Withdraw and Refund Policy

Students may drop one or more courses during the drop/add period. Tuition charges will be reassessed at the end of that period. There will be no adjustments to tuition for courses dropped after the drop/add period. Summer tuition charges are not eligible for a refund. There will also be no refund of any special, laboratory or general fees.

The financial aid award, if any, will be reviewed at the end of the drop/add period. And if needed, will be adjusted to reflect enrollment at that time.

If, for whatever reason, a student needs to withdraw from Valparaiso University during the fall or spring semester, they may be eligible for a prorated refund of their tuition, room, and meal plan charges according to the appropriate schedule below.
The date of withdrawal and basis for calculating all refunds will be the date on which the student first notifies the appropriate Office of their intent to withdraw from the University, provided the withdrawal form is completed and submitted to the Office of the Registrar no later than the end of the next working day.

Within 30 days of a student’s withdrawal from the University, the Financial Aid Office will determine if any Federal, State, or University grants, scholarships, or loans are required to be returned. The refund schedule above will be used to adjust University grants and scholarships. The Federal Return of Title IV Funds formula dictates the order and amount of Federal Title IV aid, other than Federal Work Study, that must be returned to the federal government by the school and the student.

Federal “Return of Title IV Funds” formula: If a student withdraws on or before the 60% point of the semester, the percentage of funds that must be returned to the federal government is equal to the number of calendar days remaining in the semester, divided by the number of calendar days in the semester. Scheduled breaks of more than four consecutive days are excluded.
The calculation of the return of these funds may result in the student owing a balance to the University and/or the federal government. Title IV aid must be returned in the following order:

1. Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan
2. Direct Subsidized Student Loan
3. Perkins Loan
4. Direct Grad PLUS Student Loan
5. Direct Parent PLUS Loan
6. Pell Grant
7. SEOG
8. TEACH Grant

If a student does not successfully complete any courses during a given semester, their federal aid may need to be adjusted. The Financial Aid Office will be in contact with each professor to determine the last date of attendance or last date of academic-related participation in the course.
If the university cannot document that a student attended at least one course past the 60% point of the semester, federal aid will be adjusted according to the Return of Title IV Funds policy above. The date used in that calculation will be the mid-point of the given semester unless a later date can be documented.

If a student was eligible for a federal grant disbursement at the time of their withdrawal, the university will disburse the grant(s) to assist with outstanding charges for current tuition, fees, room and board within 30 days of determining that the student withdrew. If all charges are paid and the student is due a refund, the refund will be processed within 45 days of determining that the student withdrew.

If the student was eligible for a federal student/parent loan disbursement at the time of their withdrawal, the university will notify the student/parent of the pending disbursement via email within 30 days of determining that the student withdrew. The student/parent must respond within 14 days indicating if they would like the loan disbursed. If no response, the loan(s) will be canceled.

The calculation of the return of financial aid funds may result in the student owing a balance to the University and/or the federal government. If funds have already been released to a student because of a credit balance on the student’s account, then the student may be required to repay some of these funds.

Students considering withdrawing from all classes should consult with the staff in the Student Accounts and/or Financial Aid Offices if they are concerned about the financial impact of withdrawing.