Dean College Financial Aid Policies
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Aid Recipients
In addition to the academic progress standards published in the Academic Policies section of the catalog, financial aid recipients must meet academic progress criteria established in accordance with federal regulations. The Center for Student Financial Planning & Services will evaluate all students at the end of the spring semester after grades are posted. Students who are placed on probation will be evaluated each subsequent semester until they are no longer on probation. Students who leave the College and are readmitted will be evaluated before aid is offered regardless of the term in which they return to Dean.
Students must maintain a cumulative GPA based on attempted credits as follows:
| Number of Attempted Credits* | Good Academic Standing | Academic Probation | Academic Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–19 Attempted Credits | 1.800 Cumulative GPA | 0.001–1.799 Cumulative GPA | 0.000 Cumulative GPA |
| 20-39 Attempted Credits | 1.900 Cumulative GPA | 0.001–1.899 Cumulative GPA | 0.000 Cumulative GPA |
| 40+ Attempted Credits | 2.000 Cumulative GPA | 0.001–1.999 Cumulative GPA | 0.000 Cumulative GPA |
Students must also successfully complete 60% of all attempted coursework. Any course in which a student is enrolled after the regular drop/add period is considered an attempted course. A passing grade is successful completion of a course with a grade of “D–” or better. Per the Academic Catalog: A failure grade ("F"), withdrawal grade (a "W" or "RW"), or an “Incomplete” grade– (“I”) in a class constitutes an attempted course that is not successfully completed. Repeated courses will be counted when measuring this standard.
Federal aid recipients cannot continue to receive aid after they have attempted more than 150% of the number of credits required for their degree. For example, students who have attempted more than 180 credits for a 120 credit-hour degree will be ineligible for additional aid for subsequent terms. Transfer credits are counted in the total number of credits attempted. Repeated courses will be counted when measuring this standard.
Students not making Satisfactory Academic Progress will be notified in writing by the college. Students who fail to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards may not be eligible for financial aid in subsequent academic periods. Eligibility may be regained by submitting an appeal prior to the beginning of the following term. Appeals should contain a signed letter from the student and any documentation that supports claims of extenuating circumstances. Supporting letters from advisors and professors are also encouraged. Grounds for appeal include the student’s documented illness or other extenuating circumstances. Additional documentation may be requested depending on the nature of the appeal. Decisions will be made by the Academic Appeals Committee. Students who regain eligibility will be placed on probation, and their progress will be calculated at the end of each subsequent term until they are in good academic standing.
Students may also regain eligibility by taking coursework to improve their grades or completion rate without the benefit of financial aid. Students can be re-evaluated for eligibility at any time and can be considered for financial aid in the term following the point at which the standards are met. Academic achievements at other colleges can be considered as part of an appeal. Transfer courses can be counted toward the progression calculation but will not affect a student’s GPA at Dean College.
Repeated Course Policy for Financial Aid Recipients
A repeated course may count toward a student’s enrollment status (full-time or part-time status) for financial aid eligibility under the following conditions:
- The course is repeatable for credit. Please see specific course descriptions for applicability.
- The student received a failing grade or withdrawal in the previous attempt and is re-taking the course to receive credit.
- The student received a passing grade and is re-taking the course for the first time in order to achieve an academic standard set by the student’s specific program (such as a minimum grade requirement in Nursing, Education, etc.) or to improve the GPA.
Repeated courses cannot count toward enrollment status for financial aid eligibility in the following case:
- The student has already taken and passed the course and is repeating the course again.
Please note: Students may not re-take a course without meeting with their academic advisor.
All repeated courses, regardless of whether they are eligible for financial aid, count toward the student’s attempted credits for the purpose of determining satisfactory academic progress and progress toward degree completion within the maximum allotted timeline for financial aid eligibility.
Request For Additional Assistance
Financial Aid Appeal Process / Special or Unusual Circumstances
There are times when circumstances have changed since the completion of the FAFSA, and this has an impact on the ability of a family to contribute to educational costs. Students may submit a request for the financial aid office to consider these circumstances and consider additional assistance. These requests will require supporting documentation. Students are encouraged to have a conversation with their financial aid counselor prior to submitting an appeal.
Students should expect a response to their request within approximately 2 weeks of the financial aid office receiving complete documentation. More information and guidance regarding this process can be found in the Appeal Guidelines form.
Institutional Refund Policy
Students who withdraw from all classes will have charges adjusted in accordance with the following schedule.
Return of Title IV Federal Student Aid Policy Funds
Federal regulations require that students who withdraw from all classes prior to completing more than 60% of an enrollment term have their eligibility for federal aid recalculated based on the percentage of the term completed, as follows:
# of days completed by student
__________________________
total # of days in term
The total number of calendar days in a term excludes any scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days.
Unearned federal aid (the amount that must be returned to the appropriate program) will be returned in the following order: Federal Direct Student Loans (unsubsidized, then subsidized), Federal Parent PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG).
Federal Work Study funds are not subject to this return policy. Any work study earnings paid to the student through payroll do not need to be returned.
Unearned state aid will be recalculated based on state guidelines.
Note: Students are responsible for any balance owed to Dean College because of the repayment of federal aid funds.
In circumstances when the College must return funds to the federal government withdrawal calculations may result in an amount owed to the College. The Return to Title IV Funds calculation is independent of the institution’s refund policy.
Private Loans and Withdrawal from the College
The College will retain any private loan funds needed to satisfy an outstanding balance owed to the college. Any excess will be returned to the lender after all refund calculations are complete.
Residency Changes
While Dean College scholarships are awarded based on a student’s merit and potential, residency status is also a factor in determining the amount. Resident-student scholarships are awarded in higher amounts to assist students with the higher cost of living on campus. If a student’s residency status changes, a corresponding increase or decrease in scholarship will occur. If a commuter student decides to become a resident within the first four weeks of the semester, they will be responsible for the full housing and food charges. The student’s Dean aid will be adjusted to reflect the full resident status. After the first four weeks of the semester, the student’s housing and food charges and Dean aid will be prorated on a weekly basis.
If a student decides to become a commuter student within the first four weeks of the semester, the housing and board charges and Dean aid will be prorated on a weekly basis. After the first four weeks of the semester, the student would be responsible for the full housing and board charges. The students' institutional financial aid would remain at the resident level.
Housing Changes
If a student changes their housing assignment during the semester, the difference in housing cost will be prorated based on the effective date of the charge. Dean Aid will not be adjusted based on housing changes or associated charges.
Title IV Credit Balances
A Title IV credit balance occurs whenever the amount of Title IV funds credited to a student’s account for a payment period exceeds the amount assessed the student for allowable charges associated with that payment period. In those cases, a refund check will be made available to students to pick up or mailed to your permanent address within 14 days of disbursement. You may request a student refund for any portion of any credit balance on your student account. Refunds will only be issued for actual credit balances and will not be issued based on “pending” financial aid.
Rights and Responsibilities
Financial aid recipients must be aware of both their rights and responsibilities relating to financial aid. It's important to know both your rights and responsibilities of receiving financial aid. Please read through both the rights and responsibilities to make sure you are getting the most from your financial aid. View your Rights and Responsibilities of Receiving Financial Aid.