What is
Federal Financial Aid?
How Do I
Apply?
Basic
Eligibility
Satisfactory
Academic Progress
What is the
Process?
How is
Financial Aid Awarded?
Loan
Information Session
Veterans Benefits
Financial
Aid Links
Federal regulations (CFR 668.32(f) and 668.34) require a student to move toward the completion of a degree or certificate within an eligible program when receiving financial aid. Specific requirements for academic progress for financial aid recipients are applied differently than Scholastic Standards. Federal regulations state that Academic Progress Standards must include a review of all periods of enrollment, regardless of whether or not aid was received. The student must meet the following minimum standards in order to receive financial aid.
I.
Evaluation of Financial Aid Eligibility
A.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) are applied once
per year, beginning on or about June 1st to determine the eligibility
for the following academic year.
B.
The evaluation period will be based on attendance in the immediate
prior Spring, Fall, Summer term (example: for 2001-2002 academic year, academic
progress will be evaluated on Spring 2001, Fall 2000, and Summer 2000).
C.
Credits evaluated will include credits attempted at the evaluating school
and courses funded through consortium agreement.
D.
Students who do not meet the SAP will be notified. The student may follow
the appeal process or the reinstatement procedures as outlined in V and VI.
II.
Eligibility
A.
Students must meet the following criteria:
1.
Students who have attempted at least 6 credit hours in the last
evaluation period must complete with a passing grade 2/3 of all credits
attempted within that evaluation period, OR
2.
Students who have NOT attempted at least 6 credit hours in the
last evaluation period must complete with passing grades 2/3 of ALL
credits attempted.
AND
B.
All students must meet the following minimum credit hour/cumulative GPA
requirement
Credits
Attempted*
Min GPA
12-15
1.60
16-30
1.75
31-45
1.90
46 +
2.00
*for
which grade points are computed.
Note:
Grades of F,I,N,W,X,Y,Z, and courses not yet graded are considered attempted but
not meeting progress standards for the purposes of financial aid.
III. Maximum
Timeframe Eligibility
A.
Students who have attempted more than 150% of the credits required for
their program of study are not considered to be making Satisfactory Academic
Progress and therefore, are ineligible for financial aid funds.
B.
All evaluated transfer credits will be included when determining maximum
timeframe eligibility.
C.
A student with a Bachelor’s degree or higher will be considered to have
exhausted maximum timeframe eligibility.
D.
A student may appeal as outlined in V.
E.
Reinstatement procedures as outlined in VI are not applicable to Maximum
Timeframe Eligibility.
IV.
Repeated, Audited, Consortium, Remedial Courses, Summer
A.
Financial aid may be used to cover the cost of repeated courses.
B.
Audited courses, non-credit courses, credit by examination, and any
credit for prior learning option (as outlined in the catalog) are excluded when
determining eligibility for financial aid.
C.
Courses funded through a consortium agreement are included in determining
academic progress.
D.
All attempted remedial credits will be included when evaluating SAP. (A
maximum of 30 remedial credit hours, excluding ESL courses may be funded.)
E.
Enrollment in any or all Summer sessions within the same calendar year
will be considered one term.
V.
Appeal Process
A
student who has lost financial aid eligibility due to extenuating circumstances
may appeal.
A.
Extenuating circumstances that may be considered include: personal
illness or accident, serious illness or death within immediate family, or
other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student.
B.
All appeals must be in writing to the Financial Aid Office where the
student is applying for aid and include appropriate documentation.
C.
Examples of documentation could include an obituary notice, divorce
decree, or a letter from a physician, attorney, social services agency, parole
officer, etc.
D.
The condition or situation must be resolved which will allow the student
the ability to complete course work successfully or an appeal will not be
granted.
E.
The outcome of an appeal may include approval, a probationary period, or
denial.
F.
A student will be notified in writing of the results of the appeal, and
of any restrictions or conditions pertaining to their appeal.
VI.
Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility
A.
A student who has lost financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after
the student has taken (without federal funds) at least six credit hours in a
semester, passed all attempted credit hours, and meets minimum cumulative GPA
requirements.
B.
If the student attempts more than six hours, the student will be
evaluated on all attempted credit hours within that term.
C.
Classes taken at other colleges will not be taken into consideration for
reinstatement purposes.
D.
It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office
when this condition has been met.