If you drop or withdraw from classes, you may jeopardize future eligibility for student aid (including loans). If your enrollment drops below half-time, your financial aid awards may be adjusted, and the grace period repayment of loans will begin.
Withdrawing From a Class With Financial Aid
So if you’re wondering what happens to your financial aid if you drop a class, you can see that dropping a class could disrupt your academic progress and, as a result, cause you to lose your financial aid.
If your financial aid has not been disbursed and you add or drop a class, your financial aid will be adjusted. If your financial aid has been disbursed and you add or drop a class before the 12th class day, your financial aid will be adjusted. You may be required to repay some of your federal grants and/or loans if you dropped a class.
Federal regulations require you to repay a portion of financial aid funds if you withdraw from all classes before satisfying the 60 percent completion rule for the enrollment term. (See the current 60 percent dates for the financial aid award year.)
Dropping a class with financial aid won't necessarily affect your FAFSA and financial aid award. If you're taking extra classes, for instance, you could probably afford to remove one from your schedule.
Croskey notes that dropping a class is better than withdrawing, but withdrawing is better than failing. “A failing grade will lower the student's GPA, which may prevent a student from participating in a particular major that has a GPA requirement,” Croskey says.
The federal government dictates if you drop out before the 60% point of the semester, you will have to repay part of the grants you've received. If you wait until the 60% mark or after, you won't have to repay any grants you've received.
You'll need to get out of default before you can receive aid again.
Pell Grant funds adjust according to your enrollment level. As a result, when you drop a class, the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is required to reduce the amount of Pell Grant to match your new enrollment level.
There are various reasons to consider dropping a class, some of which include:Over-enrolled in courses: Maybe you just took on too much too soon. ... Not a good fit: ... Don't think you can get a passing grade: ... Class is too easy and want to advance faster: ... Your interests or decisions about the future changed:
As a general rule, the federal Pell Grant does not need to be paid back. Only students who fail to complete the academic period for which the federal Pell Grant was awarded will be asked to pay back a portion of the grant.
What happens if you: Drop below full time status (less than 12 credits per term): Pell Grant: If you drop below full time status before the end of the add/drop period, the amount will be pro-rated. You will receive 3/4 of the award amount for 9-11 credits, or 1/2 of the award for 6-8 credits.
If you drop below half-time enrollment, you may be ineligible for aid, including loans. Depending on the time during the semester that you drop a c...
If you drop credits before all of your aid is disbursed: 1. You will be responsible for the balance of your tuition bill after your aid is adjusted...
Students with Federal Direct or Perkins LoansIf you received a Federal Direct Loan or Federal Perkins Loan and drop below half-time, the grace peri...