Financial Aid Policy

If a student needs to take classes at another institution and plans to transfer the credit back to University of the West as part of their degree program, the student may be able to receive Federal financial aid under a Consortium Agreement between UWest (“Home”) and the other institution (“Host”.)

We think that’s pretty cool!

• Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any additional documentation requested by the office of Financial Aid at UWest.
• All the Consortium Agreement Forms must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office at UWest at least four weeks prior to the start of the UWest semester/term.
• A Consortium Agreement Pre-Application Form must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid Office at UWest.
• Submit a Consortium Agreement for Federal Title IV Financial Aid Programs Form and Consortium Agreement Host Institution Budget Sheet to the Financial Aid Office at the Host Institution. These forms may be faxed or mailed to the Host Institution. Once the Host Institution has completed the necessary information, the forms should be returned to the Office of Financial Aid at UWest.
• Funds will not be released until the consortium agreement has been completed in its entirety.
• Financial aid funds will be applied to the student account based on the UWest disbursement schedule. The student should make arrangements to pay the Host Institution by its fee payment deadline.
• Paid Fee Receipt from Host Institution to show student’s enrollment in the approved courses.
• Student eligibility for UWest scholarships/fellowships is based on the student enrollment at UWest, not on the student’s concurrent enrollment at Host Institution.
• Students must have successfully completed at least one semester at UWest before they can apply for a consortium arrangement. Students must register at least one or more credit hour at UWest during the term of consortium. If the student fails to meet the requirements of the agreement, or fails to meet the requirements of previously processed agreements, future agreements may be denied.
• The Consortium Agreement is only valid for one semester, once the consortium term has ended, student will need to complete and submit new Consortium Agreement Forms to be considered for additional financial aid.

To expedite the processing of your financial aid, you should complete the above procedures and submit the information to the Office of Financial Aid at UWest as early as possible. Delays could affect your eligibility for aid.

We all change our minds sometimes. If you come to UWest and then are called to a different path we wish you all good fortune. But… you may have to return some money.

Please see below for details.

Withdrawal & Leave Of Absence (LOA)

After financial aid has been disbursed, a student who withdraws or ceases attendance from UWest during a semester may be required to return all or part of the funds received, including funds credited to pay tuition and fees.

Since financial aid must be used solely for educationally related expenses during periods of enrollment, federal regulations require the university to calculate the amount of aid a student “earned” for the number of days the student attended. “Unearned” aid, i.e. aid covering periods of the term when the student did not attend classes or was not enrolled, must be repaid. This calculation is referred to as Return of Title IV Funds which will be performed by the Financial Aid Office.

If repayment is owed, the student will be billed by the Bursar’s Office and will have 45 days to arrange satisfactory repayment. The student is not eligible for further aid until repayment is made in full. A student who fails to make repayment on schedule may also be reported to the US Department of Education or to a collection agency representing UWest.

Students who find it necessary to withdraw from all classes and leave UWest for any reason should complete an official LOA/Withdrawal form. This official LOA/Withdrawal must be signed, approved and submitted to the Registrar’s Office. The official date of leave or withdrawal is the date the form is received by the Registrar’s Office.

If a student who began attendance and did not officially withdraw receives all non-passing grades for a semester, the university must determine whether they attended class and earned the grades or whether they ceased attending at some point without officially withdrawing. This determination occurs via a requested documented last day of attendance or participation from the student’s instructors.

If a student received all non-passing grades because they stopped attending class, they are considered to have unofficially withdrawn from the university. The student’s financial aid will be revised based on the documented last date of attendance at an academically related activity, and they may have to repay a portion of the federal aid they received during the semester.

If the university is unable to document the last date of attendance at an academically related activity, the student’s financial aid will be revised based on the mid-point of the term, and they will have to repay one-half of the federal aid they received during the semester.

Non-passing grades for financial aid purposes include Failing grade “F”, Withdrawn grades “W” and “FW”, Not Pass grade “NP”, and Incomplete grades “I” or “IC”.

LOA is granted to students in good standing with an intention to return to UWest less than one year, whereas withdrawal is applicable to students who do not plan to return to UWest as well as those who plan on taking one year or more off from their studies.

UWest’s approved LOA does not meet the definition of Return of Title IV Funds Approved LOA and therefore, will be considered as withdrawal for Return of Title IV Funds purposes.

 

Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)

The Financial Aid Office is required by federal regulations to recalculate Title IV eligibility for students who withdraw, are dismissed, take a leave of absence, or stop attending before completing the semester. This policy applies to all students receiving federal grant and/or loan aid. Students who only receive Federal Work-Study funds are not subject to this policy.

Federal Title IV regulations require students who withdraw from all of their classes prior to the 60 percent point of the payment period (defined as fall or spring semester or summer term) to return the unearned portion of their Title IV financial aid to the Department of Education. Additionally, institutions may be required to return a portion of unearned funds to the Department of Education, and some students may be entitled to a post-withdrawal disbursement.

The university must return the amount of unearned Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of determination that the student withdrew. If the student earned more aid than was disbursed, the university would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be credited to the student’s account within 180 days of the date of withdrawal determination.

 

Funds to include in a Return to Title IV calculation

Title IV funds which must be included in the calculation are listed in the priority order of their return as follows:

• • Direct Unsubsidized Stafford loans;
  • Direct Subsidized Stafford loans;
  • Direct PLUS loans;
  • Pell Grants;
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Other Title IV Assistance

UWest does not participate in the Perkins loans programs.

 

 

Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws

When a student withdraws during the payment period or period of enrollment, the amount of Title IV program assistance earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula.

• • If the amount disbursed to the student is/was greater than the amount earned, the unearned funds must be returned to the Department of Education.
  • If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount earned, the student is eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received.
  • Refund calculations are not applied to students who withdraw from classes prior to the first day of attendance.
  • Students who receive aid prior to the first day of attendance and who withdraw from all classes prior to the first day of attendance will be required to repay all of the Title IV Funds disbursed.

Determining Earned Aid

The amount of assistance earned is determined on a prorated basis. For example, if a student completed 30 percent of the payment period or period of enrollment, the student earns 30 percent of the assistance he or she was originally scheduled to receive. Once the student has completed more than 60 percent of the payment period or period of enrollment, he or she earns all the assistance scheduled for that period.

 

 

 

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement

A student who did not receive all of the funds earned before withdrawing may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. Students will be notified of post-withdrawal disbursement eligibility within 30 days of the date of withdrawal determination. All post-withdrawal disbursements will be credited to student account first. If the return calculation results in a credit balance on the student’s account, the credit balance will be disbursed as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the return calculation.

The university will disburse any post-withdrawal grant funds within 45 days of the date the university determines the student withdrew. No confirmation from the student is required.   If a post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, the university must receive the student’s permission before it can disburse them.  The university will notify the student of their post-withdrawal loan disbursement and allow them 14 days to respond to the loan offer.   A student may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so that he or she does not incur additional debt. The university may automatically use all or a portion of the post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds to pay for tuition, fees, and room and board charges (as contracted with the university). The university needs the student’s permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges. A student who chooses not to grant permission will be offered the funds. However, it may be in the student’s best interest to allow the university to keep the funds to reduce debt.

When processing a post-withdrawal disbursement, the student must have met all of the conditions for a late disbursement prior to the date the student became ineligible (date of withdrawal).   Some Title IV funds that the student was scheduled to receive may not be disbursed because of other eligibility requirements. For example, a first-time, first-year undergraduate who does not complete the first 30 days of a program before withdrawal will not receive any Direct Loan funds that would have been received if the student had remained enrolled past the 30th day.

 

 

 

Returning Unearned Aid

If the student receives (or the university or parent receives on the student’s behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, the university must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of

• • the student’s institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of his or her funds, or
  • the entire amount of excess funds.

The university must return this amount even if it did not keep this amount of the student’s Title IV program funds. If the university is not required to return all of the excess funds, the student must return the remaining amount. For any loan funds that must be returned, the student (or the student’s parent for a PLUS Loan) must repay in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, the student must make scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.

Any amount of unearned grant funds the student must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant overpayment that must be repaid is half of the grant funds received or scheduled to be received. The student must make arrangements with the university or the Department of Education to return the unearned grant funds.

The requirements for Title IV program funds when a student withdraws are separate from any refund policy that the university may have. UWest’s refund policy may be found in the catalog under Tuition and Fees. A student may still owe funds to the university to cover unpaid institutional charges. The university may also charge a student for any Title IV program funds that the school is required to return.

 

 

 

Withdrawal Date

The Registrar’s Office is the designated office of record where students provide notification of withdrawal. The withdrawal date is determined by the Registrar’s Office and will be used as the withdrawal date in the calculation. The amount that could have been disbursed will be determined by the enrollment status as of the date the student completely withdraws.

 

 

 

Return of Title IV Funds for Students Who Withdraw Due to Military Deployment

Student must submit a copy of the military deployment to the Registrar’s Office and the Financial Aid Office. If a Title IV eligible student withdraws because of being called to active duty, or has been otherwise impacted by the military mobilization, the school must perform Return of Title IV calculations that are required by statute and regulations. If those calculations result in the school being required to return funds to one or more of the Title IV programs, it must do so. The student will be responsible for any amount returned on their behalf.

 

UWest is required by law to establish both qualitative and quantitative standards for satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of a degree and these standards must be applied to all federal and state financial aid recipients, regardless of program or enrollment status. Aid programs covered by these standards are Federal Pell and FSEOG grants, Federal Work Study, Federal Loan programs (Direct, PLUS, Grad PLUS), as well as some state aid programs. These academic standards apply for all periods of enrollment, including terms when no aid was received.

The university’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy, described in full in the Academic Progress and Policy section of the university catalog, applies to all students. Students receiving federal and state financial aid must also meet the guidelines outlined in the FA SAP policy described here. The Financial Aid Office, in consultation with the Registrar, reviews all aid recipients at the end of each payment period, i.e. fall, spring, and summer semester, for compliance with the following standards used to measure satisfactory academic progress: Qualitative Progress, Pace of Progression, and Maximum Time to Degree.  Students who do not meet either of these standards will receive a written SAP Notification Letter from the Financial Aid Office before the beginning of the subsequent semester.

 

Qualitative Progress Standard (Cumulative GPA)

Undergraduate students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA; graduate students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students who fall below these requirements will not be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. The cumulative GPA is based on units earned at UWest and does not include grades for courses transferred from other institutions.

 

Quantitative Standard (Pace of Progression)

A student receiving aid must successfully complete a minimum 67% of units attempted. Pace of progression is calculated by dividing cumulative units earned by cumulative units attempted. Courses must be degree applicable and consistent with the student’s enrollment and funding status. For example, if undergraduate student Joe Smith has enrolled in a total of 36 degree applicable units when reviewed at the close of the fall semester, Joe must have earned a minimum of 24 units to have achieved a 67% pace of progression. If Joe has earned fewer than 24 units, Joe has failed to meet this standard and is not making satisfactory academic progress.

 

Maximum Timeframe Standard

A student may enroll in no more than 150 percent of the units required for award of the degree, and is no longer eligible to receive financial aid after this maximum is reached. For example, Joe Smith must complete 120 units to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Joe Smith’s financial aid eligibility will be suspended as soon as he reaches 180 cumulative attempted units (150% of 120), whether or not Joe has completed his degree. The 150% maximum timeframe applies to both undergraduate and graduate students.

 

Criteria used when progress is reviewed

Payment Period

Each fall, spring, and summer semester is a payment period.

 

Attempted/Earned Units

Attempted units include all earned and unearned units as well as transfer credit. Grades of F, I, NP, and W are included in attempted units.

Earned units include all courses for which a student receives credit, including required pre-collegiate courses and transfer credit. Grades of F, I, NP, and W are not included in earned units.

 

Course Withdrawals

Courses from which the student withdraws after the official add/drop deadline are included in cumulative units attempted but are not included in units earned. This includes courses dropped when a student starts but does not complete a term, whether they have withdrawn or taken leave of absence.

 

Repeated Courses and Pace of Progression

All units attempted in repeated courses are included in cumulative units attempted. However a repeated course only be applied to earned units if specified as “repeat for credit” in the catalog.

 

Repeated Courses and Cumulative GPA

Undergraduate GPA: Only the highest grade awarded is calculated in the cumulative GPA.

Graduate GPA: All grades earned, including repeated courses, are calculated in the cumulative GPA.

 

Incomplete Courses and Pace of Progression

Courses that are assigned an incomplete grade are included in the cumulative units attempted. These units are not counted as earned units until and unless a passing grade is assigned.

 

Transfer Credit

Pace of Progression/Maximum Timeframe: All transfer units accepted towards a student’s UWest degree are included in the review of the pace of progression and maximum timeframe standards.

Cumulative GPA: Grades for courses completed at other institutions are not included in the calculation of the UWest GPA.

 

Financial Aid Warning

Students who do not meet the standards of the Financial Aid SAP policy at the end of any payment period are automatically placed on financial aid warning for the following payment period in attendance. Students placed on financial aid warning are eligible to receive Title IV financial aid during a warning period of one payment period without appeal or other action.

 

SAP Appeal for Reinstatement of Federal Aid

Students who do not return to good standing at the end of the warning period are no longer eligible to receive Title IV and other financial aid. Students who lose their eligibility have the right to file a SAP appeal for reconsideration of their eligibility for aid.

Students who choose to appeal for a reinstatement of federal aid must submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal must describe the circumstances that affected the student’s academic performance, must be submitted within 30 days of notification of failure to maintain SAP, and must be accompanied by appropriate supporting documents. No appeal will be considered until the student has an approved academic plan on file with the Registrar‘s Office.

Acceptable justification for appeal includes, but is not limited to, personal or family accident, illness or injury of the student, death of a close family member, or other extenuating and unavoidable circumstances beyond the student’s control. Ongoing, chronic medical problems do not meet the definition of “extenuating circumstances.” If the condition existed at the time aid was offered, it should have been taken into consideration when the student planned his or her classes and credit load.

Factors considered in reviewing an appeal include, but are not limited to, the student’s entire academic history, level of borrowing in relation to units completed; class standing; number of semesters of aid; previous deficiencies and appeals; and extenuating and unavoidable circumstances.

 

Financial Aid Probation and Termination

Students who successfully appeal are placed on financial aid probation for one payment period. Students who fail to meet SAP standards at the end of the probation period become ineligible to receive further financial aid.

A student’s financial aid will be terminated for any of the following reasons:

Cumulative GPA lower than the required minimum standard for two consecutive semesters;
Failure to complete 67 percent of cumulative units attempted for two consecutive semesters;
Cumulative units attempted at or above 150 percent of the units normally required for award of the degree.

 

Reestablishing Financial Aid Eligibility

Students whose financial aid is terminated due to lack of academic progress may reestablish their eligibility by meeting SAP standards again. To reestablish financial aid eligibility:

Cumulative GPA: Raise the GPA

Students must raise their cumulative GPA to the minimum required for their level of enrollment. To raise their cumulative GPA students must complete courses at UWest. Coursework transferred from other institutions is not included in the calculation of UWest GPA. Undergraduates may hasten this process by repeating courses in which they earned a grade of C minus or below.

Pace of Progression: How to Correct a Credit Deficiency

Students correct credit deficiencies by completing additional degree applicable courses at UWest or through the transfer of degree applicable coursework from other accredited colleges. Transfer credit must be approved in advance.