Return of Federal Financial Aid (R2T4)
If you receive federal financial aid and withdraw from Larkin University before completing the academic term, federal regulations require the University to determine how much of your aid you earned. This process is called Return to Title IV (R2T4).
Federal aid is awarded based on the assumption that students will attend for the entire payment period (such as a semester). When a student withdraws early, Larkin University must calculate the portion of aid earned up to the withdrawal date.
Who This Applies To
This policy applies to graduate students receiving federal student loans, including:
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
These are the federal aid programs currently awarded to graduate students at Larkin University.
How Earned Aid Is Calculated
The amount of financial aid you earn is based on how much of the academic term you completed before withdrawing.
The calculation is determined by the percentage of the term completed:
Number of calendar days attended ÷ Total calendar days in the term
- Scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days are excluded.
- If you complete 60% or less of the term, the aid you earned is calculated proportionally.
- If you complete more than 60% of the term, you are considered to have earned 100% of your federal aid for that period.
Withdrawal Types
Official Withdrawal: Occurs when a student formally notifies the Registrar’s Office of their intent to withdraw from the University.
Unofficial Withdrawal: Occurs when a student stops attending classes without formally withdrawing. In these cases, the University will determine the withdrawal date based on the last documented academically related activity, such as attending class, submitting coursework, or participating in an academic activity.
If Unearned Aid Must Be Returned
If the R2T4 calculation shows that you received more financial aid than you earned, the University must return the unearned portion to the U.S. Department of Education.
Federal funds are returned in the following order:
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
This return must occur within 45 days of the date the University determines the student withdrew.
Post-Withdrawal Disbursements
In some cases, a student may have earned more financial aid than was disbursed before withdrawing.
If this occurs, the student may be eligible for a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement. The Financial Aid Office will notify the student and provide the option to accept or decline the loan funds. Loan funds cannot be disbursed without the student’s authorization.
Student Responsibility
Returning federal financial aid may result in a balance owed to the University. Students remain responsible for any remaining institutional charges after federal funds are returned.
The University’s institutional tuition refund policy is separate from the federal Return to Title IV calculation and does not determine how much federal aid was earned.
Questions
If you are considering withdrawing, we strongly encourage you to contact the Larkin University Office of Financial Aid and Student Access (OFASA) before making your decision to understand how it may impact your financial aid eligibility.