Withdrawal/Leave of Absence

Taking a Leave of Absence, Withdrawing, or Dropping All Course Work

A leave of absence, withdrawal, or dropping all coursework may result in the adjustment of your financial aid. Please consult with the GSEP Financial Aid Office to review how your current and future financial aid eligibility may be affected.

Federal Funds

Financial aid programs created by the federal government are called ''Title IV Funds'' and include the Stafford Loan and Graduate (PLUS) Loan.

Title IV funds are awarded with the understanding that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance was offered. However, should you need to take a leave of absence or withdraw, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds awarded to you. Federal law requires that the Financial Aid Office determine at what point Title IV funds will cease to be made available once your enrollment has ended, and any unearned funds will be returned to the federal financial aid program. There is no relationship between this process and how GSEP determines what you will be charged when you take a leave of absence or withdraw.

Pepperdine Grants and Scholarships

Eligibility for Pepperdine funding is dependent on full-time enrollment in regular coursework. If you withdraw or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of the term, your Pepperdine funding will be canceled.

Leaves of Absence or Withdrawals

If you wish to withdraw from all classes for the term or withdraw permanently from the University, you must notify your Education or Psychology academic advisor in writing using your Pepperdine e-mail account. Your withdrawal date will be determined based on the date you notify your academic advisor that you wish to withdraw.

Financial Aid Adjustments

The federal government provides financial aid offices with a schedule that is used to determine how much of your Title IV funds you have earned if you take a leave of absence or withdraw.

The Financial Aid Office will determine what amount will be returned to the federal program based on the date you notify your academic advisor that you wish to withdraw, thus beginning the withdrawal process. If you have completed 60% or less of a given term, the Financial Aid Office uses the schedule provided by the federal government to determine the refund. If you have completed more than 60% of a term, you are considered to have earned 100% of your Title IV funds for that term.

For example, if you take a leave of absence after completing 40% of a term, you are then eligible to keep 40% of your federal funds, and the remaining 60% of the federal funds will be returned.

The federal government requires that refunds be returned in the following order:

Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans

Federal Graduate (PLUS) Loans

TEACH Grant.

For more information, please contact our office at 310.568.5775 or GSEPfaid@pepperdine.edu.