Withdrawal and Refund Policy at UCI
Understand what to expect if you are considering withdrawing from classes at UCI, including our refund policy.
Withdrawal Procedures
Instructions for students to withdraw from the university are maintained by the Office of the Registrar and are available from www.reg.uci.edu/enrollment/withdrawals/.
Refund Policy
The university has a tuition refund policy that stipulates the amount of tuition and fees that are refunded to a student who withdraws from all classes during a term. This policy is published by the University Registrar and is available from www.reg.uci.edu/enrollment/withdrawals/#refunds.
The refund policy for summer term is published by the Summer Session Office and is available from summer.uci.edu/services/registration/refunds/.
Federal Return of Title IV Funds Policies
Federal law requires federal aid recipients to "earn" the aid they receive. Students who withdraw prior to completing 60% of the term for which they received federal student aid may be required to return some of the aid they were awarded.
The return of Title IV financial aid is based upon the amount of federal financial aid received, the University charges incurred AND the student's date of withdrawal. University charges include fees, out-of-state tuition, and on-campus housing charges. Students who withdraw prior to completing 60% of the term will "earn" a percentage of the financial aid paid to them (or used to pay their fees) for each day of the term they attended.
Students who withdraw after completing 60% of the term will have earned all financial aid received.
Withdrawal Process
Students withdrawing from the University must contact the Registrar's Office. Information regarding the withdrawal process is available from the Registrar's website. The official withdrawal date that the University will use for Title IV return of aid is the date the student initiates the withdrawal process, not the date the withdrawal paperwork was completed. This date generally will be the same date used to calculate the UC Fee Refund.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will be notified of a student's withdrawal from the University by the Registrar's Office. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will calculate the amount of federal financial assistance the student earned and will return to the federal government the University's portion of the unearned amount. The student will be billed for the unearned portion of any federal Title IV financial aid received. The UC Fee Refund amount will be applied first to the University's portion.
Return of Federal Title IV Funds
The federal formula requires a return of financial aid if the student received financial assistance in the form of a Federal Pell or Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Student Loan or PLUS loan and withdrew prior to completing 60% of the term.
The University will return to the federal government any funds that were credited from the UC Fee Refund first. If the amount returned by the University is not enough to repay the entire unearned amount, the University will bill the student for portions of amounts received for non-institutional charges (such as books, supplies and off-campus living expenses).
Amounts that are returned to the federal government, either from the UC Fee Refund or on behalf of the student, will first be applied to the student's federal loans. If the student owes any federal loan funds after the University has paid back its share, she will be permitted to repay the loans based on the original terms of the loans -- usually a ten-year repayment term after a grace period and deferment period if the student returns to school. In addition, the student may be billed for any unearned Federal grants received. The student will be expected to pay 50% of the unearned portion (either immediately or make satisfactory arrangements to repay that amount).
Unofficial Withdrawals -
For students who do not officially withdraw from the University, the University will base its return of funds calculation on information received from instructors regarding course attendance.
If at least one instructor has noted that the student attended past the 60% point of the term, then no aid will be returned.
If all instructors note that the student never began attendance or no attendance is specified for any courses, then all aid will be returned for the term and the student will be billed.
If there is an indication of partial attendance for the term with no specific last day of attendance noted for any class, the University will make the Return of Title IV funds calculation using the mid-point of the term. Any amount that must be returned will be billed to the student.
Incompletes: Students who unofficially withdraw from a term and have part or all of their aid returned only have 45 days from when grades post to make up an incomplete and have their aid re-instated.
Special note for students living in campus housing:
Any student who withdraws prior to completing 60% of the term will be billed for a portion of the federal financial aid the student received to cover their UCI housing costs. The amount billed will depend on the point in the term the student withdrew. Students who live on campus should contact the UCI Housing Office to request a contract termination and determine if they will receive a refund. Refunds may be used to pay the amount the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships bills them. Learn more about the Housing contract cancellation process at: https://housing.uci.edu/contracts/contract-cancellation/.
A Final Note about Withdrawing
Any student contemplating withdrawing from the University should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to speak with a financial aid counselor concerning the financial ramifications of withdrawing.
Students who are receiving a Cal Grant should also contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to discuss the ramifications of withdrawing on their Cal Grant status. Check with your financial aid counselor on how you may be able to re-establish a term of eligibility for your Cal Grant.