Registrar’s Role inManaging Unofficial Withdrawals

Dennis Hicks, RegistrarIndiana University Eastdehicks@iue.edu

Mary Beth Myers, RegistrarIndiana University-Purdue UniversityIndianapolis (IUPUI) mbmyers@iupui.edu

Session 3.5Thursday, November 7, 20139:00 – 10:00 am, Metro Suite

Higher Education Agenda Authorities and Responsibilities Federal Student Aid Programs Institution and Program Eligibility Student Eligibility Requirements Registration and Enrollment Attendance Monitoring Withdrawals (official and/or unofficial) Consumerism/Disclosures Gainful Employment

Today’s Topic

Statutory Authority – Higher Education Act of 1965,as amended (the HEA).

Regulatory AuthorityInstitutional Eligibility – 34 CFR Part 600Student Assistance Programs – 34 CFR Part 668-694

When a college accepts federal financial aid, in lieu of payment directly from the student, the regulations require that the college monitor the student's completion of the courses funded by one of the Title IV programs. The college must report withdrawals and failures, if any, and, in some cases, refund the financial aid. If the financial aid is refunded, the student may incur a balance on his institution account.

Authorities and Responsibilities

Institution must – Be accredited and state approved Demonstrate financial responsibility Demonstrate administrative capability to

… Be audited each year Be subject to US Department of Education (DOE)

program reviews Be recertified every four to six years

Institution Eligibilityfor Title IV Funding

President/Chancellor Financial Aid Office Business Office Admissions Office Registrar's Office Athletics Police/Security Public Affairs Housing

Responsible Offices

A FA eligible program must lead to a degree, certificate, or other credential awarded by the institution.

It must include certain minimum length in terms of credit/clock hours and weeks of instructional time.

In general, it must either lead to a degree or demonstrate the potential for “gainful employment.”

Financial Aid Eligible Program

Must be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen.◦ Eligible non-citizen includes permanent residents

and certain refugees, asylum applicants, and others.

◦ US Dept. of Education (DOE) performs electronic data matching with Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA).

Student Eligibility Requirements

Student must be enrolled as a “regular student” in an eligible program◦Regular student:

Enrolled in a financial aid eligible program Objective is to earn a degree, certificate, or

other credential awarded by the institution. Exception for transfer programs and teacher

certification◦Student must be making satisfactory

academic progress (SAP) under the institution’s financial aid SAP policy.

Student Eligibility Requirements

Financial aid may be disbursed only to an eligible student who is registered.

Student’s grade/class level impacts types and amounts of aid.◦ Institution must have a system for notifying the

financial aid office anytime a student’s grade/class level changes

Special reporting for students with federal loans when enrollment status becomes less than half-time.◦ Institution must have a system of notification if a

student’s enrollment status changes.

Registration & Enrollment Factors

Institution must have a system for identifying students who registered for, but failed to begin attendance in any or all classes.

If student failed to begin any classes, institution is liable for any aid disbursed.

If student began attendance in some, but not all, recalculation is required and institution may be liable.

Does not require institution to take attendance.

Does require institution to have process.

Attendance Monitoring

<Again!!!> Institution must have a system for identifying students who registered for, but failed to begin attendance in any or all classes.◦ Faculty add-drop process?◦ Reviewing grades at end of term?◦ What “system;” what “process” do you have in place?

If there is no grading system that differentiates between an earned ‘F’ and an ‘F’ that is the result of the student never attending or withdrawing, then the student is considered to have never attended or to have withdrawn.

Attendance Monitoring (cont’d)

Return To Title IV Aid (R2T4) In general, the amount of aid a student

“earns” is determined by applying the same percentage of the payment period that the student completed before his/her withdrawal to the amount of aid awarded for that term.

Withdrawal date or date of last attendance is critical.

Withdrawals

Institution must have a procedure for determining whether a federal aid recipient, who began attendance, completed the term or should be treated as a withdrawal.

< Again!!!> If institution does not have and use a grading system that differentiates between an “earned ‘F’ and an ‘F’ that is the result of the student never attending, then the student is considered to have never attended or withdrew.

Withdrawals (cont’d)

Institutions that require the taking of attendance are expected to have a procedure for routinely monitoring attendance records to determine when a student withdraws.

An institution is required to take attendance if an outside entity or the institution itself –◦ Requires instructors to take attendance, or◦ Has a requirement that can only be met by taking

attendance.

Withdrawals (cont’d)

Official Withdrawals – occur when the student follows all the steps involved in completing the withdrawal (drop) process.

Institution must document a student’s official withdrawal date, as well as the date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew.

Institutions are required to make available to students a statement specifying the requirements for officially withdrawing from the institution.

Official Withdrawals

Unofficial Withdrawals – occur when a student does not attend classes for the full time that his/her federal aid eligibility covered and said student fails to go through the institution’s official withdrawal process.

Institutions that are required to take attendance use those records to determine last date of attendance.

Institutions that do not use attendance records may use any number of factors/resources to determine a last date of attendance.

Unofficial Withdrawals

Regardless of whether the withdrawal was done officially or unofficially, the registrar of the institution determines the date of withdrawal.

In the case of unofficial withdrawals, the last date of attendance is set at either the midpoint of the semester or the last documented date of attendance, whichever is last.

The registrar may work in conjunction with faculty in determining the last date the student was considered in participation in their classes, if necessary.

Students who attend at least 60 percent of their semester are exempt from having their financial aid rescinded, even if they withdraw after that point.

Read more: Definition of Unofficial Withdrawal for Federal Financial Aid | http://www.ehow.com/info_8428940_definition-withdrawal-federal-financial-aid.html

Official vs. Unofficial Withdrawal

At the end of each semester, the financial aid office audits all failing students.

If the student received financial aid through any of the Title IV funding programs, regulations require that the institution refund the financial aid to the appropriate agency.

The student will be notified in writing if there have been any changes to the financial aid package.

Read more: Definition of Unofficial Withdrawal for Federal Financial Aid | http://www.ehow.com/info_8428940_definition-withdrawal-federal-financial-aid.html

End-of-Semester Audit

FLAG ‘em!FLAGS System (Fostering Learning, Achievement, and

Graduation Success)

IU’s Early Alert System In support of campus efforts to increase student retention and

graduation rates, faculty are asked to provide feedback early and often on student attendance/performance in their class. ◦ This feedback from the faculty is accomplished online using the

student performance roster as part of the FLAGS System. ◦ Feedback from the faculty allows for quick and intentional intervention

with those students who may need assistance. ◦ Based on faculty roster feedback, reports will be readily available to

advisors and other institution officials to take action.

The student performance roster is also the mechanism for reporting attendance for Financial Aid compliance, as well as enrollment information to the Registrar.

The Indiana University Way

FLAGS – Student Performance Roster

FLAGS – Student Performance Roster

FLAGS – Student Performance Roster

FLAGS – Student Performance Roster

The grade of FN is assigned to students who ceased attending class BUT who did not officially withdraw.

Faculty must provide a last date of attendance (LDA) when assigning this grade.

The grade of FN and the last date of attendance are used by IU in advising students, and to establish a withdrawal date for the return of unearned student financial aid.

Grade of FN

IU established a "FN" grade ("F” for NON-ATTENDANCE”)

Endorsed by system-wide Academic Officers Committee. As proposed, the "N" part of the grade would not

appear on the official academic record, but would appear on internal transcript formats and on registrar data files.

When "FN" grade is assigned, instructor is required to supply on the roster a last date of known class attendance or participation◦ This date provides a basis for establishing a "withdrawal

date" for return of unearned financial aid.

Grade of FN

The "FN" grade policy requires that an instructor provide the last date of documented class attendance or participation when awarding the "FN" grade.  ◦ Examples of documentation of class attendance include "records of

a student’s presence at class meetings, examinations, tutorials, computer-assisted instruction, logging into the learning management system advising or counseling sessions or study groups."

The grade value of "FNN" was later approved to be used in cases where students failed for having NEVER attended the class.

 

The grade that will appear on the student grade report and academic record when an "FN" or "FNN" grade is assigned will be "F“.

Distinction between FNand FNN grades

Pulling the Data◦ Two weeks after semester start, FA being to pull

data from the Student Performance Roster (SPR)◦ Data pulled typically every two weeks◦ Reports run until one week prior to semester end

Process◦ Reduce student’s Pell Grant if applicable based on

remaining enrollment◦ Send student email informing them of reduction◦ FA checklist and comments placed on student

account indicating what and why a change occurred

FN, FNN and Financial Aid

Corrections◦ If student reported as “no show” in error on SPR,

FA will reverse Pell Grant reduction if the professor who reported the error sends email to FA with explanation.

OR

◦ If student previously reported as “no show” receives an actual grade at end of semester for the reported course, previous Pell reductions are reversed along with elimination of late fees assessed.

FN, FNN and Financial Aid

Combination of all F, FN, FNN, and/or W at end of term results in FA examination

All Title IV financial aid recipients reviewed

F Grade is considered “earned”◦ This grade alone would eliminate student from

being considered a complete withdrawal ◦ If combined with other FN or FNN grades OR if

faculty made non-attendance report on earlier student performance roster for this class, FA will investigate and adjust accordingly.

FN, FNN and Financial Aid

Thousands of Indiana University students enroll every semester in hundreds of online courses.

These courses are taught via ONCOURSE, IU’s online collaboration and learning environment.

Determining Last Date of Attendance for distance education (online) students

Oncourse SITE STATS is a tool for showing statistics by user, event, or resource. The Site Stats tool is accessible only to the site owner and assistants; students cannot see Site Stats.

Using Site Stats, instructors, teaching online classes via Oncourse can:◦ See the number of site visits, overall or by individual students◦ See the most active students, as well as those who have not

visited the site◦ See which class resource files students have opened◦ View customizable charts with weekly, monthly, yearly, or total

activity◦ Run predefined reports or generate their own custom reports

Determining Last Date of Attendance for distance education (online) students

Some predefined reports include:

◦ All Students and Dates They Logged In Comprehensive: use this report to see all the

dates (including the last date) students logged in

◦ Individual Student and Dates Logged In Customized to search for an individual

student so you can check visits (including last one)

Determining Last Date of Attendance for distance education (online) students

IU’s FLAGS Early Alert System:◦ Faculty provide feedback early and often on student

attendance and/or academic performance issues in their class(es) via the FLAGS student performance roster. The grade of “FN” is assigned to students who ceased attending

class BUT failed to officially withdraw. Faculty must provide a last date of attendance (LDA) when assigning the “FN” grade.

The grade of "FNN“ is assigned in cases where the student failed for having NEVER attended the class.

Online/distance education classes are taught via Oncourse and student participation is tracked via Site Stats.

FA routinely collects this information, adjusts Pell grants accordingly

FA checks course grades at final grade collection for confirmation or adjustment of Pell and other FA reductions

SUMMARY

The “Dennis” effect vs the “MB” effect!

QUESTIONS