Census Policy

Financial Aid Census Date Policy

In accordance with federal regulations, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will recalculate federal, state, and institutional student aid awards based on the enrollment status as of the published Census Date (Count Day) by the Office of the Registrar, which is typically the end of the 9th day of class for both Fall and Spring semesters. All federal, state and institutional aid will be based upon the Census Date enrollment status.

Adding/Dropping Courses

A student's financial aid award is prepared based on anticipated full-time enrollment. If the student's actual attendance is less than full-time (e.g., half-time), the financial aid awards will be adjusted accordingly. Awards are adjusted each semester, as required, based on the student's enrollment as of the "Census Date" for that semester. Specifically, Pell grant payments will be based on the number of credit hours for which a student is enrolled as of the Census Date for that semester.

To ensure receipt of the maximum Federal Pell grant for which students are eligible and to avoid having to reimburse funds already posted to their account, students are strongly encouraged to finalize their course schedule no later than the Census Date.

Dropping Classes Before the Census Date

A Federal Pell grant payment made at the beginning of the semester is based on the student's enrollment as of the day the grant is disbursed. If a student drops any classes between the time of the initial payment and the Census Date for that semester, the Federal Pell grant may be partially or totally reversed.

Adding Classes After The Census Date

If a student adds a class after the Census Date for the semester, the student's Federal Pell grant will not be increased. Classes added after the Census Date will not be eligible to be counted for Federal Pell grant eligibility purposes, although they may be counted for Federal Direct Loan eligibility purposes.

Withdrawals

This policy does not apply to students who withdraw from all courses. Complete withdrawals from the university are subject to federal, state, and institutional refund policies. Please review the Registrar for more information regarding complete withdrawals from the university.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

If you drop classes (or change your class status to audit) after the census date, you may also have future financial aid eligibility issues. Please review your Satisfactory Academic Progress for more information on the requirements to maintain financial aid eligibility.