Financial Aid Renewal Requirements
In order to continue receiving financial aid each year, students are required to maintain certain standards. Below are the overall requirements for receiving financial aid and individual scholarship requirements.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Students enrolled in a degree program at Newberry College must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid. The following are the minimum standards for Federal financial aid eligibility (including grants and loans). Many State scholarships will have higher eligibility requirements than those set forth by these standards.
In order to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress, a student will be evaluated on three criteria: Quality (i.e., cumulative grade point average or GPA), Quantity (hours attempted and earned), and Maximum Time Frame. A student must meet all three criteria in order to be in compliance with SAP.
Qualitative Evaluation
A student must earn a minimum cumulative GPA as follows, depending on the number of credit hours attempted in college coursework:
Credit Hours Attempted Cumulative GPA
0-23…………………………………………….. 1.50
24-55 …………………………………………… 1.75
56 or more ……………………………………… 2.00
Furthermore, a student must be enrolled in twelve (12) semester hours during an academic semester (fall or spring) to be considered a full-time student. Students enrolled in eleven (11) or fewer credit hours during a semester are not eligible for Newberry College Grants, Newberry College Scholarships or the State Grants and Scholarships.
Quantitative Evaluation
Students must earn college credit in a minimum of 75% of the classes in which they enroll. This percentage is calculated by dividing the number of credit hours earned by the number of credit hours attempted. Attempted hours include those for degree-related courses, remedial courses, withdrawals, repeated course, and failed courses. All transfer hours accepted by Newberry College will be counted in calculations for both earned and attempted hours. Courses that are dropped within the regular ADD/DROP period (as published in the College’s catalog and course schedule) are not included on a student’s transcript and will not be counted in the hours attempted.
Time Frame Evaluation
The time frame evaluation limits the length of time that a student can receive federal student aid. A student will not be permitted to receive Federal aid after exceeding 150% of the average length of his or her degree program. For example, here is a calculation for “time frame evaluation” on a standard undergraduate degree program that requires 126 credit hours to complete:
126 credit hours times (x) 150% = 189 attempted hours
A student who exceeds the maximum time frame for his or her degree program will not be eligible for federal aid. This standard applies to all undergraduate candidates including second-degree students. A student who changes his or her academic major (or program) will not have credit hours related to the original major counted in the base of credit hours for this calculation. A student will be allowed one “reset” based on a change of academic major. The maximum time frame may be adjusted by the College upon receipt of a student’s appeal.
Review of SAP
The academic records of all students receiving financial aid will be reviewed for SAP at the end of each academic term (fall, spring and summer). Students will be notified at the end of the each term whether or not they meet SAP; those not meeting SAP will be given a financial aid warning. During the warning period a student will continue to receive financial aid. If a student fails to meet SAP by the end of the warning period, he or she will not be allowed to receive financial aid until all SAP criteria have been met. Students with unusual circumstances (e.g., death in the family, illness, or other circumstances beyond their control) may appeal to reinstate their Financial Aid. Students may appeal the reduction or cancellation of their Financial Aid by completing and submitting the Financial Aid Appeal form and supporting documentation to the Director of Financial Aid.
If a student has a successful appeal, he or she will be placed on probation and will be allowed to receive financial aid for one semester only. A student who meets all requirements by the end of the probationary term will be removed from probation. A student who is not meeting SAP requirements by the end of the probationary period will no longer be allowed to receive financial aid.
OR
A student with a successful appeal may be placed on an Academic Plan. This plan must be agreed to and signed by the student, his or her academic advisor, and the Director of Financial Aid. A student who is placed on an academic plan must adhere to the requirements set forth in the plan. Failing to meet requirements will result in a loss of financial aid.
