Types of aid available

See financial aid portal, or reach out to the Financial Aid Office at [email protected].

Costs

Loan Disclosure

Loan Information

Entrance Counseling

Exit Counseling

Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974

Warren Wilson College informs students of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) of 1974. This Act was designed to protect the privacy of education records, establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data through informal and formal hearings. Students also have the right to file complaints with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Office concerning alleged failures by the institution to comply with the Act. Local policy explains in detail the procedures to be used by the institution for compliance with the provisions to the Act. Copies of the policy are on file in the Office of the Registrar. 

To view information about FERPA visit: https://my.warren-wilson.edu/ICS/Academic_Resources/ParentFamily_Access.jnz

For campus help with updating or changing your FERPA permissions (seeing academic grades, paying bills, judicial conduct record, and other educational record info), please contact:

Registrar’s Office, Laursen

[email protected]

(828) 771-3015

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6.2.1 Institutional Withdrawal and Reduction of Charges

The Warren Wilson College withdrawal and refund policy is established to provide equitable treatment to finances of both the student and the college.  Since Warren Wilson College makes financial commitments on behalf of each student at the time of enrollment, those costs will be shared with the student as explained in the following policies.  

The college operates on a traditional semester basis (minimum of 15 weeks).  Academic credit is awarded by the semester.  Tuition, food, housing, and fees are charged by the semester.  Financial aid is awarded and posted to the student account by the semester (not the “term”).  A minimum of 12 attempted (registered) credits is determined to be full-time and will be charged at the full-time rate. 

• If a student lives in a residence hall, the student is required to be full-time and will be charged for a minimum of 12 credits; however, a student’s aid will be adjusted if they fail to register full-time.  
• If a student’s aid package is based upon the student attending Warren Wilson College full-time, the student is required to register, attend, and complete a minimum of 12 credits.  
• If a student registers for 12 credits, begins attendance in all courses but fails to complete those 12 credits due to an official withdrawal from the college, the student’s aid status will be evaluated and determined by the college’s “Satisfactory Academic Progress Policies.”  
• If a student registers for 12 credits but fails to begin attendance in all or part of those courses prior to an official withdrawal from the college, the student’s federal and state aid will be recalculated to three-quarter, half-time, or less-than-half-time. The withdrawal calculation will then be processed based upon the student’s reduced aid package (costs will not be reduced).  
• The student is particularly vulnerable to financial issues if they are registered for Term 2 or Term 4 courses that make the student full-time (minimum 12 credits) and the student withdraws prior to beginning attendance in those Term 2 or Term 4 courses.
• Students are not responsible for the balance of the semester charges and required/applicable fees if the college receives a written notice of withdrawal before the first day of classes begins. If for any reason enrollment is canceled on the first day of classes or after classes begin, the tuition and food and housing charges for the semester will be reduced depending upon the period of time the student has been enrolled. Fees are not refundable. Financial Aid will be reviewed and adjusted/reduced according to federal Return to Title IV  guidelines if withdrawal occurs before 60% of the semester has been completed.  Federal guidelines for calculating the return of financial aid are different from the tuition reduction of charges policy, so a return of any  financial aid funds may result in a balance due to Warren Wilson College. 

6.2.2 Institutional Withdrawal Policy

A student may begin the process of an official withdrawal by contacting the Center of Academic and Integrated Advising and Careers on the first floor of Jensen. The date of determination will be the date that the college is notified of the student’s decision to withdraw.  This may be verbal notification; however, written notice is preferred.  If a withdrawal is by written notice, the withdrawal date is the date the student begins the official process or otherwise gives notification to a campus official. If there are extenuating circumstances determined to be beyond the student’s control such as illness, accident or grievous personal loss, the Dean of Student Life can, prior to the last day of classes within the current semester, set a withdrawal date based upon the student’s last documented date of attendance at an academically-related activity.  

A student establishes an academic record once the student registers for a class. In order to complete the official withdrawal process, in addition to the exit interview process completed by the student during their visit to the Center for Integrated Advising and Careers, the VP for Student Life will notify the Registrar’s Office of the student’s decision. The Registrar will inform the student’s instructor(s) and academic advisor who will follow the same guidelines as “Withdrawing from a Course” (refer to the academic catalog for more detailed information). Should a student withdraw from school after the end of the fourth week of a term course or the end of the ninth week of a semester course, the student’s instructors will determine a grade of W or WF. Should any grade be recorded as WF, the Scholastic Standards Committee will review the student’s record at the end of the semester.

For financial aid purposes, an unofficial withdrawal date will be set as the midpoint of the payment period (semester) if a student “drops out” without officially completing the exit/withdrawal process through the Center of Integrated Advising and Careers.  It is also an unofficial withdrawal if a student does not pass at least one of the attempted courses since the College cannot make a presumption that the student attended. Charges will not be adjusted for unofficial withdrawals; however, federal grants and loans, both student and parent, will be prorated per the federal return of funds policy (section 4.2.4 of this handbook).  The student will be billed for any aid that was required to be sent back to the federal and/or state government.

6.2.3 Medical or Administrative Withdrawal Policy

Refer to the College Catalog for all Administrative Withdrawal policy information.

Warren Wilson College does not have a preferred lender.

Withdrawal and reduction of charges policy

6.2.4 Return of Federal Funds (R2T4)

The treatment of Title IV funds is governed by the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Section 484B 34 CFR 668.22 (Return of Federal Funds). The Law requires the college to determine the amount of aid a student earned based upon the length of time the student is enrolled during a payment period (semester). If a student completes 60% or less of the semester, the percentage of the period completed is the percentage of aid earned. Refer to the pro-ration calculation as an example. If a student completes at least one day beyond the first 60% of the semester, the student will have earned 100% of the aid disbursed.  Eligibility for late disbursements will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions are “unofficial withdrawals” as described on the previous page. (Work earnings are excluded from these calculations. The student will be paid for actual hours worked.)  

Software provided by the Department of Education is used to determine your “earned” versus “unearned” federal aid based on your official withdrawal date. 

Financial Aid returned must be allocated in the following order”

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loans
• Federal Parent PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

Students who have acquired any Federal Student Loan while enrolled must complete the required exit counseling on www.studentaid.gov when a student graduates, drops below half time attendance, or withdrawals from the institution at any time.  

6.2.5 Return of State Funds

(Only applies to these state funding programs: NC/VT/others if applicable). Awards made by a state will be refunded back to that state as directed by that state’s policy. Most are consistent with the same process as “Return of Federal Funds”. North Carolina provides us with their own policy and refund calculation worksheet.

State-funded grants are provided to assist students with the cost of attendance on the assumption that the students will attend college for the entire term for which the funds are awarded. When a student withdraws before the end of the term, an institution must determine how much, if any, State grant funds must be returned. The amount an institution must return depends on when the student withdraws. Changes in eligibility if a student reduced his or her original number of enrolled credit hours are addressed in specific program rules. Institutions are required to calculate the amount of funds it must return, when a student withdraws prior to or on the 35% point of the term, via the CFI Grant System. In completing the calculation, the “last date of attendance” is determined consistent with Title IV regulations for a Return of Title IV Funds. “Term” means the academic period for which the State funds are awarded.

• If a student’s last date of attendance can be verified and is prior to or on the 35% point of the term, the State grant repayment will be based on the percent of the term not completed (or the percent of the scheduled hours remaining in the payment period for clock hour schools). • If the last date of attendance occurs after the 35% point of the term, the State grant award is considered 100% earned and no State grant repayment is due. State grant repayment formula: Known last date of attendance, prior to or on the 35% point of the term. 

6.2.6 Return of All Other Funds

This same earned and unearned percentage will be used for the remainder of a student’s institutional financial aid.  

• This includes merit aid, need-based aid, institutional scholarships, and institutional tuition programs including NC Free Tuition Plan and the MilePost One tuition scholarship.   
• NC Free Tuition Plan and MilePost One scholarships will cover the students tuition up until the date of withdrawal.  Funds will be prorated to cover the tuition only reduction of charges.  Any balance remaining will be the responsibility of the student. 
• Any remaining unearned non-federal aid will be returned to WWC institutional and/or private/outside donor funds - in that order.
•  Any designated outside scholarships (civic club, church, etc.) will be handled as instructed by the donor. If there are no special instructions, designated outside scholarships will be applied towards any remaining balance due to Warren Wilson College or refunded to the donor. 
• Alternative educational bank loans and VA Chapter 33 benefits may also be applied towards any remaining balance due to the college. Any remaining alternative loan funds held by WWC after direct costs have been paid will be returned to the borrower’s lender as a prepayment. 

Spring awards cannot be applied towards fall charges.  Any remaining VA Chapter 33 funds will be refunded to the student (VA recipient). The VA recipient will be responsible for repaying, if necessary, any unearned veteran funds to Veteran Affairs. Questions regarding VA benefits should be directed to the Financial Aid Office.

Federal, state, and institutional financial aid policies are subject to change as necessary for WWC to remain in compliance with federal and state regulations.  

For the most updated policy information please visit our website: 

Links: Click here and here

Refund Information

Study abroad students are eligible for Title IV aid. Eligibility for institutional aid when studying abroad depends on the study abroad program. Please contact our office regarding any questions on the specific program you are hoping to apply for!

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