Academic Engagement

The Office of Student Financial Aid Services (OSFAS) is required to comply with Federal Title IV regulations to ensure that recipients of federal student aid complete academic credit for which their aid was awarded.

Evaluation Period

Following the completion of each semester, the OSFAS will identify financial aid recipients who have not received any passing grades.  Students who do not earn any credits in a given semester are required to demonstrate academic engagement by verifying their participation in an academically-related activity at the University.  The OSFAS will email affected students after each semester, notifying them of the necessary steps to retain their financial aid offer.

Students failing to respond and provide appropriate documentation by the deadline listed in the email will have their financial aid offer reduced, which may result in a balance due to the university.  No exceptions will be made to the published Academic Engagement deadline.

Financial Aid Impact

The OSFAS will determine the percentage (up to 100%) of federal student aid that may be retained on your account. This percentage will be determined based on the latest possible date upon which you are able to document attendance at an "academically-related activity" for the semester in question. If it's determined that you failed to earn 100% of your federal student aid, the OSFAS will perform a Return to Title IV calculation and adjustments may be made to your account that could result in a reduction to your federal financial aid awards in the given term.

Students who do not respond by the deadline indicated in the communication sent by our office will be subject to a Return to Title IV calculation based on the 50% point in the semester and the OSFAS will reduce the student’s financial aid by approximately one-half.

Please be aware that a reduction of your financial aid may generate a balance on your University fee bill, and a hold may be placed on your account. For more information about your fee bill, and how to pay any outstanding balances, please visit the Bursar’s website at Bursar's Website.

Verifying Your Academic Engagement

If you have incomplete grades on your transcript for a given semester, take the following steps:

  1. Contact your professor and request that your grade be posted
  2. Submit the 2023-2024 Verification of Academic Engagement Form to the OSFAS by the required deadline

If you received no passing grades for the given semester, take the following steps:

  1. Submit the 2023-2024 Verification of Academic Engagement Form by the required deadline
  2. Submit all necessary supporting documentation as outlined on the form