Financial Aid Add|Drop Census Date Policy
Financial Aid
Add/Drop Census Date
Policy: Dropping, Adding, or Withdrawing from Courses
Typically, the initial calculation of Federal Pell Grants are prepared based on anticipated full-time enrollment each term. Sinclair recalculates Federal Pell Grant awards based on attendance and/or schedule adjustments up to the student census date. After the student census date, a student's Federal Pell Grant will not be adjusted for drops or adds even if the student has been attending class. However, if the student fails to complete all of his or her scheduled courses in the term, a Return of Title IV Funds calculation is required, and an adjustment may be made by Sinclair.
Federal Pell Grant awards will be based on the number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled as of the student census date. If a student withdraws from or drops all of his or her courses on the same date, then the student census date will be the latest census date for the course(s) they dropped with record. Students are strongly encouraged to finalize their course schedule no later than the start of the term.
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DEFINITIONS |
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Add |
A course added by the student to his or her schedule. |
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Drop |
A course dropped by the
student from his or her schedule on or before the course census date.
No grade will be issued
for the dropped
course. The course
will not be part of the student's academic record (a drop without
record). |
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Withdrawal |
A course dropped by the student from
his or her schedule after
the course census
date. A grade
of "W" (withdrawal) will be issued
for the course. The course will
be part of the student's academic record (a drop with record). |
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Purged |
The process used
by the school to remove
courses from a student's schedule for non-payment of
tuition and fees. |
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Cancelled |
A course removed by the
school due to cancellation (e.g. due to low course
enrollment). |
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Course Census Date |
The last date to add a course or drop a course with the
possibility of a refund and without record. See the Sinclair Community College Registration Calendar for specific dates for a given
academic year. |
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Student Census Date |
The latest course census date for all of the student's registered courses for a specific term. For example, in the Fall term a student has a full-term course (census date is Aug. 31), an A term course (census date is Aug. 28), and a B term course (census date is October 23 which is the latest starting course). The student census date is October 23. All adds or drops that occur on or before October 23, will be considered when determining the student's enrollment level and the amount of federal financial aid the student will receive. |
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Enrollment Levels |
Level |
Credit Hours |
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Full Time |
12
or more |
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Three-Quarter Time |
9 - 11 |
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Half-Time |
6 - 8 |
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Less Than Half-Time |
1 - 5 |
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Credit Hours Included or Not Included in Determining
Enrollment Levels for Federal Financial Aid |
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Pell Grant |
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Federal Loans |
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Student Enrollment Activity |
Before Course
Census Date |
After Course Census
Date but Before Student Census |
After Student
Census Date |
Before Loan
Disbursed to Student Account |
After Loan
Disbursed to Student Account |
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Add |
Included |
Included |
Not included |
Disbursement allowed if at least 6 Title IV credit hours |
NA - if the activity occurred after the federal loan was disbursed, no adjustment is made. |
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Drop without record
(Drop) |
Not included |
NA - cannot drop without record after the course census
date |
NA - cannot drop without record after the course census
date |
Disbursement not allowed if at least 6 Title IV credit
hours after excluding the dropped
hours. |
NA - if the activity occurred after the federal loan was disbursed, no adjustment is made. |
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Drop with record (Withdrawal) |
NA - cannot drop with record before the course census
date |
Not included |
Included |
Disbursement not allowed if at least 6 Title IV credit
hours after excluding the dropped
hours. |
NA - if the activity occurred after the federal loan was disbursed, no adjustment is made. |
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Purged |
Not included |
Not included |
Included |
Disbursement not allowed if at least 6 Title IV credit
hours after excluding the dropped
hours. |
NA - if the activity occurred after the federal loan was disbursed, no adjustment is made. |
- Last Revised: 10/27/2022