Financial Aid

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Satisfactory Progress Policy and Refunds

The U.S. Department of Education requires institutions of higher learning to establish standards of satisfactory academic progress for students receiving financial aid. The satisfactory progress policy must include both a qualitative measure (cumulative GPA) and a quantitative measure (maximum time frame). Students must declare a major and be working toward the completion of that major in order to receive financial aid. Failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will result in the loss of federal (Pell) and state (HOPE) grants and scholarships.
Note: New students and/or transfer students are considered to be making SAP. The SAP policy applies to all students regardless of whether he/she has previously received aid.

• Qualitative: Students must maintain a quarterly Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.0. The GPA is computed by the Registrar's Office on a scale of 4.0.
• Quantitative: Students must successfully complete two-thirds (66.6%) of all quarterly hours attempted.
  
  Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress will result in the loss of federal (Pell) and state (HOPE) grants and scholarships. The SAP policy applies to all students, regardless of whether they have previously received aid. (Financial aid regulations consider new students and transfer students to be making satisfactory academic progress.)

Successful grades include A, A*, B, B*, C, C*, D, and D*.
Unsuccessful grades include F, F*, I, IP, W, W*, WF, WF*, WP, and WP* (see Grading System).

Students must also show a completion rate that will allow the student to complete their program of study in at least 150% of the time it should require (as determined by the college catalog). For example, a student in a program requiring a total of 90 quarter credit hours will receive financial aid up to 135 quarter credit hours for that program.

• Probation
  Students that do not meet the above guidelines will initially be placed on financial aid probation. The student will then have one quarter in which to meet SAP standards before being placed on Financial Aid Exclusion.
  
  Students enrolled in the Technical Certificate of Credit (TCC) programs that are only one quarter in length will not have a probationary period.
• Financial Aid Exclusion
  Students who do not meet SAP standards during the probationary quarter will be placed on Financial Aid Exclusion. Students on exclusion are not eligible to receive financial aid.

Appeals
Students placed on financial aid exclusion may appeal the denial of financial aid if extenuating circumstances are present. A Request for Appeal of Financial Aid Exclusion form should be filled out explaining the extenuating circumstances and what the student plans to do to maintain eligibility. Financial aid appeals are reviewed by a committee of faculty and staff.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy
The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 changed the formula for calculating the amount of aid a student and school can retain when the student totally withdraws from all classes. Students who withdraw from all classes prior to completing more than 60% of an enrollment term will have their eligibility for aid recalculated based on the percent of the term completed. For example, a student who withdraws completing only 30% of the term will have "earned" only 30% of any Title IV aid received. The remaining 70% must be returned by the school and/or the student. The Office of Financial Aid encourages you to read this policy carefully. If you are thinking about withdrawing from all classes PRIOR to completing 60% of the quarter, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid to see how your withdrawal will affect your financial aid.

1. This policy shall apply to all students who withdraw or drop out from Athens Technical College, and receive financial aid from Title IV funds:
• The term "Title IV Funds" refers to the Federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG, Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership Grants (LEAP).
• A student's withdrawal date is:
• the date the student began the institution's withdrawal process (as described in the Athens Technical College catalog) or officially notified the institution of intent to withdraw; or
• the midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution; or
• the student's last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity.
2. The percentage of Title IV aid earned shall be calculated as follows:
• Number of days completed by student/Total number of days in term*
• The percent of term completed shall be the percentage of Title IV aid earned by the student.
• Students are responsible for any portion of their institutional charges that are left outstanding after Title IV funds are returned.
• *The total number of calendar days in a term of enrollment shall exclude any scheduled breaks of more than five days.

Worksheets used to determine the amount of the refund or Return to Title IV aid are available upon request in the Office of Financial Aid.