, i.e., stops attending all classes prior to the scheduled end date, is also a complete withdrawal and a calculation of earned aid will be performed.

The university is required to perform the calculation any time a student does not complete his or her scheduled enrollment for the semester, and funds may need to be returned to the federal government, which means the student may owe a balance.

A student with a work study position must stop working immediately if s/he completely withdraws from the university.

HOW IS A WITHDRAWAL DIFFERENT FROM A DROP?

Dropping a course means that the class is removed from the student’s record, there is no W or other grade, and no charges. The last date to drop a class varies each session or semester and is published by the university in the class schedule and online at /TuitionRefundPolicy.

Students should remember that if a course has a later start date within the semester, dropping it from the student’s schedule can impact eligibility for federal aid. Pell Grant eligibility is based on a student’s enrollment status for all classes in which the student began attendance (full time, three-quarter time, half-time or less than half-time); if the student never begins attendance in a course (i.e., drops it), the student’s enrollment status is reduced. Eligibility for student loans require continuous half-time enrollment, and if a student drops a later-starting course required to meet the half-time enrollment standard, the student’s loan for the semester will be returned in full, and the student will owe a balance to the university.

WHAT IF THE STUDENT IS AN ATHLETE?

Athletes should always meet with their athletic advisor prior to dropping or withdrawing from a course, as athletic scholarships usually require minimum enrollment levels.

IS THERE AN IMPACT ON SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP)?

Yes, a student who withdraws from a course or courses with a grade of W will have his or her pace measure (completion rate) negatively affected. In other words, a withdrawal counts as a course attempted but not completed. W grades do not impact the GPA.

Students on SAP academic plans should meet with the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing from any course, as withdrawals can jeopardize the successful fulfillment of the academic plan requirements.

DOES THE TIMING OF THE WITHDRAWAL WITHIN THE SEMESTER MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Yes, it can. Students should be mindful of the last date to withdraw from a course with the grade of W each session or semester. Also, the charges for the course will be owed in full after a specified date each session or semester, regardless of a withdrawal (see the refund schedule published online at /office-accounting-services/bursar/payments-and-refunds/tuition-payment-plan).

Because a student’s enrollment for the semester is all of the session courses plus the semester courses added together, a student who completes a first session course, and then withdraws or fails to complete a course within the semester, is still considered a complete withdrawal, and a calculation determining the amount of federal aid earned is required.