Home Current Students Student Account Services Withdrawal and Refund
Current Students

Withdrawal and Refund

University's official Withdrawal / Refund Schedule: 

Registrar's Parts of Term Dates

Select your campus, term and part of term. 

University charges are to be paid in full on the date they are incurred. Refunds are issued according to the schedules in this section to students who withdraw from the University, to part-time students who drop a course or courses and to full time students who are reclassified as part-time students because of dropping a course or courses.

If a student receiving federal Title IV financial assistance withdraws from the University, other than federal work-study funds, a portion of the refund must be returned to the program or programs that provided the funds.

Refund Policy for Financial Aid Recipients

Institutions are required to have a fair and equitable refund policy for students who receive financial aid. Students receiving financial assistance are subject to an additional refund analysis.

Federal financial aid includes Direct Lending, Plus (parent) Loans, Pell Grants and SEOG grants.

Refund Policy for Title IV Recipients

There is no longer a differentiation between first-time and continuing students. Federal regulations require each educational University to have a written policy for the refund and repayment of federal aid received by students who withdraw during a term for which payment has been received. These policies are effective only if a student completely terminates enrollment (i.e., cancels his/her registration, withdraws or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing 60% or more of the enrollment period.

Beginning in the fall, students that plan to withdraw from their studies at USC Upstate may do so online through Self Service Carolina.

Those students who withdraw within the add-drop period are eligible to receive 100% refund of tuition. Following the add-drop period, adjustments to tuition resulting from official resignations are based on the effective date of withdrawal and in accordance with the federally mandated calculation as specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. This law also specified the order of return of Title IV funds to the programs from which they were awarded.

The calculation is based on the period of enrollment completed. That percentage is computed by dividing the total number of calendar days in the term into the number of calendar days completed as of the date of student notification. The percentage of Title IV assistance to which the student is entitled (has "earned") is equal to this percentage of the term completed, up to 60%. If the withdrawal occurs after 60% of the term is completed, the percentage is equal to 100%.

The amount of Title IV aid which must be returned is based on the percentage of "unearned" aid. That percentage is computed by subtracting earned aid from 100%. The University is required to return the lesser of:  the unearned aid percentage applied to institutional charges or the unearned aid percentage applied to the total Title IV aid received.

The student is required to return the difference between the amount of unearned aid and the amount returned by the University. The student will be billed for the amount the student owes the Title IV programs and any amount due to the University resulting from the return of Title IV funds used to cover University charges. If the student (or parents in the case of a PLUS loan) is required to return a portion or all of their loan proceeds, the calculated amount is to be repaid according to the loan's terms. Students must return only half the amount of grant funds calculated.

Funds are returned to the following Title IV sources in order of priority:

  1. Unsubsidized Direct Loans
  2. Subsidized Direct Loans
  3. Direct PLUS Loans
  4. Federal Pell Grants
  5. Federal SEOG
  6. Other Title IV assistance for which the return of funds is required
  7. Other federal, state or institutional financial assistance
  8. Student

If less aid is disbursed than was earned, the student may receive a late disbursement for the difference.

Refunds applicable to non-Title IV funds will be distributed according to the following priority (not to exceed the original amount disbursed):

  1. Institutionally controlled scholarships
  2. Outside scholarships (not funded by USC Upstate)
  3. Student

Distribution of Refund Policies

USC Upstate's refund and repayment policies are disseminated to students in the USC Upstate Academic Catalog. Students may receive additional information by making an appointment with an Aid Administrator. Before a student obtains the required Advisor's signature on the withdrawal form, they are required to visit the Financial Aid Office (FAO) for counseling to determine the financial obligations of withdrawing before all aid is earned. the University of South Carolina Upstate Terms and Conditions of Awards was revised to reflect the new Return Procedure for Title IV Aid.

Before you withdraw, go to the Financial Aid Office to determine the financial implications of your withdrawal. You can also contact Student Account Services with questions at:

USC Upstate Student Account Services
800 University Way
Health Education Complex (HEC)
Spartanburg, SC 29303
864-503-5326
Fax: 864-503-5334