Any student who partially withdrawals must contact the Registrar’s Office. A student
completing a total withdrawal must do so through the Financial Aid Office. If this is not done,
the student will be financially responsible for the classes and receive failing grades on his/her
transcript. Tuition refunds are based on the date the student completes the withdrawal or the last day the student attended the class. The amount of the refund of institutional fees for those students who officially withdraw will be calculated as outlined in the MSSU Schedule Book.
In accordance with Higher Education Act, Missouri Southern State University is responsible for determining earned and unearned federal aid each semester.
Responsibility for returning unearned aid is calculated by the University and allocated between the University and the student. The student will be notified of their portion to repay to the federal aid programs. The student will also be notified of any balance due the University, which must be taken care of immediately to avoid collection action. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange repayment with the University, the Department of Education, and/or the holder of their student loan. This Return of Title IV Funds Policy is separate and distinct from the MSSU Institutional Refund Policy. It is possible that Title IV Funds may need to be returned even when a student does not qualify for an institutional tuition refund.
The amount of Title IV aid earned is determined by multiplying the total Title IV aid for which the student qualified by the percentage of completed time during the term student was enrolled. The percentage of the period completed is determined by dividing the number of calendar days completed, as of the day the student withdrew, by the total number of calendar days in the same period.
The amount of Title IV aid students must repay is determined through Federal Formula for Return of Title IV Funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. Repayment of Title IV funds will be required when aid has been disbursed to the student from financial aid funds in excess of the amount of aid the student earned during the term.
If less aid was disbursed than was earned, the student may receive late disbursement (post-withdrawal disbursement) for the difference. If more aid was disbursed than earned, the amount of Title IV aid that must be returned (i.e., unearned) is determined by subtracting the earned amount from the amount actually disbursed.
Allocation is calculated according to a portion of disbursed aid that could have been used to cover institutional charges and the portion that could have been disbursed directly to the student once institutional charges were covered. MSSU will distribute the institutional portion of unearned aid back to Title IV programs as specified by law. This amount will be charged back to the student’s account.
MSSU will notify the Department of Education and/or the student’s lender of all amounts due from the student. Non-compliance on the student’s part will result in the student being ineligible to receive future Title IV assistance.
Under this policy, student’s withdrawal date will be determined to be either the date student began the institution’s official withdrawal process, student’s last date of attendance at an academically-related activity, or midpoint of enrollment period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution. For Return of Title IV purposes, the date of determination is the day the school is informed that the student has officially or unofficially withdrawn. Federal aid will be canceled completely for students who never began attendance and all disbursed aid must be returned to respective aid programs.
A student who wishes to completely withdraw will initiate withdrawal in the Financial Aid Office (Hearnes Hall). A student who completely withdraws from the University prior to the last week of classes in a regular or summer semester will receive a grade of “W” in all courses in which the student is enrolled. The official withdrawal date is the earlier of the date the student begins the process or notifies the institution that the student intends to do so.
A student who leaves school without officially withdrawing will receive grades of ‘F’ in all courses. A student who fails to complete the semester with passing grades, is considered an unofficial withdrawal. An unofficial withdraw may include an administrative withdrawal or all grades of F.
Post-withdrawal disbursements occur when a complete withdrawal of classes occurs before regular financial aid disbursement has occurred for the semester. Students must have been eligible to receive financial aid at the time of withdrawal in order to be eligible for this type of disbursement. A post-withdrawal disbursement is generally offered to a student at the time of withdrawal (by e-mail or in person), and the student has 14 days to respond with a decision. The amount of post-withdrawal disbursement is determined by following the requirements for calculating earned Title IV aid.
Modules are shortened courses, generally taken together to fill a term. For example, rather than taking one 16-week long course, a student may take courses that occur in two eight-week modules. Currently, at MSSU, modules are offered every semester and may vary in length. Withdrawal deadline dates for modular courses can be different from regular 16-week courses. If a student is enrolled in only modular courses for a term and then withdraws from a modular course, but intends to take another modular course that begins later in the same payment period/period of enrollment, written authorization of the student’s intent is required to avoid Return of Title IV funds calculation.
Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
Subsidized Federal Direct Loan
Federal PLUS Loan
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
TEACH Grant
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
Other non-University aid programs (as applicable)
University grants and scholarships (as applicable)
