Financial Aid Eligibility Policy and Procedure - Leave of Absence/ Withdrawal Notification/ Return of Title IV Funds -Glendale, AZ

1. Students requesting a leave of absence while enrolled at Midwestern University must adhere to the policies and procedures established by the College Dean. In addition, students receiving federal financial aid must understand and follow Federal Title IV and Title VII leave of absence regulations as stated in this policy, which may affect the amount of financial assistance received. As stipulated by federal financial aid regulations, any student, including a student receiving Title IV or Title VII assistance, shall be granted a leave of absence under the following conditions:
   • The student must request the leave of absence in writing to the Program Director, if applicable, with approval from the College Dean. The letter should clearly state the reason(s) for the requested leave of absence.
   • MWU may not charge the student tuition or any educational expenses during a long-term leave of absence (90 days or more). However, in order to continue coverage for long-term disability insurance and/or health and dental insurance, a student on leave is obligated to pay an insurance premium. In addition, a student living on campus will be responsible for paying rent, utilities, and covered parking charges.
   • Students on leave of absence are entitled to all the programs and benefits afforded by the student services fee; accordingly, the annual fee will not be refunded.
   • A subsequent leave of absence may be granted for the same student due to an unforeseen circumstance such as military duty, jury duty or a circumstance covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).
   • Any additional leaves of absence requests may not exceed a total of 180 days in a 12-month period. This 12-month period begins with the first day of the initial leave of absence.
   • A student on an approved leave of absence will retain in-school status.
   • There must be a reasonable expectation that a student will return from a leave of absence to continue enrollment at MWU.
2. Students granted short term leave of absences (90 days or less) will maintain financial aid eligibility and all charges will remain on the student account.
3. For purposes of administering federal financial aid, a student who is receiving Title IV or Title VII financial aid funds and is granted leave of absence that does not meet the above guidelines will be considered to have withdrawn from MWU (for financial aid purposes only). Any student whose College Dean grants a leave of absence of 90 days or more must adhere to the leave of absence policy and reinstatement procedures established by the dean.
   • A subsequent leave of absence, not to exceed 30 days, may be granted for the same student due to an unforeseen circumstance such as a military duty, jury duty, or a circumstance covered under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).
   • A student on an approved leave of absence will retain in-school status.
4. If the student who is receiving financial aid fails to return from the leave of absence, the student will be considered to have withdrawn from MWU (for financial aid purposes only) as of the first day in which the leave of absence was granted. The Office of Student Financial Services will have 45 days after the day of determination to calculate a refund and return funds to the lender (30 days if withdrawal happens between quarters). For students who do not begin attendance at MWU, SFS must return the amount of unearned Title IV Funds no later than 30 days after the institution becomes aware that the student will not or has not begun attendance. If a student who is not receiving financial aid is granted a leave of absence and fails to return at the end of the approved period, the disposition of such a case will be decided on an individual basis.
5. Upon receipt of an LOA notification, the Office of Student Financial Services informs the student of loan obligations, possible revisions in aid, deferment options, and consequences of failure to return.
6. A student on leave of absence may receive health, dental and disability insurance coverage for the entire period of the leave, but must prepay the entire amount of the premiums during the leave. In addition a student may continue to live in on-campus housing for the duration of the leave, but must pay in advance each quarter.
7. All outstanding balances must be paid in full prior to a student's return from a leave of absence.

• A student's withdrawal date is the student's last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity (exam, turning-in of assignment, etc.), or the midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution, or for students who officially withdraw, the date the student began the prescribed withdrawal process.
• A student must provide written notification and documentation, if applicable, to the appropriate College Dean or Program Director, stating the reason for withdrawal from MWU. If approved, the College Dean will conditionally approve a withdrawal until all clearances are obtained.
• The student must receive clearance for withdrawal from the MWU departments on the http://online.midwestern.edu leave system within seven calendar days from the date of College Dean's conditional approval. This time frame will allow offices such as Student Financial Services and the Registrar to process the withdrawal, prepare the required financial aid exit, and calculate the return of unearned federal Title IV aid and all other aid, as appropriate.
• Upon submission of all completed documentation and adherence to all clearance procedures, the College Dean will provide an official letter of withdrawal to the student. If a student does not complete the online exit counseling requirement, the Registrar will withhold official academic transcripts.

In establishing a refund policy, MWU has instituted and adheres to all requirements included in the Federal Formula for Return of Title IV Funds as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended). This policy will apply to Title IV and VII funding.

Student Financial Services (SFS) office is required by Federal law to recalculate financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, take a leave of absence, or are dismissed prior to completing 60% of the quarter. If a R2T4 calculation is required during a quarter, SFS must return the amount of unearned Title IV funds to Department of Education no later than 45 days after the student’s withdrawal date.

Withdrawal date

The calculation for Return of Title IV funds is based upon the official withdrawal date determined by the Registrar’s Office. A student’s official withdrawal date would be the date the student began the official withdrawal process or the date of the student’s notification, whichever is earlier. If a student did not begin the official withdrawal process or provide notification of his or her intent to withdraw, the student’s withdrawal date would be the date the school becomes aware that the student ceased attendance. The Office of Student Financial Services are also notified by the College Dean's office.

The number of days completed is divided by the total number of days in the enrollment period to identify the percentage of time the student has completed. The percentage of Title IV aid earned is equal to the percentage of the enrollment period completed. After 60% of the enrollment period is completed, there is no return of the Title IV funds for that period and the student is considered to have earned 100% of the Title IV funds received. If a student officially withdraws while on a schedule break of five consecutive days or more, the withdrawal date is the last date of scheduled class attendance prior to the start of the scheduled break.

Refund Policy

The refund policy includes the following guidelines:

• Title IV funds include the following programs available at MWU - Direct Unsubsidized loans, Federal Perkins loans, Direct Graduate PLUS loans, and the Federal Work-Study (FWS) program. However, FWS monies awarded or earned by the student will always be excluded from the refund calculation.
• Title VII funds include Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL) and Primary Care Loans (PCL).
• Withdrawal On or Before the First Day of Classes of the Quarter for Which the Student Is Charged.
  • 100% of tuition, University housing, and all other fees will be credited.
• Withdrawal After the First Day of Classes up to 60% of the Quarter for Which the Student is Charged.
  • Tuition, student services fee, and university housing charges will be prorated on a daily basis proportional to the number of days completed divided by the number of days in the payment period for which the student was enrolled.
  • University meal plans are credited based on the amount used during the quarter.
  • Information technology fee - If a student withdraws before matriculation, or after the first day of classes through the 60% point of the first quarter only, the information technology fee will be adjusted accordingly provided that the equipment/software is returned in the same condition in which the student received it, as determined by the University Information Technology Service, and the student withdraws from the college.
  • Title VII recipients will have future disbursements cancelled if the students is not enrolled full-time in subsequent quarters.
• Withdrawal after the 60% mark of the Quarter for which the student is charged:
  • No refund of tuition will be made.
  • University housing for the quarter will be credited according to the terms on the housing contract.
  • All credits on University meal plan costs will be based on the remaining balance in the quarter.
• If a Subsequent Quarter(s) Has Been Prepaid
  • Tuition and other fees will be adjusted accordingly.
• Student services fee, disability and health insurance fees paid to the University will not be refunded if a current student withdraws after the first day of class for the quarter.
• All applicable refunds will be distributed in the following order as prescribed by federal law:
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loan
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
  • Other Title IV Aid Programs
  • Other Federal Sources of Aid including Title VII funding
  • Other state or private aid *
  • Institutional Aid (departmental loans and scholarships)**
  • The Student ***

  * MWU will refund scholarship monies in accordance with the sponsoring agency's policy.
  ** All refunds of institutional aid will be prorated based on the remaining weeks of the current quarter. Subsequent quarters of awarded institutional funds will be cancelled; therefore, no refunds will be made.
  *** MWU will only refund monies to a student who does not owe a repayment of non-institutional funds or who does not have unpaid current year charges owed to the institution.

• Students who borrowed and received monies from the Federal Direct Loan Program (Unsubsidized Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans); Perkins Loans; Institutional (MWU) Loans, Health Professions Student Loans, Primary Care Loans and/or private loans will be legally responsible and obligated to repay in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the promissory note(s).
• Upon request by the student, examples of refund worksheets and calculations will be available for distribution in the SFS office.
• Students who feel that individual circumstances warrant exceptions from published policy may appeal the MWU Refund Policy. Student appeals need to be submitted to the Director of Student Financial Services.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursements

If the total amount of title IV loan assistance that the student earned is greater than the total amount of title IV loan assistance that was disbursed to the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, the difference between these amounts must be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement.

If a R2T4 calculation is required, SFS must provide written notification to the student prior to making any post-withdrawal disbursement within 30 days of the student’s withdrawal date. MWU must receive permission from the student before we can release the post-withdrawal disbursement.

If a student withdraws during a quarter, MWU will determine the amount of tuition and fees that were unearned by the institution. It will be calculated by determining how many remaining calendar days there are in the payment period divided by the total calendar days in the payment period. (Scheduled breaks of five or more calendar days are excluded in the calendar day count.) The Institution will pay back to the student (or lender) the unearned amount. After 60% of the days in the payment period have passed, the institution will have earned the total amount paid for that payment period. This method will be applied regardless of whether or not the student received any form of financial aid.

All Tuition Assistance (TA) funds will be returned according to the university's institutional refund policy. Up to the start date, 100% of all TA funds will be returned to the appropriate military service when the service member fails to: begin attendance, start a course (regardless if the student starts other courses), or the course is cancelled. All TA Funds will be returned directly to the military service, not to the service member.