Withdrawing from classes may have serious consequences for your current financial aid awards as well as your future financial aid eligibility. Withdrawal also may have far-reaching effects in other areas of student life. If you are considering withdrawing from your courses, or leaving the university, review our
Withdrawal Checklist to understand the possible consequences of withdrawal.
Consider the cost of withdrawal
The total cost of your educational program will escalate as a result of lost time, unearned coursework, delayed graduation and increased educational debt if you are borrowing to attend school. If you need to withdraw, work with your financial aid and academic counselors to find strategies to minimize this cost.
Listed below are some possible effects of withdrawal. If you are...
- Federal financial aid:
Withdrawal from all classes can affect your current-term federal student aid eligibility and result in a balance owed to DePaul. Go to the federal Return of Title IV Aid policy to see how we may recalculate and return your loans and grants based upon your last date of attendance.
- Institutional aid (including scholarships):
Withdrawal from some or all classes can affect your current-term and/or future eligibility for any institutional scholarship and grant funds. Many DePaul University merit scholarships require continuous full-time enrollment and a minimum grade point average for renewal.
- Your overall financial aid eligibility
Repeated withdrawals from some or all classes could compromise your future eligibility for financial aid because of lifetime eligibility limits or you may not be meeting the financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy .
- Your loan deferments:
If you have student loans, they will enter repayment in six months if you do not re-enroll at least half-time.
Residents living on-campus must be enrolled in school. If you plan on withdrawing, contact DePaul Housing for more information.
Withdrawal may affect your insurance or benefits. Many insurance policies (health, auto, etc.) or benefit policies require active enrollment. Check your policy before deciding to withdraw.
Required Exit Counseling
If you borrowed a Federal Direct Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, or received the Federal TEACH Grant and you withdraw from the university (even if your withdrawal is temporary), you will need to complete
exit counseling. Completing exit counseling will not have any negative impact on your account or prevent you from receiving financial aid in the future.