Financial Aid

What You Need to Know about Academic Progress and Financial Aid Eligibility

Federal regulations require institutions of higher education to establish minimum standards of “satisfactory academic progress” which students must meet in order to receive Title IV financial aid. Title IV programs include Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student Loan, National Direct Student Loan, North Carolina Student Incentive Grant, and funds from other federal or state-administered programs.

Measurable Satisfactory Academic Progress

1. Full-time students are defined as those who are registered for 12 or more credit hours each semester; three-quarter time students are those who are registered for 9 to 11 credit hours; one-half time students are those who are registered for 6 to 8 credit hours.
2. To remain eligible to receive Title IV financial aid funds and to remain in good academic standing with the College, each student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average (GPA). Students whose GPA falls below 2.0 will be placed on probation – but still receive financial aid – for one semester.

Financial Aid Time Increments

1. In addition to (2) above, students also must maintain minimum standards to show progress toward completing degree requirements.
2. The Department of Education’s regulations require a student to complete his/ her degree within a time frame established by the institution.
3. Regulations covering satisfactory progress will apply although the student may not have received Title IV funds for the entire period of enrollment.

Financial Aid Probation/Termination

1. Any recipient of financial aid who is placed on academic probation will continue to receive aid for the next semester of enrollment. Students who do not raise their overall grade point average above the probation level by the end of this probationary semester will not be eligible to receive aid during the following semester of enrollment.
2. Students whose financial aid is terminated at the end of the probation semester will not receive additional aid until they meet the requirements for reinstatement.
3. Retroactive payments of financial aid for semesters when students were ineligible are prohibited.
4. Students on probation will not receive payment at the start of the next semester until such time as all grade point averages can be calculated. Federal Pell Grant payment will be reinstated after the Financial Aid Office has an opportunity to average grades, providing the student’s average is 2.0 or better.
5. Students who withdraw during the semester MUST notify the Financial Aid Office and may be expected to repay a prorated amount of their financial aid award.
6. The Director of Financial Aid will advise students in writing when they are placed on financial aid probation and/or termination.

Evaluation

Academic records will be reviewed at the end of each semester, and the student must maintain the required grade point average in order to be eligible to receive assistance for the next semester. The number of semester hours completed will not be evaluated until the end of the spring semester of each academic year.

Appeal Process

Any student who wishes to appeal a financial aid decision should do so according to the Edgecombe Community College appeal guidelines found in the College catalog. Students should remember that they are required to request a hearing in writing within five days after the decision has been made.

Miscellaneous

Students must reapply for financial aid annually. Aid does not continue from year to year automatically.

A student will be permitted to take developmental courses for a maximum of 30 semester hours and receive Title IV funds while doing such. A student can retake courses in order to improve a grade point average – providing the initial grade received was an F, D, or IP. Under no other circumstances can a student retake a course and have that course counted toward credit hour requirements for Title IV funds. Students who register for classes and receive Federal Pell Grant funds but do not attend classes will be required to repay in full the amount of Federal Grant received, less any amount of credit for tuition and books, before qualifying for additional funds.

Students must take courses required in their major field of study and have those courses count toward credit hour requirements to receive Title IV funds.

Mitigating circumstances may prevent a student from adhering to ECC’s policy of satisfactory progress and/or time increments. Circumstances may include but are not limited to illness of the student or an immediate family member; death of a family member; full-time employment; and change of career objectives. Any mitigating circumstances may require documentation and should be directed to the Director of Financial Aid or his/her designee. In instances where a student will be allowed an additional increment of time to pull his progress in line with standards, the student will be given a semester of probationary time to meet academic standards.

Student Responsibilities

It is the student’s responsibility to:

1. Pay special attention to the application for student financial aid, complete it accurately, and submit it on time to the Financial Aid Office. Errors can delay or prevent receiving aid.
2. Know and comply with all deadlines for applying or reapplying for aid.
3. Provide additional documentation, verification, corrections, and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which the application was submitted.
4. Read, understand, and keep copies of all forms completed.
5. Notify the school of a change in name, address, or attendance status. (halftime, three-quarter time, or full-time). If the student has a loan, he/she must notify the lender of these changes.
6. Perform work study jobs in a satisfactory manner.
7. Understand the school’s refund policy.
8. Attend the exit interview and loan counseling session required for a federal loan.

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