What To Know Before Withdrawing
A student who wishes to officially withdraw from the University must do so by emailing the Academic Resource Center at withdraw@coastal.edu. A student who ceases to attend courses may be considered an unofficial withdrawal. Refer to the checklist below – some or all may apply depending upon the situation. A student should also check the university’s official academic calendar for important dates and W/WF deadlines for each term.
A student interested in a Medical or Psychological Withdrawal should contact Student Health Services or Counseling Services.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
A student is awarded financial aid and scholarships assuming they will earn all of their aid by attending the entire semester. If a student withdraws or ceases to attend prior to completing over 60% of the term*, a pro-rated portion of the federal financial aid dollars must be considered "unearned" and returned to the federal programs. This could cause a student to owe the university a significant amount of money upon withdrawal. Institutional, state, and private aid may also be reduced as a result of the withdrawal. If federal funds are returned due to a withdrawal, the student will receive a letter from Financial Aid & Scholarships indicating the amount of federal aid returned. In addition to the amount of federal aid that CCU must return, a student who received financial aid for other educational costs, including off-campus living expenses, may be required to repay a portion of those funds to the federal aid programs. Failure to return aid to the federal aid programs will result in loss of eligibility for federal aid assistance. A student who withdraws may also be at risk for future aid eligibility due to not meeting scholarship renewal requirements and/or satisfactory academic progress standards. For questions, please contact a financial aid counselor at finaid@coastal.edu or at (843) 349-2313.
A student who withdraws may also be reported to the National Clearinghouse as attending less than halftime. A student with loans (Direct Student Loans/Direct Parent Loans/private loans) may be placed into their grace period and/or repayment as a result of not being enrolled at least halftime. Please reach out to your loan servicer/lender for questions regarding repayment options.
A student who received a Direct Student Loan and/or the TEACH grant from CCU is required to complete exit loan counseling. This can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov.
Student Accounts
Any adjustments to your tuition/fees will be based on the date on which a student completed the withdrawal process. Please see CCU’s tuition refund schedule. If a student is entitled to a refund, it will be automatically sent by direct deposit or a check to the student’s permanent home address. However, a student who drops all classes after the semester begins may find that their financial aid has been decreased or cancelled, and a repayment of some aid or tuition may be due, especially if the student already received a Financial Aid Settlement. Please contact Financial Aid & Scholarships at (843) 349-2313 or finaid@coastal.edu to address your questions about aid.
University Housing/Meal Plans
A student who lives in University Housing should contact their Community Coordinator to schedule a time to check out, and return their key prior to leaving campus. A student who withdraws may have University Housing/Meal Plan charges prorated, but may also be subject to cancellation fees.
Veteran's Benefits
A student receiving Veteran’s Benefits, may be responsible for returning funds to the VA. Please contact Veteran Services with questions.
*Per federal regulation, the date of the institution's determination that the student withdraws varies depending on the type of withdrawal. For example, if a student begins the official withdrawal process or provides official notification to the school of his or her intent to withdraw, the date of the institution's determination that the student withdraws would be the date the student begins the official withdrawal process or the date of the student's notification, whichever is later.