Apply for FAFSA 2024-2025

Priority Date April 2, 2024

Financial Aid

Student Financial Services

Apply for FAFSA 2024-2025
Financial Aid

Dropping below full time

Federal financial aid is awarded based upon the dates and duration of your enrollment each semester. You "earn" the financial aid you have been awarded as you attend class during your scheduled enrollment period(s). If you have been awarded financial aid and begin attendance, but then change your enrollment and fail to attend class for the time period(s) originally specified, the Office of Student Financial Services is required to recalculate the financial aid award(s) you are eligible for based upon your adjusted enrollment. The calculation determines the percentage of the original award that was earned during the period you actually attended. Once 60% of the quarter is completed, a student is considered to have earned all of his/her financial aid and will not be required to return funds disbursed to his/her student account.

Changes to your enrollment include:

completely withdrawing, or
stop attending before completing the quarter, or
not completing all modules (for example, sequential classes offered in the summer term.)

La Sierra University students who receive federal financial aid and do not complete their classes during a quarter could be responsible for repaying a portion of the aid they received.

Students who do not begin attending any classes must repay all financial aid that paid onto their account for the term.

Always meet with a Financial Counselor before dropping below full-time.

Return of Title IV (Federal Funds) Example

Harrison Forde stopped attending classes on January 26 and contacted Records to withdraw from the university. The term began on January 5 and is 75 days long. Harrison has attended 22 days and has earned 29.3 percent of his financial aid (22 days divided by 75 days equals 29.3 percent).

Harrison received in aid:	Federal Direct Subsidized Loan	$1167
	Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan	$1500
	Pell Grant	$1000
	Total aid winter term	$3667

The amount of federal aid earned is 29.3% x $3667 = $1074.43.
Total federal aid unearned is $3667 - $1074.43 = $2592.57.
The second calculation determines percentage of amount unearned based on school charges for tuition and housing. Harrison was charged $1,843 in tuition and did not live on campus. Percentage of unearned aid for this second calculation is 100% - 29.3% = 70.7%. Therefore, based on the tuition charges for the term, $1843 x 70.7% = $1303.
The amount of federal aid Harrison must return is the lesser of step 2 or 3 ($1,303 in our example).
Federal guidelines determine the order of aid types to be reduced: Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct Parent PLUS Loan, and then Pell Grant until $1,303 has been repaid. Therefore Harrison’s aid will be reduced to:

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan	$1167	- $1167	= $0
Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan	$1500	- $136	= $1364
Pell Grant	$1000	- $0	= $1000
Total returned		$1303

The total returned amount reflects the amount to be billed to Harrison’s student billing account from his financial aid. Any refunds from tuition that are determined and applied to his account may affect the amount that Harrison owes for winter term.

Important: If you plan to drop below half time talk to a financial counselor first

Docs & Forms

Download and print forms necessary for financial aid and services.
Missing paperwork?

Contact Info

sfs@lasierra.edu
951-785-2175
951-785-2942 (Fax)

Office Hours

Monday - Thursday:
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., CLOSED for lunch (12-1pm)
Friday:
8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

During the school year, all service offices close on Tuesdays from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for University Worship.

Office Location

Administration Building, Room 101.

Connect with us

SFS Social Media @lasierrasfs

Withdrawal FAQ

If I drop below Full time what happens to my Institutional Scholarships?

Students must be enrolled at least half-time in order to qualify for institutional awards, and awards are prorated (awarded at a lesser amount) for half-time or three-quarter-time students. Students who drop below half-time become ineligible for Institutional Scholarships.

What happens if I completely withdraw from classes?

There is no charge for withdrawing during the first week of each quarter (Fall, Winter, and Spring). There is a minimum charge of 10 percent of the billed tuition for withdrawal during the second week of school regardless of whether or not a student attended classes. A minimum charge of 35% of the billed tuition is charged for withdrawals occurring during the third week of school. Thereafter, an additional 15 percent of the billed tuition is charged per week, up through the 7th week of the term. After the 7th week, the student is charged 100% of tuition costs.

Summer term withdrawal penalties are issued differently than during regular quarters because the summer is made up of many sessions with different durations. Withdrawal penalties in the summer are issued from the very first day of the summer session, regardless of whether or not the class has yet met. For example, all summer sessions begin on Mondays and end on Fridays. If the first class does not meet until Tuesday of that week, a withdrawal on the first day of the session would result in a withdrawal penalty. For this reason, it is extremely important that a student meet with their SFS Counselor before withdrawing from a class, so that the student can make a fully informed decision about withdrawing.

What happens to my financial aid if I stop participating in my classes but don’t withdraw from them?

It is critical that you participate in your classes to retain your financial aid. If you stop participating in your classes and do not actually withdraw from them, you will receive 'F' grades that may result in your incurring significant financial penalties. If you need to change your enrollment, you must take the action to withdraw from your classes.

What if I drop classes, but remain enrolled part-time?

In most cases, you are not expected to repay financial aid awards you received for the quarter as long as you remain enrolled at least part-time (6 units for Undergrads, 3 units for Grads). However, dropping hours may affect your future eligibility for financial aid.