Accelerated Online Program

Students participating in UTA’s Accelerated Online program who meet the FAFSA eligibility requirements are able to receive financial aid to pay toward their courses. Because this online program utilizes many different start dates during each term, it is important for students in the Accelerated Online program to be aware of their program’s policies and how they affect financial aid processes. PLEASE NOTE: Students in nursing certificate programs are not eligible for financial aid.

PELL GRANT RECALCULATION DATE

Undergraduate students seeking their first bachelor’s degree who have an EFC between 0 and 6,206 may be eligible to receive the Federal Pell Grant. Each semester, the UTA Office of Financial Aid establishes a Pell Grant Recalculation Date for students participating in the Accelerated Online Program. Below are the Pell Grant Recalculation Dates for the upcoming semesters:

The UTA Office of Financial Aid strongly encourages students in the Accelerated Online Program to enroll for all of their courses at the beginning of each term in order to receive full Pell Grant funding for the semester. If you are unable to enroll in future courses in the semester due to required prerequisites, you may wish to contact an academic advisor to see if they are able to enroll you in all of your courses for the term.

PLEASE NOTE: The Pell Grant Recalculation Date policy also applies to recipients of the Federal TEACH Grant offer. After the Pell Recalculation Date has passed, the Office of Financial Aid will no longer adjust Federal TEACH Grant offers that have already disbursed for the term (Per federal regulations, a student is not eligible for TEACH Grant funding for a course in which they did not begin attendance).

Students in the Accelerated Online program are subject to the required Federal Return of Title IV Funds calculations if they withdraw from the semester. Please continue below for more information.

As of September 2, 2020 the Department of Education implemented New Withdrawal Exemptions to Completing a R2T4. A student is NOT considered to have withdrawn if the student:

• Completed Program of Study (applies to ALL students) - A student who completes all the requirements for graduation from their program before completing the scheduled days or hours in the period is not considered to have withdrawn.
• Completed Half-Time Enrollment (applies to modules ONLY) - The student must successfully complete Title IV-eligible coursework equal to or greater than what the school considers to be half-time enrollment.
• Completed Modules Spanning 49% of Countable Days (applies to modules ONLY) - A student is not considered to have withdrawn if the student successfully completes one module or a combination of modules that includes 49% or more of the number of the countable days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules. If a student meets any of the R2T4 exemptions, the student is considered a "completer" and is not considered withdrawn for Title IV purposes.

FEDERAL RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS

Students (including those participating in the Accelerated Online program) who receive financial aid and withdraw from UTA are subject to the Return of Title IV Funds policy as required by the U.S. Department of Education (visit the Federal Return of Title IV Funds policy page to read the full description).

The Federal Return of Title IV Funds policy requires that a portion of federal aid be returned to the Department of Education if the student withdraws on or before completing 60% of the semester for which the student received federal aid. Please review the examples below detailing how the Return of Title IV Funds policy affects students in the Accelerated Online Program.

EXAMPLE #1:

A student is enrolled in two courses during the first five-week session

Result: UTA will NOT perform a Return of Title IV Funds Calculation, because the student is still enrolled in an ongoing course.

EXAMPLE #2

A student is enrolled in one course during the first five-week session, and one course during the second five-week session.

Result: UTA will perform a Return of Title IV Funds Calculation, because the student dropped a course and is not enrolled in an ongoing course or any future courses. Completion of one course in a term does not exclude students from being counted as a withdrawal, and UTA is required to determine how much aid the student earned. 

EXAMPLE #3

A student is enrolled in one course during the first five-week session, and one course during the second five-week session.

Result: UTA will email the student to confirm they are still going to be attending the second five-week session.  Our office must receive written confirmation from the student within 14 days, otherwise UTA will perform a Return of Title IV Calculation. If UTA receives written confirmation but the student does not return as scheduled, then a Return of Title IV Funds will be processed as if the student had not provided the written confirmation.

It is important to remember that dropping a course can affect your financial aid eligibility, even if a Return of Title IV funds is not required. Please contact us if you are thinking about dropping a course so we may advise you on how it may affect your financial aid funding.

PAYMENT DUE DATE

Payments for courses in the Accelerated Online Program are due the Friday prior to the start date of each course. It is important to confirm all of your charges are paid prior to the due date to avoid being dropped from your courses for nonpayment.

If your course begins before the financial aid disbursement date for the term, please contact the Office of Student Accounts to confirm whether or not you need to make a payment to avoid being dropped for nonpayment.

If you receive a warning email from the Office of Student Accounts advising that payment is due, you are responsible for making a payment. If you are not sure if your class will be paid by your financial aid prior to the payment due date, please make a payment so you are not dropped from your courses.

Please review our financial aid disbursement page to review the common reasons why financial aid may not disburse and contact us if you have further questions regarding why your aid has not paid toward your charges.