New York Institute of Technology Title IV Student Withdrawal Policy

Objective
This policy is designed to ensure the accurate and timely determination of the following: 1) the date of the institution’s determination that a student withdrew; 2) the student’s withdrawal date; and 3) the student’s last date of attendance; and to ensure the proper disposition of Title IV funds, in accordance with 34 CFR 668.22 of the Code of Federal Regulations.

Background
When a recipient of Title IV grant(s) and/or loan(s) withdraws from New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) during a payment period in which the recipient began attendance, NYIT must determine the amount of the grant and/or loan assistance that the student earned as of the withdrawal date. This policy establishes the steps that NYIT must take in order to ensure compliance with the Regulation.

Withdrawal Date
A student’s withdrawal date varies depending on the type of withdrawal. (See: Determining a student’s withdrawal date at a school that is not required to take attendance. 2008-2009 Student Financial Aid Handbook, Volume 5; Chapter 2 Withdrawals and Return of Title IV Funds, page 5-67.)

Official Notification Provided

• In a case in which the student provides official notification of intent to withdraw, NYIT will utilize the date of that notification as follows:
• In the event that a student begins NYIT’s withdrawal process*, the date the student begins the process is the date of withdrawal;
• In the event that a student sends written notification of intent to withdraw, the date NYIT receives the written notice is the date of withdrawal;
• In the event that a student makes an oral notification to the Office of the Registrar, which is NYIT’s designated office for beginning the withdrawal process, the date will be documented by said office; the date of withdrawal will be recorded as of the date of oral notification, unless there is written notification subsequently, in which case the date the written notification is received by NYIT may be the withdrawal date.

* To begin the withdrawal process, the student contacts the Office of the Registrar to obtain the appropriate withdrawal form. If the student both begins the withdrawal process and provides a notification to NYIT, the earlier of the two dates will be used as the withdrawal date.

Official Notification Not Provided
In a case in which the student does not provide official notification of intent to withdraw, NYIT may utilize the midpoint of the payment period as the date of withdrawal, with the following exception:

In the case when an official notification was not provided by the student because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, i.e., illness, accident, grievous personal loss or other circumstances, the date related to the onset of that circumstance will be utilized as the withdrawal date; this date will be determined by the Office of the Registrar.

Last Date of Attendance
NYIT may always use as the withdrawal date the date that is reported as the last date of attendance at an academically related activity by a faculty member on a course enrollment roster or final grade sheet. Examples of academically related activities are an exam, a tutorial, computer-assisted instruction, academic counseling, turning in a class assignment or attending a study group that is assigned by the school. The faculty member will maintain the documentation of the last date of attendance.

Date of the Institution’s Determination that the Student Withdrew
The date of NYIT’s determination that a student withdrew varies depending upon the type of withdrawal. (See: Determining a student’s withdrawal date at a school that is not required to take attendance. 2008-2009 Student Financial Aid Handbook, Volume 5; Chapter 2 Withdrawals and Return of Title IV Funds, page 5-67.) 

Official Notification Provided

• The date the student provides official notification or begins the withdrawal process, whichever is later.
• The date that NYIT becomes aware that the student has ceased attendance. NYIT will determine the withdrawal date no later than 45 days after the end of the payment period.

Rescission of Withdrawal
NYIT may allow a student to rescind his or her official notification to withdraw by having the student file a written statement that he or she is continuing to participate in academically related activities and intends to complete the enrollment period. If the student subsequently ceases to attend the institution prior to the end of the payment period, then the rescission is negated and the withdrawal date will be the last date of attendance at an academically related activity. If the student subsequently withdraws (without ever returning to school) after rescinding an intent to withdraw, then the rescission is negated and the withdrawal date will revert back to the date of the original official notification.

Calculation of Earned Title IV Assistance
The U.S. Department of Education’s software will be utilized to perform all refund calculations. A copy of the completed calculation worksheet will be kept in the student’s financial aid file in the Office of Financial Aid. The amount of Title IV assistance earned by the student is calculated by determining the percentage of grant and/or loan assistance that was earned by the student and applying that percentage to the total amount of grant and/or loan assistance that was disbursed to the student or on the student’s behalf for the payment period, as of the student’s withdrawal date. The percentage of Title IV assistance earned will be equal to the percentage of the payment period completed by the student, when said percentage is less than 60%. If the student’s withdrawal date occurs after the completion of 60% of the payment period, then the percentage earned will be determined to be 100%.

Post-withdrawal Disbursements
If the total amount of the Title IV grant and/or loan assistance that was earned by the student is more than the amount that was disbursed to the student as of the withdrawal date, the difference between the two amounts will be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement. In the event that there are outstanding charges on the student’s account, NYIT will credit the student’s account for all or part of the amount of the post-withdrawal disbursement, up to the amount of the allowable charges.

If FFEL and/or Federal Perkins Loan Program funds are used to credit the student’s account, NYIT will notify the student (or parent, in the case of a PLUS Loan) and provide the student (or parent) with the opportunity to cancel all or a portion of the loan(s).

Any amount of a post-withdrawal disbursement that is not credited to a student’s account will be offered to the student (or parent for a PLUS Loan) within 45 days of the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. This notification will be made in writing and will include the following:

• An identification of the type and amount of the Title IV funds that make up the postwithdrawal disbursement (not to include any amounts that have been applied to the student’s account);
• An explanation that the student (or parent for a PLUS loan) may accept or decline some or all of the post-withdrawal disbursement (that which has not been applied to the student’s account);
• An advisement that NYIT is not required to make a post-withdrawal disbursement if the student (or parent for a PLUS loan) does not respond within 14 days of the date that NYIT sent the notification.

Upon receipt of a timely response from the student or parent, NYIT will disburse the funds in the manner specified by in the response. Said distribution will occur within 180 days of the date of determination of the student’s withdrawal date.

If no response is received from the student or parent, NYIT will not disburse any of the funds.

NYIT maintains the right to decide whether or not to make a post-withdrawal disbursement in the event that the student (or parent for a PLUS loan) responds after 14 days of the date that the notification was sent to them. If NYIT decides not to make this post-withdrawal disbursement, it will inform the student (or parent) in writing.

In the case of a post-withdrawal disbursement, grant funds will be disbursed prior to loan funds.

Refund of Unearned Funds to Title IV
If the total amount of Title IV grant and/or loan assistance that was earned by the student is less than the amount that was disbursed to the student as of the withdrawal date, the difference between the two amounts will be returned to the Title IV program(s) and no further disbursements will be made. Funds will be returned in following manner:

By the School
In the event that NYIT is responsible for returning funds to Title IV programs, the funds will be returned in the order prescribed by the Department of Education, which is listed below, within 45 days from the date of determination that a student withdrew.

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Perkins Loans
• Federal PLUS loans
• Federal Pell Grants for the payment period for which a return of funds is required
• Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG)
• National SMART Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) for the payment period for which a return of funds is required
• Other assistance under Title IV for which a return of funds is required

By the Student
In the event that the student is responsible for returning grants funds to Title IV programs, NYIT will notify the student within 45 days of the date of determination that the student withdrew. The student will be advised how to make arrangements for repayment.

Payment Period or Enrollment Period
Withdrawals and the return of Title IV funds will be based on a payment period for all standard term programs. The New York College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYCOM) of New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) is a non-standard term program. The calculation of refunds due to withdrawals will be based on enrollment period.

Documentation
NYIT must document a student’s withdrawal date and the date of determination that the student withdrew. The documents will be kept in the student’s academic file in the Office of the Registrar.