Fin aid thinks I'm making unsatisfactory academic progress, but mistakes on their end

Paying for College
1

<p>I just finished my first year of grad school. In the spring, I had registered for full time, and been approved for $X,XXX in financial aid. But before the semester began, I dropped down to half time and registered for 5 credit hours. </p>

<p>I assumed they had adjusted my financial aid, in all the talking with financial aid people and others in my program, plus my experience with my undergrad school, I was (and still am) under the impression that my financial aid would be adjusted automatically upon changing the number of credit hours. I spent it all for living expenses last Spring. Now that I've looked back, they never changed my financial aid amount. </p>

<p>Anyways, my grades were excellent last semester, but when I submitted my FAFSA recently, I was told I'm not meeting satisfactory academic progress.</p>

<p>I contacted my financial aid office at my satellite campus and was told this was due to the adding and dropping when I went down to part time. I then contacted the main campus fin aid office and was told 2 different (conflicting) things:</p>

<p>1) I had registered for 11 credits and had only completed 5 of them. This is untrue, I was registered for 11, but right before the semester began, I dropped down to 5 hours (I am sure) and made all A's. </p>

<p>2) I was classified as full time but only registered for 5 hours for the spring semester, therefore I was not meeting SAP. However, I know for a fact when I pulled up my academic verification last semester, I was classified as a half time student. </p>

<p>I don't know how to proceed. The financial aid officer at my campus gave me a form to appeal the decision (basically to explain special circumstances like illness, etc) and I have a faculty member willing to write a letter on my behalf. But I feel like this isn't my fault, its some bug on their end, so why should I appeal it? </p>

<p>I'm planning to get the appeal paperwork together then drive the 2 hours to main campus to talk to someone face to face. I'm concerned about not getting financial aid for next year, as well as the school saying they hadn't re-adjusted my aid for spring and since I went to part time, I owe them part of what they paid me (I have no idea if I would or not). Anyone have any suggestions or input on this situation I've found myself in? Do I have any immunity in this since it isn't my fault?</p>

2

<p>You will need to discuss this with your school. SAP has two criteria…grades AND %age of courses completed. It sounds like your school is questioning the second requirement because you registered for the courses, dropped some, received full aid but didn’t complete them. I believe the criteria is to complete 65% of the courses (I’m not positive of that…but I think that’s correct).</p>

3

<p>I don’t think they grant “immunity”, but I think you have excellent grounds for an appeal. But they probably will require you to repay the aid you received in error, so plan now for that expense!</p>

4

<p>Tonight I actually remembered that at the beginning of the spring semester, I emailed my fin aid officer asking for a financial aid quote for if I dropped down to 5 credit hours. The quote she sent me was actually more financial aid than I actually got…technically I guess they owe me money…but I won’t bring that up…</p>

5

<p>Include a copy of that email with your appeal…that’s good evidence that you had no reason to believe you had received more aid than you were entitled to. What type of aid did you receive? Was this institutional funding?</p>

6

<p>Was the aid you received MORE than the cost of taking 5 credits each term? If so, be prepared to repay the amount OVER the actual costs. Aid is not given in excess of the cost of attendance for the term.</p>

7

<p>I agree with Thumper. Go right on ahead and appeal the decision, but when things are sorted out, you may have to return the money that you should not have gotten since you were part time. I tell my kids all of the time that dropping courses can cause all kinds of problems because that is something I have seen ever so many times.</p>

8

<p>It was Sub and Unsub stafford loans. I just don’t know if I should just file the appeal (which is more targeted at people who had academic problems due to sickness) or go up there and tell them they made a mistake in their system now.</p>

9

<p>I’m not sure they made a mistake…you need to find this out. It sounds like you received MORE of a Stafford loan amount than one SHOULD have received studying half time or so. Five credits isn’t even half time at most schools. If you received aid for full time study (or any amount more than what you actually did), you will be required to repay it, I think.</p>

<p>Also, someone will have to verify your SAP. You DID enroll for full time study and you DID drop classes from your roster (yes, I know you did so before the term began but you did take the aid for MORE credits it seems). The school may rightfully say you did NOT complete a high enough %age of the courses for which you registered.</p>

<p>You need to straighten this out. Go and talk to them.</p>

10

<p>5 credit hours is part time for graduate studies at my institution. And, like I said, I received the same amount in financial aid that I was quoted for taking 5 credit hours from the financial aid advisor, who said I would receive the amount I received if I took 5 credit hours.</p>

11

<p>Is there an adjustment in Stafford limits for half-time students? I know that school’s will only certify loans up to their COA, which would account for a lower amount, but am unaware of any federal adjustment. Do you know what your COA was calculated to be as a part-time student? That may be what the problem is. Try to get an appointment with the director or assistant…they’ll be more likely to have the authority to resolve the situation. It does sound as if they made an error/oversight (perhaps several) and, while you may have to return some funds if you were overawarded, they should be able to take care of the SAP issues and may be able to offer you a less painful solution. Let us know how it turns out!</p>