1.06.1 - Institutional Withdrawal Policy

Begin the process of an official withdrawal by contacting the Office of the Dean of Students. The date of withdrawal will be the date that the College is notified of your decision to withdraw. This may be verbal notification; however, written notice is preferred. If withdrawal is by written notice, the withdrawal date is the date that the Office of the Dean of Students actually receives the e-mail, letter or signed withdrawal form. If there are extenuating circumstances determined to be beyond your control such as illness, accident or grievous personal loss, the Dean can, prior to the last day of classes within the current semester, set a withdrawal date based upon your last documented date of attendance at an academically-related activity. (Dean's Office: first floor Dodge)

You have established an academic record once you register for a class. In order to complete your official withdrawal process, the Dean of Students will notify the Registrar's Office of your decision. The Registrar will inform your instructor(s) and academic advisor who will follow the same guidelines as "Withdrawing from a Course" (refer to the academic catalog for more detailed information). Should you withdraw from school after the end of the fourth week of a term course or the end of the ninth week of a semester course, your instructors will determine a grade of W or WF. Should any grade be recorded as WF, the Scholastic Standards Committee will review your record at the end of the semester.

For financial aid purposes, an unofficial withdrawal date will be set as the midpoint of the payment period (semester) if you "drop out" without notifying the Dean of Students of your intentions. It is also an unofficial withdrawal if you do not pass at least one of your attempted classes since the College cannot make a presumption that you attended. Charges will not be adjusted for unofficial withdrawals; however, Federal grants and loans, both student and parent, will be pro-rated per the Federal Return of Funds Policy. The student will be billed for any aid lost.

Medical or Administrative Withdrawals: Refer to the chapter on "Academic Life and the WWC Degree" of the Warren Wilson College Student Handbook. Regular refund policies and Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards will apply.

1.06.2 - Institutional Refund Policy

"Refund" is the return of aid to the same source from which it came (ie bank, Pell Grant fund, community donor, etc.). Special expenses such as private rooms, lab fees, parking stickers, admission deposits, registration deposits and fees (comprehensive and orientation) are non-refundable. A new student (first semester at WWC) will have a minimum in non-refundable costs that would include the admissions registration deposit ($300), comprehensive fees for the semester ($184) and orientation fees ($260/fall; $130/spring). A student readmitted to WWC after an absence will have a minimum in non-refundable costs of the admissions deposit ($300), comprehensive fees ($184) and the Readmit Fee ($75). The continuing student will have a minimum of $184 non-refundable comprehensive fees. Registration deposits ($300) are non-refundable to any student.

Your tuition, room (private or double), board and commuter fee, if applicable, will be pro-rated on a day-by-day basis through the first 60% of the semester. If you withdraw and totally move out of the residence hall on the first day of classes, you will be charged any applicable non-refundable costs only. (Fall, spring and Thanksgiving breaks are excluded from the day-by-day count. Triad Day and Work Day are included. Monetary amounts may be rounded to the nearest dollar.) You will be charged for all non-refundable costs plus 100% of your tuition, room, and board or commuter fee one day beyond the first 60% of the semester.

Example of cost pro-ration: 30 calendar days attended/103 days in semester = 29% charge
(29% X tuition/room/board added to any non-refundable fees)

If you withdraw prior to the College's receipt of your aid (loan check from bank; scholarship check from donor; grant funds from state agencies; etc.), you may have to forfeit those funds if they cannot be approved for late or post-withdrawal disbursement. You may also forfeit government funds that are not allowed to be pro-rated or whose eligibility has a precondition tied to another grant or full-time status.

In most cases, a withdrawn student will leave WWC with a "balance due". Since our resident students may choose to apply their campus work earnings toward the cost of tuition, room and board, this defers (delays) payment to the College. A withdrawn student may leave WWC owing at least the equivalent value of hours not worked in the semester or an amount equal to any aid the College is required to return as a result of the Refund Policy. Scholarships/grants/loans that have been designated for the spring semester cannot be used to cover a withdrawn student's unpaid costs from the fall semester.

1.06.3 - Federal Return of Funds

The treatment of Title IV funds is governed by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Section 484B 34 CFR 668.22 (Return of Federal Funds). The Law requires that we determine the amount of aid you earned based upon the length of time you are enrolled during a payment period (semester). If you complete 60% or less of the semester, the percentage of the period completed is the percentage of aid earned. Refer to the pro-ration calculation as an example. If you complete at least one day beyond the first 60% of the semester, you will have earned 100% of the aid disbursed. Eligibility for late disbursements will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions are "unofficial withdrawals" as described on the previous page. (Work earnings are excluded from these calculations. You will be paid for actual hours worked.)

Software provided by the Department of Education is used to determine your "earned" versus "unearned" Federal aid. Any unearned Federal aid will be returned first to an Unsubsidized Direct Student Loan, Subsidized Student Direct Loan, Perkins, PLUS, Pell Grant, FSEOG then all other Title IV programs - in that order. A copy of this worksheet is available upon request.

1.06.4 - Return of All Other Funds

This same earned and unearned percentage will be used for the remainder of your aid (state, institutional). Any remaining unearned non-Federal aid will be returned to WWC institutional and state funds - in that order. Some states may calculate their own refunds. Any designated scholarships (civic club, church, etc) will be handled as instructed by the donor. If there are no special instructions, designated scholarships will be applied towards any remaining balance due to Warren Wilson College or refunded to the donor. Alternative educational bank loans and VA Chapter 33 benefits will also be applied towards any remaining balance due to the College. Any remaining alternative loan funds held by WWC will be returned to the borrower's lender as a prepayment. (Spring awards cannot be applied towards fall charges.) Any remaining VA Chapter 33 funds will be refunded to the student (VA recipient).

The Federal Return of Funds Policy and the definition of withdrawal are subject to change if necessary to remain in compliance with Federal Regulation.

Up-dated 05/09/2012