Enrollment
Standards
Enrollment Levels
Financial aid is offered to students based on enrollment as a full-time student, 12 credit hours or more per semester. However, if a student enrolls for fewer than 12 credits, certain awards may be prorated to meet lower enrollment costs. For example, if a student enrolls for 9-11 credits, he or she would in most cases receive 75 percent of his or her grant awards. If a student enrolls for 6-8 credits, he or she would usually receive 50 percent of his or her grant awards. If a student enrolls for fewer than six credit hours, he or she may be eligible for some financial aid programs.
Auditing Courses
Audited courses are those being taken for no grade. Therefore, courses being audited are not considered part of a student's enrollment for financial aid purposes.
Changes in Enrollment Level
During A Refund Period
If a student drops any or all courses in a semester during a refund period, then financial aid eligibility will be recalculated based on the final enrollment level. A student who has received a credit balance check prior to dropping any or all courses during a refund period will likely have to immediately repay funds to LCC.
Dropping A Course After A Refund Period
If a student drops one or more, but not all courses after a refund period, then financial aid eligibility will not be recalculated. However, students with Stafford Loans who fall below 6 credits of enrollment will enter either their Grace Period or Repayment.
Total Withdrawal From All Courses
If a student completely withdraws from all courses before the 60% point of the semester (roughly week 10 of a 16 week course), then a Federal Refund Calculation (See Return to Title IV Funds) will be completed to determine what portion of disbursed aid must be returned to the federal government LCC will immediately return the portion of aid due to the federal government and send a bill for that amount to the student. The student must immediately repay the billed amount to LCC.
Failure Of All Courses
If a student fails to pass or earn credit in at least one course, then a Federal Refund Calculation (See Return to Title IV Funds) will be completed to determine what portion of disbursed aid must be returned to the federal government LCC will immediately return the portion of aid due to the federal government and send a bill for that amount to the student. The student must immediately repay the billed amount to LCC.
Return of Title IV Funds
If a student completely withdraws from all courses before the 60% point of the semester (roughly week 10 of a 16 week course), then a Federal Refund Calculation will be completed. In addition, if a student fails to pass or earn credit in at least one course, then a Federal Refund Calculation will be completed. A Federal Refund Calculation determines what portion of aid must be repaid and returned to the federal government LCC will immediately return the portion of aid due to the federal government and send a bill for that amount to the student. The student must immediately repay the billed amount to LCC.
Return of Title IV Funds are returned in the following order for any programs received that semester:
- Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans
- Federal PLUS Loans
If excess funds remain after paying all outstanding loan amounts, then the remaining amount is credited to grant programs in the following order:
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal SEOG
- Academic Competitiveness Grant
- Other Title IV assistance for with a return of funds is required
- State financial aid awards
- Institutional financial aid awards
- Private or public donor awards
- Other institutional awards
- Student
