Student Attendance

Regular class attendance is expected. Tri-C is required by law to verify the enrollment of students who participate in federal Title IV student aid programs and/or who receive educational benefits through other funding sources. Eligibility for federal student financial aid is based in part on enrollment status.

Students who do not attend classes for the entire term are required to withdraw from the course(s). Additionally, students who withdraw from a course or stop attending class without officially withdrawing may be required to return all or a portion of their financial aid based on the date of last attendance. Students who do not attend the full session are responsible for withdrawing from their course(s).

Tri-C is responsible for identifying students who have not attended a course before financial aid funds can be applied to students’ accounts.

Therefore, attendance is recorded in the following ways:

  • For in-person and blended-learning courses, students must attend class by the 15th day of the semester (or equivalent for terms shorter than five weeks) to be considered attending. Students who have not met all attendance requirements for in-person and blended courses, as described herein, within the first two weeks or equivalent, will be considered not attending.
  • For online courses, students must log in at least two times per week and submit one assignment per week for the first two weeks of the semester, or equivalent to the 15th day of the term. Students who have not met all attendance requirements for online courses, as described herein, within the first two weeks or equivalent, will be considered not attending.

At the conclusion of the first two weeks of a semester or equivalent, instructors report any registered students who have “Never Attended” a course. Those students will be administratively withdrawn from that course. However, after the time period in the previous paragraphs, if a student stops attending a class or wants or needs to withdraw, for any reason, it is the student’s responsibility to withdraw from the course by completing and submitting the appropriate Tri-C form by the established withdrawal deadline.

Tri-C is required to ensure that students receive financial aid only for courses that they attend and complete. Students reported for not attending at least one of their registered courses will have all financial aid funds held until confirmation of attendance in registered courses has been verified. Students who fail to complete at least one course may be required to repay all or a portion of their federal financial aid funds and may be ineligible to receive future federal financial aid awards. Students who withdraw from classes prior to completing more than 60% of their enrolled class time may be subject to the required federal refund policy.

If illness or emergency should necessitate a brief absence from class, students should confer with instructors upon their return. Students having problems with coursework due to a prolonged absence should confer with the instructor or a counselor.