DETERMINING THE LENGTH OF A SCHEDULED BREAK

Autumn and Winter holiday breaks present unique challenges for institutions when students withdraw from school. Once a student’s withdrawal date is determined, a school needs to calculate the percentage of the payment period or period of enrollment the student completed to determine the percentage of Title IV Federal Student Aid funds the student earned. It’s common for schools to schedule holiday breaks lasting five or more days during Thanksgiving under most academic calendars and Winter Breaks in non-term and nonstandard term calendars. Institutionally scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days are excluded from the Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation as periods of nonattendance. Errors made when determining the length of a scheduled break lead to errors in the amount of aid students are eligible for.

Determining the length of a scheduled break

Step 1 – First determine the last day that class is held before the scheduled break. The scheduled break begins on the next day.

Step 2 – Next determine the last day of the scheduled break. The scheduled break ends on the day before classes resume.

Step 3 – Count the days.

REMEMBER – If your institution’s academic calendar schedules classes that end on a Friday, but don’t resume until the Monday after the break your break may be up to nine days long. Once you’ve properly determined the length of your scheduled break, you can subtract it from the numerator and denominator of the R2T4 calculation, ensuring that your calculations yield the proper amount of aid for withdrawn students.

Knowing what to watch out for can help you avoid compliance problems.
R2T4 errors are one of the top three audit and program review findings at institutions each year. R2T4 errors related to academic calendars and scheduled breaks are often systemic because the schedule itself affects all students.

Institutions with questions about Title IV and compliance with Federal Regulations related to Federal Student Aid Programs are welcome to contact our office for assistance.