Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress Policy

Public Law 99-498 requires that you make satisfactory and measurable academic progress in order to be eligible for state and federally funded financial assistance. When you attend Triton College and receive aid from the following federal programs: Federal Pell Grant, College Work-study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Veterans' Grants, Direct Student Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized), PLUS loan; or the following state programs: Monetary Award Program, Illinois Merit Recognition Scholarship, Police Officer/Fire Officer Dependent’s Grant, Illinois Veteran' Grant (GPA only), MIA/POW Scholarship Grant (GPA only), Illinois National Guard (GPA only); or any other programs covered by regulations of the U. S. Department of Education, federal or state law, you must meet the following standards:

To make satisfactory academic progress for financial aid, you must meet the following criteria:
1. Successful completion of courses (quantitative standard). Students will be measured for the quantitative standard at the end of each semester. Students must successfully complete and receive credit for a minimum of 67 percent of all college level and college success courses attempted cumulatively, regardless of receipt of financial aid. The percentage can be calculated by dividing the successfully completed credit hours by the number of credit hours the student attempted.
  If at the end of a semester, a student has not successfully completed a minimum of 67 percent of all credit hours attempted cumulatively, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next semester attended.
  
  If at the end of the "Warning" semester, the student has not successfully completed a minimum of 67 percent of all credit hours attempted cumulatively, the student will be placed on Disqualified Status, and will not be eligible to participate in financial programs in future terms.
  
  All grades of "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "P", "W", "I" and "R" are included in the calculation of credit hours attempted. Credit hours successfully completed toward the 67 percent are college and college success courses completed with a grade of "A", "B", "C", "D" or "P".
  
  Students receiving an INCOMPLETE ('I') grade or late grade that places them on Financial Aid warning or Disqualified Status must complete the course in accordance with the 'Incomplete Grades' policy as outlined in the Triton College catalog. Financial Aid is not notified when a student finishes an incomplete class; therefore, the student must submit an appeal within the term to request that their financial aid be reinstated.
  
  All attempted credit hours at Triton College will be counted toward the cumulative completion rate standards and the maximum time frame standards.
  
  These include:
  - College Success courses
  - Repeated courses
  - Withdrawn courses
  - Non-completed courses
2. Grade-point average (qualitative standard). All students must earn a 1.0 GPA at the end of their first semester of attendance and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 after two semesters of attendance, regardless of receipt of financial aid.
3. Program time frame . Students must complete their program of study within an attempted 150 percent of the credit hours required for the program. Typically an associate degree will have a maximum time frame of 96 credit hours (64 credit hours x 150 percent). Certificates will vary more based on the credit hours required to complete the program. Maximum time frames will include all semesters of enrollment regardless of receipt of financial aid, and will include all evaluated transfer credit hours. Grades of "W," "I," "R" or "F" are considered to be hours attempted and are included in the maximum time frame.
Financial Aid Academic Warning and Disqualification
1. Students who fail to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 in any semester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning (except if the GPA is less than 1.0 in the first semester of attendance, then the student is disqualified).
2. Students who fail to meet the required course completion (see A-1) in any semester will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. Students who receive the Illinois Veterans' Grant, National Guard Grant or MIA/POW Scholarship Grant, are exempt from the quantitative component of the Standards of Academic Progress. Students may receive financial aid while on warning status without appealing.
3. Students who fail to meet the 1.0 GPA in their first semester of attendance will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification Status.
4. Students who fail to meet the 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement for two consecutive semesters or who fail to successfully complete their courses as stated in section A-1, will be placed on Financial Aid Disqualification Status.
  Students may not receive financial aid while on Disqualification Status. This includes eligibility for federal and state grants, loans, work-study and federal VA benefits.
Financial Aid Reinstatement
1. Students on Disqualification Status may appeal to the Financial Aid Standards of Academic Progress Committee if they have mitigating circumstances. Students wishing to appeal their status must obtain an official appeal form in the Financial Aid Office. All appeals must be complete, provide detailed information and supporting documentation about mitigating circumstances, and must be submitted in writing to the Financial Aid Office. Additionally, appeals must include an approved academic plan. Future appeals will only require an academic plan if there is a change in the program of study.
2. Students who have been away from Triton College for a minimum of three years may be allowed to return on a "probationary" status for one semester. During that time, the student must make satisfactory progress or become disqualified for further financial assistance. Students who were disqualified at the time they ceased their prior enrollment will be required to submit an appeal for reinstatement.
3. Students who are not reinstated by the committee may appeal again after they have successfully completed at least six credit hours of additional course work in a semester, unless the disqualification status is a result of having exceeded the program time fame as explained in A-3.
4. Reinstatement of students who have exceeded the maximum program time frame will be considered for an extension only if they can document a change in academic program, and/or that they have taken College Success course work.
5. Students have the right to appeal the decision of the Financial Aid Committee by submitting a typed statement to the financial aid administrator requesting a review of the committee’s decision. The decision will be final.
6. Students reinstated by the Financial Aid Committee and/or the financial aid administrator to a probationary status must meet the criteria for Standards of Academic Progress or the requirements of an academic plan from that point forward.
Notification of Status
The Financial Aid Office will notify students when they have become disqualified. However, it is the students' responsibility to know their academic progress status and how it affects financial aid eligibility.

Return of Federal Funds Policy

Students who withdraw from coursework in a semester may be required to return a portion of the federal financial aid that had been applied to their account. The final amount of financial aid earned will be based on the period of time the student participated during the semester. Students receiving federal funds who fully withdraw, either officially or unofficially, before the conclusion of the semester, are subject to a "Return of Title IV Aid" calculation established by the federal government. This calculation determines the portion of federal funds that were earned by the student up to the time of withdrawal. The withdrawal date (last date of attendance) will be determined by official withdrawal from classes by the student, or as reported by the instructor in cases of unofficial withdrawal. If the student withdraws beyond the 60% point in the semester, they are considered to have earned 100% of the federal financial aid they were scheduled to receive. Students enrolled in classes that do not span the entire semester are considered withdrawn if, at the time of the withdrawal, they are not actively attending another class and have not provided written confirmation of anticipated return in the semester for a late start class. Federal financial aid disbursed in excess of the earned amount must be returned to the federal government. The college will perform the "Return of Title IV Aid" calculation within 30 days of the date of determination that a student has completely withdrawn and return any unearned federal funds it is responsible for returning within 45 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew. If the student previously received a refund from financial aid, which was to be used for education-related personal or housing expenses, they may be required to return a portion of those funds to the college. When the college returns a student’s unearned funds to the government, they will be billed for any balance due for any unearned refunds received or institutional charges that are now unpaid as a result of the return of federal funds. If it is determined through a "Return of Title IV Aid" calculation that the Federal financial aid already disbursed to the student is less than the earned amount, the school will generate a post-withdrawal disbursement to the student no later than 45 days after the date of the school's determination that the student withdrew. Funds returned to the federal government based on the Return of Title IV Aid calculation referenced above, reduce the outstanding balances in individual federal aid programs. Federal financial aid returned by the student, the parent, or the college, are allocated in the following order:

Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan
Federal Subsidized Direct Loan
Federal Direct Parent Loan (PLUS)
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

If financial aid is awarded after the conclusion of the semester, federal aid is awarded based on the courses completed for that semester. Students receiving federal financial aid and considering withdrawing from registered coursework should make an appointment with a Financial Aid Specialist to examine the implications to their financial aid.

Up one level

Financial Aid