Schools have to follow what is called SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress). There are minimal standards set for each school by the federal government, but each school is different in how those standards are applied, and some go above the minimum set.

You have Qualitative (where you have to maintain a minimum GPA for your grade level), Quantitative (where you have to complete at least the mimimum percentage of all credit hours for which you are registered), and Maximum Time Frame (the point where you no longer qualify for federal aid because you have exceeded number of hours required for graduation in your program of study, including any transferred hours accepted for credit toward the degree).

If you do poorly one semester and fall below the school’s set SAP, then normally a school will issue a “warning” – although there are some schools that will automatically put you in financial aid suspension (at our school we have warning, probation, and then suspension; a student can still get financial aid on warning and probation, but then it is cancelled when in suspension and that’s when a student would have to appeal).

If this would be only the second class you will have withdrawn from then I wouldn’t think it would be a problem for the next semester or academic year. Even though you have already talked with someone in the office, I would ask again to get clarification of their SAP policy.

Good luck!