Student Withdrawals and Refunds

In the event that a student leaves Norwich University during an academic term, either voluntarily or involuntary, they are subject to the university's refund policies. Students should review all financial policies as outlined by the Bursar's Office. The withdrawal date that is used in determining a student's refund or repayment will be defined as the actual date that the student begins the withdrawal process, the student's last day of academically related activity, or the midpoint of the period of enrollment for a student who leaves without notifying the institution. The U.S. Department of Education requires Norwich University to use the Return to Title IV funds policy for students who withdraw from school and who are receiving Federal Financial Aid. Title IV funds refer to federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), Federal Parent PLUS Loans for Undergraduate Students, Federal Graduate/Professional PLUS, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Academic Competitiveness Grants, and SMART Grants.

The U.S. Department of Education stipulates the way Federal Student Aid (FSA) Funds applied toward a student's education are to be handled should the student’s enrollment change. Up through the 60-percent point in each period of enrollment, a pro-rata schedule is used to determine the amount of FSA funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the 60-percent point in the period of enrollment, a student may keep 100 percent of the FSA funds that had disbursed. Any FSA funds the student has not earned eligibility to keep must be returned to the Department of Education using the following criteria:

• If a student completes more than 60 percent of the period of enrollment, they may keep 100 percent of the FSA funds disbursed on their account. If the withdraw occurs before 60 percent of period of enrollment for which assistance was awarded, the percentage earned is calculated by dividing the total number of days in the period of enrollment by the total number of days the student completed.
• If the student is considered an unofficial withdrawal at the end of term (stopped participating or received an FN grade) and it is determined that the withdrawal date occurred on or before the student completed 60 percent of the period of enrollment for which assistance was awarded, the percentage earned is calculated by dividing the total number of days in the period of enrollment by the total number of days it was determined the student completed.
• Norwich will return funds no later than 45 days after determining the student has withdrawn.
• If aid has been finalized but not disbursed at the time of withdrawal, the student may be eligible for a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement. Norwich will contact the student within 30 days with the option to accept or decline the additional aid. Post-Withdrawal Disbursements must be accepted and disbursed within 180 days of the withdrawal date. After 180 days, funds will be returned to the Department of Education.
• If a student participates during their last week of class and receives only F and/or FN grades, it is assumed the student has completed the term and is not withdrawn. However, if a student does not participate in the last week of scheduled classes and has F and/or FN grades, they are considered to have unofficially withdrawn. All F and FN grades require the faculty to submit a last date of participation which becomes the unofficial withdrawal date.

If the Return to Title IV calculation shows there are FSA funds that the student has not earned, Norwich must return the unearned portion of funds back to the Department of Education. Norwich must return the lesser of:

• The amount of FSA funds that the student did not earn; or
• The amount of institutional costs that the student has incurred for the period of enrollment multiplied by the percentage of the funds that were not earned.

The student (or parent, if a Federal Parent PLUS loan) must return or repay as appropriate, the remaining unearned FSA grant and loan funds. However, a student is not required to return 50 percent of the grant assistance received by the student that would be the responsibility of the student to repay. The student (or parent) must return the unearned funds to the appropriate programs in accordance with the terms of that program, including overpayment of grants. Grant overpayments are subject to repayment arrangements satisfactory to the school or overpayment collection procedures prescribed by the Secretary of the Department of Education. FSA funds for period of enrollment for which a return of funds is required must be returned in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans
• Federal Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grants.
• Academic Competitiveness Grants
• National SMART Grants
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants
• Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant
• Other assistance under Title IV regulations

The student will be issued the larger of the institutional refund or the federal refunds. Any questions should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at (802) 485-2850 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..