Financial Aid Policies
Did you know that your financial aid eligibility could be impacted, if you are not meeting academic standards? Did you know that if you receive financial aid awards and do not complete the designated term, you may be required to return some of the money received?
Below outlines policies and procedures that every student needs to know.
Per federal guidelines, a student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have the degree or certificate is not eligible for further additional Federal Student Aid funds for that program.
Per federal regulations (34 CFR Section 668.2), repeated coursework that falls under the following conditions cannot be included in a student's enrollment status for Title IV Federal Aid eligibility:
This regulation will allow a student to receive Title IV federal financial aid for only one repeat of any previously passed course or its' equivalency.
A student attempting a second repeat of a previously passed course cannot have the enrollment for the course count toward the student's Title IV financial aid eligibility.
FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY-COMPLETED PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS:
Per federal guidelines, a student who completes the academic requirements for a program but does not yet have the degree or certificate is not eligible for further additional Federal Student Aid funds for that program.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74), was passed into law limiting the number of semesters a student may receive Federal Pell Grant funding from eighteen (18) semesters or 900% to twelve (12) semesters or 600%. In mid-April, 2012, the U.S. Department of Education began notifying students and schools of ineligible students who were close to exhausting eligibility, eight (8) semesters or 400%, or have exceeded twelve semesters 12(600%).
Students may not appeal their Pell Grant eligibility because the Federal Pell Grant limits have been set by the U.S. Department of Education.
Students whose financial aid has been terminated because they have defaulted on a student loan at a previous institution(s) or at Fayetteville State University may become eligible for reinstatement of financial aid when the U.S. Department of Education submits, in writing, to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid at Fayetteville State University that the student is "No Longer in Default."
A student whose default status is cleared by the U.S. Department of Education will be eligible to receive funding for which that student qualifies.
Per the Department of Education, all students who have received a student loan are required to complete Exit Counseling each time you:
- Drop below half time enrollment
- Graduate
- Leave School/Withdraw
Student loans, unlike grants and work-study, are borrowed money that must be repaid, with interest. You cannot have these loans canceled because you weren't satisfied with the education you received, didn't get a job after graduation or because you're having financial difficulty. Loans are legal obligations that you must repay. The TEACH Grant requires Exit Counseling because it has the potential to become a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan if the Agreement to Serve contract is not satisfactorily met.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Financial aid recipients (both undergraduates and graduate students) must make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Fayetteville State University defines satisfactory academic progress in quantitative and qualitative terms. Students are evaluated for satisfactory academic progress at the end of the academic year (spring), at which time students must have earned at least 67% of their attempted hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 for an undergraduate student and a minimum GPA of 3.0 for a graduate student. Students whose total of attempted hours (including all transfer hours) exceeds 180 (undergraduate) and 54 (graduate) may re-enroll if their GPA is 2.0 or higher for an undergraduate student and 3.0 or higher for a graduate student. After re-enrolling, they will be ineligible for financial aid without successfully appealing through the Academic Appeals Committee for a one time only approval of maximum hours. Students will be evaluated for financial aid eligibility at the end of the academic year (spring) and will be notified by the Academic Appeals Committee of their eligibility status. Students may appeal their financial aid eligibility by following the process delineated below in the section titled "Appeal Procedure".
| Status | GPA/Attempted Hours/Excessive Hours | Consequences |
| Good Standing | 2.0 or higher but less than 67% or excessive hours | Student eligible for continued enrollment but ineligible for financial aid unless request for continued financial aid is successfully appealed. |
| Suspension | Cumulative GPA below 2.0 at the end of the spring semester | Student ineligible for continued enrollment and ineligible for financial aid unless suspension is successfully appealed. Students who successfully appeal suspension will be placed on suspension/ reinstatement and required to participate in the Student Success Program. Students who appeal suspension, but then are suspended more than twice will not be permitted to re-enroll unless they improve status in summer school or participate in Academic Fresh Start. A Student Success Counselor will be assigned to suspended students. The counselor will assist students in taking steps to achieve eligibility for re-enrollment. |
If a student's GPA is below 2.0 at the end of the spring semester, the student will be placed on academic suspension and must successfully appeal for continued enrollment and financial aid eligibility.
A student who has a cumulative GPA below 2.0 and withdraws from the university during the spring semester will be evaluated for continuous enrollment according to the guidelines above.
Students who fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the end of the fall semester will be placed on Academic Probation and will be permitted to enroll in a maximum of 14 credits for the subsequent semester. Students on probation will be required to discuss with their respective advisors strategies for improving their academic status.
Students may repeat a course, but can only earn credit hours once for any given course (except in cases where the faculty designate a course as one that can earn credit more than once). When a student repeats a course, the lower grade is excluded from the calculation of the Grade Point Average and the higher grade is included. A student is allowed a maximum of 16 credit hours for course repeats without penalty (a student cannot replace the grades of the same course more than once). "Without Penalty" means that only the higher grade will be calculated into the student's Grade Point Average. All original entries and grades will appear on the student's permanent record, with the designation that lower grade has been excluded from the Grade Point Average.
If a student repeats the same course for a second time or more, and/or exceeds the maximum of 16 credit hours, all attempted hours will be counted and all grades will be calculated into the Grade Point Average. However, students can only earn credit once for each course.
If a student earns a passing grade twice for the same course, only one set of course credit hours will be counted toward graduation.Per federal regulations (34 CFR Section 668.2), repeated coursework that falls under the following conditions cannot be included in a student's enrollment status for Title IV Federal Aid eligibility:
- This regulation will allow a student to receive Title IV federal financial aid for only one repeat of any previously passed course or its' equivalency.
- A student attempting a second repeat of a previously passed course cannot have the enrollment for the course count toward the student's Title IV financial aid eligibility.
All repeated courses are included in a student's total attempted hours. The tuition surcharge will apply for all hours attempted beyond 140 credit hours.
The grade of "I" may be assigned only when a student has maintained a passing average but for reasons beyond his or her control, is unable to complete a specific course requirement such as a report, field experience, experiment, or examination. An Incomplete Grade may not be assigned to students who have failed to fulfill multiple requirements in a class.
An "I" grade must be removed before the end of the next regular (fall or spring) semester immediately following the semester or term in which the "I" grade was assigned. If the "I" grade is not removed within the stipulated time limit, the grade will be converted to a grade of "F." Students are responsible for initiating the actions necessary to remove "I" grades.
A student not present at an officially scheduled final exam may only be assigned an Incomplete grade if he/ she contacts the instructor of the course before the end of the final exam week to request a deferred final examination. Students who need to defer an examination must furnish valid support for the request. If the faculty member approves the deferred examination, a grade of "I" will be assigned.
Students whose request for deferred exams are not granted or who miss final exams without contacting the instructor before the end of the final exam week are not eligible to receive an Incomplete Grade.
Part-time students are expected to progress at proportionally the same rate as full-time undergraduate students and are governed by the same Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy as full time undergraduate students.
Part-time students are expected to progress at proportionally the same rate as full-time undergraduate students and are governed by the same Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy as full time undergraduate students.
Students whose financial aid is canceled as a result of not meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress must appeal financial aid ineligibility as part of their suspension appeal by submitting the online Letter of Appeal form.
Letters of appeal of academic suspension must be submitted by May 15 for summer I, June 22 for summer II, July 1 for the fall semester, and October 30 for the spring semester, and must address each of the following:
- The special or unusual circumstances, with documentation, that contributed to the student's academic suspension;
- Actions the student has taken to change the circumstances so that they will not contribute again to poor academic performance;
- Specific steps the students will take to improve his or her academic status in the upcoming semester;
- An address and phone number at which the student may be notified of the committee's decision.
The Academic Appeals Committee's response will indicate one of the following: 1) approval for student to re-enroll with reinstatement of financial aid; 2) approval for student to re-enroll without reinstatement of financial aid; 3) denial of the appeal. Appeals will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances that are appropriately documented. Student appeals submitted after the deadline will not be considered.Student who meet the academic standards for re-enrollment, but fail to meet the standards for continued financial aid must submit the online Letter of Appeal form that addresses the items outlined above.Appeals will be granted only under extraordinary circumstances that are appropriately documented.Financial Aid Withdrawal Refunds/Repayments ( This is a new section, and does not fall under SAP)
Refunds to Programs
When a student withdraws from the university, refunds will be returned to the programs from which the student received aid. The date of withdrawal is determined by the Registrar's Office and is based upon the date the student began the withdrawal process. Refunds are determined by using the Withdrawal/Refund Calculation Sheet that is based upon Federal Rules and Regulations #484B, #682.606 and #682.607 in the Federal Register.
If the student does not complete the university's official withdrawal form, the student will be responsible for 100% of the semester's charges. If the student secures documentation from each of his professors attesting to his last date of attendance in their classes and completes a Withdrawal Form, a refund may be calculated based upon the normal withdrawal/refund processing policy. (The Registrar determines if the documentation is sufficient. If the Registrar changes the date of withdrawal, the student should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine if a recalculation is appropriate.)
Repayments to Programs When a Return of Title IV Calculation is Completed
If a return of federal funds is applicable based on the calculation of a withdrawal, the funds will be returned in the following order to the United States Department of Education:
- Unsubsidized Direct Loan
- Subsidized Direct Loan
- Perkins Loan
- Direct PLUS (Graduate Students)
- Direct PLUS (Parent)
- Pell Grant
- FSEOG
- Other Title IV Grant Funds
- NC State Funds
Written Complaint Procedure
At Fayetteville State University, we recognize our students as the primary customers for all of the services that we offer, from classroom instruction to personal counseling to computer labs. When an area of the university needs improvement or change to better serve the needs of our students, we appreciate hearing from them.
As a first step, students are encouraged to discuss their complaints directly with the person responsible for the area or problem. If the issue is not or cannot be addressed through discussion with the responsible person and if there are no methods prescribed for appeal in the applicable area in University Catalog, Student Handbook, or other official University documents, then the issue should be outlined in writing and submitted to the following offices in the order indicated:
Academic Complaints:
- Department Chair
- Dean of the School/College
- Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Non-Academic Complaints:
- Department or Office Director
- Vice Chancellor of the Division to which the Department or Office reports
Each office listed above will respond to the student within 10 working days of receipt of the written suggestion or complaint. If the issue is not satisfactorily resolved at the first level, the student should submit his/her request to the next highest level. If the issue remains unresolved at the highest level indicated above, the student(s) should appeal to the Office of the Chancellor. North Carolina Post-Secondary Education Complaints If a complaint cannot be resolved after exhausting the institution's grievance procedure, the student may file a complaint with the following office: North Caroline Post-Secondary Education Complaints c/o Student Complaints University of North Carolina General Administration 910 Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2688 For more information, call (919) 962-4550 or send an email to: studentcomplaint@northcarolina.edu. The student may contact UNC General Administration for further details.