Withdrawals

Last date to drop with a refund

SPC students receive a 100% refund on all tuition and fees for classes dropped prior to the last date to drop with a refund. If the student is receiving financial aid, any refund will first be credited to the program from which financial aid was disbursed.

No Show policy

Through Spring 2024, SPC's No Show policy requires the faculty to take attendance during the first two weeks of classes and report any student who did not attend. Any student who does not attend at least one class during the first two weeks of the course will 1) be reported as a No Show in that class, 2) will receive a W grade and 3) be fully charged for tuition and fees.

Beginning in summer 2024, SPC's No Show policy will change. Faculty will be required to take attendance during the first week of classes and report any student who did not attend. Any student who does not attend at least one class during the first week of the course will be dropped from the class without fee liability.

Students are not allowed to receive financial aid for classes which they were reported as a No Show. The student's financial aid will be adjusted based on the enrollment status.

Attendance policy

Regular class attendance and participation is critical to student success and expected of all students. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of their instructor's individual policies. Active participation is defined as attending and engaging in class activities directly related to learning. Requirements for active participation may differ by instructor and course modality (e.g. online, Live Online, blended and on-campus). College policy requires the instructor to report any student who is not actively participating at the 60% point of a class. The instructor will report the student by the end of the week immediately following the 60% point of the class, and the student will be withdrawn from the course and assigned a "W" grade.

Academic consequences = grade of "W" or "WF"

Official withdrawal
Students who wish to withdraw completely from SPC are not able to totally withdraw from all classes through MySPC. A student must see a career and academic advisor on campus, call 727-341-4772 to speak with an advisor, or submit an online advising request.

If you withdraw on or before the Last day to withdraw with a “W”, you will receive a grade of “W.” If you withdraw after the Last day to withdraw with a “W,” you will receive a “WF,” which has the same impact on your GPA as an “F.”

Unofficial withdrawal
If a student stops attending all classes with no notification given to the college, the student is considered unofficially withdrawn. If an instructor cannot determine a student’s active participation for a specific course, the student will automatically receive a grade of “WF,” which has the same impact on your GPA as an "F."

Financial consequences = need to repay funds

If a student officially or unofficially withdraws from all courses on or before the Withdrawal deadlines, the student will be required to repay all or part of the financial aid disbursed in that term.

The Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation is determined by the number of days that a student attended classes during the term. If a student attends less than 60% of the term, the student will need to repay a portion of their financial aid. For students who officially withdraw, the calculation will be made within 30 days of the withdrawal date and confirmation of active participation at the 61% point will be verified. For students who unofficially withdraw, the calculation will be made within 30 days of the end of the term based on the student completing 50% of the term.

There are also financial consequences for  who receive a grade of "W" or "WF".

Here’s an example (actual amounts will vary): 

*Once a student has completed more than 60% of the term, the student will not incur repayment of financial aid funds; however, future financial aid could be affected due to not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Return to Title IV (R2T4) Policy

SPC’s tuition refund policy is separate from the federal requirement to return funds when a student withdraws. The amount returned is not dependent on if the student received a refund or how much the refund was.

Funds that are required to be returned on behalf of the student will be sent within 45 days of the withdrawal date. Federal regulations require Title IV aid to be refunded in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant

The student (or parents for a PLUS loan) must return any loans funds in accordance with the terms of their promissory note(s). That is, the student makes scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.

For grants, the law requires the student return 50% of any grant funds they receive. Any amount the student is required to return is a grant overpayment. SPC will repay any grant overpayment to the applicable federal program on the student's behalf and the student will be billed by SPC for any funds returned on their behalf.

SPC will notify the student when a calculation is performed. The student will be billed for any outstanding obligations. If a student does not repay within 45 days of notification, the student is not allowed to register for a future term and is not eligible for further financial aid.

Withdrawal from Express, First 8-Week or Second 8-Week Session

If a student completes one course, no calculation is required. If the student does not complete one course, the calculation will be completed.

Students who withdraw from the First 8 Week Session will have the calculation completed. However, if the student provides SPC with a statement of their intent to attend the Second 8 Week Session, they will not have the calculation completed. If the student does not attend the Second 8 Week Session or does not complete at least one class within either module, the calculation will be completed based on their attendance.

If you do decide to withdraw

Two items to complete your withdrawal:

1. Complete Student Loan Exit Counseling (first step in successful repayment, required when a student withdraws and allows you to obtain your official transcript from SPC).
2. Activate your iontuition^TM account (immediate access to your personalized profile showing your federal student loan and grant information)

Note the following important information regarding your student loans:

• Repayment begins six months after graduation, dropping below half-time or withdrawing. On-time repayment will help you establish a good credit rating. Stay in contact with your student loan servicer to stay on top of what you owe.
• See It's MY FUTURE! for more information on successful student loan repayment.
• Call i3 Group at 855-693-4932 to speak with a trained student loan counselor with any questions .