Because financial aid is initially awarded prior to registration, your initial financial aid award is based on the assumption that you will maintain full-time enrollment status.
- Undergraduate full-time enrollment = 12+ credit hours
- Graduate full-time enrollment = 9+ credit hours.
If you drop classes and fall below full-time course enrollment status...
- Your financial aid award may be adjusted/decreased based on the number of credits you keep for the term.
- Therefore, if you received a refund before the census date, it is possible that you may have to return some or all of that refund.
- We are required to award aid based on your recorded enrollment hours as of the census date. If you are below full-time, your aid can be updated to ensure that we are compliant with federal and other regulations. Performing these adjustments ensures that we will remain eligible to continue offering financial aid packages to students in the future.
If you earn an F or U grade...
- Your instructor will record the last date of your attendance/participation to comply with federal student financial aid reporting requirements.
- You cannot receive financial aid for a course you did not attend.
- If it is determined that you did not attend the class, it is classified as an unofficial withdrawal, and you may have to pay back your financial aid funds depending on your last date of attendance.
- Read more about Unofficial Withdrawal
Undergraduate Students:
- If you stay at full-time status (12 credit hours or more), and also begin enrollment in ALL courses (including Second Half), no action is required. Your financial aid award will not be adjusted due to enrollment status.
- If you have 11 hours or less after the census date, your aid may change. The Financial Aid office will notify you if your aid has been changed. Watch your email for this notice. It will be sent after the census date.
Graduate Students:
- If you are enrolled at least half-time, (5 credit hours or more), no action is required. Your financial aid award will not be adjusted.
- The Financial Aid office will notify you if your aid has been changed. Watch your email for this notice. It will be sent after the census date.
- Your enrollment hours are set as of the census date. After the census date, we will review your enrollment status to ensure that your financial aid is awarded based on your recorded enrollment hours as of the census date.
- As long you are at full time status after the census date, no changes will be made to your award due to enrollment status.
- All financial aid and educational resources must fit within your budget. If we become aware of additional financial aid or other resources, this over award must be eliminated by reducing or cancelling other aid.
- Courses added after the census date for the term will not be added into your enrollment hours for financial aid purposes. This means you will not receive additional funding for courses added after census.
- Exception: If you were not eligible for direct loans prior to census and registered after census for at least a total of 5 hours (GRAD) or 6 hours (UNDERGRAD), you may now be eligible for direct loans. Please contact Niner Central at 704-687-8622 or ninercentral@uncc.edu to determine your eligibility.
- You have the right to cancel all or a portion of your Student Direct loans or PLUS loans, even after the loan funds have been disbursed to you.
- If you wish to cancel an already disbursed loan, you must notify Niner Central within 14 calendar days of the billing statement notifying you that the funds have been applied to your account.
- The parent borrower has the right to cancel all or a portion of the PLUS loan, even after the loan funds have been disbursed to your UNC Charlotte student account.
- If the parent wishes to cancel an already disbursed PLUS loan, the borrower must notify Niner Central within 14 calendar days of the billing statement notifying you that the funds have been applied to your student account.
- If you do not attend school or if you fall below half-time enrollment for at least 6 months, you need to begin repaying your loans. Your lender will contact you when repayment begins.
- If you return to school and/or enroll at least half-time within 6 months, your loans will remain in deferment, but it is your responsibility to make sure the lender is aware you have re-enrolled.
- You may be billed for a portion or all of your financial aid if you withdraw from the university.
- The bill calculated as a result of withdrawal will depend on the effective date of withdrawal, the percentage and amount of institutional refund, and/or the last date of class attendance.
- View Financial Aid (Title IV) Return Policy for more information about the effects of withdrawing from UNC Charlotte.
- Read more about withdrawing from classes