Changes in Enrollment & Award Amount

The amounts on your award offer for each semester are based on full-time enrollment (at least twelve (12)units per semester for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students and at least eight (8) for Master’s students). Your actual unit enrollment is checked at the time of disbursement. Your award amount in specific financial aid programs could change if you enroll in less than full-time units. The following describes those changes.

Pell Grant Adjustments

The Pell Grant is pro-rated based on whether a student is ¾ time, ½ time or less than ½ time. Adjustments are as follows:

If you are a Credential student, you must be enrolled in at least six (6) units that apply toward your credential in order to receive a Pell grant award.

Note: Some Pell Grant awards are reduced to zero for less than full-time attendance based on having a higher EFC.

State University Grant Adjustments

The amount of your State University Grant (SUG) is based on the amount you are charged for the State University Fee. Students who enroll in six(6) or fewer units are charged a lower fee, and students enrolled in seven (7) or more units are charged a higher fee.

Note: The State University Fee charged for a Classified Graduate student is determined by the actual units enrolled rather than by weighted unit value for academic purposes.

SUG (State University Fee) reductions are as follows:

Undergraduate Awards

Credential and Continuing Credential

Graduates, Unclassified Graduates, 2nd Bachelors & 2nd Credential

State University Grant (Access) Adjustments

This award is for undergraduates and initial credential candidates enrolled in 12 or more units each semester. If you are enrolled in less than 12 units, your award will be cancelled for that semester.

Cal Grant A and B Fees Portion Reductions

Similar to the SUG, the amount of the fees portion of your Cal Grant is based on the amount you are charged for the State University Fee. Students who enroll in six (6) or fewer units are charged a lower fee, and students enrolled in seven (7) or more units are charged a higher fee. However, students who are enrolled in fewer than six (6) units are not eligible for their Cal Grant.

Cal Grant (fees portion) reductions are as follows:

Cal Grant B Stipend Reductions

The stipend is pro-rated as follows:

SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)

This grant is not subject to any reductions based on unit load.

EOP Students

Students are expected to be enrolled full-time. If you are an EOP student planning to enroll in fewer than twelve (12) units, you are required to contact the Student Academic Services Advising/EOP Office at (707) 664-2427 to obtain a Part-time Authorization.

Direct Loans & Perkins Loans

You must be enrolled in at least six (6) units to be eligible for Direct loans (Master’s students meet this requirement with 4.0 units). Perkins recipients are allowed to be in one or more units, however, the repayment begins if enrolled in less than half-time.

Failure to Begin Attendance

If you register for class, receive a financial aid check and then never attend at least one meeting of each class, you are not eligible for any assistance and must return all funds received no later than fifteen (15) days from the date classes begin. If you received Direct Loan funds (Stafford or PLUS loans) and you do not return that check to Sonoma State University, the U.S. Department of Education will be notified that you were ineligible for disbursement and the Department will bill you for immediate repayment of the amount disbursed to you. Until that amount is repaid in full, you will be ineligible for any additional federal or state aid. If you received any grant funds, those funds must be returned, in full, to Sonoma State University, Customer Services, located in Salazar Hall. If the funds are not returned within the above stated timeframe, a hold will be placed on your Sonoma State University account and you will not have access to transcripts or be allowed to register for subsequent semesters until that amount is repaid.

Dropping or Withdrawing from Courses

There is a difference between dropping a course and withdrawing from a course. Dropping a course is done during the add/drop period. The units do not stay on your transcript, and you never receive a grade for this course. Withdrawing from a course occurs after the add/drop period. Because you are past the deadline to add or drop, you can only “withdraw” from the course. The course appears on your transcript, and you get a grade of a “W.” The “W” has no impact on your GPA, but it can affect your financial aid standing.

How Dropping Units Affects Your Eligibility for Financial Aid

If you drop units (during the drop period) after your aid has disbursed, you may become ineligible for some or all of the aid that has been disbursed to you, depending on the number of units you now have and the types of aid you were disbursed. If this is the case, you will be required to pay that aid back. You will be sent a bill in the mail notifying you of how much is owed back and why. When this billing process begins, a hold will be placed on your account which, until cleared, will prevent the release of any further aid, will block registration for classes, and will prevent the release of academic transcripts until the hold is cleared.

Conversely, if you add units after your initial disbursement and become eligible for additional funds (for example, in the case of the Pell grant which is pro-rated), additional disbursements will automatically be made to you.

How Withdrawing from Courses Affects Your Financial Aid

If you withdraw from a course or courses after the add/drop period, but still remain in at least one unit, you will not be billed for any of your financial aid. However, depending on how many units you still have remaining, you may not meet the Financial Aid Office (FAO) requirements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). If you enter into a Financial Aid Probation (FAP) or Lack of Progress (LOP) status you will be sent a letter notifying you of the situation and what you must do to resolve it. For more details about Satisfactory Academic Progress, please visit that section of our website.

Withdrawal from All Courses

If you withdraw from all courses for a semester you are required to complete and file a Total Withdrawal from SSU form with Admissions & Records, on the second floor in Salazar Hall. Students who are eligible for a refund of fees or other University charges may request the appropriate forms at that time. The Registrar will notify the Financial Services Office of the date that you have formally withdrawn.

You will be informed by the FAO as to whether you will be expected to return any of the aid you received to the Department of Education and/or Sonoma State University.

Total Withdrawals After the 60% Point of the Semester

If you formally withdraw after the 60% point of the semester, you and the University have, by federal Return of Funds definition, "earned" all of the aid disbursed.

Total Withdrawals on or Before the 60% Point of the Semester

If the date you totally withdraw from Sonoma State University is prior to or on the 60% point of the semester, the University is required to determine what portion of the aid disbursed was "earned" by you and the University. The "earned" amount will be based on the percentage of the semester that has elapsed based on the date the student last attended classes. The student and/or SSU must return any “unearned” aid, as defined by federal Return of Title IV calculations.

Failure to Notify the University of Withdrawal

Failure to notify the University when you stop attending all classes is considered an Unofficial Total Withdrawal. Faculty will assign a grade of "WU"or "NC" (Unofficial Withdrawal). When a student is assigned a "WU"or "NC" grade for all courses for a semester, federal Return of Title IV regulations require that an institution calculate the "earned" amount based on the 50% point of the semester. "Unearned" aid must be returned as described above. This situation could also affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

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