Can I lose my aid if I am not making Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Yes, you run the risk of losing your aid if you don’t maintain a good grade average and completion rate.
Students must be in good academic standing at North Shore Community College (NSCC) in order to continue to receive Financial Aid. The U.S. Department of Education requires each college to have a policy that ensures all students receiving financial aid maintain satisfactory progress toward completing their program of study. Your academic record will be reviewed at the end of each semester to make sure you have complied with the Financial Aid satisfactory academic progress standards outlined below. To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet NSCC’s standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (FASAP) for Financial Aid recipients. This standard is different from NSCC’s overall academic standard for eligibility to re-enroll in classes.
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for financial aid recipients require you, the student, to be enrolled in an eligible program of study that leads to a degree or certificate. Your academic progress for financial aid purposes is reviewed at the end of each semester. In order to maintain satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes, you must satisfy all of the following elements of the policy:
- not on academic suspension
- number of credits attempted/earned;
- grade point average (GPA); and
- maximum credit review.
Number of Credits Attempted/Earned
This standard requires students to successfully complete (with letter grade of A, B, C, D, or P) a minimum of 66 percent of the total number of credits attempted each semester. Attempted credits include all credits in which you are registered at the end of the add/drop period. Letter grades of F, FN (F waiver) W, or IP will not be considered as credits successfully completed or earned. Students who repeat a course for any reason should be aware that each time you enroll in a course it counts as an attempt, but only one attempt is considered earned. Repeated courses will have an impact on your ability to complete your program within the required maximum time frame.
Grade Point Average (GPA)
You are required to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C grade). Refer to the school catalog for more information regarding grading policies.
Maximum Credit Review
The final part of the standard is Maximum Credit. Federal regulations require that the school set a maximum time frame in which students are expected to finish their program of study. Under this standard, you must complete your degree or certificate within 150 percent of the published program length.
For example, if the published length of your credit program is 60 credits, the maximum time frame is 90 credits (that is, 60 X 1.5). This means that you receive financial aid during the period of time you are attempting up to 90 credit hours only (including transfer credits). If you exceed the maximum number of credits, you are no longer eligible to receive financial aid. All attempted credits, including incomplete grades and repeats, are counted toward the 150 percent maximum time frame. Also, credits earned at other colleges and accepted towards your current program of study are counted in the maximum credit review.
The only exception to this are all ESL courses, excluding those counting toward your degree; 30 credits of developmental coursework (course numbers that begin with zero); and non-credit courses.
Students who change their education program or graduate and reapply to a new program must still adhere to the maximum credit policy. In other words, all of your previous attempted credits will count towards the 150 percent time frame. Consideration will be given to students completing a second degree or certificate.
Repeated Courses
When repeating a course, students may receive financial aid for a course if the previous grade was an F or W. In addition, students may also receive financial aid for a repeated course if the initial grade earned does not meet the pre-requisite requirement for the next course in the sequence. When requesting financial aid for a course you have already enrolled in, you may be ineligible for financial aid.
Developmental Courses
Developmental courses are courses whose course number begins with 0 (e.g. COM 010). A student may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 attempted developmental credits. ESL courses that do not count toward your degree and up to 30 developmental credits are excluded from the maximum credit review, although the standard qualitative and quantitative requirements still apply.
Corporate and Community Education Division (Non-Credit Courses)
Non-Credit Courses are offered by the Corporate and Community Education Division. These courses are not eligible for Title IV assistance and do not satisfy requirements of any Title IV eligible academic program. As such they are not considered in the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Financial Aid Probation
If you do not achieve any one or more of the first two elements of the Financial Aid Satisfactory Progress Standard (e.g., number of credits attempted/earned and grade point average) you will be placed on financial aid probation for the next semester of attendance. You may continue to receive financial aid while on probation.
After the probationary semester, the probation status is removed if you satisfy BOTH of these requirements:
- complete successfully 66% of the credits attempted for the semester, and
- earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 for that semester.
Withdrawing from a course may affect your financial aid status. A student who does not successfully complete a probationary semester will be placed on financial aid suspension for the following semester.
Financial Aid Suspension
Financial aid will not be awarded to students who do not make Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress for two consecutive semesters and any subsequent semester in which Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is not met.
Appeal Process
A student may appeal the decision of financial aid suspension or maximum credit. You must first clear your academic suspension. You must make your appeal in writing by submitting a Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form with supporting documentation attached. In the appeal statement, you should state those circumstances that resulted in your unsatisfactory performance, and the means by which you propose to meet the requirements in the future. The Director may request additional documentation of the illness, emergency or circumstances upon which the appeal is based. Mail Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Form to::
Student Financial Services
1 Ferncroft Road
Danvers, MA 01923
Once your Appeal Form is received, a decision is made on a case-by-case basis. If an appeal is granted you are placed on appeal status for the semester. You may continue to receive financial aid while in appeal status. After the appeal semester, the appeal status is removed if you satisfy ALL of these requirements:
- complete successfully 100% of the credits attempted for the semester, and
- earn a minimum GPA of 2.0 for each class during that semester, and
- any additional requirements as stated in the Contract Summary.
If you fail to meet the requirements of the appeal semester, you will be placed on automatic financial aid suspension.
Reinstatement
A student may request a reinstatement of financial aid after successfully completing a minimum of six (6) credits, at your own expense. You must complete 100 percent of the credits attempted and earn a grade of C or better in each class.
For more information, contact us at (978) 762-4189 or (781) 477-2191 or fin-aid@northshore.edu. |
