Resources, FAQ's, Forms

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Overview

Eligibility

In order to be eligible to receive federal Title IV financial aid or veterans benefits, you must complete all of the following.

1. Satisfy all admission requirements of the MCC district which includes sending MCC all academic transcripts from all other post-secondary schools, colleges and universities you have attended.
2. Declare and pursue an educational plan.  If you have earned less than 24 credit hours, you may change plans one time.  Additional changes must be approved by the Dean of Student Services.
3. The satisfactory academic progress standard must be met at the time of your initial application for financial aid.
4. Transfer students must meet the satisfactory academic progress standards to be eligible for financial aid.
5. Enroll in courses that contribute in at least one of the following ways to your declared educational plan. Courses must be
• required for your educational plan or are electives which meet specific requirements.
• those which, in the professional judgment of academic advisors and counselors, contribute to, enhance, or facilitate pursuit of your educational plan.
• designated in the college catalog as prerequisite to courses required as a condition of acceptance into your program. (You may receive financial aid for no more than 30 credit hours in such courses.)
• remedial or developmental courses prescribed by a academic advisor or counselor to make up educational deficiencies.  (You may receive financial aid for no more than 30 credit hours in such courses.)
Note: Audited courses are not financial aid eligible and are excluded from the satisfactory academic progress calculations.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard

In order to continue your eligibility for financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress toward your educational plan by maintaining a minimum grade point average and successfully completing a minimum number of courses throughout your enrollment at MCC.  Also, you must accomplish your educational plan within a reasonable time. Your progress will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

1. In order to retain eligibility, you must earn and maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average.  Grade point averages will be calculated according to district policy.   Academic exemption, amnesty or forgiveness is not allowed.

2. In order to retain eligibility, you must also maintain a cumulative successful completion rate of 67.00% of courses attempted.  Dropped, failed and incomplete courses, and audit courses for which no credit is received, and repeated courses (in which you previously received a passing grade) do not count towards credit hours earned.  Rejected transfer hours are excluded from this calculation.

3. You must complete your educational plan in no more than 150% of the number of credit hours required to finish the program without the repetition of any course.
• The maximum credit hours permitted for financial aid will be adjusted for approved educational plan changes and for remedial, developmental and prerequisite course work.  Your entire academic history will be evaluated when determining the maximum credit hours permitted for financial aid.  Courses that were attempted and/or completed toward the approved educational plan change are included when determining the maximum credit hours permitted for financial aid for the new educational plan. Rejected transfer hours are excluded from this calculation.
Note: If you borrow loan funds and fail to successfully complete six credit hours in a regular semester, any subsequent loan disbursements will be cancelled.

Financial Aid Warning
Students previously in good standing who fail to meet the academic progress standard will be allowed one semester of warning.  During the warning semester, you will be encouraged and may be required to work closely with academic advisors, counselors or other academic support services staff to improve your academic performance.  If at the end of the warning semester you do not meet the standard, your financial aid eligibility will be terminated.

If you fail to meet the academic progress standard at the end of the warning semester because of mitigating circumstances (such as illness, incapacitating injury or death of an immediate family member), you may submit a written appeal with documentation to the Financial Aid Office.

Disposition After a Successful Appeal
If you are successful in appealing your lack of academic progress, you must meet with an academic advisor or counselor to determine which of the following statuses will be assigned to you:

• Financial Aid Probation for a Final Semester
  If it is determined that it is possible for you to meet the academic progress standard within one semester, you will be granted one final semester of probation during which you can receive financial aid.  If you fail to meet the standard at the end of the probationary semester, your financial aid eligibility will be terminated with no further opportunity for appeal.
• Financial Aid Probation While Following an Academic Plan
  If it is determined that it is impossible for you to meet the academic progress standard within one semester, but it is possible to meet the standard by a particular point in time, you will be placed on an individualized Academic Plan and your progress will be strictly monitored.  As long as you follow your Academic Plan exactly, your probation will continue.  If you do not meet the terms of your Academic Plan in any semester, you will have your financial aid eligibility terminated with no further opportunity for appeal.

Reestablishment of Eligibility

Once your eligibility has been terminated, you may reestablish your eligibility for financial aid by improving your academic record at your own expense until you once again meet the satisfactory academic progress standard.

Definitions

• An educational plan includes an approved degree or certificate program offered by MCC.
• Credit hours officially attempted include the hours for those courses in which you were officially enrolled during any semester.  Withdrawn, incomplete and repeated hours are counted as officially attempted and are excluded from your grade point average calculation.  Rejected transfer hours are excluded in calculating attempted units.
• Courses successfully completed include those in which you have received a grade of A, B, C, D, P, S and CR.  Only the final attempt of a repeated course is counted as successfully completed and earned.
• Courses not successfully completed include those in which you have received a grade of F, W, U, I and AU.
• Failed courses may be repeated until successful completion.  Once successfully completed, a course may be repeated only once.

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Appealing Failure to Meet Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Effective 2011-12

Download:Financial Aid Appeal Form (pdf)    This form is also available at any MCC campus financial aid office.

If you fail to meet MCC's Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standard due to mitigating circumstances beyond your control, you may submit a one-time appeal to your campus financial aid office. Appeals must be received before the close of business of the last day of the 100% refund period to be considered. Appeals received after that date will be considered for the next semester. You are responsible for payment (in full or by payment plan) of your tuition, fees and books until a decision has been made.

You may appeal your failure to meet any or all of the following SAP standards:

• Cumulative grade point average
• Percentage of credit hours successfully completed
• Completion of your Educational Plan within the maximum 150% time frame
Note: You must meet with an academic advisor to prepare a list of specific courses still needed to complete your educational plan. If your appeal is granted, financial aid will only pay for these courses.

Your appeal may include only mitigating circumstances experienced during the semester in which you failed to meet SAP. Examples of mitigating circumstances that may be considered:

• Personal illness or injury:
  A doctor’s written statement or hospital records must be submitted with the appeal.
• Serious illness or death of a grandparent, parent, spouse, sibling or child:
  A death certificate/obituary notice or statement from a doctor must be submitted with the appeal.

Examples of appeal circumstances that may be denied or not considered:

Poor choice of classes                          Employment obligations
Financial difficulties                             Loss of transportation
Personal or relationship problems          Relocating
Childcare difficulties                             Incarceration

Denied Appeals

If your appeal does not meet the criteria to be considered or is considered then denied, your financial aid eligibility remains terminated and you are responsible for the current semester charges. No further appeals will be considered.

Approved Appeals

If your appeal is approved, your educational plan will be reviewed to determine whether or not it is possible for you to meet SAP in one additional semester. One of the following determinations will be made.

1. Financial Aid Termination
   If it is determined that it is not possible for you to complete your educational plan within 150% of the time required, your financial aid eligibility will be terminated.
2. Financial Aid Probation
   If it is possible for you to meet SAP in one semester, you will be granted financial aid probation. If you meet SAP at the end of your probation semester, you will regain your eligibility. If you do not meet SAP at the end of the semester, your eligibility will be terminated and no further appeals will be considered.
3. Academic Plan
   If it is not possible for you to meet SAP in one semester, but possible to meet SAP within 150% of the time required to complete your educational plan, you must follow an individualized Academic Plan that specifies the progress you must make each semester until your program is completed.
• As long as you are completing your Academic Plan each semester as specified, your financial aid eligibility will continue.
• If you fail to complete your Academic Plan in any semester, your financial aid eligibility will be terminated.

Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility If Your Appeal Is Denied

If your appeal is denied, you will need to complete coursework at your own expense without financial aid until you once again meet the SAP standards. At that point, you may again apply for financial aid. To count towards the SAP standard, the courses you complete at your own expense must apply toward your educational plan or be required prerequisite or necessary developmental courses. Courses that do not meet these criteria will not be considered.

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