Financial aid is offered under the assumption that you will attend college for the entire term(s) in which you receive financial assistance. The federal government mandates that students who withdraw or fail to complete all classes (unofficial withdrawal) within a term may only keep the financial aid they have “earned” up to the time of withdrawal. Any unearned aid must be returned, regardless of whether it has already been disbursed.

Note: If you discontinue study (withdraw, drop, or never attended) all courses within the semester and have previously been awarded federal aid, the University must determine if the federal aid is required to be returned to the appropriate financial aid programs.

This regulation is called Return of Title IV Funds or “R2T4.” It can result in having to return financial aid funds to the university, government, or both. Title IV funds include federal programs such as the Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH), Federal Direct Loans (both Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans), the Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), and the Graduate PLUS Loan.

The higher the number of class days completed, the less financial aid that must be returned. Once you’ve completed more than 60% of the semester, you’ve earned 100% of aid, even if a withdrawal occurs after that point. If you are considering withdrawing, please speak with our office so we can best advise you on financial aid repercussions.

Drop: Refers to removing one or more individual courses from your schedule but remaining enrolled in other courses for the same term.

Withdraw: Refers to removing all courses from your schedule and no longer attending the university for a specific term.

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when you’ve enrolled for a semester but then stop attending all of your courses. UT San Antonio reviews students at the end of the term to determine if they unofficially withdrew from the university. Students who receive all grades of “F, NC, W or NR” in any combination are subject to the R2T4 calculation and reviewed at the end of the term.

Financial Aid and Scholarships contacts professors to provide proof of when the student ceased attendance through graded class assignments, documented group project work, or other documentation from the professor. If professors provide documentation showing the last date of attendance or coursework completed, that date will be used to calculate the R2T4 and federal funds to return. If proof is not provided, 100% of federal funds will be returned. If the professor indicates that the student stopped attending but we cannot determine if it occurred prior to the 60% point of the semester, then we will use the midpoint of the semester and calculate the R2T4 based on 50%.

There are many variables in determining if a balance will be owed if you withdraw: the number of funds received, the date of the withdrawal (or your last date of attendance), and if you will be entitled to any refund of tuition and fees as designated in the Academic Calendar for the semester you are withdrawing.

If you are receiving financial aid and withdraw from all your courses at UT San Antonio or fail to attend all courses, then you and/or UT San Antonio may be required to return some of the federal, state and/or institutional funds offered. One Stop must calculate your unearned percentage owed and return the amount of your unearned aid within 45 days of your withdrawal. Even if you receive a refund of tuition and fees, you may still owe UT San Antonio money after we calculate the amounts that must be returned. Refunds of tuition and fees, if applicable, are processed much sooner than the return of federal, state or institutional financial aid funds and will sometimes result in you first receiving a refund of their tuition and fees and then owing a balance after aid is returned. You should not cash your refund until you know what your final balance will be. A complete listing of the tuition and fees refund schedule is available by semester in the Student Policies.

If you’re enrolled in courses during the semester, but stop attending all courses (unofficial withdrawal), then you will not have your Return of Title IV processed until after the semester ends and grades have been posted. One Stop will then calculate your unearned percentage owed and return the amount of your unearned aid.

Any resulting balance remaining must be paid to UT San Antonio. You may pay your balance by cash, check or money order at Fiscal Services, or online through the myUTSA system with a credit card (Mastercard, Discover or American Express) or e-check.

Return of Title IV (R2T4) for Federal Funds

UT San Antonio is required to return a portion of federal aid if a student withdraws on or before completing 60% of the semester. Federal financial aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), the Federal Direct Parent Loan (PLUS) for undergraduate students and the Federal PLUS Loan for graduate students. UT San Antonio will return funds on behalf of the students to the appropriate federal aid program, which may cause the student to incur a balance. 

The university will not prevent transcripts from being released due to a pending balance, and degrees will still be awarded even if a balance is owed. However, diplomas will not be printed until all outstanding balances are paid.
 
Important: The University cannot withhold transcripts for unpaid balances if the courses were funded with federal financial aid.

You are required to resolve any balance owed to UT San Antonio before a diploma can be issued or before you can register for an upcoming semester.

Any federal loan amount owed by the student is to be repaid under the terms of their promissory note.

If the amount disbursed to you was less than the amount you earned, you may be eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received. Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify you if you are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.

Funds will be returned in the following order per federal regulations:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loans
• Grad PLUS Loans
• Federal PLUS Loans
• Federal PELL Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
• TEACH Grants

Example of Federal R2T4 Calculation

If you withdraw on the 30th day of a 114-day semester, you will have completed 26.3% of the term (30 ÷ 114). According to federal regulations, you are considered to have earned 26.3% of the Title IV aid disbursed for that semester.

Let’s assume your total institutional charges (tuition, fees, housing, meals, etc.) are $3,750, and you received the following federal financial aid:

• Pell Grant: $2,155
• FSEOG Grant: $675
• Unsubsidized Direct Loan: $2,500
• Subsidized Direct Loan: $2,750

Total Aid Disbursed: $8,080

Under the R2T4 formula, the school calculates:

• Earned Aid:                    8,080×0.263=$2,125.04
• Unearned Aid:               8,080−2,125.04=$5,954.96

However, the amount the school must return is based on the lesser of:

1. The unearned aid ($5,954.96), or
2. The unearned portion of institutional charges ($3,750 × 73.7% = $2,763.75)

In this example, the school is responsible for returning $2,763.75, which reflects the portion of unearned aid that was applied to institutional charges and must be returned to the federal programs.

The return is made in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Direct Loan
• Subsidized Direct Loan
• PLUS Loans (if applicable)
• Pell Grant
• FSEOG

Note: When federal financial aid funds are returned to the U.S. Department of Education as a result of the Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation, it may create a balance owed to the university. This balance will be reflected in your Rowdy Pay portal and must be resolved in accordance with university billing policies

State and Institutional Funds

If you receive state or institutional grant funds (Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG), TEXAS Grant, UT San Antonio Grant, etc.) and withdraw during the tuition and fee refund period, then you will have funds returned based on the tuition and fee refund schedule.

Example of State Refund Calculation: You withdraw on the 18th day of class of a 114 day semester and then are offered a UT San Antonio Grant for $2,500. One Stop will return 25% of the UT San Antonio Grant or $625.

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships will notify you if you owe a balance due to R2T4 by sending you a letter to your UT San Antonio email address. Any account balance will appear on myUTSA Account as well

Yes, withdrawing may have an effect on your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please view our requirements for maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress to remain eligible for subsequent semesters of financial aid.

If you withdraw or stop attending in the fall term, we will cancel the spring disbursements of your loans and any grants you were receiving. If you plan to return in the spring you will need to submit a Spring Enrollment Change Form requesting to reinstate your spring aid. If your grants were canceled, you are not guaranteed the funding in the spring with the exception of the Federal Pell Grant. If you withdraw in the spring semester, you will need to submit a Summer Application to be offered summer aid. Return of Title IV for the summer sessions differs than in the fall and spring. Please review information regarding Summer R2T4.

If you have had federal loans as part of your financial aid, either this year or in previous years, you are required to complete Loan Exit Counseling any time you fall below half-time enrollment. Please complete Online Exit Counseling to clear your Exit Counseling Requirement. If you have taken out loans for the semester in which you withdrew, then these loans will still count toward the total amount of loans you are allowed to borrow as a student. Whenever possible, you should bring back any refund you have received and request that portion of your loans be canceled and sent back to the lender.

If you plan on withdrawing from your current term with the University during the summer and you have received financial aid, a Return of Title IV calculation and possible reduction of aid will be processed. However, the federal regulations do allow us to postpone the return if you plan to remain enrolled in other classes this summer.

Submit the Summer Return of Title IV form no later than 10 days from the date of dropped course to prevent Return of Title IV on your account. This form can be submitted through the Document Uploader or mailed to:

University of Texas at San Antonio
One Stop Enrollment Center
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio TX 78249

Fall 2025

Students receiving Title IV financial aid must be enrolled in coursework that is part of their officially declared program of study, known as CPOS (Course Program of Study). Title IV aid eligibility is directly tied to enrollment in CPOS-eligible courses.

If a student withdraws from all CPOS-eligible courses during a term, even if they remain enrolled in non-eligible coursework, this change may significantly impact their financial aid status. Specifically:

• Loss of Title IV Eligibility: Once a student is no longer enrolled in any CPOS-eligible courses, they are considered ineligible for Title IV aid for that term. This includes Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and other federal aid programs.
• Triggering an R2T4 Review: Withdrawal from all CPOS-eligible courses may initiate a Return to Title IV (R2T4) review. This federal requirement mandates that the institution calculate the amount of aid the student earned based on the time they were enrolled in eligible coursework. Any unearned aid must be returned to the federal government, which may result in a balance owed by the student.
• Enrollment in Non-Eligible Courses: Students may still be enrolled in courses that are not part of their declared program of study. However, these courses do not count toward Title IV eligibility. If a student withdraws from all eligible courses and remains only in non-eligible ones, they are no longer considered enrolled for Title IV purposes.

Important Reminder:
To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must remain enrolled in CPOS-eligible coursework throughout the term. Any changes to enrollment, including withdrawals, should be discussed with the One Stop Enrollment Center to understand potential impacts on aid and avoid unexpected financial obligations.

Initial Course Participation and Title IV Aid Eligibility

In accordance with federal regulations, students must begin participation in their coursework to establish eligibility for Title IV federal financial aid.

Definition of Academic Engagement

Academic attendance or participation in an academically related activity includes, but is not limited to:

• Physically attending a class with opportunities for direct interaction between the instructor and students
• Submitting an academic assignment
• Taking an exam, interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Attending a study group assigned by the institution
• Participating in an online discussion related to academic content
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the subject matter of the course

Non-Qualifying Activities:

The following activities do not constitute academic engagement and therefore do not count toward establishing eligibility for federal financial aid:

• Residing in institutional housing
• Participating in a meal plan
• Logging into an online class without active participation
• Receiving academic counseling or advisement