In some cases, it is in the best interest of the student to take time off from Cleveland Institute of Art for a period of time. Students have the option to withdraw from the institution or take a temporary leave of absence. Withdrawing from the institution indicates no intention to return whereas a leave of absence indicates an intention to return within one year. To understand the best option for you, please speak with your academic advisor, the Office of Financial Aid, and Student Accounts Office to understand the curricular and financial impact of this decision. If a student is considering taking time off from the College, the student should still continue to go to class until they have decided. If a student has made the decision to separate from the College, it is imperative that the student begin the withdrawal process with their academic advisor within 10 days of the last class attended. The last day of attendance is defined as the last day a student attends class for federal purposes. Students seeking to withdraw from CIA during a semester will receive “W” course grades on courses if the withdrawal is requested by the Course Withdrawal deadline (end of the 10th week of the semester). For CIA Withdrawal requests after the course withdrawal deadline, students are subject to final grades as determined by the instructor based on the syllabus, unless a student related medical exception is determined by the Dean of Students Office in which case a “W” course grade may be issued. Students who withdraw from CIA cannot request incomplete grades.

Students and their families should be aware that the requirement to return federal, state, or CIA-funded assistance often results in a balance due to the College. The student and/ or family is responsible for paying any balance resulting from the return of federal, state, private, or CIA-funded assistance.

Student-Initiated Withdrawal

Students can initiate withdrawal from the College by submitting a Withdrawal Form, available from Academic Advising. Reasons for withdrawing are documented for purposes of evaluating CIA’s quality of service and in consideration of special or extenuating circumstances.

Students who withdrew from the institution in good standing and who are interested in returning to CIA are required to complete a formal application for re-enrollment, as outlined in the Re-Enrollment policy in the catalog. Students who are reinstated will be expected to follow the curriculum in place at the time of their return.

If, at the time of withdrawal, the student is on academic probation or is separated from the institution, stipulations may be applied for re-enrollment. These may include, for instance, coursework at another institution, documentation from a medical professional of readiness to resume a full course of study, expectations to participate in the student conduct process, or an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for not meeting the criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

Administrative Withdrawal

CIA strongly encourages students to initiate the withdrawal process. Administrative Withdrawal results when:

• Non-attendance occurs. Students may have up to one year (2 semesters-fall/spring or spring/fall) without enrollment. If a student does not enroll for a third consecutive semester, the student will be withdrawn and inactivated. Withdrawn students are subject to re-enrollment and all policies therein. Refer to the Re-Enrollment policy for details.
• Students do not complete payment. Refer to Section 2: Financial Matters for details.
• Students stop attending classes for 14 consecutive days. The College is required to return federal funds if a student stops attending classes for 14 consecutive days (including weekends and holidays) and will therefore initiate the student’s withdrawal on the 14th day. If the 14th day is on or before the course withdraw deadline, the student will receive “W” grades in all courses for that semester. If the 14th day is after the course withdraw deadline, the student will receive failing grades in all courses for that semester.

When administratively withdrawn, students will be charged for tuition, applicable fees, and room based on the schedule described in the Withdrawal Refund Policy.

Leaving Housing (Withdrawal)

Residential students who withdraw from the Institution are subject to the cancellation terms of the Campus Housing Contract. Residential students will have to vacate housing within 72 hours of submitting their withdrawal paperwork. This process begins with working with housing staff to formally check out of the residence hall and turn in keys and ID. Students who do not complete their check out will be charged for improper check out.

Academic Implications of a Withdrawal or a Leave of Absence

In cases where students withdraw before the withdrawal deadline (end of week 10 of the semester), their courses will appear on the transcript with a “W” grade designation. There will be no academic credit earned. In cases where the student withdraws after the withdrawal deadline (end of week 10 of the semester), their courses will appear on the transcript with failing grades.

Withdrawal Refund and Return of Title IV (R2T4) Policy

Student Account Refund Policy

Students who withdraw from all courses and leave any CIA-operated residence will be charged for tuition, applicable fees, and room based on the following schedule:

• 0% of tuition and applicable fees will be charged if withdrawal date (last day student attended class) is during the first week of the semester. Room charges will be calculated based on daily rate x number of days in room.
• 10% of tuition and applicable fees will be charged if the withdrawal date (last date student attended class) is during the second week of the semester. Room charges will be calculated based on daily rate x number of days in room.
• 25% of tuition and applicable fees will be charged if the withdrawal date (last date student attended class) is during the third week of the semester. 100% of room charges billed.
• 50% of tuition and applicable fees will be charged if the withdrawal date (last date student attended class) is during the fourth week of the semester. 100% of room charges billed.
• 75% of tuition and applicable fees will be charged if the withdrawal date (last date student attended class) is during the fifth week of the semester. 100% of room charges billed.
• 100% of tuition, applicable fees, and room charges will be charged if the withdrawal date (last date student attended class) is after the fifth week of the semester.
• Meal and/or CaseCash charges will be calculated by Case Western Reserve University. Meal plans are charged 100% if withdrawal date is during the 3rd week, or thereafter.

Return of Title IV Funds

When a student withdraws from CIA, the Office of Financial Aid must determine how much federal financial aid the student earned up to their withdrawal date. Any federal aid that was not earned must be returned the the U.S. Department of Education. To complete this calculation, the College must confirm the student’s last date of attendance, as reported by faculty with attendance records.

R2T4 Rules

If a student withdraws after completing 60% of the term, they are considered to have earned 100% of their federal financial aid, and no federal funds must be returned.

If a student withdraws before the 60% point, the unearned portion of federal aid must be returned. Returned funds are sent back in this order: Federal Direct Loans, Federal Plus loans, Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG grant.
CIA aid and State aid are earned at the same rate that tuition is charged.

Optional R2T4 Withdrawal Exemption

Federal regulation 668.22(a)(2)(ii)(A)(6) exempts institutions from performing R2T4 calculation if all conditions are met for the period of enrollment:

• Student is treated as never having begun attendance
• Institution returns all Title IV aid disbursed to the student
• Institution refunds all institutional charges to the student and
• Institution writes off or cancels any balance owed by the student to the institution due to the institution’s returning of Title IV aid

The Cleveland Institute of Art will consider this exemption on a case-by-case basis and only within the early days of the term, not beyond the first 3 weeks, to benefit a student experiencing extenuating circumstances.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursements

If a student withdraws but has earned more federal aid than was disbursed, they may be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. The student must have met all requirements for a late disbursement before their withdrawal date. If the disbursement included federal loans (student or Parent PLUS), the office of financial aid will notify the student in writing before making the disbursement. The student must respond in writing within 30 days to accept the loan funds. If no response is received, the loan will be canceled.

Financial Responsibilities After Withdrawal

Students and families should understand that returning federal, state, or CIA-funded aid often results in a balance owed to the College.

• The student and/or family are responsible for paying any remaining balance.
• Questions about charges should be directed to the Student Accounts Office.
• Any balance created by tuition recalculations or reduced aid is due in full.
• A revised tuition statement will be issued once all adjustments are complete.
• Withdrawing from CIA does not remove the student’s financial obligation to the College.

Because tuition is normally assessed on a comprehensive basis of full-time status, refunds are not issued when a student withdraws from one or more courses while remaining enrolled at CIA.

Leave of Absence (LOA)

A student at CIA may request a leave of absence for one or two semesters (up to one academic year). Upon return from a leave of absence, students will remain in the same major, class level, and catalog year as prior to the leave. Students who wish to return in a new major must go through the change of major process.

Leave of Absence requests will not be granted to first-year students during their first term of enrollment. CIA assumes that students who take leaves of absence will inform their parents or guardians in good time that they intend to do so. The College does not notify parents or guardians that a student has taken a leave of absence.

Students must notify Academic Advising in writing of their intent to return from a leave of absence no later than August 1st for the Fall semester and December 15th for Spring semester to be able to register for courses prior to the first day of the semester. Students on a leave of absence are encouraged to contact their academic advisor as early as possible for course availability. Failure to return from a leave at the designated end of the leave will result in the student being administratively withdrawn from CIA. Students administratively withdrawn must go through the Re-Enrollment process. For leave of absence requests after the course withdrawal deadline, students are subject to final grades as determined by the instructor based on the syllabus, unless a student related medical exception is determined by the Dean of Student’s Office in which case a “W” course grade may be issued. Students who take a leave of absence cannot request incomplete grades.

Leaving Housing

Residential students who take a leave of absence from the Institute are subject to the cancellation terms of the Campus Housing Contract. Like students who withdraw, residential students who take a leave of absence after the beginning of the semester will have to vacate housing within 72 hours of submitting their leave of absence paperwork. This process begins with working with housing staff to formally check out of the residence hall and turn in keys and ID. Students who do not complete their check out will be charged for improper check out.

Canceling a Leave

A student may cancel a leave of absence for either term as late as the first day of classes in the term for which the leave has been requested.

Financial Aid and LOA

Students who take a leave of absence and have received Federal student loans will receive information about their loan repayment responsibilities. In most cases, loan repayment begins six months after the student’s last day of enrollment at the Cleveland Institute of Art. If a student receiving financial aid takes a leave of absence, the financial aid office will recalculate the student’s aid eligibility based on the last date of attendance for that semester. Any unearned aid must be returned to the appropriate federal or state agency, which may create a balance the student must repay to CIA. (Refer to R2T4 Policy)

An exception to military personnel: Members of the U.S. armed forces receiving military benefits who are called to active duty will be granted a formal LOA for the duration of their active service. They should contact the Registrar’s Office when ready to resume their studies.