Academic Requirements for Financial Aid

Grants, loans, and scholarships provide financial aid to people who otherwise would be unable to pursue post-secondary education. Financial assistance is available to Tompkins Cortland students through a combination of private endowments and Federal and state programs. Forms for financial aid programs may be obtained in the financial aid office or high school guidance offices. If you have any questions about financial aid, contact the financial aid office for assistance.

All financial aid programs require recipients to be matriculated in a program of study and make normal progress in courses. If students are not making normal progress, they will be notified and may not be eligible for financial aid. The effective date of this information is September 2011. Subsequent legislative changes by the U.S. Congress could alter the conditions of the financial aid programs. Check with the financial aid office for updated information.

Academic Requirements for Receiving Financial Aid

All students who receive financial aid must make satisfactory academic progress in their degree program to continue eligibility for aid.

Federal Financial Aid Guidelines

Federal regulations require that students make satisfactory progress in their degree programs to be eligible for assistance from the following programs at Tompkins Cortland Community College:

• Pell Grant
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
• Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loans
• Parent PLUS Loan
• Federal College Work-Study

In addition, eligibility for scholarships through the TC3 Foundation and student employment requires that students meet the same standards as those required for Federal Financial Aid recipients.

Satisfactory progress is determined by a qualitative (grades) and quantitative (pace of progress) evaluation of the student’s transcript at the end of each grading period. For this evaluation, final grades are considered to be A, B, C, D, or P. Grades of F, W(withdrawal), WP(withdrawal passing), WF(withdrawal failing), or I(incomplete) are not considered to be course completions for Pace of Progress.

Grades/ Grade Point average:
What a student must achieve at each evaluation (qualitative standard)

• After attempting 12 credits, the student must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0
• This measurement does not include “credit equivalent” courses (i.e., courses with less than a “100” course designation).

Pace of Progress:
Ensures completion within the maximum time frame (quantitative standard).

• After attempting 12 credits, student must complete 50% of attempted credits.
• Student must complete a first associate degree at TC3 within 92 attempted credits, which is 150% of the degree requirement.
• A student seeking a second degree from TC3 must complete that degree within 114 attempted credits.
• If a review shows that the student cannot complete his/her program within the above attempted credits, all Federal Financial Aid must stop (i.e., Pell, loans, student employment).
• This measurement does include “credit equivalent” courses (i.e., courses with less than a “100” designation).

Procedures for evaluating Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Suspension of financial assistance due to non-attendance:

• Federal regulations require that Financial Aid awards must be adjusted for students who do not begin to attend classes or cease attending classes. Financial Aid awards for non-attendees will be canceled or prorated based on attendance verification. Attendance records of faculty are the official records used.

TC3 will review SAP at the end of each grading term:

• End of 2nd 5 week session for courses taken in the summer
• End of the fall term
• End of the spring term

Credit equivalent course work will count for Pace of Progress, but will not be calculated in the cumulative GPA.

A student may receive Financial Aid for a maximum of 24 credit equivalent hours of course work. No further Financial Aid may be granted until successful completion of required credit equivalent courses.

Transfer credits from other schools that have been accepted toward completion of student’s program will count as both credits attempted and credits completed.

Repeated Coursework

• Students may repeat a previously passed course once.

Students may repeat courses that did not meet the required grade for degree, as long as student is meeting all other degree requirements. Student still has a 24 credit limit for credit equivalent coursework.

Students who fail to meet the 2.0 GPA portion of the requirement or the Pace of Progress measurements will be notified by TC3. These students are not eligible for additional Financial Aid assistance, except as described below.

Financial Aid Status and Waiver Process

Students who fail to meet SAP standards will first be placed on financial aid probation for one semester. If after one semester of financial aid probation, a student remains below standards, financial aid will be suspended for that student. Students who are on financial aid suspension will also be placed on the College stop list for each specific standard that they failed to meet. Students may appeal financial aid suspension or regain financial aid eligibility by successfully completing courses that they pay for.

Financial Aid Probation: Student is notified that they have not met the Grade or Pace of Progress requirements. They are allowed one probation semester of Financial Aid to regain their federal financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Suspension: Student is notified that they no longer have federal financial aid eligibility at TC3 due to two semesters of being out of compliance with Grade or pace of Progress requirements.

Financial Aid Stop List: Student will be placed on the stop list when their Financial Aid sis suspended. Student will be notified by Financial Aid when they are placed on the stop list. Once or more of the following financial Aid stops will appear on a student’s account:

• Pace of Progress (Time)
• Grade Point average (ACAP)
• Exhausted aid (FAEX)

Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility: A student can regain financial aid eligibility by completing a minimum of 6 credits that they pay for. The must receive a grade of “C” or better in all courses. No W, WP, WF, C-, D, F or I grades.

Once the student has successfully completed the 6 credits, they must follow the process to request a Financial Aid Waiver:

• Arrange for payment of any past-due bills to the college
• complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at fafsa.ed.gov
• Submit a written appeal to the Dean of Student Life Office
• Adhere to all deadlines as indicated on the Financial Aid Waiver Form

To appeal a Financial Aid Suspension

A student can submit a Financial Aid waiver request based on a one-time documented extraordinary circumstance. Only one waiver of this type is possible. The decision of the Financial Aid Waiver Committee is final. To submit a waiver, students must:

• Arrange for payment of any past-due bills to the college
• complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at fafsa.ed.gov
• Submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Waiver Committee. The Financial Aid Waiver request and instructions can be downloaded at TC3.edu or are available at the Dean of Student Life office, Room 218. This includes a requirement to complete the online academic survey.
• Submit documentation of the extraordinary circumstance.
• Adhere to all deadlines as indicated on the Financial Aid Waiver form
• Note: The decision of the Financial Aid Waiver Committee is final and may not be appealed.

Academic Suspension: If a student is placed on academic suspension, a financial aid waiver request will not be considered unless the student has filed an appeal with the Committee on Academic Status (COAS) and is allowed to return to TC3.

Possible outcomes to waiver request, as determined by financial Aid Waiver Committee:

Approved: student will be able to work their way off the financial aid stop list in one semester.

Approved with a specific academic plan: Allows student to graduate within a specified number of semesters. This will put the student into a financial aid probation status. If student’s performance does not follow the academic plan, no further waivers will be permitted.

Denied:

• student pays cash for courses until student regains financial aid eligibility, or
• student transfers to another college

Financial aid discontinued: student did not follow academic plan successfully. No further waivers may be permitted.

• student pays cash for courses until student regains financial aid eligibility, or
• student transfers to another college.

To receive a TAP grant, a student must be a New York State resident, apply for the grant, and be determined eligible. TC3 must certify the student’s TAP grant. To do this a student must be fully matriculated in a program of study by the census date (last day to drop 15-week courses). In most cases the student also must be enrolled/attending in a minimum of 12 credits.

Credit bearing courses that make up the minimum 12 credits must be applicable to the student’s program of study.

Remedial Student Definition

“Remedial student” is defined as a student:

• Whose scores on a recognized college placement exam or nationally recognized standardized exam indicated the need for remediation for at least two semesters, as certified by the college and approved by the New York State Education Department (SED); or
• Who was enrolled in at least six semester hours of non-credit remedial courses, as approved by the SED, in the first term they received a TAP award; or
• Who is or was enrolled in opportunity program.

For TAP payment purposes, remedial courses may be counted toward full-time study requirements. Up to one half of a student’s minimum course load can consist of non-credit remedial courses. In other words, a student must be taking at least 6 regular college credits per term. The one exception is the very first TAP payment when a student is allowed to take only 3 regular credits with the remainder being remedial courses. The same ratios apply to the APTS program (AID for part-time study).

Repeated Courses

Courses in which the student has already received a passing grade cannot be included in meeting full-time study requirements for state-sponsored financial aid. Repeated courses may be counted toward full-time requirements if a student repeats a failed course or when a student has received a grade that is passing at the institution but is unacceptable in their program.

Students with Disabilities

Effective with the 1998-99 academic year, students who are disabled, as defined by the 1990 federal Americans with disabilities act (ADA), do not have to attend school full time to be eligible for TAP awards. These students are eligible for a partial TAP award if they are attending part time (at least three credits per semester or the equivalent). The student must still meet all other TAP eligibility requirements. In addition, the TAP certifying officer must be able to document that the student is disabled as defined by the ADA. Those records can be obtained from the designated campus ADA representative.

Pursuit of Program (POP)

POP is a requirement that a student receive a passing or failing grade (A-F letter grade) in a certain percentage of courses each term, depending on the number of stat awards the student has received. This is evaluated at the end of the term to establish eligibility for the next payment. The percentage is determined according to the following schedule:

Number of payments	Must receive a grade for
1,2	50% of minimum full-time requirement (6 credit hours on a semester calendar)
3,4	75% (9 credit hours)
5 or more	100% (12 credit hours)

For this evaluation final grades are considered to be A,B,C,D, F or P. Grades of W (withdrawal), WP (withdrawal passing), or I (incomplete) are not considered to be course completions and do not count toward Pursuit of Program.

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory Progress means earning a minimum number of cumulative credits and a minimum cumulative grade point average prior to receiving the next TAP payment. Students at 2 year institutions may only receive 6 TAP payments.

There are two sets of standards that may apply:

Standard 1
applies to students receiving aid in 2007-08 through and including 2009-10 and remedial students first receiving aid in 2007-08 and thereafter.

Before being certified for this payment	A student must have accrued at least this many credits	With at least this grade point average
1st	0	0
2nd	3	0.5
3rd	9	0.75
4th	28	1.3
5th	30	2.0
6th	45	2.0

Standard 2
applies to non-remedial students first receiving aid in 2010-11 and thereafter.

Before being certified for this payment	A student must have accrued at least this many credits	With at least this grade point average
1st	0	0
2nd	6	1.3
3rd	15	1.5
4th	27	1.8
5th	39	2.0
6th	51	2.0

Time of Assessment

Good academic standing must be evaluated each term. Students must meet both Pursuit of Program and Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for that term to be considered in good academic standing

Reinstatement of Good Academic Standing

Students who have lost good academic standing may restore this standing in one of the following ways:

• Make up past academic deficiencies by completing one or more terms of study without receiving any state grants or scholarships
• Be readmitted to school after an absence of at least one calendar year
• Transfer to another institution; or
• Be granted a one-time waiver

One-time waiver

New York State Commissioner of Education regulations permit students to receive a one-time waiver of the good academic standing requirement. The institution issues the waiver if there are documented extenuating circumstances. The institution is required to publish and adhere to criteria under which it will grant a waiver. Institutional personnel are required to discuss the waiver with the student before granting one. TC3 uses the following criteria to review waiver requests.

TC3 requires a written waiver request and documentation of the extenuating circumstances. This might be acute health problems, or the death of an immediate family member. Examples of documentation would include medical records or death certificate.

Note: Students who are in default on any student loan are not eligible for any state- sponsored grant or scholarship.