501 - Financial Aid
Responsible Office: Student Success
Responsible Officer: Vice President of Student Success Reference
PURPOSE:
PART 1. POLICY
The college provides financial aid to eligible students through both grant aid (no repayment) and self-help (loans and employment) form. Financial aid programs include the following: Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Federal Direct Loan, Federal PLUS Direct Loan, Minnesota State Work Study, Federal Work Study, and Minnesota Child Care Grant. All aid applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form that is available online at www.fafsa.gov or stop in the Financial Aid Office for assistance. A complete description of regulations and requirements pertaining to all financial aid programs can be found below under Procedures, Definitions and Requirements.
PART 2. PROCEDURE
All students receiving financial aid must have a GED, High School diploma or homeschooled.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirement: Academic and Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policies are the same. All students will be evaluated under the requirements below.
1. Law Requirements. Federal and state law requires a recipient of financial aid make satisfactory academic progress towards a degree, diploma or certificate to remain eligible for financial aid. These laws also require the standards used must be based on cumulative measure and must include all periods of a student's enrollment, regardless of whether the student received financial aid.
2. Qualitative Measure Undergraduate Students. To meet satisfactory academic standards, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale. Grades of A,B,C,D and F shall be included in the GPA calculation.
3. Quantitative Measure. Required completion percentage to meet satisfactory academic standards, students must complete 66.67% of all credits attempted. Refer to section 9 for more information regarding what courses will be included when determining the student's completion rate percentage.
Maximum Time Frame: Upon reaching or exceeding 150% of the maximum credits needed for attainment of your chosen degree or certificate (including transfer credits). For example, if the program is 60 credits in length, a student would be eligible to receive financial aid for up to 90 attempted credits (60 x 1.5 = 90). A student may still register and attend Southeast after they have reached or exceeded 150% without receiving Financial Aid.
Note: If at any point it is determined a student will not be able to finish the required courses to graduate from their program within the 150% time-frame, financial aid eligibility will be suspended immediately. If suspension is the result of unusual circumstances, the student may appeal the decision.
4. Evaluation Period. Students' satisfactory academic progress will be reviewed at the end of each term, including summer. Completion of satisfactory academic progress reviews will occur prior to the 10th day of the subsequent academic term.
5. Failure to Meet Standards
Academic/Financial Aid Warning, Suspension and Probation Status
A. Maximum Time-Frame Failure. Students who are receiving financial aid and have reached or exceeded the maximum number of credits needed to complete their program will be suspended from financial aid eligibility.
B. Qualitative Standard or Quantitative Standard Failure. If at the end of the evaluation period a student has failed to meet the qualitative standard or required completion percentage, the student will be placed on Academic/ Financial Aid Warning. Students will be allowed to enroll and are eligible for financial aid during this Academic/ Financial Aid Warning term.
i) Any student who fails to meet the qualitative or quantitative measures at the end of the Academic/Financial Aid Warning term will be suspended from enrolling and have financial aid eligibility suspended immediately.
ii) Any student on Academic/Financial Aid Warning who at the end of the term has met the college's cumulative qualitative and quantitative standards is considered in good Academic standing.
C. Right to Appeal. Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress and are suspended from Academic/Financial Aid eligibility have the right to appeal based on unusual or extenuating circumstances. If an appeal is approved based on the appeal process below, the student will retain Academic/Financial Aid eligibility under an appeal status and will be placed on Probation.
D. Extraordinary circumstances. The college may immediately suspend students from financial aid eligibility in the event of extraordinary circumstances, including but not limited to previously suspended (and reinstated) students whose academic performance falls below acceptable standards during a subsequent term of enrollment; students who register for courses, receive financial aid, and do not attend any classes, in person or online; and students whose attendance patterns appear to abuse the receipt of financial aid.
6. Notification. Students placed on warning, suspension or probation will be notified of their status by mail and email at the end of each term, including summer. The college will also notify suspended students regarding the process by which a student may appeal for reinstatement.
7. Appeals.
A. A suspended student has the right to appeal. The appeal process consists of completing the online suspension appeal form. If the student is dissatisfied with the decision, the student may appeal to the Vice President of Student Success. Decisions by the Vice President of Student Success are final.
B. Students suspended from Academic/Financial Aid for academic progress have the right to appeal based on unusual or extenuating circumstances. Examples of extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to; medical issues, death of an immediate family member, or other unique circumstances. To appeal, the student is required to contact the student affairs office at the campus they are attending.
C. A student who has successfully appealed will be placed on probation for one evaluation period. If at the end of the next evaluation period a student on probation status:
i) Has met the college cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards, the student will regain academic/financial aid eligibility, or
ii) Has not met the college cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards, but has met the conditions specified in the student's academic plan, the student will regain academic/financial aid eligibility subject to the terms of the student's academic plan for a subsequent evaluation period, or
iii) Has not met the college cumulative grade point average and completion percentage standards and has also not met the conditions specified in the student's academic plan, the student will be resuspended immediately upon completion of the evaluation for one calendar year.
D. Students suspended for one calendar year are required to go through the appeal process again to return to the college.
E. If a student has completed in excess of 150% of maximum credits needed for attainment of chosen degree or certificate (including credits transferred), he/she is no longer eligible for aid.
8. Reinstatement. If the student's appeal is approved, financial aid awards will be reinstated with the provisions as determined by the committee. Students who have been suspended may regain their eligibility only through the institution's appeal process or when they are again meeting the institution's financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress qualitative and quantitative standards. Neither paying for their own classes nor sitting out a period of time is sufficient in and of itself to reestablish a student's financial aid eligibility.
9. Additional Elements. The following are reviewed when determining standards are met.
A. Treatment of grades. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, F, W, P, NC, I or IP are considered to be credits attempted for the purpose of Satisfactory Academic Progress completion rate. Courses for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, P or IP is considered completed credits for the purpose of Satisfactory Academic Progress completion rate.
B. Academic Forgiveness. All credits are reviewed in Satisfactory Academic Progress regardless of Academic Forgiveness.
C. Audited Courses. Audit classes are not funded by financial aid and not included in Satisfactory Academic Progress.
D. Consortium Credits. Consortium credits are included in the GPA, Completion rate and Max time frame.
E. Remedial Credits. Remedial Credits are counted in the GPA and Completion rate. Up to 30 remedial credits are excluded from the calculation for maximum time frame.
F. Repeated Courses. Students may be funded for repeat courses up to the limit determined by the Financial Aid maximum time frame or as determined by academic policy. Repeat courses will be counted as attempted twice and completed once. The last grade is counted in GPA.
G. Transfer Credits. Transfer credits are not included when calculating the cumulative GPA but are included when calculating the completion rate and Financial Aid maximum time frame.
H. Withdrawals. Withdrawals are counted as attempted but not completed credits in the completion rate but not used in determining the GPA.
Agency Authorization for Admission
All students enrolled under such agency programs as JTPA, DRS and non-prepaid scholarships must have an official agency authorization document on file in the tuition office no later than the day tuition is due. It is the student's responsibility to see that proper authorization has been issued to the College or to the student as there can be no admission to class without it.
Eligibility and Sources for Aid
Several types of financial aid are available to individuals who need it in order to continue their education. Aid may be awarded in both grant aid (no repayment) and self-help (loans and employment) form. Aid applicants are required to complete FAFSA. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.studentaid.gov. Please stop in the Financial Aid Office for assistance if needed.
Scholarships
Many scholarships are available to students. Application information is posted on the College website and is available at the Financial Aid offices.
Work-Study Program
These are part-time jobs, which may be on or off campus and may relate to the student's field of study. There are both state and federally funded programs that allow students to work up to 20 hours per week. The programs are applied for by completing the FAFSA.
Application Process
Application for federal student aid is made by completing the "Free Application for Federal Financial Aid" (FAFSA), which is available or on the Web at www.studentaid.gov.
There is no charge to apply for federal or state aid. For the Federal Direct Loan Program and Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) some additional steps must be taken once the FAFSA is completed.
Note: In all cases, a SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER is required at the time of application. Applications cannot be processed without it.
Instructions should be read carefully when applying for financial aid. Most mistakes and delays are caused by failure to follow instructions. Special attention must be paid to questions on income, since that is the area where most mistakes are made. Every question should be completed in order for the applicant to be considered for aid.
APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER OCTOBER 1. It will take approximately one week for the FAFSA to be processed. If any information provided by the applicant needs to be confirmed or corrected, reprocessing the FAFSA will take another week.
In addition, it may be necessary to prove certain reported information is correct. Each step in the process must be completed promptly, so no deadlines are missed. For consideration of financial aid, filing must be completed 15 days prior to the semester the applicant wishes to start. MISSING A DEADLINE MAY MEAN DELAYS IN THE AWARD OF THE FINANCIAL AID.
If no response is received in four weeks after completing the FAFSA, inquiry may be made by calling the number for application status checks: 1-800-433-3243. Otherwise, you can check your FAFSA status online at www.studentaid.gov.
Note: Aid from federal programs are not guaranteed from one year to the next. Re-application is necessary every year. Also, if a student changes schools, aid does not transfer. Always check with the new school to determine the steps to be taken to receive aid at the new school.
Approved: May 7, 1997
Reviewed: December 28, 2010; October 31, 2013, July 2020, March 29, 2023
Revised: February 15, 2000; June 30, 2004; September 29, 2008; October 31, 2013, July 2020, March 29, 2023