Academic Year Separation Policy
Any undergraduate student who, at any time during the school year, wishes to separate from the University must contact the Time Away Office to complete the “Separation from the University eForm.” Students seeking to take time away from the University for any reason, are responsible for initiating the form.
Any graduate, law, or graduate business student who wishes to separate from the University at any point during the academic year should contact their Care and Wellness Consultant at care@nd.edu or 574-631-7833. All students are responsible for initiating the separation eForm when requesting to leave the University.
Required Approvals
Separation requests must be approved by multiple offices, including:
-
The Dean, Assistant Dean, or your academic advisor from your college
-
Center for Student Support and Care Consultant
You must obtain these approvals to avoid receiving failing grades and to ensure appropriate adjustments to your student account. Do not finalize any plans to leave campus until all required meetings and approvals have been completed.
For financial aid determinations, a student’s separation date is the date the University determines either that the student began the University’s separation process or that the student otherwise provided the University with official notification (in writing or orally) of his or her intention to separate from the University.
Tuition Calculation
If the separation date is before the first day of classes, a full tuition credit will be made to the student’s University account. Suppose the separation date is on or after the first day of classes and before the last day for course discontinuance at the University. In that case, the tuition fee is subject to a prorated adjustment/credit, as explained below. In the extraordinary circumstance that a student is forced to separate for military service or separates because of protracted illness, the University will grant a financial credit to the student’s University account for that portion of tuition charged for the semester in which he or she separated and did not receive academic credit, even if the separation occurs after the last day for course discontinuance.
Students receiving University and/or Federal Title IV financial assistance who separate from the University within the first sixty percent (60%) of the semester are not entitled to the use or benefit of University and/or Federal Title IV funds beyond their separation date. Such funds shall be returned promptly to the entity that issued them, on a pro rata basis, and the return of such funds to the issuing entity will be reflected on the student's University account. When a student separates from the University after the first sixty percent (60%) of the semester, the student is entitled to the full benefit of the University and/or Federal Title IV funds awarded to him/her, and no such funds are required to be returned to the issuing entity.
To determine the percentage of a semester that has been completed, count the number of days completed up to and including the separation date and then divide that number by the total days in the semester. (Any break of five days or more (e.g., Fall Break, Spring Break) is not counted as part of the days in the term.) The resultant percentage is the percentage of a semester that has been completed and also reflects the percentage of University and/or Federal Title IV aid earned by the student. The Academic Calendar posted on the Registrar’s website is the authoritative source for counting total and completed semester days for this calculation.
When Federal Title IV funds must be returned because the student has not completed more than 60% of the semester, the amount that must be returned is based on the percentage of the student’s Federal Title IV aid that is unearned, as determined using the following formula:
- Federal Title IV aid to be returned = (100% minus the percentage of Federal Title IV aid earned by the student), multiplied by the total amount of Federal Title IV aid that could have been disbursed to the student during the semester if the student had not separated.
If a student earned less Federal Title IV aid than was disbursed as of the separation date, the University would be required to return a portion of the funds. Once the University returns Federal Title IV aid funds to the relevant federal program, the student borrower may have a remaining balance due to the University. A letter of explanation, which specifies the amount owed and an updated statement, is sent to the parent or student.
If a student earned more Federal Title IV aid than was disbursed to him/her by the University as of the separation date, the University would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement, which must be paid within 180 days of the student’s separation date. A letter of explanation regarding the disbursement of funds to the student, along with an updated statement, is sent to the parent or student.
For more information regarding the return of Federal Title IV aid by the University to federal aid programs, see the section below titled “Return of Federal Title IV Funds.”
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Tuition Calculation - Schedule for Undergraduate & Graduate Degree Programs |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | Amount of Refund | Day | Amount of Refund | Day | Amount of Refund |
| 0 | 100% | 15 | 78% | 30 | 57% |
| 1 | 98% | 16 | 77% | 31 | 55% |
| 2 | 97% | 17 | 75% | 32 | 54% |
| 3 | 95% | 18 | 74% | 33 | 52% |
| 4 | 94% | 19 | 72% | 34 | 51% |
| 5 | 92% | 20 | 71% | 35 | 50% |
| 6 | 91% | 21 | 70% | 36 | 48% |
| 7 | 90% | 22 | 68% | 37 | 47% |
| 8 | 88% | 23 | 67% | 38 | 45% |
| 9 | 87% | 24 | 65% | 39 | 44% |
| 10 | 85% | 25 | 64% | 40 | 42% |
| 11 | 84% | 26 | 62% | 41 | 41% |
| 12 | 82% | 27 | 61% | 42 (60%) | 40% |
| 13 | 81% | 28 | 60% | 43 or more | 0% |
| 14 | 80% | 29 | 58% | ||
Disclaimer: This schedule is an illustration of a tuition calculation based on a semester consisting of 70 class days and should be used as a guideline. The actual percentage adjustment may vary from one semester to the next and will be reflected on the student account once the separation process is complete. This schedule should not be used to determine any adjustments to financial aid.
Housing and Food Calculation
In the event of a student separation, housing and food plan charges will be adjusted/credited on a prorated basis throughout the entire semester.
Return of Federal Title IV Funds
According to federal regulations, the University must return any Federal Title IV funds due to the federal programs from which the student received aid during the semester within 45 days of the date the separation is determined. Refunds are allocated in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan
- Subsidized Federal Direct Student Loan
- Federal Direct PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
- Other Title IV Assistance
This Separation Policy is subject to change in accordance with applicable federal regulations.