Did you know that if you receive financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education via FAFSA, you have to maintain certain academic standards in order to keep it?
The Financial Aid Office helps EFSC students apply for aid. We also ensure you know how to hold onto it. Students can lose their Federal financial aid eligibility if they get bad grades. This occurs when they fail to meet what we call Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
SAP standards include maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.0, passing at least 67% of all your classes and completing your degree within 150% of the hours it takes to earn your degree. Let’s break each of these down:
Maintain a Cumulative GPA of 2.0
This boils down to having at least a “C” average at the end of each term. We know you can do that!
Pass at Least 67% of All Your Classes
This means out of all the classes you take at EFSC, you have to pass at least two-thirds of them. (Keep in mind that “D” is considered a passing grade for Federal financial aid purposes.) Grades of “W”, “U” and “F” negatively impact your completion ratio. Try to stay as far away as possible from those non-passing grades.
Complete Your Degree Within 150% of the Hours It Takes To Earn Your Degree
There is a finite number of hours you need to complete your degree. The Federal government will help you reach that degree by funding you up to 150%. Here’s an example: It takes 60 credit hours to earn your A.A. degree (100% of the required hours). The U.S. Department of Education knows that sometimes things happen, so they are willing to pay for an additional 30 credit hours (50% of the required hours), for a total of one and a half times the required hours. If you exceed 150% of your program hours and still have courses to finish, there is an appeal process.
If you ever dip below the GPA or completion ratio standards, you may receive a warning semester while receiving aid. However, you’ll want to bring those numbers up by the end of the term (EFSC has resources that can help). If you’ve met the standards again by that time, your aid will be automatically reinstated, but if you fail to bring up a low GPA or a low ratio, your eligibility for Federal student aid will be suspended. There’s an appeal process you can elect to use for this too, but a positive outcome isn’t guaranteed, so why take the risk when you have a safer option?
The best way to keep your Federal financial aid is to ensure you meet the minimum SAP standards for renewal at the end of each semester. We suggest checking your SAP status after your grades post at the end of each term. You can do so by logging into myEFSC with your B# and password, selecting the Titan Web icon, then clicking “Financial Aid Services,” “Eligibility” and “Academic Progress.”
We know you’re going to do your best to meet these standards, but we also know that sometimes things happen in your life that create circumstances beyond your control. If you ever have questions about Satisfactory Academic Progress standards, please give the Financial Aid Office a call. Financial Aid Specialists are available in person or via email at finaid@easternflorida.edu — just don’t forget to use your official Titan email address to send the message.
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- Thinking About Borrowing a Federal Student Loan? - March 31, 2021
