Section 5: Financial Aid Programs:

Enrollment Policy and Transfer of Credits for Financial Aid

Undergraduate Students

Financial aid is offered based on the assumption that undergraduate students will be enrolled for 9–11 credits per 12-week quarter for the entire period of the financial aid offer. When students enroll for fewer credits in a term, their aid may be adjusted prior to disbursement to reflect their current enrollment status. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to remain eligible for federal student loans. Undergraduate students enroll in two sequential courses over the 12-week quarter. Students should register for both courses before the start of the 12-week quarter to avoid disbursement delays. Courses that do not count toward the student’s degree or certificate requirements (such as student success courses) cannot be used to determine enrollment status.

Please note that if both courses are in the second 6 weeks of the quarter, the disbursement will be delayed until Day 12 of the course. 

Undergraduate Student Transfer of Credits

The Office of Financial Aid uses official transfer credits as approved by the Office of Admissions to determine annual Federal Direct Loan limits for undergraduate students. In most cases, students receive an initial Federal Direct Loan at the first-year undergraduate level. The Office of Financial Aid will review official transfer credits approved during the first quarter of enrollment and update the loan amount accordingly. If additional transfer credits are approved after the first quarter of enrollment, students may contact the Office of Financial Aid for possible grade level loan increases. Students who qualify for additional funding will be notified via email to their Walden University email account.

Graduate Students

Financial aid is offered for most programs based on the assumption that students will be enrolled in at least 6 credits per term for the entire period of the financial aid offer. When students enroll for fewer credits in a term, their aid may be adjusted prior to disbursement to reflect their current enrollment status. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to remain eligible for federal student aid. Courses that do not count toward the student’s degree or certificate requirements (such as student success courses) cannot be used to determine enrollment status. If students are enrolled half-time for multiple terms consecutively, their renewal offer will be based on that half-time status. Students processed this way who change to full time may contact the Office of Financial Aid to borrow the difference between the part-time cap and the $20,500 unsubsidized loan maximum if they are below due to this reason.

Financial aid is offered based on the assumption that students will agree to the minimum credit equivalencies per subscription period as defined by program. Credit equivalencies that do not count toward the student’s degree or certificate requirements (such as student success credit equivalencies) cannot be used to determine enrollment status for federal aid.

Program	Minimum Credit Equivalencies per Subscription Period
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN Completion Program): RN-BSN Track and RN-BSN-AIM Track	11.25
BS in Business Administration	11.25
BS in Criminal Justice	11.25
BS in Early Childhood Studies	11.25
BS in Health Studies	11.25
BS in Healthcare Management	11.25
BS in Public Health	11.25
Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Administration, Management, and Leadership	3.75
Master of Business Administration (MBA)	4.5
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)	6.625
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) BSN-MSN Track	6.625
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) RN-MSN Track	6.625
MS in Criminal Justice	6
MS in Early Childhood Studies	4.125
MS in Human Resource Management	3.75
MS in Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology	6
MS in Psychology	6

* Please note that the Graduate Certificate in Applied Project Management is not listed since it is not approved by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV funds.

Transfer of Credits for Tempo Learning® Programs

The Office of Financial Aid uses official transfer credits as approved by the Office of Admissions in the following federal student aid determinations and the date that transfer credits are approved may impact the amount and timing of federal student aid disbursements.

Transfer credits do not count as credit equivalencies earned during the payment period to receive the next disbursement.

Transfer credits approved on or before the date of packaging will be used to calculate the remining portion of the student’s program to determine the academic year length.  The academic year will not be reduced based on transfer credits approved after the date of packaging.  Transfer credits approved after the date of packaging will be used to determine the remaining portion of the student’s program to calculate the next academic year length.

For undergraduate students, transfer credits determine annual Federal Direct Loan limits.  In most cases, students receive an initial Federal Direct Loan at the first-year undergraduate level.  Walden will review transfer credits through the end of the first subscription period to automatically increase the annual undergraduate Direct Loan(s) based on grade level.  Transfer credits accepted after the first subscription will be used to determine annual loan limits for the next award year.  Students who qualify for additional funding will be notified via email to their Walden University email account.  Please note:  While the Office of Financial Aid can increase loan amounts based on official transfer credits, we cannot increase loan amounts based on credit equivalencies earned at Walden University during a financial aid academic year.

Undergraduate loan proration is required at the program end when the student’s credits remaining are less than an academic year.  Transfer credits received after the last packaging date that would otherwise shorten the academic year will not require proration since they were not known at the time of packaging.

Course-Based Programs:

 

Full-Time Enrollment

• Undergraduate students enrolled for 12 or more credits per term are considered full time; this includes students enrolled in preparatory courses for the Master of Science in Nursing.
• Graduate students in course-based programs enrolled for a minimum of 6 credits per term are considered full time.
• Students in KAM- or KAM/course-based programs are considered to be enrolled full time.

Three-Quarter-Time Enrollment

• Undergraduate students enrolled for 9 to 11 credits per term are considered enrolled three-quarter time; this includes student enrolled in preparatory courses for the Master of Science in Nursing.

• Graduate students enrolled for at least 4.5 credits but less than 6 credits per term are considered enrolled three-quarter time.

Half-Time Enrollment

• Undergraduate students registered for 6 to 8 credits per term are considered enrolled half time.
• Graduate students registered for at least 3 credits but less than 4.5 credits per term are considered enrolled half time; this includes students enrolled in preparatory courses for the Master of Science in Nursing.

Less Than Half-Time Enrollment

• Undergraduate students registered for fewer than 6 credits per term are considered enrolled less than half time; this includes students enrolled in preparatory courses for the Master of Science in Nursing.

• Graduate students registered for fewer than 3 credits per term are considered enrolled less than half time.

Notes: Students enrolled less than half time are not eligible for federal loans or loan deferment. First-time undergraduates may be eligible for a federal Pell Grant.

 

Tempo Learning® Programs:

 

Full-Time and Half-Time Enrollment

Full-time credits for Tempo undergraduate and graduate programs are defined for each program according to the table below.  Half-time credits are half of the full-time credits.  The full-time credits and weeks are prorated when the student has less than the full-time credit equivalencies remaining to complete the program at the start of a new academic year. 

Program	Full-Time Weeks in the Defined Academic Year	Full-Time Credit Equivalencies in the Defined Academic Year
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN to BSN Completion Program): RN-BSN Track and RN-BSN-AIM Track	52	45
BS in Business Administration	52	45
BS in Criminal Justice	52	45
BS in Early Childhood Studies	52	45
BS in Health Studies	52	45
BS in Healthcare Management	52	45
BS in Public Health	52	45
Graduate Certificate in Early Childhood Administration, Management, and Leadership	52	15
Master of Business Administration (MBA)	52	18
Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA)	52	26.5
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) BSN-MSN Track	52	26.5
MS in Criminal Justice	52	24
MS in Early Childhood Studies	52	16.5
MS in Human Resource Management	52	15
MS in Industrial and Organizational (I/O) Psychology	52	24
MS in Psychology	52	24

 

For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit Washington Student Loan Advocate or contact the Student Loan Advocate via email.

Federal financial aid is offered based on an estimate of the student’s eligibility. The Office of Financial Aid may have to cancel or reduce financial aid before or after disbursement, based on new information that becomes available after the time of the financial aid offer or disbursement. Students will be notified via email to their Walden University email account if an adjustment is made to their financial aid offer. Examples of changes that would require adjustments to aid are as follows:

• Student does not begin attendance in any courses.
• Federal Pell Grant recipient does not begin attendance in all courses of the term or their amount of registered credits has changed. Walden’s Pell recalculation date is the first day of Week 8. This means the total credits registered with participation determine the Pell Grant amount.
• Student withdraws from all courses in the term (officially or unofficially).
• Student takes a leave of absence from a course based program.
• Student receives other resources not reported at the time of the financial aid offer or disbursement.
• Student becomes federally ineligible based on the receipt of updated information from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Student does not meet course participation requirements.
• Student enrolls in only one course, which may require an adjustment of federal aid. (Most students are offered financial aid based on the assumption of enrollment in two classes per quarter/semester.)
• Change of program.

Note: In some instances, a federal Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation will be required. Please refer to Federal Return of Title IV (R2T4) Funds for more details. 

Students who withdraw from a course in the first part of a term and remain registered for a course in the second part of a term will be reviewed for R2T4. Students may submit a confirmation of return for a later course to prevent an R2T4. If the student indicates in writing that they will return, and they do not return, a federal Return to Title IV calculation will be processed using the earlier withdrawal date.

Students withdrawing from any or all courses in the term prior to the completion of 60% of the quarter/semester may find that funds are owed to the university as a result of the required Return to Title IV calculation process.

Students who stop engaging in academically related activities during the term, without officially withdrawing from the courses, are subject to the Return to Title IV calculation. In such cases, the last date of academically related activity, as determined by the university, is used as the withdrawal date for the term.

Please note that withdrawal is different from drop. Dropping is when a student enrolls in a course and decides not to stay enrolled any time before it starts or within the first 7 days. If a student discontinues taking a course after the 7th day, then the student will be considered having withdrawn from that point on. Prior to withdrawing from all courses in the term or ceasing to engage in academically related activities, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine the amount of federal aid that must be returned. Federal student aid may not cover all unpaid charges due to the university upon the student’s withdrawal.

Students who officially withdraw from the Tempo Learning® program will be subject to the Return to Title IV calculation on a payment period basis. The withdrawal date for students who officially withdraw from the program will be the last date of engagement as documented within the learning platform.

Student engagement in the learning platform is continually tracked and monitored on a weekly basis. If a student has failed to demonstrate engagement in the learning platform for 30 consecutive days, the student will be considered an unofficial withdrawal and will be administratively withdrawn from the program.

Every student is required to submit a Customized Learning Plan (CLP) by Day 14 of each 3-month subscription period. This submission signifies the start of academic engagement for the period. If a student does not submit a CLP by Day 14, the student is considered an unofficial withdrawal, and the student will be administratively withdrawn from the university.

Students who are administratively withdrawn will be subject to the return of Title IV funds using the last date of engagement as the withdrawal date.

A student who takes a university-approved leave of absence (LOA) is considered, for financial aid purposes, to have withdrawn from the school. The Return to Title IV refund calculation applies to both university-approved leaves of absence and withdrawals for recipients of Title IV aid.

When a student loan borrower begins a university-approved leave of absence, the student’s repayment begins after the grace period is over. Students are advised that once a grace period is utilized, there is no provision allowing an additional grace period, and students will go into repayment. Students with federal financial aid or federal loan obligations are advised to contact their servicer to ascertain their loan repayment status during the leave of absence.   

The Tempo Learning® leave of absence (LOA) policy permits students to request a leave of absence if the student is experiencing hardships that make effective academic progress unusually difficult. A leave of absence is defined as a temporary break (30–180 calendar days) for students from their program with a clear intent to return to the program of study. Students who enter into an approved leave of absence (LOA) will not be considered a withdrawal unless they fail to return from leave as scheduled. In such cases, students will be subject to the return of Title IV funds using the last date of engagement as the withdrawal date.

Students may be approved for multiple LOAs, but the total of all LOAs may not exceed 180 calendar days in a 12-month period. Students on an approved LOA will not be assessed any additional institutional charges and will not receive federal financial disbursements.

The receipt of additional other financial assistance (OFA) and/or a reduction in the cost of attendance that was not accounted for at the time of the initial financial aid offer may cause an overaward of federal funds. (The term “overaward” refer to any financial assistance that exceeds a student’s financial need and/or cost of attendance.) Other financial assistance (OFA) includes but is not limited to the following: scholarships, grants, graduate PLUS Loans, third party payments, and other resources. In such instances, the Office of Financial Aid will correct the overaward by adjusting the federal financial aid offer. Federal aid may be adjusted by reducing or reallocating funds prior to disbursement or returning funds to federal programs if disbursement has already occurred. The highest cost loans will be reduced before any reduction is made to scholarship or grant offers.