When you withdraw completely from the university before finishing the semester, federal and state regulations require that the university determine whether a portion of your financial aid (other than Work-Study) must be returned. The amount of aid you may keep when you withdraw is evaluated in proportion to the length of time you remained enrolled during the semester.

For example, according to federal regulations, students who receive federal financial aid and who withdraw or take a leave during a semester may have a part of their aid refunded to the programs that assisted them. The federal Return of Title IV Funds policy stipulates the amount of aid a student has earned prior to withdrawal and the order in which federal refunds are allocated back to the program that provided it. Once you complete 60% of the semester, however, you may keep 100% of the aid you received.

If you withdraw before you have completed 60% of the semester, you may owe a financial aid repayment. Student Financial Services will notify you of any balance due the university as a result of returning the financial aid funds and the amount of financial aid you must repay. Financial aid repayments must be paid within a certain timeframe, after which any unpaid amount must be submitted to the Department of Education, thus preventing your ability to receive any further federal financial aid, until the amount is paid in full.

Unofficial withdrawal: Puget Sound is required by federal law to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who drop out (stop attending classes and do not officially withdraw) and fail to earn a passing grade in at least one course per semester.