Policies and Procedures

UWRF participates in a variety of loan programs including Federal Perkins and Federal Stafford Loans and also certifies private loans for students who need to borrow beyond the federal loan programs. The UWRF Financial Aid office abides by the UW Board of Regents Policies related to student loan borrowing.

The purpose of a consortium agreement is to allow the university from which a student is seeking a degree (home institution) to consider enrollment and corresponding costs of attendance at another university (host institution) for either some or all semester credits that will count toward the degree or certificate at the home school. The home institution then awards and disburses financial aid for credits at both institutions. The consortium agreement further prohibits the host institution from processing financial aid for UW-River Falls students for that semester. A student can only receive Federal Student Aid for courses that are applicable to the student's certificate or degree program. 

The host institution must be an approved Title IV school, meaning they have a federal Title IV code and can process federal financial aid. We will not approve a consortium if it is offered through a broker or agency who does not work through a Title IV school.

You need to open and print this Consortium Agreement Form, complete the student section and have the Host Institution complete their section and bring the completed form to the Financial Aid office. Note: Because a number of parties must sign off on this agreement, you need to start this process well in advance of the semester you plan to study abroad.

Studying abroad through another institution
Consortium agreements from UW-River Falls students pursuing a study abroad program through another institution must secure approval of the program through the UW-River Falls Global Connections Office prior to completing the consortium agreement form.

A student may find it necessary to withdraw from all classes during a semester. The student may be eligible to receive a refund of tuition and course fees depending upon the timing of withdrawal. If circumstances cause a student to withdraw from all classes, they are encouraged to contact their academic advisor so their decision will be based on a clear understanding of the consequences of withdrawing from all classes.

Determining Aid Earned

If a student withdraws from UW-River Falls, then the school, or the student, or both may be required to return some, or all the federal funds awarded to the student for that semester. The federal government requires a return of Title IV federal aid that was received if the student withdrew on or before completing 60% of the semester. Federal funds, for the purposes of this federal regulation, include Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Subsidized Direct Loans, and Parent PLUS Loans. The formula used in this federal "return of funds" calculation divides the aid received into earned aid and unearned aid.

A student "earns" financial aid in proportion to the time the student is enrolled up to the 60% point. The percentage of federal aid to be returned (unearned aid) is equal to the number of calendar days in the semester. If a student was enrolled for 20% of the semester before completely withdrawing, 80% of federal financial aid must be returned to the aid programs. If a student stays through 50% of the semester, 50% of federal financial aid must be returned.

For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there is no unearned aid. However, a school must still complete a Return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.

In compliance with federal regulations, the financial aid office will perform the calculation within 30 days of the student's withdrawal and funds will be returned to the appropriate federal aid program within 45 days of the withdrawal date. An evaluation will be done to determine if aid was eligible to be disbursed but had not disbursed as of the withdrawal date. If the student meets the federal criteria for a post withdrawal disbursement, the student will be notified of their eligibility within 30 days of determining the student's date of withdrawal. If the eligibility is for grant disbursement, the funds will be disbursed within 45 days of determining the student's date of withdrawal. If the eligibility is for a loan, the student will be notified in the same timeframe but they must also reply to the Financial Aid Office if they wish to accept the post withdrawal loan. A post withdrawal disbursement of any funds would first be used toward any outstanding charges before any funds are returned to you.

Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid

Once the amount of unearned federal aid is calculated, the UW-River Falls repayment responsibility is the lesser of the amount or the amount of unearned institutional charges. The school satisfies its responsibility by repaying funds in the student's package in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
• Subsidized Stafford Loan
• Parent PLUS Loan
• Pell Grant
• FSEOG
• Other Title IV Grant Funds

Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a balance to the institution and/or the U.S. Department of Education. If a student fails to repay grant funds, s/he may be ineligible for future federal financial aid.

Return of Tuition Assistance for members of the U.S. Armed Forces

If a Service member receiving Tuition Assistance (TA) funds withdraws from UW River Falls before the end of the semester, some funds may need to be returned to the department of Defense. The formula for determining the amount of funds to be returned is the same as that for the return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid. If the student withdraws after the 60% point-in-time of the semester, then the student is considered to have earned 1005 of all TA funds received for that semester.

If a Service member withdraws before the 60% point-in-time then the percentage of the TA funds which are unearned will be returned to the Department of Defense. These funds will be returned even if Title IV Federal Funds will also be returned. 

You have the right to:

• Seek financial aid counseling.
• Information about how your aid award was calculated.
• Have your financial need reviewed through an appeal process if you or your family's financial circumstances change.
• Know how much aid you will receive each semester and when it will be disbursed or applied to your account.
• Know the terms of any work study award offered.
• Know the interest rate, as well as the amount, method, and starting dates of repayment, for any loan offered.
• Access your financial aid file.
• Know that the information you give to the Financial Aid office will be treated confidentially. Information from a student's file will not be released to anyone without a signed release from the student, except to university staff and financial aid donors.
   

You have the responsibility to:

• Provide accurate and factual information on all financial aid forms.
• Provide any additional information requested during the application process, which may include copies of income tax returns, verification worksheets, or other required information.
• Be aware of financial aid deadlines.
• Notify the Financial Aid office of any change in name, address, marital status, or credit load (including withdrawing from all registered courses, please review the Unofficial Withdrawal Policy listed below).
• Use financial aid for educational expenses only.
• Make Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain eligibility for aid (see the policy below).
• Report any additional financial aid you receive, such as scholarships, outside grants, or other tuition assistance.
• Repay all loans or prior over-award of financial aid according to your truth-in-lending and promissory notes. If you are in default on a loan, you are not eligible for additional financial aid. For information on repaying your student loans, visit Student Aid on the Web.
• Notify the Financial Aid office if you are in default on an education loan or owe financial aid repayments.

Financial Aid Appeal Forms

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal forms - GPA/Completion Rate or Max Time *Please note you will be required to log in with your Falcon ID (w# and password) to complete this form.

To receive grant, scholarship, waiver or student loan funds, and to remain eligible to work on campus, your academic performance must meet or exceed certain minimum standards each semester. These academic progress standards (listed below) are stricter than what is required to remain eligible to re-enroll for courses each semester. (See Academic Suspension and Probation policy.) You may be allowed to enroll and attend classes even though you are not eligible for the financial aid you need to pay for them! If you are receiving financial aid take extra care to plan your classes to give you the best opportunity to meet or exceed these academic progress standards.

The following is a summary of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. Find the full policy statement here.

Academic Progress Standards

At the end of each semester (fall, spring and summer semesters) associate's or first bachelor's degree-seeking students must:

1. Be in good academic standing or probation status as determined by the Registrar
2. Have a grade point average over all semesters ("cumulative") of 2.0 or better.
3. Have a credit-hour completion rate percentage (earned credit hours divided by attempted credit hours and multiplied by 100) which meets or exceeds:
   • 50% - for students with 36 or fewer attempted credit hours.
   • 67% - for students with more than 36 attempted credit hours.
      

In addition, associate's and first bachelor's degree seeking students must:

1. Earn a baccalaureate degree within the first 180 attempted credit hours (including transfer credits and credits by exam).
2. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better at the end of the student's fourth semester of enrollment (including attendance during summer semester).
    

The minimum academic progress standards for second and subsequent bachelor's degree students are the same as those for first bachelor's degree students except for:

1. Credit hour completion rate: Minimum rate is 67%.
2. Maximum attempted credit hours: 90, not including transfer credits and credits by exam.

The minimum academic progress standards for master's degree and graduate certificate program students are the same as those for first bachelor's degree students except for:

1. Cumulative Grade Point Average: Minimum of 3.0 required.
2. Current Grade Point Average: Minimum of 2.0 required.
3. Maximum attempted credit hours: no more than 150% of the credit hours normally required to earn the degree or degree with license as stated by the graduate program (does not include credit hours earned towards a prior degree.)
    

Consequences of failing to meet one or more of these standards

• Financial Aid Warning: A student on financial aid warning status is eligible to receive financial aid for one additional semester of enrollment. The student must be meeting the academic progress standards by the end of the warning semester.
• Financial Aid Suspension: A student on financial aid suspension is no longer eligible to receive financial aid. To receive financial aid again a student must return to meeting all academic progress standards or must submit an appeal and be approved to receive additional financial aid by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.
   

The following table shows the consequences for each academic progress standard:

Appealing a Financial Aid Suspension

A student who has been suspended from receiving financial aid may appeal to have the decision reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. If the committee finds that the student's failure to meet the published academic standards was due to circumstances beyond the student's control that negatively affected the student's ability to succeed at UWRF and that the student has taken steps to change the situation, then the committee may restore the student's financial aid eligibility with conditions. A student granted reinstatement of financial aid eligibility by the committee will be placed on Financial Aid probation.

To appeal the suspension of financial aid eligibility a student must fully answer all questions on the Financial Aid Appeal Form and provide independent third-party documentation which supports the student's description of the circumstances encountered.

Decisions by the Financial Aid Appeals committee are final.

Receiving Financial Aid While on Financial Aid Probation

When the Financial Aid Appeals committee reinstates a student's financial aid eligibility by placing the student on Financial Aid Probation, the committee will set conditions on the student's financial aid eligibility. The student on probation is expected to meet those conditions at the end of the next semester. The conditions set by the committee will supersede the academic progress standards. A student who is meeting the conditions set by the committee will remain eligible for financial aid probation, for up to a maximum of three consecutive semesters, even though the student is not meeting one or more of the academic progress standards. A student can remain on Financial Aid Probation until:

• The student again meets all academic progress standards, after which the Probation status is removed, and the student regains full eligibility for financial aid; or
• The student fails to meet the conditions set by the committee and is not still meeting all of the academic progress standards. The student in this situation is again suspended from further financial aid eligibility.

Example of a successful appeal:

Student A experienced a lengthy illness over the last half of Fall and the beginning of Spring semester which affected the student's grades and ability to successfully complete classes. The student has a cumulative grade point average of 1.20 and has earned only 40% of the credit hours attempted. The Financial Aid Appeals committee reviews the student's appeal explaining the situation and the student's third party documents which consist of a note from the student's doctor and hospital statements showing the periods during which the student was hospitalized. The committee approves the student's appeal and places the student on Financial Aid Probation. The committee requires the student to earn a semester grade point average of 2.66, complete all attempted credits and retake a previously failed class until the student's cumulative grade point average and credit-hour completion rate return to meeting the academic progress standards.

Resuming Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who have their eligibility for financial aid suspended can regain eligibility for financial aid by bringing their grade point average or credit hour completion rate back above the minimum academic progress standards. A student who is found to be back in good academic standing at the end of a semester resumes eligibility for financial aid for the following semester.

Notification of Financial Aid Eligibility Status

Shortly after all grades are due for a semester, the Financial Aid Office will review the academic progress of all students who remained enrolled in at least one class after the 6th date of the semester. Students who are found to not be meeting at least one of the academic progress standards will be sent an email to their official UWRF email account notifying them that they have been placed either on Financial Aid Warning or Financial Aid Suspension Status. Students who were suspended or on probation status and who have resumed good academic standing will be notified that they have returned to good academic standing for financial aid purposes.

Students who continue to meet the academic progress standards will not receive any notification from the Financial Aid Office.

A student is considered to have unofficially withdrawn for Title IV Federal Student Aid purposes when the student receives all failing grades for a semester due to stopping participation in all courses before the last scheduled day of academic activity.

Participation in an academically related activity

To establish and maintain eligibility for Federal and State financial aid, a student must participate in academic activities related to learning the subject matter of the courses in which the student enrolls. Examples of such participation include, but are not limited to:

• Lecture attendance
• Submission of fully or partly completed assignments, papers, quizzes or exams
• Engaging in laboratory activities or performing research related to the subject matter of the course
• Reading pages of online course content in the official university learning management system
• Other activities determined by the course instructor and described in the course syllabus
   

These activities may take place in person or by electronic means as determined by the instructor.

Identification Process

A student who receives failing grades for all courses is presumed to have unofficially withdrawn for that semester. When assigning failing grades instructors are required to document whether the student completed all the scheduled days of academic activity for the course. The instructor indicates the student's participation by assigning one of the values to each failing grade given:

• Never: Student never began participation in the course.
• Finished: Student completed all scheduled days of academic activities for the course (i.e.. an "earned F"). This indicator rebuts the presumption that the student has unofficially withdrawn for the semester.
• Ceased, Date Known: Student began the course but ceased participating before the last scheduled date of academic activities, and the instructor is unable to provide a last date of course participation.

Precedence of Different Failing Grade Indicators

Never: When a student fails a course in which the student never participated; the student is subject to having financial aid recalculated based on the number of credit hours for which course participation is documented. For example, a student receiving a Pell Grant for 12 semester credit hours (full time enrollment) who fails 4 credit hours because the student never participated in the course will have the Pell Grant adjusted down to 8 credit hours (half time enrollment), a loss of 50% of the Pell Grant.

A student with all failing grades and "Never" indicators are considered to have never begun participation in any course, and will have 100% of all grants received returned to the Federal and State programs, along with any portion of loan funds which applied to institutional charges and were not refunded to the student. Any remaining amount of loans refunded to the student as a Title IV Federal credit balance will be reported to the U.S. Department of Education and will be payable by the student under the terms of the Master Promissory Note and Loan Agreement.

Finished: Students with failing grades and at least one "Finished" indicator are considered to have participated through all scheduled days of academic activity and are therefore determined to have not unofficially withdrawn from the semester. Such students are not subject to the Return to Title IV Federal funds policy.

Students with failing grades with all "Ceased, Date Known" indicators are considered to have participated in course up to the latest date reported by any instructor. These students will be subject to the Return to the Title IV Federal funds policy at the unearned aid percentage which corresponds to the student last date of documented participation in a course.

Students with failing grades with all "Ceased, Date Unknown" indicators are considered to have participated in courses up to the midpoint of the semester. These students will be subject to the Return to Title IV Federal funds policy with an unearned aid percentage of 50%.

When a student receives failing grades with a mix of indicators, then any required adjustments based on never having attended a course(s) will be performed first. Following those adjustments, the student's last date of course participation will be determined. If the student received a "Finished" indicator in any course, the student participated until the end of the semester and no return of funds is required. If the student received failing grades with known dates when course participation ceased, then the latest of those dates will be used to calculate any potential return of funds. Only in the case when no instructor can report a last date of course participation will the 50% percentage point in the semester be used to calculate any return of funds.

Return of Title IV Federal Financial Aid

Once it has been determined that a student unofficially withdrew from the semester, a return of Title IV Federal funds calculation must be done. The formula for calculating a return of funds is the same as for a student who officially withdraws from the university. Please see the Return to Title IV Federal Student Aid page.