To be eligible for financial aid, students must meet minimum enrollment requirements. Changes to your enrollment at any point can affect your financial aid eligibility. Most financial aid is initially awarded based on full-time enrollment. If you drop or withdraw from classes and fall below full-time status, your financial aid for the current semester may be adjusted, and your eligibility for future aid may also be impacted. Before making enrollment changes, we encourage you to contact Student Financial Aid to understand how your aid may be affected.
Dropping a Course
Dropping a course may affect your financial aid depending on your remaining credit hours of enrollment, the timing of the change, and the types of aid you have been awarded.
Potential impacts include:
- Reduced financial aid eligibility
- Delay in aid disbursement
- Loss of future aid eligibility
- A balance due on your student account
Withdrawing from Mizzou
If you cease attendance in all of your classes during the semester, your financial aid may be affected. The impact depends on whether you complete the University’s withdrawal process and when you stop attending classes
Official Withdrawal
An official withdrawal occurs when a student completely withdraws from all their classes during an academic term. To officially withdraw from the university, students must consult with their academic advisor and complete the Term Withdrawal Form through the Office of the University Registrar.
Unofficial Withdrawal
Students who stop attending classes without completing the official withdrawal process, or who do not receive any passing grades for the term, will be considered fully withdrawn for financial aid purposes. Grades of F, Unsatisfactory, Incomplete, Dropped, Withdrawn, and No Grade are not considered passing grades when determining withdrawal status.
Impact of Withdrawal on Financial Aid
Financial aid is earned by attending and participating in classes throughout the semester. If you withdraw before completing more than 60% of the semester, federal regulations require the university to recalculate your financial aid eligibility based on the percentage of the term completed.
As a result of the recalculation:
- Your federal financial aid may be returned to the Department of Education
- Institutional and state aid may also be adjusted based on university policies
- You may owe a balance to Mizzou if aid is returned (Mizzou Student Financial Aid is not responsible for late fees or other penalties students may incur for failure to pay the balance due to the University)
- Future financial aid eligibility may be affected
The amount of aid you earn depends on how much of the semester you complete before withdrawing. Because every situation is unique, students considering withdrawal are encouraged to contact their academic advisor and Mizzou Student Financial Aid before making enrollment changes.