Withdrawal From Classes

**COVID-19 Alert**

Under recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, Kean University is waiving the Return of Title IV Funds Policy (below) for students who withdrew from all of their courses during the Spring 2020 semester, under provisions of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. (This includes unofficially-withdrawn students, as defined in the policy.)  Federal Student Aid that was previously reduced, i.e., before the CARES Act was enacted, will be reinstated; any subsequent credit balances will be refunded to eligible students.

If all or part of a withdrawn student’s Spring Aid included Federal Direct Loans or TEACH Grant, the CARES Act also provides for the cancellation of Spring 2020 disbursements, thus reducing their total loan balances due.  (Borrowers are still responsible for repaying loans received for Fall 2019 and earlier.)  We are awaiting guidance from the Department of Education to report Direct Loan and TEACH Grant disbursements that are eligible for cancellation.

Note: some restrictions apply to students who were enrolled in online courses only during the Spring semester, to qualify for the above waiver and/or loan cancellation.

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Return of Title IV Funds Policy

Federal Regulations require a recalculation of financial aid during a payment period or term in which a student withdraws from all courses, is dismissed or takes a leave of absence.  (For instructions on withdrawing from courses at Kean University, click here.)  Earned aid is based on the percentage of the term that the student attends and is calculated as follows:

Total Aid x Completed Days in the Period / Total Days in the Period

• Scheduled breaks of five days or more, e.g., Spring Recess, are excluded in the completed and total days.
• Students who complete more than 60 percent of the term have earned 100 percent of their aid, and no adjustments are necessary.
• The above formula is applicable to federal student aid only. State aid is canceled if a student withdraws before the disbursement.

If Total Disbursed Aid is greater than Earned Aid, then the difference must be returned to the Federal Student Aid program(s). If Disbursed Aid is less than Earned Aid, then the student (or parent borrower for PLUS Loans) may be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement (PWD). Grants are automatically disbursed, but loans must be accepted by the student or parent borrower within 14 days that the PWD is offered. 

The Office of Financial Aid will notify students of their adjusted aid eligibility within 30 days of their withdrawal or leave of absence, and unearned aid will be returned within 45 days. Students who received a federal loan in the current or prior term must complete an exit counseling session after ceasing enrollment, even if they plan to return to Kean in a future term. TEACH Grant recipients must complete a separate exit interview.

Unofficial Withdrawals — Students who do not earn at least one passing grade at the end of a term are subject to a Return of Title IV Funds calculation, resulting in a decrease of up to 50 percent of their federal student aid. The term midpoint will be used in the Earned Aid calculation. The Office of Financial Aid will notify affected students of their adjusted aid eligibility within 30 days of the end of each term.

Tuition Balances and Refund Policy

Tuition and fees for students who withdraw during the first three weeks of the term are adjusted as follows:

Above applies only to fall and spring terms. 

Note that Kean’s tuition refund policy is not based on the percentage of the term completed, as is federal student aid. In most cases, aid decreases due to withdrawal will create (or increase) a balance due to the University.  Contact the Office of Student Accounting for payment options.

For the full financial aid site, please click here.