|
Making the Grade
Federal regulations require that students maintain satisfactory academic progress while pursuing their course of study in order to receive financial aid. Students receiving financial aid will have their academic records reviewed each semester to determine if satisfactory academic progress is being made toward the completion of a degree, certificate, or diploma.
Maximum Timeframe for Degree Completion
A student shall be eligible to receive financial aid while pursuing their program of study for 150% of the published length of the program. For example, an Associate of Arts degree (AA degree) requires successful completion of 64 credit hours. The maximum hours a student can receive financial aid toward the completion of an AA degree would therefore be 96 hours (64 x 150% = 96). All coursework included on a student's academic record will count toward the maximum timeframe. A student that exceeds 150% of the published length of a program will no longer be eligible for financial aid.
Minimum Financial Aid Academic Progress Standards
A full-time student enrolled for at least 12 semester hours must complete a minimum of 10 semester hours of work, with a minimum grade point average as listed below:
Term 1 Cumulative Credit Hours: 10 Cumulative GPA: 1.50
Term 2 Cumulative Credit Hours: 20 Cumulative GPA: 1.65
Term 3 Cumulative Credit Hours: 30 Cumulative GPA: 1.80
Term 4 Cumulative Credit Hours: 40 Cumulative GPA: 2.00
Term 5 Cumulative Credit Hours: 50 Cumulative GPA: 2.00
Term 6 Cumulative Credit Hours: 60 Cumulative GPA: 2.00
A part-time student enrolled for six to eleven semester hours must complete a minimum of six semester hours with a minimum grade point average in accordance with the full-time standards.
Transfer credits will not apply toward these guidelines. Students will be held responsible only for academic progress made at MCC. This also includes terms that the student may not have been receiving financial aid. Classes that a student chooses to audit will not count toward the hourly requirements. Students taking developmental coursework must be registered for at least one non-developmental course to be receiving financial aid for that term.
Financial Aid Probation
A student not meeting both the GPA and credit hour requirements at the end of the semester will be placed on financial aid probation. During the probationary term the student will be eligible to receive financial aid, however, to remain eligible for financial aid beyond the probationary term the student must:
- Increase their cumulative grade point average to meet the minimum grade point average and/or increase their cumulative hours earned total to meet the minimum hours required or
- Successfully complete all courses attempted with grades of A, B, C, D, or P and/or increase their cumulative grade point average so that the deficit grade point average is reduced by 50%.
Financial Aid Suspension
A probationary student who fails to meet the required conditions outlined above will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.
A student that earns a semester GPA of .50 or below will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension, regardless of whether they had been placed on probation earlier.
Reinstatement
A student may regain eligibility for financial assistance after he/she has brought their coursework up to minimum standards at their own expense or one of the following:
- Complete 12 credit hours with at least a 2.00 GPA at their own expense. The student must contact the Financial Aid Office once the 12 credits have been completed to re-establish eligibility and be placed back on probation.
- Observe a one-year "cooling off" period during which time the student completes at least 3 credits at their own expense with a minimum GPA of 2.00 or above. Former students who re-enroll after this one-year absence and do not meet minimum standards will be placed on financial aid probation and receive aid due to them during the probationary term.
Financial Aid Appeal
A student may appeal the termination of his/her financial aid to the Financial Aid Office if he/she feels there are extenuating circumstances (withdrawal due to serious illness, for example). Appeal forms are available from the Financial Aid Office and will be accepted no later than 7 calendar days prior to the start of the term that the student wishes to be considered for aid. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review all appeals and respond in writing prior to the requested term.
Notification
It is the responsibility of each student to track his/her own progress and academic standing. However, the Financial Aid Office will make every effort to notify students of probationary/suspension standing in a timely manner at the end of each term.
Attendance Policy for Financial Aid Recipients
Federal regulations require schools to monitor class attendance for students to establish eligibility for financial aid as well as to remain eligible in subsequent terms. Students must attend all of the classes they have registered for before financial aid will be applied to their charges. Students who intentionally stop attending a course are only able to receive financial aid for the time period in which they attended the course. This regulation allows the US Department of Education to have unearned financial assistance returned to them for the period of non-attendance. The return of this aid will create a balance owed by the student to the institution. A cash balance that was paid to a student may be required to be returned to the US Department of Education if a student ceases attending their classes prior to the end of the enrollment period.
Faculty members submit student attendance information on a weekly basis. This information is monitored by the Financial Aid Office to ensure that funds are not being released to ineligible students. If students find that unforeseen circumstances are preventing them from attending their classes, they should confer with their instructors, advisor or a counselor immediately.
|
