Return to Title IV (R2T4)

Title IV (federal) financial aid funds are awarded under the assumption that a student will remain in classroom attendance for the entire period (term) for which the funds were awarded.

What This Means For You

• If you withdraw from all courses, regardless of the reason, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV (federal) funds that you were originally awarded.
• If you received Title IV financial aid but do not remain in attendance through the end of the term, you could be responsible for repaying a portion of the financial aid you originally received.
• The process of calculating the amount of financial aid a withdrawn student has earned and how much needs to be returned is called a “Return to Title IV” calculation or an R2T4 for short.

How Much Financial Aid Will Be Returned?

• The return of funds to the federal government is based on the premise that you earn financial aid in proportion to the length of time that you were enrolled, so if you withdraw after receiving Title IV aid, a prorated schedule will be used to determine the amount that you qualified for at the time of complete withdrawal.
• For example, if you withdraw in the second week of the term, you will have earned less of your financial aid than you would if you withdrew in your third week.
• Once you have completed 60% of a term , you are considered to have earned all of the financial aid originally awarded to you and will not be required to return any funds.
  • The 60% is reached during the fifth week of all standard eight-week classes.
• If you did not begin attendance in classes, then you are ot eligible for financial aid and must repay all of the aid that you originally received for that term.

When is a Recalculation Required?

• Federal regulations require a recalculation of financial aid eligibility if a student:
  • 1. Completely withdraws;
  • 2. Stops attending before the term’s end;
  • 3. Does not complete all modules (mini-sessions) in which the student is enrolled as of the start date of the mini session.

What if I Take a Leave of Absence?

• A student is expected to complete all courses in their current semester before taking a Leave of Absence (LOA) and resume their program following an approved LOA.
• Should a student need to take an LOA prior to the end of the semester the student will be withdrawn from the program with a “W” grade.
  • If you take an approved LOA with a stated return date, an R2T4 calculation will not be conducted unless you fail to return to class by that scheduled date.
  • You will not be eligible for any additional Title IV funds until you resume classes.
  • If you have received Title IV loans, taking an LOA will end the automatic in-school payment deferment period and begin the 6 month grace period.
  • If you do not return to your classes within 6 months, you will be required to resume payment on any Title IV loans you have received.

R2T4 Timeframes

• Westcliff University is an attendance taking institution and when a student misses 14 consecutive days (to include weekends, holidays and scheduled breaks) the school will evaluate and determine if the student has withdrawn.
• Westcliff is required to perform this calculation within 30 days of the date the school determines that a student has completely withdrawn.
• Westcliff must return the funds within 45 days of the calculation.

How is an R2T4 Calculated?

• The R2T4 calculation is completed by the Financial Aid Office.
• To calculate an R2T4 the following formula is used:
  • 1. The percentage earned is equal to the number of calendar days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total number of calendar days in the payment period.
  • 2. The payment period for most students is the full, 16-week fall, spring, and summer terms. Each term includes two 8-week sessions (modules).
  • 3. The percent unearned is equal to 100% minus the percent earned.
• Additional information about R2T4s can be found in the Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual at the top of this page.

Please note that Westcliff’s institutional tuition refund policy is separate from federal regulations to return unearned aid. Receiving a tuition/fee refund from Westcliff has no impact on the amount the student must repay to federal aid programs. You can learn more about the Institutional Refund Policy below.

 

Institutional Refunds

Students have the right to cancel their enrollment agreement and obtain a refund of charges paid through attendance at the first class session, or the seventh day after enrollment, whichever is later.

In addition, the student may cancel or withdraw from a course after instruction has started, and receive a pro-rata refund for the unused portion of the tuition. Refunds are based on the week that a student withdraws from the University. The University’s Institutional Refund policy is separate from the Federal Return of Title IV (R2T4) described above.

The Business Office completes an Institutional Refund Calculation for all students who withdraw or are dismissed from Westcliff University, using the Institutional Refund Calculation worksheet.

All refunds due to students will be paid within 30 days of cancellation, drop or withdrawal.

Prorated Refund Percentage by Week

The prorated refund policy works in accordance with a percentage of refund by course weeks.

For 8 Week Courses:

Week in Which the Student Withdrew (Monday-Sunday)	% of Tuition Refund the Student is Eligible for:
Week 1	100%
Week 2	80%
Week 3	60%
Week 4	40%
Week 5	20%
Week 6 to Week 8	0% – Not eligible for a refund

 

For 16 Week Courses:

Week in Which the Student Withdrew (Monday-Sunday)	% of Tuition Refund the Student is Eligible for:
Week 1	100%
Week 2	100%
Week 3	80%
Week 4	80%
Week 5	60%
Week 6	60%
Week 7	40%
Week 8	40%
Week 9	20%
Week 10	20%
Week 11 to Week 16	0% – Not eligible for a refund

 

Professional Judgment

If the student finds his or herself in a special or unusual circumstance that may affect their Title IV eligibility, the Financial Aid Department staff, using professional judgment, can adjust one or more of the data elements used to calculate the SAI or COA depending on the circumstances.

Students can request a professional judgement adjustment with the Financial Aid Department to initiate this process.

Professional judgement requests are handled on a case by case basis.

What Constitute Special and Unusual Circumstances?

A special circumstance refers to financial situations such as the loss of a job that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the Cost of Attendance or SAI calculations.

An unusual circumstance is a condition that justifies an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation such as human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abandonment, or incarceration.

This is commonly called a dependency override.

How to Request a Professional Judgement

If you would like to request a Professional Judgment adjustment to your Financial Aid based on a special and/or unusual circumstance you can contact the Financial Aid office by using the Student Self-Service & Inquiry Form.

In most cases you will need to provide documentation or letters of support. You can find more information about Professional Judgments in the Financial Aid Policies and Procedures Manual.

 

Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY):

• A student who meets the following criteria:
  • Unaccompanied: Not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian.
  • Homeless: Lacking fixed, regular, and adequate housing, including situations such as living in shelters, motels, cars, or temporarily with others due to economic hardship or similar reasons.
  • A school district homeless liaison.
  • A director of an emergency or transitional shelter funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
  • A director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program.

At Risk of Homelessness: A student whose living situation is unstable and could lead to homelessness.

Eligibility for Independent Student Status:

• Students determined to be UHY are considered independent for financial aid purposes and do not need to provide parental information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Acceptable Documentation for Determination:
  • Written verification from one of the following:
    1. A local school district homeless liaison.
    2. A director or designee of a HUD-funded shelter or program.
    3. A director or designee of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program.
  • If none of the above is available, a documented interview conducted by the financial aid administrator (FAA) may serve as the basis for determination.

Application Process:

• Students applying for financial aid as UHY must indicate their status on the FAFSA.
• The financial aid office will reach out to students who indicate UHY status to request supporting documentation.

Verification of UHY Status:

• Upon receiving documentation, the financial aid office will review it to confirm:
• The student’s homeless or at-risk status.
• The student’s unaccompanied status.

*If written documentation is unavailable, the financial aid office will conduct an interview with the student. This interview will include questions about their living situation, independence from parental support, and other relevant details.

FAA Determination:

• If the financial aid administrator makes the determination, the reasoning must be documented in the student’s file, along with:
  • A summary of the student’s living situation.
  • Evidence supporting the determination, such as letters from counselors, clergy, or community organizations.

Notification of Decision:

• The student will be notified in writing of the determination. If the determination is denied, the notification will include:
  • Specific reasons for the denial.
  • Information on how to appeal the decision.

Confidentiality:

• Information about the student’s UHY status is considered highly sensitive and will only be shared with relevant personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• All records will be securely maintained in compliance with FERPA regulations.

 

 

Financial Aid Code of Conduct

No action will be taken by financial aid staff that is for their personal benefit or could be perceived to be a conflict of interest.

• Employees within the financial aid office will not award aid to themselves or their immediate family members. Staff will reserve this task for an institutionally designated person, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.
• Westcliff University does not create, maintain, or distribute any listing of “preferred” or “recommended” education loan providers, nor will Westcliff University staff endorse any particular third-party private education loan provider or distribute promotional materials on behalf thereof.
• A borrower’s choice of a lender will not be denied, impeded, or unnecessarily delayed by the institution, even if that lender is not included on the institution’s preferred lender list.
• No amount of cash, gift, or benefit in excess of a de minimis amount shall be accepted by a financial aid staff member from any financial aid applicant (or his/her family), or from any entity doing business with or seeking to do business with the institution (including service on advisory committees or boards beyond reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly associated with such service).

Information provided by the financial aid office is accurate, unbiased, and does not reflect preference arising from actual or potential personal gain.

Institutional financial aid offers and/or other institutionally provided materials shall include the following:

• Breakdown of estimated individual Cost of Attendance components, including which are direct (billed by the institution) costs vs. indirect (not billed by the institution) costs
• Clear identification and proper grouping of each type of aid offered indicating whether the aid is a grant/scholarship, loan, or work program
• Estimated net price
• Standard terminology and definitions, using NASFAA’s glossary of terms
• Renewal requirements for each aid type being offered as well as next steps and financial aid office contact information

Financial aid professionals will disclose to their institution any involvement, interest in, or potential conflict of interest with any entity with which the institution has a business relationship.