So I am looking to withdraw from the Fall 2017 and Spring 2018 due to mental health issues and I need someone to explain the implications of paying back my aid. By paying back, does that mean that the school reverses my aid back to the government and I do not have to do anything else except find a way to pay for housing? Or does it mean that since my aid is getting reversed that I now owe the school for those courses? I was told my a few staff members at my school that basically, a medical withdrawal makes it as if I never attended during the courses in which I withdraw from, and so I do not have to pay anything to the school in terms of courses because I “wasn’t attending the school” during that period and that my any aid I received gets reversed back to the government. Is this correct? (Whoever can answer this please do so in as lamens terms as possible so I don’t get things confused for the sake of complete understanding).
@kelsmom probably can help you with this.
does tagging her here give her a notification about this thread like with most forms of @'ing? if so @kelsmom
I would strongly suggest that you call your school FA office immediately. Chances are that the comments from the staff means that nothing will appear on your transcript and for academic purposes (GPA, etc) it will be like you never took the courses. However the FA impact is likely a whole other story. Get advice here but go directly to the source. The FA office should be able to give you guidance. Your advisor and counseler/therapist might not be able to properly advise you about FA matters.
Also make sure you fully understand the rules and procedures for a medical withdrawal for mental health reasons. It is likely that the school treats this VERY differently than a withdrawal for physical heath issue. At our school, once you submitted the paperwork you had 24 hours to vacate your dorm. The class registartion for the next semester was immediately cancelled. You had to take a set amount of time off before reappling for admission. You need to follow all the procedure so that you can apply to be readmitted. It is a lot to handle. Hopefully, your parents can help you navigate the system, You will need to sign HIPA waivers for the medical issue otherwise no one will discuss your health issues and options with your parents. I found that the FA office was way more flexible but that will vary by school.
Good luck. There are pros and cons to this. However, mental health tops everything.
My parents do not really weigh in on any matters in my life as I was forced to be indepedent. I don’t live with them even now that I’m back in my city for the summer. I’m 18 so I do not think they will be involved whatsoever. Hopefully that doesnt screw me over.
I am sorry that you are going through this. I know that some mental illnesses can make it extremely difficult to handle this type of situation. As I mentioned your school FA office is in the best position to answer your questions, You might also consider contacting the Dean of Students to see if they can help you navigate the system.