Federal financial aid is awarded based upon the dates and duration of your enrollment each semester. You "earn" the financial aid you have been awarded as you attend class during your scheduled enrollment period(s). If you have been awarded financial aid and begin attendance, but then change your enrollment and fail to attend class for the time period(s) originally specified, the University of Maryland Global Campus Office of Financial Aid is required to recalculate the financial aid award(s) you are eligible for based upon your adjusted enrollment. The calculation determines the percentage of the original award that was earned during the period you actually attended.

Changes to your enrollment include: dropping, withdrawing, or failure to participate in classes and receiving an FN grade. It's also important to note that disenrollment or class cancellations can also result in a change in your financial aid eligibility.

If I drop a course or withdraw what will happen to my financial aid?

Return of Title IV (R2T4)

A Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation will occur when your period of enrollment changes from receiving an FN grade, withdrawing, or dropping your last class in a semester before completing more than 60 percent of your period of enrollment. An R2T4 calculation can also occur if you are disenrolled from your last class in a semester or if that class is cancelled. When you withdraw from UMGC before over 60 percent of your scheduled enrollment in any semester, UMGC must return a portion of the Title IV financial aid grant and loan funds you received to the respective federal financial aid program suppliers. The result is an immediate balance owed to UMGC.

UMGC will complete the R2T4 calculation and notify you within 45 days of the date that UMGC determined you withdrew, dropped, or stopped participating in a course. If you certify your intent to return at a later date during the same semester when you withdraw or drop, you will not require a calculation unless you do not return as indicated.

Federal Financial Aid Return of Funds Policy

Period of Enrollment

Each student at UMGC has a specific enrollment period unique to their class registration. Because UMGC's classes are designed as modules within a term as opposed to standard semester-long classes, your period of enrollment is dependent upon your personal registration history.

Examples of Periods of Enrollment

Student A registers for three classes during the fall semester. Two of these classes occur during Online Session 1 (August 19 – October 13); the third class occurs during Online Session 3 (October 21 – December 15). This student's period of enrollment spans from August 19 through December 15 or the start of his Online Session 1 classes until the end of his Online Session 4 class as displayed below by this chart.

Note: Breaks of five or more days between sessions are excluded from the period of enrollment when the 60 percent date is determined. 

Period of Enrollment Table Student A

Student B registers for two classes during the fall semester. One class occurs during Online Session 2 (September 23 – November 17) while the other class occurs during Online Session 3 (October 21 – December 15). This student's period of enrollment spans from September 23 through December 15, or the start of her Online Session 2 class until the end of her Online Session 3 class.

Period of Enrollment Table Student B

Determining Your Enrollment Period

As mentioned above, students at UMGC have individualized enrollment periods due to the numerous session enrollment options available. If you need help predicting your enrollment period, please follow these instructions.

  1. Go to your Class Schedule in MyUMGC.

  2. Your Class Schedule displays your session dates.

60% Completion Dates

The Office of Financial Aid provides a chart of 60 percent enrollment participation dates for various class start times throughout the semester. These tables should be used as a guide to help you identify 60 percent completion dates for common enrollment scenarios. Contact the Office of Financial Aid if you need help identifying a 60 percent completion date for an unlisted enrollment scenario or if you need further information to determine whether dropping or withdrawing from courses will have R2T4 implications.

Please click on the applicable semester to review the 60 percent enrollment patterns:

  • Winter 2021

    Session Scenario Start Date End Date 60% Completion Date
    Online & Hybrid Session for Programs Requiring DCL/CBR 600

    1/13/21

    3/30/21

    2/28/21
    Special Session 1

    1/13/21

    2/16/21

    2/3/21
    Special Session 2

    2/24/21

    3/30/21

    3/17/21
    Special Session 1 & 2 (7 day break)

    1/13/21

    3/30/21

    2/28/21
    Doctoral Program

    1/13/21

    3/30/21

    2/28/21
    New Grad Model Session (ELM)

    1/13/21

    3/30/21

    2/28/21
    MBA Online & Hybrid

    1/13/21

    3/30/21

    2/28/21

  • Spring 2021

    • Undergraduate

      Session Scenario Start Date End Date 60% Completion Date
      UCSP Session 1

      1/13/21

      2/16/21

      2/3/21
      UCSP Session 2

      2/17/21

      3/23/21

      3/10/21
      UCSP Session 3

      3/17/21

      4/20/21

      4/7/21
      UG Online & On-site Session 1 (8 week)

      1/13/21

      3/9/21

      2/15/21
      UG Online Sessions 1 & 2

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      3/8/21
      UG Online Sessions 1 & 2 & 3

      1/13/21

      5/11/21

      3/25/21
      UG Online Sessions 1 & 3 (7 day break )

      1/13/21

      5/11/21

      3/21/21
      UG Online Sessions 1 & 4 Week Session 3 (7 day break )

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      3/4/21
      UG Online Sessions 1 & 2 & 4 Week Session 3

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      3/8/21
      UG Online Session 2 (8 week)

      2/17/21

      4/13/21

      3/22/21
      UG Online Session 2 & 3

      2/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/8/21
      UG Online Sessions 2 & 4 Week Session 3

      2/17/21

      4/13/21

      3/22/21
      US Standard Session

      1/13/21

      4/6/21

      3/4/21
      UG Online Session 3 (8 week)

      3/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/19/21
      4 Week Session 1

      1/13/21

      2/9/21

      1/29/21
      4 Week Session 1 & 4 WS 2

      1/13/21

      3/17/21

      2/20/21
      4 Week Session 1 & 4 WS 2 & 4 WS 3

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      3/8/21
      4 Week Session 1 & 4 WS 3 (35 day break )

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      2/15/21
      4 Week Session 1 & OL 3 (35 day break)

      1/13/21

      5/11/21

      3/4/21
      4 Week Session 2

      2/17/21

      3/16/21

      3/5/21
      4 Week Session 2 & 4 WS 3

      2/17/21

      4/13/21

      3/22/21
      4 Week Session 2 & OL 3

      2/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/8/21
      4 Week Session 3

      3/17/21

      4/13/21

      4/2/21
      Asia Session On-site Session 1 

      1/20/21

      3/9/21

      2/18/21
      Asia On-site Intersession

      12/16/20

      1/12/21

      1/1/21
      Asia On-site & Online Session 1 (8 weeks)

      1/13/21

      3/9/21

      2/15/21
      Asia On-site Session 2

      3/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/19/21
      Asia Online Session 2

      2/17/21

      4/13/21

      3/22/21
      Asia Online Session 3

      3/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/19/21
      Europe On-site Intersession (4 weeks)

      12/16/20

      1/12/21

      1/1/21
      Europe On-site & Online Session 1

      1/13/21

      3/9/21

      2/15/21
      Europe On-site Session 2 or/ Online Session 3

      3/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/19/21
      Europe Online Session 2 (8 weeks)

      2/17/21

      4/13/21

      3/22/21

    • Graduate

      Session Start Date End Date 60% Completion Date
      Graduate Online Session 1

       

      1/13/21

      4/6/21

      3/4/21
      Graduate Online Session 1 & 2

      1/13/21

      5/11/21

      3/25/21
      Cross Career Enrollment 1

      1/13/21

      4/6/21

      3/4/21
      Graduate Online Session 2

      2/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/8/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 1

      1/13/21

      2/16/21

      2/3/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 1 & 2

      1/13/21

      3/23/21

      2/24/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 1 & 2 & 3

      1/13/21

      4/20/21

      3/12/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 2

      2/17/21

      3/23/21

      3/10/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 2 & 3

      2/17/21

      4/20/21

      3/26/21
      Graduate UCSP Session 3

      3/17/21

      4/20/21

      4/7/21
      DBA

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21
      DMCC

      1/13/21

      4/13/21

      3/8/21
      New Grad Model Session (ELM)

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21
      MBA

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21
      Dual MBA

      1/13/21

      4/6/21

      3/4/21
      Online / Hybrid MBA

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21

      Europe Graduate Online & Onsite Session 1 (11 week)

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21

      Europe Graduate MSIT/MSM Onsite/Online (12 week courses)

      1/13/21

      4/6/21

      3/4/21

      Europe Graduate MSIT/MSM Onsite Session 2

      3/17/21

      5/11/21

      4/19/21

      Special Session 1 (ASC 601, 603,605, 609)

      4/14/21

      5/18/21

      5/5/21

      Special Session 2 (ASC 601, 603, 605, 611)

      5/26/20

      6/29/21

      1/21/21

      Special Session 1 & 2 7 DAY BREAK

      4/14/21

      6/29/21

      5/30/21
      Europe Graduate MSIT/MSM Onsite Session 1

      1/13/21

      3/9/21

      2/15/21
      Europe Graduate MSW/BASW Session 1

      1/25/21

      3/12/21

      2/22/21
      Europe Graduate MSW/BASW Session 1 & 2 (10 day break)

      1/25/21

      5/7/21

      3/22/21
      Europe Graduate MSW/BASW Session 2

      3/22/21

      5/7/21

      4/19/21

Example of How Changes in Your Enrollment Period Affect Your Financial Aid Eligibility

Example: Student A from the example above has decided to drop his third class of the semester. He drops this class on October 16 before it starts.

Period of Enrollment Table Drop Before Start

Student A was originally scheduled to attend UMGC from August 19 until December 15, for a total of 119 days. Since the student has a seven-day consecutive break, we must subtract seven days from this total (all scheduled breaks greater than five days must be subtracted from the enrollment period per Federal regulations), making his total enrollment period for this semester 112 days. Upon dropping his Online Session 4 class, the student changed his period of enrollment and thus only completed 56 days (August 19 – October 13). Therefore, he completed 56 days of his scheduled enrollment of 112 days, or 50 percent of his period of enrollment. Student A did not complete his Period of Enrollment. He earned 50 percent of his term financial aid, and 50 percent must be returned. Therefore, an R2T4 calculation will be completed.

Changes in Enrollment and Pell Grant

 Not all enrollment changes will result in an R2T4 calculation, but any change in your enrollment can affect your eligibility for a Pell Grant. By dropping or withdrawing from a class, you are changing your enrollment status. Even though you may have completed more than 60 percent of your enrollment period, your enrollment status has changed and therefore, your Pell Grant will adjust to match your new enrollment status.

Example: Student C is enrolled in two Online Session 1 (August 19 – October 13) classes and two Online Session 4 (October 21– December 15) classes. Therefore, his period of enrollment spans from August 19 through December 15. He withdraws from one of his Online Session 3 classes on October 30. Since this student is not withdrawing from his last class of the semester, his enrollment period is not changing, so he will not trigger an R2T4 to determine if he met 60 percent of his enrollment period. However, he will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid to determine if this change in enrollment affects his financial aid. Since Student C is a Pell Grant recipient, the Office of Financial Aid will adjust his Pell Grant to reflect his new 9-credit or three-quarter time enrollment.

In the above scenario, Student C's Pell Grant would have also reduced to match his active 9-credit enrollment if he had received an FN instead of a W in one if their Online Session 4 classes.

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