Tips for instructors and advisors
How withdrawal affects financial aid
Withdrawal after the 60% point
Students earn financial aid during the course of a semester's enrollment. Based on Federal and Massachusetts regulations, students who receive financial aid from Federal and state sources are considered to have earned all of their financial aid once they have passed the 60% point in the semester. If students withdraw officially from their classes after this point, they have earned 100% of the aid awarded to them, just as if they had completed the semester.
Withdrawal before the 60% point
However, the same policies say that students receiving Federal or state financial aid who withdraw officially before this 60% point will have earned only a certain portion of their aid, prorated according to the percentage of the semester they have completed. For example, a student receiving a Federal Pell Grant who withdraws from all of her classes at the 25% point of the semester will have earned 25% of her Pell Grant for the semester.
Determining the withdrawal date
For a student officially withdrawing from the College, the withdrawal date is either the date a student began the College's withdrawal process, or officially notified the Registrar's Office of intent to withdraw. If a student does not officially withdraw, the date is either the midpoint of the semester or the date as documented by class attendance records or by an academically related activity.
Failure to attend
If an enrolled student does not attend even one class, as determined by deficiency notices and other means, the students is considered to be unenrolled for the semester. This means that the student's charges for tuition and fees are cancelled, and that the student does not receive financial aid for the semester.
Calculating the financial aid adjustment
The Financial Aid Office calculates a student's financial aid adjustment within 30 days of the student's official withdrawal. The Financial Aid Office will mail a notice to a withdrawn student indicating whether the student (1) owes the college any tuition, fees, or book charges, (2) owes a refund of any aid previously received, or (3) should expect the refund of any excess funds.
If any Federal or state aid was disbursed directly to a student, the student is responsible for returning any unearned funds to the Federal or state financial aid programs in a timely manner. Failure to do so may result in a student’s being ineligible for any future Federal or state student aid.
Repeat courses and appeals process
Because Federal and state policies do not permit financial aid to cover repeated courses, students generally have to cover costs for those repeated courses themselves. There are two important exceptions:
First, students who repeat a course for which they have received an "F" or "0" grade may receive financial aid to repeat such courses for a total of three times.
Second, students who repeat a course for which they have received a grade, other than "F" or "0," which does not meet the standards of the program within which the student is matriculated may receive financial aid to retake that course three times. For example, the Nursing Program requires a minimum grade of C+ for certain courses. Financial aid would cover taking such courses until the required minimum grade is earned, but no more than three times.
At the beginning of each semester, the Financial Aid Office identifies financial aid recipients who are repeating courses and informs the students that they may be ineligible for financial aid for such retaken courses unless it is determined that these students meet one of the above exceptions.
Satisfactory academic progress
To be eligible for financial aid, Federal and state regulations require students to be making "satisfactory academic progress" as defined by the Financial Aid Office’s official policy. Each semester the Financial Aid Office monitors students' GPA, and also reviews the success of financial aid students in earning credits toward their degrees and certificates. Students also need to earn their degrees within a certain number of attempted credits, usually about 90 for an associate degree.
Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress are informed of their status, and that they are ineligible for financial aid. They are also permitted to appeal their status so that their eligibility for financial aid may be reinstated.
Federal Pell Grant eligibility
Some students believe that in order to receive a Pell Grant, they must be enrolled full-time. That is incorrect. The Federal Pell Grant is awarded on the basis of financial need, and is pro-rated based on enrollment. For example, a full-time student may be eligible for a Pell Grant of $4000 for the academic year, while the same student enrolled half-time would be eligible for one-half of that, or $2000 for the year, and so forth.
Federal college work-study
The Federal college work-study program allows students to work about ten hours per week in on-campus and off-campus jobs. Staff or faculty wishing to hire a work-study student for an upcoming academic year need to make such a request in the previous spring semester. Students who are awarded or interested in work-study are required to attend an informational meeting in late August, after which they contact prospective employing departments and together arrange student duties and hours. Currently, the hourly wage is $8.00 per hour, $9.00 per hour evenings.