Withdrawals, Leave of Absence and Refund Policy

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The withdrawal process is overseen by the Registrar’s Office.

Visit the withdrawal page to review the process and obtain the necessary forms. 

Cancellation of Charges and Federal Title IV Refund Policy

Since Whittier College makes faculty engagements and other commitments for the entire year, the following tuition cancellation schedule has been established so that students share the cost when it is necessary for them to drop a course or withdraw from the College. These commitments are not subject to change, even though the number of students may vary. For this reason, no deviations from the tuition cancellation schedule will be made. This policy applies to all undergraduate and graduate students who withdraw or take a leave of absence, whether or not they receive federal Title IV financial aid. There is no cancellation of charges for individual courses dropped after the College's "End Drop" published deadline.

Withdrawal or Leave of Absence Process

Students who plan to withdraw or take a leave of absence from Whittier College must contact the Registrar’s office immediately. A student is not considered on leave or to have officially withdrawn from the College until the student submits a completed and signed Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s office. If the Withdrawal Form is not submitted on a business day, the form will be processed on the next business day. This date will also be used to calculate tuition cancellations whenever applicable.

Students who fail to notify the Registrar’s office of their withdrawal will not qualify for tuition cancellation of any kind.

Upon approval from the Registrar, notification of the withdrawal will be forwarded to the Office of Financial Aid, the Business Office, and the Dean of Students to assure timely adjustments to student accounts, financial aid awards and college records.

Return of Title IV Funding - Financial Aid

When a student withdraws from the College, his or her federal financial aid must be returned to the government. The date of withdrawal Whittier College uses for the return of Title IV funds shall be the date the student submits a completed and signed Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s office. The  Office of Financial Aid will apply federal, state, and institutional policy to determine the amount of funding, if any, that must be returned to the Department of Education, as well as any entity of student or parent aid assistance programs.

Return of Institutional Aid

When a student withdraws from the College, financial aid given by the College is also returned to its original source. Institutional aid consists of restricted and unrestricted scholarships, Whittier Grants, endowments, and Whittier loans. The refund or cancellation of institutional financial aid shall follow the pro-rata policy of the "Cancellation of Institutional Charges." The date of withdrawal from Whittier College used for the return of institutional aid shall be the date the student submits a completed and signed Withdrawal Form to the Registrar’s office.