| 2022-2023 Course Catalog
Return of Title IV Funds
To remain eligible for Federal student aid during the semester, the student must be attending classes, taking exams and completing required course work.
The United States Department of Education requires the University to determine the amount of Title IV (Federal aid) earned by a student who withdraws (officially or unofficially) or fails to complete the payment period (semester/module). The University must determine the earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid as of the date the student ceased attendance based on the period of time in which the student was enrolled during the semester. We are required to perform a Return of Title IV Funds calculation for students who withdraw (officially or unofficially) from all classes, or receive failing grades in all courses in a semester.
The calculation required determines a student's earned and unearned Title IV aid based on the percentage of the payment period completed by the student. The percentage of the period that the student remained enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student attended by the number of days in the payment period. Calendar days (including weekends) are used, but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from both the numerator and denominator.
Until a student has passed the 60% point of a payment period, only a portion of the student's aid has been earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point is considered to have earned all awarded aid for the payment period. Please note students who are enrolled in modules, or courses which do not span the entire length of a semester, would also be included in this calculation.
The following earned Federal aid is included in a Return of Title IV Funds Calculation if disbursed or could have been disbursed:
- Federal Pell Grant
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- TEACH Grant
- Federal SEOG
- Direct Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
The unearned portion of Federal student aid funds will be returned to the appropriate aid program(s). The funds are returned in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Direct Loans
- Subsidized Direct Loans
- Federal Perkins Loan
- Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants for which a return is required
- Federal SEOG Grant for which a return is required
- TEACH Grants for which a return is required
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, for which a return is required
Students withdrawing from classes are responsible for payment of any balance due after the required return of Federal student aid funds.
Earned aid is not related in any way to institutional charges. In addition, the University's institutional refund policy and Return of Title IV Funds procedures are independent of one another. A student who withdraws from a course or courses may be required to return unearned aid and still owe the university for the course or courses. For more information on Chatham University's withdrawal and institutional charges' policies, please consult the catalog.
Students who stop attending all classes without officially withdrawing will be subject to a return of Federal student aid funds at the end of the semester based on the withdrawal date/last documented date of attendance as determined by Chatham University.
