Financial Aid released an email and portal statement informing students of changes to the drop date schedule and, by proxy, the refund check issuance schedule.
The following are the new dates for students to make registration changes within their schedule for the fall semester:
Friday, Aug. 31- Last day to add classes
Sunday, Sept. 9- Last day to drop classes
Monday, Sept. 10- Financial Aid Freeze
Tuesday-Friday, Sept. 11-14- Refund checks will be processed
Note that the September dates for refund check disbursement are three weeks after classes start instead of being the first week of classes, as in previous years.
This change comes because of strides UTM is taking to align more similarly with sister institutions and to create a more consistent data reporting environment.
The reschedule also means that Skyhawks will have an extra week to remove a course from their registration without receiving a “W” on their transcript.
Though there is no limit on the number of withdrawals a student may have on their transcript, because registered classes count as attempted hours toward financial aid purposes, like FAFSA, students who withdraw and receive that W may be penalized by financial aid. FAFSA requires students to pass two-thirds of the class hours they attempt.
Amy Mistric, Assistant Director of Financial Aid, spoke to The Pacer about the changes and said, “We want to ensure refund checks are as accurate as possible.”
For students who may use their refund checks to pay rent, the Department of Financial Aid has said they can send letters to landlords, customized with the student’s name and the amount they will be refunded. To request a letter for your landlord, call 731-881-7040 after July 15.
More information regarding the changes can be found online at http://www.utm.edu/departments/bursar/refund_changes.php or you can follow The Pacer on Facebook for updates.
