Financial Aid Refund Policy

Procedure for Withdrawing from School

Students withdrawing from all classes must submit an official University Withdrawal Form to the Academic Records Office.

Students withdrawing from individual courses must submit a Change of Registration Voucher to the Academic Records Office. That form is to be signed by the course instructor and the student’s advisor.

Each quarter’s final date for dropping a course is listed in the Academic Calendar.

Federal Financial Aid Refunds

Student Financial Services calculates federal financial aid refunds according to the Federal Financial Aid Refund Policy. These policies appear in the Federal Student Aid Handbook on file at Student Financial Services. Copies of the policy are available online.

Determining the Student’s Withdrawal Date

To calculate a financial aid refund, Student Financial Services establishes a student’s withdrawal date as indicated in the Refunds section of this bulletin. If a student did not begin the withdrawal process or otherwise notify WWU of the intent to withdraw due to illness, accident, grievous personal loss, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control, the university will stipulate the withdrawal date.

Determining the Percentage of the Quarter Completed

To determine what percentage of the quarter was completed as of the student’s withdrawal date, Student Financial Services divides the number of calendar days completed by the total number of calendar days in the quarter.

If the result is 60% or less, the student is considered to have withdrawn on or before the 60% point in the quarter. Conversely, a result in excess of 60% indicates the student withdrew after the 60% point.

Determining the Amount of Financial Aid Earned

Student Financial Services must determine how much of a student’s financial aid award for the quarter was used, or “earned,” before the student withdrew.

If the student withdraws on or before the 60% point, the student’s financial aid award is prorated. The percentage of the quarter the student completed is used as the percentage of financial aid the student is said to have earned. (The remaining percentage is considered “unearned” and must be refunded.) To convert the percentage earned into the amount earned, the percentage of aid earned is multiplied by the total amount of aid available for disbursement that quarter.

A student who withdraws after the 60% point is considered to have earned 100% of the financial aid award, and no refund is due.

Disposition of Difference Between Amount Earned and Amount Received

If the amount of financial aid earned is greater than the amount the student received, Student Financial Services must comply with the procedures for late disbursement specified by Department of Education regulations.

If the amount of financial aid earned is less than the amount the student received, Walla Walla University, the student, or both must return the unearned aid.

Student Financial Services must return the lesser of:

The amount of federal aid the student did not earn, or

The amount of costs (room rent, cafeteria charges, etc.) the student incurred during the quarter multiplied by the percentage that was not earned

The student (or parent in the case of a Federal PLUS loan) must return to federal loan programs any unearned loan funds (funds the student drew off the account), in accordance with the terms of the loan. The student must also return unearned grant funds. However, the student is not required to refund 50% of the grant funds received.

The overpayment is the difference between the amount of cash disbursements the student received and the amount of non-institutional expenses the student incurred during the portion of the payment period for which the student was actually enrolled. (Wages—including those earned through the Work-Study Program—and Federal Direct and PLUS Loan program funds are not counted as cash disbursements.)

Walla Walla University may recover overpayments by charging them to the student’s account, leaving no outstanding overpayments on federal aid, or report overpayments to the federal processor.

Refund Disbursement Schedule

Funds are to be credited to outstanding loan balances in the following order:

1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
2. Federal Direct Loan
3. Federal Perkins Loan
4. Federal PLUS Loan
5. Federal Pell Grant
6. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
7. Other federal, state, private, or institutional sources of aid

The financial aid refund disbursed must not exceed the amount of financial aid the student received from that source.

Work-Study programs are not due refunds.

Deadlines for Distributing Financial Aid Refunds

Federal regulations require Walla Walla University to process refunds within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal date.

State Financial Aid Refunds

Washington State aid recipients who withdraw from the institution, are expelled, or otherwise complete zero credits in any given term must repay state grants and College Bound Scholarships on a prorated basis. For the purposes of this policy, "Award" is the amount of Washington State aid for which the student was eligible during the enrollment period, after the school made any required adjustments for need and enrollment level. All monies, whether disbursed to the student account or directly to the student, shall be included in the repayment calculation. (State Need Grant (WAC 250.20.051(4))

Known Last Date of Attendance

If a student's last date of attendance can be verified and is prior to or on 50% of the term, the state grant repayment will be based on the percent of the term not completed. If the last date of attendance occurs after 50% of the term, the state grant award is considered 100% earned and no state grant repayment is due.

State grant repayment formula: Known last date of attendance, prior to or on 50% of the term:

1. The percent of state grant earned is calculated by dividing days in attendance by calendar days in term. Scheduled breaks of five or more days should be excluded from the calculation.
2. Subtract the percent of state grant earned from 100%; this equals the percent of unearned state grant.
3. Multiply the percent of unearned state grant by the grant amount.
4. Multiply the amount from step 3 by 50% to determine the state grant repayment due.

Example: Known last date of attendance, prior to or on 50% of the term:

A student is awarded $400 for a state grant and completed 20% of the term prior to withdrawal. The state grant repayment is calculated as follows:

1. The unearned percentage equals 80% (100% less 20% completed).
2. Unearned aid equals $320 (80% of $400 state grant award).
3. The repayment equals $160 ($320 X 50% reduction).

Unknown Last Date of Attendance

If a student attends a portion of a term and withdraws with no verified last date of attendance, the state grant repayment will be 50% of the grant amount with no additional adjustments.

No-Show Repayments

If a state grant recipient never attends courses in the term for which they received a state grant award, the state grant repayment is 100% of the award. If a school is unable to distinguish between a no-show and an unofficial withdrawal, the no-show policy shall apply.

General Repayment Policies

1. Repayments are based on the state grant award amount, including enrollment, and packaging adjustments.
2. Verified withdrawal dates after 50% of the term equate to 100% earned state grant.
3. Unofficial withdrawals/no known last date of attendance equate to repayment of 50% of the state grant award.
4. No Shows are 0% earned and equate to repayment of 100% of the state grant.
5. Official withdrawals or verified last date of attendance repayment calculation:
6. State grant award amount multiplied by the percent of unearned state grant multiplied by the 50% reduction equals the state grant repayment due.
7. The 50% reduction applied at the end of the repayment computation addresses un-reimbursable start up education costs and reduces the barrier for the students intending to return to school.
8. Repayment of less than $50 should not be referred to the Council.
9. Institution repayment refund policy:

Private institutions should return state grant repayments directly to the Council and collect from the students.

Institutional Financial Aid Refunds

Students who have a balance owing will not have their Walla Walla University aid reversed. However, students who have a credit balance will have their institutional aid reversed, up to the amount of their credit balance, using the federal aid refund policy as a guide.