Clearwater Campus, AD 154: (727) 341-4SPC

St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus, AD 102: (727) 341-4SPC

Seminole Campus, UP 132: (727) 394-4SPC

Tarpon Springs Center, AD 126: (727) 341-4SPC

---

How to Apply | Who Qualifies? | Standards of Academic Progress | Minimum GPA Requirements
Maintaing Aid Eligibility | Review Process | Appeals Process | Refunds and Complete Withdrawals
Official & Unofficial Withdrawals & Repayments | Withdrawals from Standard Term-Based Programs Using Modules | How & When Assistance is Delivered

Financial assistance consists of scholarships, grants, and loans or paid employment offered to help a student meet college expenses. Such assistance is usually provided by or through federal and state agencies, foundations, corporations, private donors and the college itself.

The amounts and types of financial assistance that a student receives are determined through federal, state and institutional guidelines and are offered to students in combinations or "packages" which may consist of grants, scholarships, loans and employment designed to help students meet educational expenses. Grants and scholarships are regarded as "gift" assistance and need not be repaid, although they may carry certain provisions to which one must adhere. Loans are usually offered at low interest rates and can be repaid over an extended period of time. Where assistance is offered in the form of a job, the student is paid an hourly rate for work performed.

Philosophy of Financial Assistance

The St. Petersburg College program of financial assistance exists to provide students who, for lack of funds, would be unable to attend. Financial assistance is offered based upon "financial need" as determined by the federal government's system of need analysis.

What is Financial Need?

Financial need is the difference between the cost of education and the amount the student (and parents) can be expected to contribute toward the educational costs of attending college. St. Petersburg College uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which determines financial need based on federal regulations and information supplied by you and/or your family. The College expects that you and your family will contribute to your fullest from income and assets in meeting expenses. Also, it is your responsibility to apply for any additional assistance to the Scholarships and Financial Assistance office.

---

How to Apply

In order to apply for the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Florida Student Assistance Grant, Federal Work-Study Program, Federal Stafford Loan and some college awards, you must complete The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

This application is available on line at www.Fafsa.ed.gov. It is completed by you and your family and mailed to the processor. Results of the federal analysis are sent directly to you in the form of a Student Aid Report (SAR).

The FAFSA and any other requested documents should be filed according to instructions as soon as possible after January 1 for the college year beginning in August. Some programs have limited funding so it is strongly recommended that you apply early. Priority is given to students whose files are complete by April 15. However, anyone who needs assistance should apply regardless of the date when you begin college. Remember, you must apply for aid each academic year, a separate request form is required for summer aid.

---

Who Qualifies for Financial Assistance?

Generally, to qualify for federal, state and institutional aid, you must meet the following requirements:

1. demonstrate financial need according to a financial needs analysis system;

2. be enrolled and attending classes;

3. be a degree seeking student (either B.S., B.A.S., A.A., A.S., or A.A.S. degree);

4. maintain satisfactory academic progress in your course of study;

5. not be in default or owe a repayment on any Title IV funds received at any institution; and

6. be a United States citizen or a permanent resident of the United States or Trust Territories.

To qualify for financial assistance, students who are not high school graduates or who do not possess the GED, must demonstrate ability to benefit from college-level programs at SPC by passing the College Placement Test with minimum scores as specified in College Procedures.

---

Standards of Academic Progress

Federal regulations require that all students demonstrate that they are moving through their academic program at a reasonable rate or are “making progress” toward their degree.

A Standard of Academic Progress (SAP) policy must contain a qualitative measure of progress (minimum GPA requirement), a time frame for completing degree objectives and a measurement of progress toward a degree. A student must meet all three parts of the standard to maintain eligibility. All three parts are cumulative in their measurement.

Students in programs of study of one year or less will be reviewed each term. SAP for students in two-year degree or four-year programs will be reviewed annually after the end of summer term. All students are evaluated regardless if they received financial aid in prior terms or not.

The College Registrar office will review transfer transcripts and determine courses which apply based on the academic level of student. (Upper division or lower division). If transfer hours exist on the academic transcript, they will be evaluated to determine a student's eligibility for financial assistance. If the transcript is provided after the student's financial assistance award, the transfer students' satisfactory progress will be reviewed at the end of the currently enrolled term, if pursuing a program of study of one year or less, and at the end of the summer term, if pursuing a degree program greater than one year.

---

Minimum GPA Requirements
Measurement is the Cumulative Academic Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students in programs of study of one year or less are required to maintain a 2.00 or greater cumulative GPA at all times.

Students in all other programs are required to achieve a minimum cumulative GPA based on total credit hours earned.

SPC Credit Hours Earned 1 - 15 16 - 30 31 or greater

Required Cumulative Grade Point Average 1.50 1.75 2.00

• Credit hours earned include all transfer credit hours and credit hours earned at SPC included in Academic GPA.
• Grades used in the computation of the GPA are A, B, C, D, F, and WF.
• Grades of W, X, I, P, and N count as hours attempted but do not affect the GPA computation.
• Financial assistance does not pay for courses which are audited.
• Remedial and ESL courses attempted are counted as credit hours attempted but are NOT in the academic GPA. Two exceptions are: EAP 1500, Advanced Listening/Speaking and EAP 1695, Advanced English as a Second Language II courses are counted as courses attempted and in the academic GPA.
• Non-Credit Continuing Education and Non-Credit Corporate Training Classes are not eligible for financial assitance funding and are not counted as attempted hours.
• If a course is repeated more than once, only the grade on the last attempt will be used in computing the GPA however the hours for all attempts will be counted as hours attempted.
• Some funds awarded through the State of Florida have program specific GPA eligibility requirements that are higher than the minimum SAP requirement:

State Program Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV) All Others

Cumulative Academic GPA 2.00 3.00 2.75 2.75 2.00

---

Maximum Time Frame for Maintaining Aid Eligibility:

Generally, to maintain aid eligibility students must complete their degree before attempting more than 150% of the total credit hours required for the program to maintain aid eligibility. For example, a student in an AA program that required 60 hours for completion must complete the program by the time he/she has attempted 90 hours.

All attempted hours are counted to determine academic progress. This includes transfer hours, hours attempted for which the student did not receive financial aid, remedial/ESL courses, repeated courses, incomplete courses, withdrawals, and coursework that may have been exempted from calculation of the academic GPA under the Academic Grade Forgiveness Policy.

• If a student exceeds the maximum time frame due to a change in major, an appeal must be filed to request that only credits attempted that count toward the new major are used in the SAP calculations.

• A student wishing to pursue a second degree who has exceeded the maximum time frame for maintaining aid eligibility must file an appeal to determine the number of credits for which financial aid will be awarded toward the new program. Appeals for pursuit of a second degree will only be approved after all coursework for the first degree has been completed.

Progress Toward Degree
Students must successfully complete 67% of all hours attempted to maintain eligibility. This is a cumulative review of all hours attempted. Courses in which a grade of A, B, C, D, P are counted as completed.

67% Completion Rate:

If you attempt:	6	12	15	30	45	60	75	90	150	175
You must complete:	4	8	10	20	30	40	50	60	101	117

The completion rate percentage is rounded to a whole number.

Students in programs of study of one year or less will be evaluated at the end of each term.

Some funds awarded through the State of Florida have program specific completion renewal requirements that are different than the minimum SAP completion rate requirements.

State of Florida Programs Renewal Criteria:

State Program Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG) Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Florida Medallion Scholars (FMS) Gold Seal Vocational Scholars (GSV)

Completion Renewal Requirement 24 hours - fulltime enrollment 6 hours for every term funded 6 hours for every term funded 6 hours for every term funded

Remedial or English as a Second Language (ESL) Courses
Remedial and ESL courses attempted are counted as credit hours attempted but are not counted in the academic GPA. Two exceptions are: EAP 1500, Advanced Listening/Speaking and EAP 1695, Advanced English as a Second Language II courses are counted as courses attempted and in the academic GPA.

---

The Review Process

• The SAP evaluation process is performed after each term for students in program of one year or less. For all others, the SAP evaluation process is performed after the summer term of each academic year to determine a student's eligibility for the next award year.
• Failure to meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement and/or the 67% progression requirement of the SAP measure will place the student on SAP probation. If they are in a degree program greater than one year the probation period is one year. A student who is enrolled in a certificate program will have a probation period of one term. Students will continue to be eligible for financial assistance while on probation. If the student is not making standards when the next SAP evaluation is reviewed the student will be placed on financial assistance suspension. At this time, the student will lose their eligibility for financial assistance. Students who lose financial aid due to not meeting SAP will remain ineligible until the minimum financial aid SAP standards are met. A student may file an appeal.
• Students may not receive financial assistance after they have attempted more than 150% of the total hours required for the program. The student will immediately be placed on financial assistance suspension. A student may file an appeal if the maximum time frame was exceeded because of a change of major or pursuit of a second degree.
• The College Registrar office will review transfer transcripts and determine courses which apply based on the academic level of the student. (Upper division or lower division). If transfer hours exist on the academic transcript, they will be evaluated to determine a student's eligibility for financial assistance. If the transcript is provided after the student's financial assistance is awarded, the transfer student's satisfactory progress will be reviewed at the end of the currently enrolled term, if pursuing a program of study of one year or less, and at the end of the summer term, if pursuing a degree program greater than one year.
• Students who attended SPC in the past and reenroll will be reviewed based on all previously attempted courses, regardless of how long ago they attended SPC or whether or not aid was received.
• Students may modify their initial course schedule through the drop/add period of term without the classes which they drop being counted as attempted hours.

---

The Appeals Process

• Students who think extenuating or mitigating circumstances beyond their control have contributed to their failure to maintain SAP may petition their status.
• An appeal may be submitted to the Financial Assistance Services office using the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form. A verbal appeal will not be accepted. SAP Appeal forms may be obtained from the FAS office or through the FAS website.
• Extenuating and mitigating circumstances beyond a student's control include but are not limited to:
  • Serious illness;
  • Documented medical condition preventing completion;
  • Death of an immediate family member;
  • Involuntary call to active military duty;
  • Documented learning disability;
  • Documented change in conditions of employment; or
  • Other emergency circumstances of extraordinarty situations such as natural disasters.
  An appropriate third party such as a guidance counselor, teacher, therapist, licensed counselor, doctor, lawyer, minister, etc. must document the extenuating circumstance on official letterhead and the documentation must be included with the appeal. The documentation must relate to the term(s) for which the appeal is addressing. Legal/official records are acceptable, i.e., death certificate, hospital record. Appeals submitted without documentation will automatically be denied.
• The Financial Assistance Campus Appeal Committee, consisting of the Assistant Director and two counselors will automatically review the appeal. The appeal will be reviewed as expeditiously as possible, but within 10 business days of receipt within the FAS office.
• If the student does not accept the decision of the Financial Assistance Campus Appeals Committee, the student may request a further review through the Financial Assistance Collegewide Standard of Progress Committee. A student's request for an additional review must be a separate request in writing and include a copy of the original SAP appeal form and documentation as an attachment. The request for a collegewide review should be sent to the collegewide Director of Financial Assistance Services. The Financial Assistance College-wide Standard of Progress Committee will respond to the student within 14 business days of receipt of the appeal.
• Students who are suspended and their appeals are denied or that they never appealed, will have their Fiancial aid eligibility reinstated when a student achieves the minimum GPA and Completion Rate requirements and is not exceeding the maximum time fram of 150%.

---

Refunds and Complete Withdrawals

SPC students receive a 100% refund on all tuition and fees for classes dropped prior to or during the drop/add period for each enrollment period. If the student is receiving financial assistance, any refund will first be credited to the financial assistance programs from which assistance was disbursed.

SPC's tuition refund policy is separate from the federal requirement to return unearned aid when a student withdraws. Whether or not the student receives a tuition refund has no bearing on the amount the student may be required to repay under the Return of Title IV Funds formula.

Students who wish to withdraw must follow SPC's official withdrawal procedures. Students who wish to withdraw completely from SPC are required to report to the counseling areas of their home campus or center for an exit interview. If it is not possible for a student to come in, a request in writing that the student be withdrawn may be submitted. Students are permitted to provide an email or fax to the Associate Provost's office of their home campus if they are unable to come to SPC to notify the college of their intent to withdraw.

---

Official and Unofficial Withdrawals & Repayments

If the student officially withdraws or stops attending all courses, the student may be required to repay all or part of the financial aid disbursed to in the term you withdraw.

Students receiving federal funds may be required to repay aid determined to be "unearned." The earned/unearned calculation is based on the percentage of days the student attended during the term in which they withdrew. The amound of aid the student has earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. That is, if the student completed 30% of the term in which they withdrew, the student earns 30% of the aid received. Once the student has completed 60% of the term, the student is considered to have earned all of their aid.

The difference between the earned federal aid and 100% equals the percentage of unearned federal funds that are subject to repayment. Federal regulations require Title IV aid to be refunded in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Academic Competiveness Grant
6. Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant

Instructors will determine if their students are actively participating in their class at the 61% point of the term. If a student's active participation cannot be determined for a specific course, the student will automatically receive a grade of WF.

If the student does not receive a passing grade at the end of the term, the Return of Title IV Funds calculation will be done after grades are posted for the term and it will be assumed the student unofficially withdrew at the 50% point of that term. Confirmation of active participation at the 61% point will be verified before the R2T4 calculation is processed. The determination of withdrawal will be made within 30 days after the end of the term. The Return of the Title IV Funds calculation will be made within 30 days of the date of determination, and unearned funds that the school is required to return will be repaid no later than 45 days after the date of determination.

Any loan funds the student must return, the student (or their parents for a PLUS Loan) may repay in accordance with the terms of their loan promissory notes. That is, the student makes scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time. For grants, the law requires the student return 50% of any grant funds they receive. Any amount the student is required to return is a grant overpayment. SPC will repay any grant overpayment to the applicable federal program on the student's behalf and the student will be billed by SPC for any funds returned on their behalf.

SPC will notify the student when a Return of Title IV calculation is performed, and the student may be billed for any outstanding obligations created by the student failing to earn Title IV funds, for which Federal funds were disbursed. Students are not eligible for further aid until all repayments have been made.

SPC will perform R2T4 calculation for students that withdraw after the 60% point to ensure there is no post-withdrawal disbursement.

---

Withdrawals from Standard Term-Based Programs Using Modules

Students who are enrolled entirely in the 1st and 2nd eight-week module terms meet the requirements of the U.S. Department of Education's provisions for Withdrawals from Standard Term-Based Programs Using Modules. If a student completes one course, no R2T4 is required. If the student does not, R2T4 will be calculated.

Students who withdraw from the 1st module who provide SPC with a statement of their intent to enroll in the 2nd module will not be placed into R2T4. If the student does not attend or does not complete at least one class within one module the R2T4 will be calculated.

---

How and When Assistance is Delivered to Students

1. Employment - Checks for students under Federal Work-Study and Student Assistance may be picked up bi-weekly where the student works.

2. Grants and Loans - Students receiving PELL or Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants and Federal Stafford Loans are paid as follows:

1. Deductions are first made for obligations such as tuition, etc.

2. The balance will be mailed to students in a check or applied to their Higher-One account before mid-session.

Visit Financial Assistance Services for more information.

 

© St. Petersburg College, All Rights Reserved
Last revised May 29, 2008
Problems with this page?  Contact the webmaster.