Receiving Aid

Census (Pell Recalculation Date)

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships policy is to freeze enrollment hours after the census date (Pell recalculation) each semester. At the time we freeze enrollment hours, your financial aid credit hours will not be adjusted unless you completely withdraw. Credits you are registered for as of the census date determine the eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid disbursements.

• If your enrollment changes (increase or decrease in credit hours) before the census date, your financial aid may be adjusted to match your enrollment level.
• If you add credits after the census date, your aid will not be increased.
• Aid disbursements may be affected if you are taking courses that differ from the standard course start /end dates for the term
• Aid may be affected if you submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information or corrections after the census date.

Complete withdrawal may result in cancellation of all or a portion of your aid. For more information about adding and dropping courses visit the Office of the Registrar.

Enrollment Requirements

Aid will be adjusted for students enrolled less than full time. Most University scholarships require full time enrollment for disbursement.

Half time enrollment in classes that are required for your degree program are required to be eligible for most federal aid.

Course Program of Study

The US Department of Education requires students to complete a Course Program of Study (CPOS) in order for courses to be eligible for federal financial aid programs such as Pell Grant, SEOG, TEACH Grant, Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Parent PLUS Loans, and Federal Work Study. At UM- Dearborn, students may only receive federal financial aid for coursework that counts towards their declared program of study, regardless of the enrollment term.

This ensures that only courses that contribute to a student's declared major, minor, or concentration are considered for financial assistance, helping students complete their degree programs faster by focusing on coursework directly related to their field of study.

This approach may also lower costs, including student loan debt, for students seeking timely degree completion.

More information can be found about Course Program of Study here. 

Withdrawal from Classes

If you drop courses, or completely withdraw from all courses for a term, you may have to repay all or a portion of your financial aid.

When a failing grade is given, and an instructor verifies that a student did not attend a class, it is considered an unofficial withdrawal from the course and you could be required to repay your aid.

For more information about the impact of withdrawing, visit here.

Repeat Coursework

A student can receive federal financial aid a maximum of two times if they have passed a course. Example: Student earned a D the first time in the course and decides to take the course a second time to earn a higher grade. The second time the student received financial aid and earned a C. The student passed the course both times thus have received the maximum two times of eligibility for repeat courses. Students who have failed a course an E and take the course a second time and earned another E is able to take that repeat course over and over as long as they receive a failing grade E. If the student earns an E and the second time they earn a D they have one more time to receive financial aid to earn a higher passing grade. Repeat coursework may impact a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree in order to remain eligible for financial aid. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to monitor the progress of each student toward their degree completion. Students who fall behind in their coursework or who fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state, and university aid.

Disbursements

It is the policy of the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to disburse financial aid funds to students' accounts every Monday and Thursday. There are exceptions during the Add/Drop period of each semester or days when the university is closed. During the Add/Drop periods, please check the Announcements section for the semester for details.

• Whenever any aid is disbursed to or reversed from a student's account, an email notification of disbursement is sent to the UM-Dearborn email address. Students are directed to review their student account.
• If the amount of financial aid received for a term exceeds the cost of tuition and fees, a refund will be made as a direct deposit or sent as a paper check. Students are encouraged to enroll in the direct deposit program because of the speed and safety of the transaction.