Financial Aid Academic Performance Requirements

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ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE & FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY

The federal and state financial aid programs require that every recipient register for and maintain enrollment in their classes in order to receive financial aid awards. Students are expected to make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree in order to keep receiving their awards.

The enrollment requirements and minimum academic performance standards for the federal and state financial aid programs differ from one another and exist separately from the College's own enrollment and retention requirements.

For example, students might be charged as full-time students by the College but not qualify for full-time financial assistance due to failing to meet one or more of the enrollment requirements listed below. Likewise, students might be in good academic standing according the College's own retention standard but fail one or more of the financial aid satisfactory progress requirements listed below and therefore not qualify for certain grant or loan programs.

The following table summarizes the enrollment and academic performance requirements for the federal and state financial aid programs. You may click on the blue pointers [] below to read more about each requirement.

ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENTS [GETTING YOUR AID]

Basic Enrollment Conditions

Federal Pell Grant: You must maintain enrollment in from 1 to 18 credits or equated credits per semester. Pell $ amounts are pro-rated to your enrollment status according to the current Pell Award Schedule.

Federal Loans, Work-Study & Supplemental Grant: You must maintain enrollment in at least 6 credits or equated credits.

New York State Tuition Assistance Progam (TAP): You must enroll full-time in a minimum of 12 credits or equated credits per semester.

Part-Time TAP (PTAP): You must enroll part-time in a minimum of 6 to 11 credits or equated credits per semester. (PTAP is available beginning in the 2007-08 academic year for students who earned 24 credits in the prior year).

NYS Aid for Part-Time Study (APTS): You must enroll part-time in at least 6 to 11 credits or equated credits per semester. (APTS is available to part-time students not receiving PTAP.)

Additional Enrollment Conditions

All Federal Aid Programs: There is a 30 hour limit on payments for remedial [non-ESL] classes.

TAP: You must include in your full-time course load at least 3 degree credits the 1st semester you receive an award and 6 degree credits every semester thereafter.

APTS: You must have at least 3 degree credits each semester.

TAP: You are limited to 6 full-time semesters or the equivalent of full-time assistance as an associate degree student.

All Federal Aid Programs: Courses taken should count toward the degree.

All NYS Programs (TAP or APTS): Courses counted toward the minimum full-time/part-time enrollment requirement MUST count toward the degree.

REPEATED COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Repeating Failed Courses

All Federal Aid Programs: Payments are available for repeating failed courses subject to maintaining the federal satisfactory academic progress requirements described below.

All NYS Aid Programs: Payments are available for repeating failed courses subject to maintaining the NYS satisfactory academic progress requirements described below.

Repeating Previously Passed Courses

All Federal Aid Programs: Payments are available for repeating courses previously passed under the College's C- or lower grade policy (up to 16 credits maximum).

All NYS Aid Programs: Payments are NOT AVAILABLE for repeating any course previously passed and accepted for the degree, including those repeated under the College's C- or lower grade policy.

ACADEMIC PROGRESS REQUIREMENTS [KEEPING YOUR AID]

When Academic Progress Is Measured

All Federal Aid Programs: Measured once a year after the spring term.

All NYS Aid Programs: Measured after every term including summer.

Pursuit of Program Conditions

All Federal Aid Programs: You may attempt no more than 150% of the courses needed for your current degree (that is, you may attempt no more than 90 credits to earn 60).

>All NYS Aid Programs: You must complete a certain % of coursework each semester you receive a NYS payment:

Semester	1	2	3	4	5	6
% to complete	50%	50%	75%	75%	100%	100%

Academic Progress Conditions

All Federal Aid Programs: You must earn a minimum number of credits toward your degree each year according to either one of the following 2 standards:
A. Regular Standard: Your earned credits must be equal to or greater than 2/3 of your attempted credits.
B. Conditional Standard: Your earned credits must be equal to or greater than your attempted credits times .875 minus 21.

All NYS Aid Programs: You must earn credits toward your degree and attain a minimum GPA each semester you receive NYS payment:

Progress Chart [for students who received 1st NYS award prior to 2006-2007]

After TAP Semester	1	2	3	4	5	6
Credits earned for degree	0	6	18	31	45	60
with Minimum GPA	0	1.0	1.2	2.0	2.0	2.0

Progress Chart [for students receiving their 1st NYS award in 2006-2007]

After TAP Semester	1	2	3	4	5	6
Credits earned for degree	3	9	18	30	45	60
with Minimum GPA	.5	.75	1.3	2.0	2.0	2.0

If you are notified that you are not meeting one or more of the federal academic progress conditions, you may not receive additional payments of federal financial aid until your eligibility is restored. You may want to consider one of several options for the possible restoration of your federal eligibility including appeal, transfer or leave of absence.

If you are notified that you are not meeting one or more of the New York State academic progress conditions, you may not receive additional payments of NYS financial aid until your eligibility is restored. You may want to consider one of several options for the possible restoration of state eligibility including appeal, transfer or leave of absence.