Dropping, Withdrawing and Non-Attendance

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Schedule Change

The Student Financial Aid Enrollment Change Policy requires a student to complete all of their add/drop changes by the census date of each course. (Contact the Office of Financial Aid for specific dates.) If a student adds or drops classes anytime up to and including the census date, financial aid will be adjusted. If changes are made after this date, financial aid will not be adjusted unless the student did not attend the class or withdrew from all of their classes. Students receiving Federal Direct Loans should maintain 6 credit hours throughout the semester.

Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of full-time enrollment. If a student plans to enroll less than full-time, they should expect their financial aid awards to be reduced or canceled. The amount of aid a student is eligible for has no relationship to institutional charges or other incurred costs of attendance.

View the chart of how aid is adjusted when credit hours change.

Withdrawing From All Classes

​According to federal law, COTC students who receive Federal financial aid and do not complete their classes may be responsible to repay a portion of their aid. Students must “earn” the financial aid received by staying enrolled in school and attending classes. If a student drops, withdraws or stops attending classes during the semester, they may be required to return some of the financial aid awarded. For example: a student who completes 30% of the semester has earned 30% of their aid. This means that 70% of the aid is unearned and must be returned to the federal government. Click here for more information regarding this policy

View the chart of how aid is adjusted or how SAP is affected when students withdraw from the semester. (This chart is updated each semester.)

Non-Attendance

Non-attendance in classes is considered a reduction of hours and aid will be adjusted. Students not attending courses for which they registered must formally withdraw online at my.cotc.edu > COTCconnect > Student Planning or at any Gateway location. Aid will be adjusted if a student is not attending classes which may create a balance due on their institutional bill.  If the student has been attending their classes, they must speak to their instructor who must report attendance electronically in order for financial aid to be updated and disbursed correctly.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

COTC is required to establish a policy to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for and/or receive financial aid. These standards are designed to ensure that students are making progress toward completion of their program of study and apply to the following financial aid programs: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Work-Study Program (FWS), Federal Direct Loan Program (subsidized and unsubsidized), Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS), Nurse Education Assistance Loan Program (NEALP), and other programs as determined by the Office of Financial Aid.  Click here for more information regarding the SAP Policy.