Withdrawal: Refunds and Return of Aid

When you withdraw from all courses in a semester, two separate calculations are required:

• Refund of Fees

• Return of Federal (Title IV) and State Aid

These calculations often produce different results, which may leave you with a balance owed.

On this page:

• Refund of Fees
• Return of Aid (Federal and State)
• When Refunds and Aid Returns Differ
• Consequences and Obligations
• Example: How Withdrawal Impacts Your Aid

Refund of Fees

The Bursar’s Office (or CPaGE for non-traditional students) determines your refund amount based on your withdrawal date.

You may receive:

• Full refund if you withdraw before classes begin
• Partial refund (pro rata) if you withdraw before 60% of the semester has passed
• No refund if you withdraw after the 60% point

Refund rules:

• Refunds are based on calendar days (from the first day of the term through your withdrawal date)
• Refunds are first applied to any outstanding university charges

Return of Aid (Federal and State)

The university must calculate how much of your financial aid you earned up to your withdrawal date. Any unearned portion must be returned.

• During the first 60% of the semester, aid is earned proportionally based on your length of enrollment
• After 60% of the semester, you are considered to have earned 100% of your federal aid

Non-Title IV aid (such as Cal Grant or State University Grant) is not included in the federal return calculation, but it may still be prorated (reduced) based on your withdrawal date.

When Refunds and Aid Returns Differ

Refunds and financial aid are calculated differently:

• Tuition refunds are based on the portion of the semester you did not complete
• Financial aid is based on the portion of the semester you did complete (“earned” aid)

Because of this difference, the amount of tuition refunded is often less than the amount of financial aid that must be returned.

As a result:

• A balance may be created on your student account
• You are responsible for paying the difference

Consequences and Obligations

If you withdraw before 60% of the semester:

• Your federal grants and loans may be reduced or returned
• You may be required to repay a portion of your aid (e.g., Pell Grant, SEOG, SUG)
• You will receive an email from the Financial Aid Office with details about your balance and repayment deadline

If the balance is not paid by the deadline:

• The debt may be referred to the U.S. Department of Education or a collections agency
• You may become ineligible for future financial aid until the debt is resolved
• Your credit report may be affected

Additional impacts:

• The Bursar’s Office will issue eBill notifications for outstanding balances (typically at 30, 60, and 90 days)
• Unpaid balances may result in registration holds, loss of services, or referral to the State of California (Franchise Tax Board)

Important

SFSU does not have the authority to waive or write off the repayment requirement's of the Return to Title IV process regardless of the reason for the withdrawal.

Example: How Withdrawal Impacts Your Aid

The example below illustrates how financial aid is adjusted when a student withdraws early in the semester.

(In this case, the student completed approximately 13.5% of the term.)

Key Takeaways

• The student earned only 13.5% of their total financial aid
• The university is required to return a significant portion of aid to federal and state programs
• The adjusted tuition refund is much smaller than the amount of aid returned
• Result: the student owes a balance to the university

If You Are Considering Withdrawal

• Contact the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing to understand the potential financial impact
• Complete the official withdrawal process — do not stop attending without formally withdrawing
• Monitor your email and student account for updates, balances, and repayment deadlines
• Repay any balances on time to avoid additional consequences

Unpaid balances may result in:

• Registration holds (inability to enroll in classes)
• Referral to collections
• State actions (such as tax refund interception)
• Ineligibility for future federal financial aid