Financial Aid

Grants Automatically Adjust During the First Three Weeks of the Semester.


Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Why do grants adjust?
Grants are awarded according to your enrollment status. For example, a full-time student generally receives twice as much as a half-time student. Your grant is based on the credits that will appear on your transcript, which are the classes you are in on the last day to add. Dropping below 12 credits will require immediate repayment of these grants.

Also, federal regulations allow students to receive aid for only one repeat of a previously passed class. This does not prevent you from taking a class as many times as you need.  However, when you register, Banner will disregard
any such repeated classes when awarding and disbursing aid. More Information about repeated courses

Please note that students who have received the equivalent of 12 or more full-time semesters of Pell grant will no longer be eligible for federal grant funding after July 2012. Some Pell grant awards may be reduced or cancelled later on as we receive updates from the U.S. Department of Education.

Q. What grants are affected?
All federal grants (Pell, SEOG). Pell grants usually require at least one credit to disburse. SEOG grants require at least 6 credits. Dropping below 6 credits will require immediate repayment of your SEOG grant.

Q. What is full-time, 3/4-time, 1/2-time, less-than-1/2-time?
Full-time is 12 or more credits;
3/4-time is 9-11 credits;
1/2-time is 6-8 credits.
Less-than-1/2-time is 1-5 credits.

Q. If I drop classes during the first three weeks (refund period,) will I owe money back?
Yes. If your enrollment status drops (for example, from full-time to three-quarter time) after we have disbursed your grant to you, you will have to pay part of your grant back.

Q. What happens if I add classes to make up for the ones I drop?
If you add classes during the first three weeks (refund period) to make up for the ones your drop, you will not have to repay the grant. You must do this before the end of the third week, however.

Q. You mean, "late adds" won't help?
That's right. Federal regulations won't allow a "late add" to count. You must be registered in class before the end of the third week of the term.

There is an exception to this policy during summer term due to multiple sessions. During summer term, Pell grants will increase or decrease based on enrollment until the last day to add of the final session.

Q. When will I have to pay the grant back?
Repayments will be due immediately. You will be prevented from registering, getting a transcript, or graduating until you repay.

Q. Will grants increase as well as decrease?
Yes. For example, if you start the semester at half-time and add enough credits during the first three weeks to be full-time, your grant will increase to a full-time grant. Automatically. You should see the new amount on your account the following day.

Q. What if I add classes after the third week?
Grants will not pay for any classes added after the first three weeks of the term. Grants are only adjusted for the first three weeks of the semester. After that, your grant will no longer adjust up. If you register for a class or classes after the last day to add, you will not receive your grant. However, if you withdraw from a class, the grant will be adjusted down until you document academic participation in that course.

There is an exception to this policy during summer term due to multiple sessions. During summer term, Pell grants will increase or decrease based on enrollment until the last day to add of the final session.

Q. What if I drop classes after the third week?
If you withdraw from a class, your grant may be reduced causing you to owe a balance on your account until you document academic participation in that course. If you document academic participation, the grant can be reinstated. However, you will still receive a W for credits you drop after the last day to add and this could mean you do not make Satisfactory Academic Progress and lose your eligibility for aid. Please note that the option for verifying participation is not available during the refund period.

Q. What happens if I drop all of my classes?
Students who completely withdraw from the University during the course of a semester are required all of their financial aid if they cannot document participation in their courses. If they can document academic participation, they must still return a percentage of their Federal Student Financial Aid to USU . All types of Federal Financial Aid are included in the repayment, including: Pell Grants, Supplemental Grants, Perkins Loans, and Direct Loans. Full policy