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Refund Policy

Refund/Repayment Policy

A refund refers to the university charges returned to the student and/or to the financial source that covered those charges. Refunds are made within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal.

So, how much of a refund can you expect if you withdraw from a course as an undergraduate?

  • Undergraduate students who withdraw from Wingate University on or before the first class day of a semester receive a full refund of any payment made toward tuition, fees and room and board.
  • Undergraduate students who withdraw after the first day of class during a semester, the following institutional refund policy for tuition, fees and room and board applies:
    • 90% refund when withdrawal is after the first day of class during a semester and before the end of the first week of class
    • 80% refund when withdrawal is during the second week of class
    • 60% refund when withdrawal is during the third week of class
    • 40% refund when withdrawal is during the fourth week of class
    • 20% refund when withdrawal is during the fifth week of class

The date of withdrawal is the date that the Office of the Registrar receives the official withdrawal form or the date of withdrawal specified by the student, whichever is earlier. Keep these policies in mind:

  • The semester begins with the first day of class.
  • The first week of the semester is the seven-day period that begins on the first day of class.
  • The point of withdrawal is measured in weeks. The student is considered to have withdrawn within a given week, as defined above, if the withdrawal date is before the end of that week.

Return of Title IV Funds

The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 established a formula for calculating the amount of aid a student who receives federal financial aid and a school can retain when the student withdraws from all classes.

This is important: If you’re thinking about withdrawing from all classes before completing 60% of the semester, you should contact the Office of Financial Planning to discuss how your withdrawal affects your financial aid.

Undergraduate students who withdraw from all classes before completing more than 60% of an enrollment term will have their eligibility for aid recalculated based on the percent of the term completed. For example, if you withdraw after completing 30% of the term, you have earned only 30% of any Title IV aid received. The remaining 70% must be returned by the school and/or the student.

This policy applies to all undergraduate students who withdraw, take a temporary leave of absence or are expelled from Wingate University and receive financial aid from Title IV funds. Title IV funds are federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 and include:

  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Federal SEOG
  • Federal Direct Student and PLUS Loans

The Student’s Withdrawal Date

An undergraduate student’s withdrawal date is:

  • The date the student begins the institution’s withdrawal process or officially notifies the institution of intent to withdraw
  • The midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution
  • The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity

Title IV aid is earned in a prorated manner on a per diem basis up to and including the 60% point in the semester. Title IV aid and all other aid is viewed as 100% earned after that point in time.

How to Calculate How Much Title IV Aid is Earned

It’s easy to calculate the percentage of Title IV aid earned. This is the formula we use: The percent of the term completed equals the number of days completed by the student divided by the total number of days in the term.

Keep in mind that:

  • The percent of term completed is the percentage of Title IV aid earned by the student
  • The total number of calendar days in a term of enrollment excludes any scheduled breaks of more than five days

What to Do About Unearned Aid

Unearned Title IV funding should be returned to the appropriate program. The percentage of Title IV aid unearned is 100% minus the percent earned. Unearned aid shall be returned first by Wingate University from the student’s account. How do you calculate unearned aid? Take the total institutional charges and multiply that number by the percent of unearned aid. That is the amount that should be returned to the program.

Unearned Title IV aid shall be returned to the following programs in the following order:

  1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan
  2. Subsidized Federal Direct Loan
  3. Federal Direct Graduate PLUS (Graduate Student)
  4. Federal Direct PLUS (Parent)
  5. Federal Pell Grant
  6. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
  7. Other Title IV Grant

There’s one exception: No program can receive a refund if the student did not receive aid from that program.

When a Student is Responsible for Returning Aid

A student is responsible for returning unearned aid when the total amount of unearned aid is greater than the amount returned by Wingate University from the student’s account. In this case, the student is responsible for returning unearned aid to the appropriate program(s) as follows:

  1. Federal Pell Grant
  2. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
  3. Other Title IV Grants

Helpful Notes to Remember

We want you to know all of the facts regarding the refund or repayment of funds. Keep these in mind:

  • Amounts to be returned by the student to federal grant programs receive a 50% discount.
  • Loan amounts are returned according to the terms of the promissory note.
  • Refunds and adjusted bills are sent to the student’s home address on file in the Registrar’s Office following withdrawal.
  • Students are responsible for any portion of their institutional charges that are left outstanding after Title IV funds are returned.

Student’s Responsibility for the Return of Title IV Funds

The student’s responsibilities for the return of Title IV funds include:

  1. Becoming familiar with the Return of Title IV policy and how complete withdrawal affects eligibility for Title IV aid
  2. Returning to the Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for via the Return of Title IV Funds calculation

The Institution’s Responsibility for Returning of Title IV Funds

Wingate University’s responsibilities for the return of Title IV funds include:

  1. Providing each student with the information given in this policy
  2. Identifying students who are affected by this policy and completing the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for those students
  3. Returning any Title IV funds that are due the Title IV programs

Questions?

If you’ve read our policy but still have questions or if you’re a graduate student, e-mail or call the Office of Student Financial Planning for assistance.