If a student has registered for classes and decides not to attend UNT, he or she must notify both Student Financial AidMoney provided to the student and the family to help them pay for the student's education. Major forms of financial aid include gift aid (grants and scholarships) and self help aid (loans and work). and Scholarships (SFAS) and the Registrar’s Office as early as possible.

If circumstances require that you withdraw from all classes, we strongly encourage you to contact your academic advisor and Student Financial Aid and Scholarships before making your final decision. The consequences of withdrawing from all classes can be explained and clearly illustrated.

If you’ve already made the decision to withdraw, you must begin the withdrawal process with UNT’s Registrar’s Office. For online information on how to drop a course or withdraw from UNT, including official dates and deadlines, please visit the UNT Registrar’s Office’s Schedule of Classes.

If you officially withdraw, cease attendance, or are administratively withdrawn from UNT, federal regulations require post-secondary institutions to calculate the amount of Federal Title IV funds (aid) “earned” during the term from which you withdrew. Factors considered in this federally mandated calculation include: number of days in the payment period, date of withdrawal/number of calendar days the student attends before total withdrawal as determined by SFAS (excluding scheduled breaks of at least 5 days in length), the total amount of Title IV aid eligibility, tuition and fee charges, on-campus room and board charges (if applicable), and class attendance.

The percentage of time spent in attendance is the percentage of federal funds the student has “earned”. Other funds received are “unearned”.

After Student Financial Aid and Scholarships personnel applies the federally mandated calculation, “unearned” Federal Title IV funds (aid) will be returned to the programs from which the money was paid to you (or your parent) in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford LoansStafford Loans are federal loans that come in two forms, subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans are based on need; unsubsidized loans are not. The interest on the subsidized Stafford Loan is paid by the federal government while the student is in school and during the 6 month grace period. The Subsidized Stafford Loan was formerly known as the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL). The Unsubsidized Stafford Loan may be used to pay the EFC. Undergraduates may borrow up to $23,000 ($2,625 during the freshman year, $3,500 during the sophomore year, and $5,500 during the third, fourth, and fifth years) and graduate students up to $65,500 including any undergraduate Stafford loans ($8,500 per year). These limits are for subsidized and unsubsidized loans combined. The difference between the subsidized loan amount and the limit may be borrowed by the student as an unsubsidized loan. Higher unsubsidized Stafford loan limits are available to independent students, dependent students whose parents were unable to obtain a PLUS Loan, and graduate/professional students. Undergraduates may borrow up to $46,000 ($6,625 during the freshman year, $7,500 during the sophomore year, and $10,500 during each subsequent year) and graduate students up to $138,500 including any undergraduate Stafford loans ($18,500 per year). These limits are for subsidized and unsubsidized loans combined. The amounts of any subsidized loans are still subject to the lower limits.
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Direct Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Federal Pell Grants
• Academic Competitiveness Grants
• National SMART Grants
• TEACH Grants
• Iraq Afghanistan Service Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Other Title IV Programs
• Other Federal, State, Private or Institutional Student Aid

It is possible you will owe a repayment of “unearned” financial aid funds to the university if you cease attendance prior to the sixty percent (60%) completion point of any payment period for which you received financial aid funds. The completion point is based on the total number of class days in a payment period. If it is determined that you owe a repayment of funds, you will receive notification from SFAS. You can also check your balance owed through the myUNT student portal. Students who owe a balance to UNT from a previous academic yearThe period during which school is in session, consisting of at least 30 weeks of instructional time. The school year typically runs from the beginning of September through the end of May at most colleges and universities. will not be disbursed aid until the balance owed is paid. Official transcripts are not released to any student who has an unpaid account or has defaulted on loans received from any university.

Summer Term Official Withdrawal from UNT

A student is considered to have Withdrawn from programs offered in a session of enrollment during the summer term when the student ceases attendance at any point prior to completing the payment period unless the school obtains written confirmation at the time of the withdrawal that the student will attend a session that begins later in the same payment period. This confirmation must be obtained at the same time of the withdrawal even if the student has registered for subsequent courses.

Basic Calculation Example:

• Payment period is 113 calendar days. Student attends and participates in academically-related activities for 54 days and then withdraws.
• Student stayed 47.8% of the number of payment period days. 52.2% was unearned.
• Student tuition and fees for payment period totaled $547.20.
• Federal Title IV funds (aid) disbursed to the student during payment period:
  • $1,312.00 Subsidized Direct Stafford Loan
  • $1,562.00 Federal Pell Grant
  • $2,874 Total 47.8%=$1,373.77 earned aid
• Since “earned” aid is less than disbursed aid, funds must be returned to the programs from which they were paid to the student (or parent).
• $2,874 disbursed aid-$1,373.77 “earned aid”= $1,500.23 “unearned” aid.
• It is assumed by regulations that Federal Title IV funds (aid) paid for institutional charges (tuition/fees and room/board if applicable).
• The school pays the lesser of the total “unearned” ($1,500.23) aid or the “unearned” institutional charges $547.20 x 52.2%=$285.64.
• The college must return $285.64 to the lender since the loan funds are returned before grant funds and the school pays its share first.
• Once the school repays its “unearned” share ($285.64), the remaining “unearned” share ($1,214.59) must be returned (repaid) by the student.
• Of the remaining loan amount to be paid ($1,026.36), the student by regulation will repay the usual monthly repayment by the terms of the loan promissory note. Therefore, there is no immediate repayment of loan funds to the lender.
• The remaining amount of the student’s “unearned” share ($1,214.59-$1,026) is $188.23; however, by regulation, 50% of all Federal Title IV grant aid disbursed plus Federal Title IV grant aid awarded that could have been disbursed is protected. In this example, the Federal Title IV grant aid awarded was $1,562 in Federal Pell Grant and it was all disbursed. Therefore, $1,562 x 50%=$781 is protected.

If circumstances allow you to remain in school past the sixty percent (60%) completion point of any payment period, then there is a definite advantage. No calculations are required for students who attend past the 60% completion point. There will however be other consequences to consider. Withdrawing from classes will affect your future eligibility for financial aid and possibly affect future scholarship disbursements. You must meet Satisfactory Academic ProgressA student must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to continue to receive financial aid. Students must maintain a certain qualitative standard (i.e. cumulative GPA) in addition to maintaining a quantitative standard (i.e. successfully completing a required number of credit hours). Students must also complete their degree or certificate program within a maximum timeframe, which may vary according to the student’s status and program. If a student does not maintain the required standards, the student may lose their financial aid eligibility. (SAP) requirements to maintain eligibility for financial aid as defined by Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Students who do not officially withdraw through the UNT Registrar’s Office/cease attending class are also subject to the federally mandated calculation described above. If your last date of attendance in an academically-related activity is unknown to the school, then your last date of attendance used in the federally mandated calculation will be the midpoint of the payment period.

Financial aid is awarded to students with the expectation that they will attend classes for the entire payment period and that they will make progress toward a degree. If you receive all failing grades (any combination of F’s, WF’s and NP’s), SFAS is required to calculate the amount of Federal Title IV funds (aid) “earned” during the term in which all failing grades were received. You will be required to have at least one of your instructors e-mail us your last date of attendance in an academically-related activity.  If your instructor provides SFAS with your last date of attendance by the prescribed deadline, then SFAS will use this date as your “withdrawal” date in the federally mandated calculation described above. If your last date of attendance in an academically-related activity is unknown to the school by the prescribed deadline, then your last date of attendance used in the federally mandated calculation will be the midpoint of the payment period or the equivalent date for summer sessions of enrollment.

If it is determined that you never attended any of the classes for which you (or your parent) were paid, then you never “earned” the funds (aid). As a result, all funds (aid) will be canceled and returned to the programs from which they were awarded. You will then owe a complete repayment to the university.

For full policy information, please view (Consumer Information for Return of Title IV funds)   .      

Unofficial Withdrawal from UNT

Unofficial withdrawals encompass all other withdrawals where official notification is not provided to UNT. When a recipient of Title IV grant or loan assistance unofficially withdraws from an institution, after having begun class attendance during a payment period or period of enrollment, the institution must determine the amount of Title IV grant or loan assistance that the student earned up to the date of withdrawal. For these unofficial withdrawals, commonly known as dropouts, the withdrawal date is the midpoint of the payment period or the equivalent date for summer sessions of enrollment as applicable, or the last date of an academically related activity in which the student participated.

If a student who began attendance, does not officially withdraw, and subsequently fails to earn a passing grade in at least one course offered over an entire period, the institution must assume, for Title IV purposes, that the student has unofficially withdrawn, unless the institution can document that the student completed the enrollment.

If a student receives Title IV grant or loan assistance and does not begin attendance in a payment period or period of enrollment, the student is considered to be ineligible for any Title IV aid.

Unofficially withdrawing from classes, not beginning attendance, or failing to complete and pass registered hours may affect your future eligibility for financial aid. You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to maintain eligibility for financial aid as defined by Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.