Return of Title IV Aid
If you receive federal student aid and then withdraw, stop attending without an official withdrawal and receive all F grades, or get expelled from school, you may owe money back to the federal student aid programs. The amount of repayment will be calculated by dividing the number of days you were enrolled by the number of days in the semester. The number of days enrolled will be determined by federal regulations beginning with the first day of scheduled instruction and ending on the students date of official withdrawal or last documented date of attendance. If we cannot determine that you began attending classes at Utah Tech, all your financial aid for that semester will be cancelled. If you received a disbursement of federal money and did not attend any classes, all of the funds must be returned. You are not eligible for federal, state or institutional funds if you are not attending school.
As part of our federal regulations, once we calculate “return of funds,” you may be required to pay back part of the money you have received. Utah Tech may also be required to return funds from the tuition, fees, and room and board that may have been paid with your federal funds. The amounts required to be paid back by the institution will be calculated and distributed to the federal accounts in the following order: Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct PLUS Loan, Federal PELL Grant and FSEOG. You may be billed back for the funds you owe the school, as we are required to pay back funds for you.
Any additional refund the school may owe you upon withdrawal will be used: first, to repay other agencies that paid money on your behalf, and second to pay the amount you may owe to the federal accounts and/or scholarship accounts. Any remaining balance will be yours. A full copy of the Federal Student Aid Return of Funds Policy is available from the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office.
Return of Federal Title IV Aid Examples:
| Student A – Earned 56.3% of the money they received. |
|---|
| Title IV money – $1780.00, grants |
| Tuition & fees – $1389.00 |
| Withdrew after 45 days |
| Institution refund – $0.00 |
| Federal return of funds – $1018.00 |
| Student repayment – $0.00 |
| Student B – Earned 10% of the money they received. |
|---|
| Title IV money – $1700.00 grants & $1625.00 loans |
| Tuition & fees – $900.00 |
| Withdrew after 8 days |
| Institutional refund – $900.00 |
| Federal return of funds – $807.00 |
| Student repayment – $0.00 |
| Student C – Earned 100% of the money they received. |
|---|
| Title IV money – $2675.00, grants |
| Tuition & fees – $1524.00 |
| Withdrew after 77 days |
| Institutional refund – $0.00 |
| Federal return of funds – $0.00 |
| Student repayment $0.00 |
Complete Withdrawal from Utah Tech University
A student is registered until officially withdrawn through the Registrar’s Office. Dropping all classes by phone does not officially withdraw you from the university. If you do not officially withdraw, you will receive F grades. If you wish to withdraw, you must do the following:
- Contact the Utah Tech Records & Registration Office to complete a withdrawal form.
- Surrender student I.D. card.
Note: No withdrawals allowed after 12th week of classes. The date of withdrawal will be the date the Registrar’s Office is contacted. A withdrawal does not affect GPA, but will affect percentage of credits attempted and earned in our Satisfactory Progress Policy.
Verification
Approximately one third of FAFSA applicants are selected by the Federal Processor to have their application information reviewed by the financial aid office. This process is called verification. The Utah Tech Financial Aid Office is required to verify the accuracy of data in these selected files. There are three reasons for doing so: first, to reduce errors; second, to prevent mistakes that may result in either the student or the institution having to repay Federal or State funds; third, to ensure that the limited dollars available for financial aid are offered to students who are truly eligible for the aid. If selected, you will be required to provide to the Financial Aid Office the forms and documents needed to complete the verification process. Errors cause considerable delay, so make sure to accurately report information when you complete your FAFSA.
Please note, if selected for verification, in order to be considered for Federal Student Aid all verification documentation must be received and processed within 120 days of your last date of enrollment if attending Fall and/or Spring semester, or by the Federal Register notice deadline date if attending Summer semester (typically September 15th, subject to change). No federal student aid can be disbursed until all required documents are received and processed. Should you fail to meet the deadline outlined here, you will not be eligible for federal student aid for the enrollment period for which the documentation is requested.
Utah Tech reserves the right to select any student’s FAFSA for verification even if the Federal Processor did not select them for verification.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
The maintenance of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is an eligibility criterion for all students who receive financial aid. SAP requires students to maintain satisfactory progress in their course of study (according to the standards and practices of the institution in which he or she is enrolled) in order to receive aid under the student financial assistance programs authorized by Title IV. Neither the Secretary of Education nor an institution has the authority to waive this requirement for any student or group of students.
In statute and regulation, Utah Tech University is required to establish standards for measuring whether a student, who is otherwise eligible for Federal financial aid, is maintaining satisfactory academic progress. Particular elements, which in some cases include specific minimums that must be met or exceeded by the institution, are addressed in the regulations.
This procedure outlines the minimum standards that must be met by students receiving Federal, State or Institutional financial aid from Utah Tech University.
Good Standing
To receive financial assistance a student is also required to be enrolled and in good standing. To be in good standing, a student must be eligible to continue attendance and must be in compliance with the accepted and/or approved enrollment and behavior standards and practices of Utah Tech University and the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office.
Requirements for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
An eligible student, enrolled in an eligible program may receive aid for a maximum of 30 attempted credit hours of necessary remedial/developmental course work. The remedial/developmental credits are included in the respective maximum limit of attempted credit hours.
The federal financial aid regulations require that each school develop a Satisfactory Progress Policy to ensure that students receiving federal aid are making satisfactory progress in their education and progressing in a timely manner towards a degree. To remain eligible to continue to receive financial aid at Utah Tech University, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
In order to maintain satisfactory progress and retain full eligibility for financial assistance, a student must follow the requirements in areas of Grade Point Average, Completion of 67% of ALL Attempted Credits as Earned Credits and Maximum Allowable Credits (Time Frame) listed below:
Grade Point Average
In order to retain eligibility for federal financial aid, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.000 (C or better) each semester.
Completion of 67% of Attempted Credits as Earned Credits
As satisfactory progress is checked at the end of each semester, a student must have completed 67% of the total number of credits he/she has attempted. That is, if a student has attempted a total of 60 credits, the student must have completed or earned a minimum of 40 credits (60 x .67 = 40). Earned credits are those that are completed with a grade of D- or better. Earned credit does not include credits recorded as W, F, I, AU or WF.
Maximum Allowable Credits (Time Frame)
All students on federal financial aid must be admitted into an eligible program of study. A student is eligible to attempt a maximum of 150% of the allowable credit hours required to complete his/her program of study. Example: If an Associate of Science degree requires 60 credit hours to complete the program, a student is allowed 150% or 90 attempted credit hours in which to complete that program. This includes any credits in which the student was or was not paid federal student aid. Developmental and transfer credits are also included in the calculation.
If a student has completed less than the maximum number of allowable credit hours in the program of study, he/she may receive aid for one more term even if the total hours exceed the limit.
Attempted credit hours includes all hours the student has enrolled in — including all credits which receive a grade above a “D-“, F and WF grades, repeated classes, withdrawals, pass/fail classes, audited classes, CLEP credit, advanced placement credit, transfer credits, and classes from which the student has tested out.
New Applicants
Incoming students with no previous postsecondary experience are assumed to be making satisfactory academic progress at the time of application.
Continuing students applying for the first time, must have maintained reasonable Satisfactory Academic Progress during previous terms of enrollment. The cumulative GPA must be at least 2.000 (C). All attempted credit hours will be counted toward maximum time frame.
All transfer credits will be counted toward the maximum time frame, cumulative GPA and completion rate. Students transferring to Utah Tech will have their SAP eligibility checked as transfer credits are received. Students who do no not meet the SAP requirements will be placed directly onto Probation Warning status. These students will be notified via the email.
Special Considerations
- Degree Audit: A student may request a Degree Audit if they have met the maximum credit hour limit or it has been determined that they will go over the limit before completing their degree. Once the evaluation has been completed by an academic counselor, any allowable credits will be added to the student’s record. This may allow students to receive financial aid during that time frame. PLEASE NOTE: A student may only complete one degree audit at the bachelor degree level. Students will be required to sign an audit appeal. Once the appeal is signed, they are only eligible to take the courses listed on their appeal. The student cannot receive any W, F, AU, NG or WF grades. If a student receives such a grade while on an appeal, they will no longer be eligible for federal student aid at Utah Tech University. If a student receives an “I” grade, their aid will be held until they receive a passing grade and the grade is posted in Banner.
- Probation Warning: A student who fails to complete the required number of credit hours, or who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.000 (C) or higher or is nearing maximum allowed credits for the enrolled program of study will be placed on financial aid probation for the following academic semester in which the student is registered. A student is eligible to receive federal financial aid during the probation period.
- Suspension: Students who fail to meet the cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher and/or fail to meet the 67% credit hour completion rate and/or withdraw from a semester while receiving federal aid and/or receive a semester GPA of 0.000 will be placed on financial aid suspension. No additional financial assistance will be paid. Those who have reached the maximum number of credits for the program of study are also suspended from receiving financial aid. Any student suspended from financial aid has the right to appeal their standing.
- Appeal: A student may appeal their suspended status. The review and decision of the appeal will be made by the Financial Aid Office. If the appeal is approved, the student must follow the guidelines of the appeal contract, which may require the student to comply with stricter GPA and/or credit hour completion requirements. If the appeal is denied, the student has the right to have their appeal reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you would like to appeal to the committee.
- Remedial/Development Classes: An eligible student, enrolled in an eligible program, may receive aid for 30 attempted credit hours of necessary developmental/remedial course work. The developmental credits are added to the respective maximum limit of overall attempted credit hours.
The full Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is available at the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office upon request.
Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances
To determine your financial aid eligibility, the Federal processor uses your prior year’s income information. For the majority of financial aid applicants this is the case. However, there are special circumstances when the past year doesn’t reflect your financial ability to pay for college. Circumstances such as a loss of job, death in a family, parental divorce, or loss of untaxed income are situations where a student may need to request a Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances.
If you believe that your situation warrants consideration for a Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances, you must first complete the FAFSA. After your application is received, you can request a Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances. Once you have the required documentation, please bring these items to the Utah Tech Financial Aid Office. You may want to meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to have your request reviewed. This will help to ensure all the required documents have been submitted.
If your request is approved, we will make the necessary corrections to your FAFSA application. Any Professional Judgment/Special Circumstances that is approved by our office is only valid at Utah Tech University.