Attendance Verification (Title IV Compliance)

Stony Brook University complies with federal regulations related to Title IV financial aid eligibility.

To determine eligibility, the University must verify whether a student has attended or participated in an academically related activity in each course.

What counts as attendance

Attendance is not limited to being physically present. It includes participation in academically related activities.

Examples include:

• Attending a class (in person or online)

• Submitting an assignment or exam

• Participating in a discussion (in person or online)

• Accessing or interacting with course materials in Brightspace or another course platform

Note: Simply logging into a course without active participation may not be considered attendance.

Attendance verification process

Faculty are responsible for verifying student participation in each course.

This process is used to:

• Confirm academic engagement

• Determine financial aid eligibility

• Support accurate enrollment reporting

Students who do not demonstrate participation may have their financial aid adjusted or revoked.

Online activity tracking (Brightspace)

Brightspace is used to help track participation in online and hybrid courses.

Examples of trackable activity include:

• Logging into the course

• Viewing course content

• Submitting assignments

• Participating in discussions

Note: Activity must demonstrate academic engagement, not just access.

Why this matters

Failure to participate in academically related activities may result in:

• Loss or adjustment of financial aid

• Changes to enrollment status

• Required reporting to federal agencies

Additional information

You can learn more by reviewing:

• Academically related activities guidelines

• Attendance verification frequently asked questions (FAQs)

• Faculty and staff instructions