How Does Severe Weather Impact the Length Of the Payment Period Or Period Of Enrollment?

In accordance with Dear Colleague Letter GEN-17-08 and its attachment, if a school is located in an area impacted by a federally declared disaster, "the institution should not include the number of days on which classes were not offered as a result of the disaster in either the numerator or denominator of the Return of Title IV Funds calculations for students whose withdrawal date is after such an unscheduled break."

If an institution is affected by a localized event such as severe winter weather which has caused it to close for a day or more (e.g., unscheduled breaks for “snow days”, ice storms, etc.), it should contact its U.S. Department of Education (ED) School Participation Division for guidance on how the situation impacts its academic calendar and the length of the payment period/period of enrollment for R2T4 purposes.

Consistent with ED guidance under "Changing or Correcting an R2T4 Calculation" in Volume 5, Chapter 2 of the FSA Handbook, it is NASFAA’s understanding that an institution should not recalculate an R2T4 calculation which was originally performed using the payment period/period of enrollment dates which were correct at the time of the calculation. Beyond that, an institution should contact its School Participation Division for guidance on how subsequent calendar changes impact their withdrawal calculations.

Student Aid Reference Desk: For additional information, try the Student Aid Reference Desk. It is a central hub of all the important financial aid resources you need with direct links to legislation, regulation, Dear Colleague Letters, and other ED and NASFAA references. It is updated on a rolling basis with the latest news and changes. Search Return of Title IV Funds.