To establish federal financial aid eligibility, students must attend all registered classes at least once during the first ten days of each semester. If instructors report a student as not attending, financial aid may be cancelled or reduced.

Once federal financial aid eligibility has been established, students should continue to participate in academic activities in all classes throughout the semester. If, during the semester, a student determines the need to drop individual classes or withdraw entirely from the University, official university withdrawal procedures should be followed.

At the end of each semester, all federal financial aid recipients who receive no passing grades (any combination of F, U, N, or W) will be reviewed to determine if the non-passing grade was earned while attending or due to no longer attending class. To understand the impact of an unofficial withdrawal, view the Unofficial Withdrawal Policy.

Active participation by a student in an instructional activity related to the student’s course of study that is defined by the institution in accordance with any applicable requirements of its State or accrediting agency; and includes, but is not limited to:

  • Attending asynchronous class, lecture, recitation, or field or laboratory activity, physically or online, where there is an opportunity for interaction between the instructor and students;
  • Submitting an academic assignment;
  • Taking an assessment or an exam;
  • Participating in an interactive tutorial, webinar, or other interactive computer-assisted instruction;
  • Participating in a study group, group project, or an online discussion that is assigned by the institution;
  • Interacting with an instructor about academic matters.

The definition of academic engagement does not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:

  • Living in institutional housing;
  • Participating in the school’s meal plan;
  • Travel;
  • Logging into an online class or tutorial without any further participation;
  • Participating in academic counseling or advising; or
  • Participating in a student-organized study group.