All ‘F' Policy

Federal Financial Aid Recipients who receive all ‘F' grades are subject to Federal Regulations, Federal Return to Title IV Funds, and are considered unofficially withdrawn at the midpoint of the semester.

Western Kentucky University is required by Title IV Federal Regulations to administer financial aid for students with all ‘F' grades in this manner. Failure to comply with the Regulation would result in monetary fines to Western and jeopardize our continued participation in federally funded aid programs. The assumption behind this law (regulation) is that students receiving all ‘F' grades probably did not complete the semester, but rather walked away from WKU without officially withdrawing.

The Department of Student Financial Assistance will notify students who received financial aid and received all ‘F' grades for a given semester that Title IV funds were returned. Students will be required to submit proof of attendance within 30 from the date of the letter. Late certification (beyond the 30 day limit) will not be accepted.

An invalid or outdated mailing address will not be considered as a legitimate excuse since it is the student's responsibility to maintain accurate address information with the University through the Registrar's Office .

Acceptable Proof of Attendance or Participation in a Class Related Activity will be either a letter on departmental letterhead or an email from the professor, instructor or academic advisor nothing the last date of a student's presence in class or involvement in a class related activity.

Without acceptable proof of attendance or participation in class related activity beyond the midpoint of the semester, the Federal Title IV financial aid credit for the term is refunded to the aid program(s) from which it came at a rate of 50 percent of university charges. Loans are refunded before grants.

For example: Student X received a $2,625 Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan and a $1,500 Pell Grant for the award period. Their university charges were $2,000. However, Student X failed all of his/her classes for the semester. Federal Regulations require that 50 percent or $1,000 of the school charges ($2,000 x 50%) be refunded for the Subsidized Stafford Loan. The student's loan debt decreases, but he/she owes WKU $1,000 (assuming the student account balance was $-0-).