This policy applies to any federal aid recipient who withdraws from all courses prior to completing more than 60% of the enrollment period (fall, spring or summer semester) for which they received federal Title IV funds. The term “Title IV funds” refers to the following federal financial aid programs offered at the College:  Federal Pell Grants, Federal Direct Stafford Loans – Subsidized and Unsubsidized, Federal PLUS loans and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).

The Return of Title IV Funds policy mandates that students who officially or unofficially withdraw from all classes may only keep the financial aid they have “earned” up to the time of withdrawal. State and institutional programs require similar treatment. Financial aid funds that were disbursed in excess of the amount “earned” must be repaid.

Students who wish to withdraw should follow SCF’s official withdrawal process. Students receiving federal funds may be required to repay aid determined to be “unearned.” The earned/unearned calculation is based on the percentage of days the student attended during the term in which they withdrew. The amount of aid the student has earned is determined on a prorated basis. That is, if the student completed 30 percent of the term, the student earns 30 percent of the aid received. Once the student has completed 60% of the term, the student is considered to have earned all of their aid.

The difference between the earned federal aid and total aid received equals the amount of “unearned” federal funds. Unearned federal funds are subject to repayment. Federal regulations require Title IV aid to be refunded in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant
6. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant

If the student does not receive a passing grade at the end of the term, the Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds calculation will be done after grades are posted for the term and it will be assumed the student unofficially withdrew at the 50 percent point of that term. Unless the class participation is available.

Any loans funds the student must return, the student (or their parents for a PLUS Loan) may repay in accordance with the terms of their promissory note(s).  For grants, the law requires the student return 50 percent of any grant funds they receive. Any amount the student is required to return is a grant overpayment. SCF will repay any grant overpayment to the applicable federal program on the student’s behalf and the student will be billed by SCF for any funds returned on their behalf.

SCF will notify the student when an R2T4 calculation is performed due to either an official or unofficial withdrawal and the student may be billed for any outstanding obligations by the student failing to earn Title IV funds, for which Federal funds were disbursed. Students are not eligible for further aid until all repayments have been made.

Questions regarding the process for withdrawing should be addressed to the Office of the Registrar.

Questions regarding refunds and/or repayments should be addressed to the Financial Aid Services office.

If you stop attending all classes during a semester and do not go through the College’s withdrawal process, you are treated as an “unofficial withdrawal.”  If you unofficially withdraw, or your academic transcript reflects unsuccessful completion of all courses, SCF will calculate your aid based on a last date of attendance.  The last date of attendance is determined by documentation of an academic–related activity, including notification from the faculty.  If there is no last date of attendance recorded, SCF will recalculate based on 50% of the term.

At the end of each semester, the College identifies all students who did not pass at least one class. Information from instructors and departments will be used to document your last date of attendance. Using that information, you will be reviewed under the Return of Title IV Funds calculation. This date will also be reported to NSLDS and your enrollment status will be updated.

Financial aid applications selected for “Verification” by the US Department of Education (DOE). Are required is a process to confirm the accuracy of the information supplied by the applicant and/or parent(s) on the Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA). State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota (SCF) must also resolve discrepancies on students’ financial aid applications.

If your file is selected for the verification process, or if there are discrepancies on your application information, certain information must be proven. This includes household size and number in college, taxable and non-taxable income, asset information, etc. If your FAFSA is selected for verification at any point in the process, you will be required to complete and provide a Verification Worksheet and, at a minimum, your signed federal tax returns (for those required to file) to the Financial Aid Service Office before aid can be processed or disbursed. We will notify you of your outstanding requirements on MySCF.

Follow the instructions on the Verification Worksheet very carefully, as failure to submit all required documents will cause processing delays. Make sure your SCF student Id number is on all copies of all documents you submit to the Financial Aid Services Office.

If you are a dependent student you will also be required to submit a signed copy of your parent(s) federal tax returns.

If you are an independent student and you are married, you will also be required to submit a copy of your spouses signed federal tax returns if you filed separately.

The Financial Aid Services Office has the right to request additional information in order to complete the verification process. The required verification forms may be downloaded from the Financial Aid Forms section of this Web site and through MySCF. Only submit the verification worksheet if requested.

If your tax information, or information provided on the verification worksheet, differs from the information you provided on your FAFSA application, a correction will be sent to the Central Processor. The Processor will send a corrected SAR to you and corrected information to the College. The correction may result in a change to your award(s). If so, the award(s) will be adjusted accordingly. Stafford Loans cannot be processed, nor can any grant funds be disbursed, until the verification requirements are satisfied and the process is complete.

If the amount or type of aid changes, you will receive a revised notification via MySCF.

Financial aid administrators have, under the law (section 479A of the Higher Education Act), the ability to make adjustments on the basis of adequate documentation, and on a case-by-case basis, to address circumstances not reflected in a student’s original Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Professional judgment will be exercised upon presentation of proper documentation in the cases listed below, a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be recomputed using the new information. The circumstances in which professional judgment may be used are:

• divorce or separation of student or parent;
• death of parent or student’s spouse;
• permanent disability of a wage earner;
• permanent retirement of a wage earner;
• change in employment status (i.e., new job pays materially less);
• unemployment of a wage earner; or
• permanent loss of untaxed income or benefits

Professional judgment will not be exercised for any reason other than those listed above without the approval of the Director and/or Coordinator of Financial Aid Services.

If you believe you meet one of the circumstances above applies to you, and you are not already eligible to receive the full Pell Grant award for the aid year in question, please contact the Financial Aid Services Office on the Bradenton or Venice campuses.

There are situations where students and/or parents willfully falsify or misrepresent information for the purpose of obtaining financial aid that a student is not eligible for. As administrators of Title IV programs and funds, the College is obligated to ensure processes are in place to protect against fraud by applicants or staff.  The Financial Aid Services Office is required to have a policy of referral when confronted with actual or suspected cases of fraud and abuse [34 CFR 668.53(a)(5), 668.14(g)].

Policy for Fraud

Individuals who willfully submit fraudulent information and/or documentation to obtain financial aid funds will be investigated to the fullest extent possible. All cases of fraud and abuse will be reported to the proper authorities.

Procedures for Fraud

If a financial aid officer suspects or determines intentional misrepresentation of facts, false statements, or alteration of documents which resulted or could result in the awarding or disbursement of funds for which the student is not eligible, the information shall be reported to the Director of Financial Aid Services for further review and possible disciplinary action. If the Director determines or suspects fraud, all information will be forwarded to the Vice President of Educational and Student Services, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Education, and/or the local law enforcement agency. Note: The regulations require only that the College refer the suspected case for investigation, not that we reach a firm conclusion about the propriety of the conduct.

The Financial Aid Services Office must identify and resolve discrepancies in the information received from different sources with respect to a student’s application for Title IV aid. These items include, but are not limited to:

• Student aid applications
• Need analysis documents (e.g., Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) and Student Aid Reports (SARs))
• Federal income tax returns
• Documents and information related to a student’s citizenship
• School credentials (high school diploma)
• Documentation of the student’s Social Security Number (SSN)
• Compliance with the Selective Service registration requirement and other factors related to students’ eligibility for Title IV funds

Some forms of financial aid fraud include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Forged signatures on an application, verification documentation or master promissory notes
• Falsified documents – including reporting members that are not part of your household
• False statements of income
• False statements of citizenship
• Use of fictitious names, addresses, SSN
• False claims of independent status

Cases of fraud will be reported to the Office of Inspector General:

Inspector General’s Hotline: 1-800-MIS-USED
www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/oig/hotline

Office of Inspector General
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-1510

Florida Dept. of Education

Students unable to resolve a conflict at the campus level may submit their concern to the State of Florida Department of Education. Click Here

The classes that you are enrolled in as of the census date will determine the amount of grant funding you will receive. If you increase your enrollment level after the census date. your grant will not be increased. If you decrease your enrollment level after the census date, your grant will not be reduced. If you drop all courses, we are required to reduce your federal aid based on the percentage of the semester that you have completed.

Students are not allowed to receive financial assistance for classes which they were reported as a NO SHOW. The student’s financial assistance will be adjusted based on the enrollment status. This applies to online classes as well as regular in classroom classes.

If you have a drug conviction for an offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student aid (grants, loans, or work study) you will receive a worksheet in the mail with your SAR (Student Aid Report). You can use the worksheet to determine whether the conviction affects your eligibility for federal student aid

The Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group is where individuals can turn after trying other ways to resolve a federal student aid dispute. For more information, please click here.

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