Financial Aid Factsheet

v Financial aid awards are PENDING the review of your complete application and your grades. A complete application could mean submitting supporting documents such as tax forms, income documents from an agency, court documents, INS documents, verification of child support, etc.

v Initial disbursements for each semester usually occur about the fifth week after classes begin. Be sure to plan your budget for your expenses for the first two months of each term. Of course, your tuition, fees and book vouchers may be deferred from your financial aid if eligible.  No expedited refunds will be issued.

v     D.C. Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership (LEAP) funds are pending final approval and disbursements from the D.C. State Education. approval and disbursements through the State Education Office.

v     An Incomplete (I) notation indicates that a student has not completed all course-work required for a grade; students are allowed up to the end of the following semester. An Incomplete will not be calculated as hours passed until a final grade is determined.

v     Repeated courses will not be counted to determine whether a student has met the satisfactory academic progress requirement for the number of semester hours completed.

v     Students who withdraw from all classes are considered not to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress and may have to repay some of the financial aid received.  The calculated repayment amount is based on the date of withdrawal from classes.  Failure to repay the funds will result in an over-award and ineligibility for future financial aid. 

v     Unofficial Withdrawal (non-attendance)- If you are receiving financial aid and you stop attending classes or “unofficially withdraw”, you will be placed in an overpayment status for the financial aid received.  Students must contact the Office of the Registrar to officially withdraw.  You must also contact the Financial Aid Office.  Students who stop attending class and do not officially withdraw are subject to the “Total Withdrawal” policy stated above.

v     Students who withdraw from all classes prior to the loan funds being credited to the student account, are no longer eligible to receive the loan. The loan funds must be returned to the lending agency.

v     You must be academically eligible at the time of disbursement to receive a loan.

v     At the time you register, your financial aid award that appears on your student account bill is pending the review of your complete application and your grades and your enrollment status.

v     Your Pell Grant award will be reduced if your enrollment is less than full-time (Full-time is twelve (12) credits or more).

v     Your financial aid file must be complete prior to the end of the semester in order to use financial for the next term’s registration.  No exceptions.

v     All first-time loan recipients will be mailed a Master Promissory Note (MPN).  The Master Promissory note must be returned directly to the address on the MPN, not to The University of the District of Columbia . If you are a transfer student and a prior borrower from a previous school, you still need to complete a Master Promissory Note.

v     All graduation seniors who have received loans are required to complete an exit interview.  The same process is required for those students who do not continue enrollment prior to graduation.

v     Book vouchers given to financial aid students are pending review of your complete application and your grades.  If you are not approved for financial aid for any reason, you must pay in full, to the University of the District of Columbia , all bookstore charges incurred by you.  Any fraudulent use of the bookstore voucher may result in adverse action by the University or appropriate external agencies.  Duplicate bookstore vouchers will not be issued.

v     If you have attended another college/ university, beginning this past summer, you must stop by the Office of Financial Aid.

v      Be sure that the official address on your University record is current. It is the address used to send your refund check and all correspondence from this office. If you have a change of address, complete a Change of Address form in the Office of the Registrar. Returned mail will cause a delay in processing and a “Hold” to be placed on your account.

v     If the Office of Financial Aid has notified you that your academic progress does not  meet the requirements to receive student financial aid, you have the right to appeal your status only once.  Appeal Request forms may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid.

v     Appeals are filed base on a variety of extenuating circumstances such as personal illness or injury, death of an immediate family member or other unusual circumstances.  You must provide a written statement and supporting documentation for review.  Address your request to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee and submit your request to the Office of Financial Aid Bldg., 39, Rm. 101.  Please note that if you have a financial aid overpayment, it must be resolved prior to completing the Appeal Request.