Will FAFSA Refund The Money For A Class I Drop

Q: I have received money from FAFSA to help pay for my college tuition for this semester, however I would now like to drop a class I am currently enrolled in. Will FAFSA refund me the money for a class I drop, or will I be forced to pay for the course even if I withdraw before the end of the semester?

A: Students who drop classes or withdraw from courses before they have reached their completion date may be subject to a recalculation of the financial aid that they have received for the term (including the federal financial aid they received from FAFSA). How much of the class cost that the student will be responsible for repaying, or how much money the student will be refunded for the course will depend on a number of different factors, including the type and amount of financial aid the student has, as well as the date on which the class was dropped. In addition to the financial repercussions of dropping a class, for many colleges and universities students are required to stay in compliance with the schools Minimum Academic Requirements for Financial Aid Policy. Typically these policies require that a student must complete a certain percentage of all of their attempted course hours. If a student fails to comply with their schools Minimum Academic Requirements for Financial Aid Policy, it may put the student at risk of losing their financial aid.

Since there are many individual variables taken into consideration when a student drops a class, a student should always contact their schools financial aid office to find out exactly how dropping the class will impact their financial aid eligibility and status. Your schools financial aid office will be able to determine if you will be responsible for any percentage of the cost for the class you are dropping, as well as how or if your financial aid will be impacted by dropping the class.