Financial Aid

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Introduction
Establishing Eligibility
Maintaining Satisfactory Progress
Financial Aid Suspension
Reinstatement of Eligibility (Appeal process)
Other Information

I. Introduction

The Office of Financial Aid is required by state and federal regulations to monitor the academic progress of every student receiving financial aid to ensure that the students are making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a baccalaureate degree. A student who is not achieving this goal (according to the student’s entire academic history at Evergreen) is not eligible to receive financial aid.

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II. Establishing Eligibility

In order to establish initial eligibility for financial aid, students past academic records are reviewed according to the following guidelines:

A. Students who have never attended Evergreen are considered to be in good standing.

B. Students who have attended Evergreen but who have not received financial aid will have their past academic records at Evergreen reviewed.

These students must meet the same criteria as defined in Part III for maintaining eligibility as those who have been on financial aid.

C. Students who transfer credits to Evergreen will have those credits count toward the 225 maximum credits attempted.

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III. Maintaining Satisfactory Progress

Students are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress and will be eligible to apply for and receive financial aid as long as the following requirements are met:

A. Minimum Cumulative Percentage of Academic Credits

Students must, for federal, state and institutional financial aid eligibility, have completed a minimum of 75% of the total attempted credits in an academic year, defined as the Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring quarters in each year, as well as 75% for all work attempted while a student at Evergreen. Attempted credits are those credits for which a student is enrolled after the tenth day of each quarter.

For freshman students (students who begin the academic year with 44 cumulative credits or less), the minimum percentage of completion in the first academic year at Evergreen is 50%. Freshman students who complete between 50% and 75% of the total attempted credits in an academic year will be placed on financial aid probation. This probationary status will allow the student to continue receiving financial aid, with the stipulation that the student complete all of the credits attempted until the student’s cumulative percentage of completion exceeds 75%. Failure to complete all of the credits attempted during the probationary period will result in the suspension of financial aid eligibility.

B. Qualitative Assessment of Student Work

As set forth by the Academic Vice President and Provost’s Office:
The Evergreen State College faculty write comprehensive narrative evaluations for each student, the quality of each individual student’s work is covered in detail. Evergreen students are not awarded credit unless they perform at a satisfactory level, which ordinarily we define as “C” level work or better.

For purposes of Financial Aid, students maintain “C” level work if they are earning all of their credit and have not fallen below the 75% completion rate that is monitored on a historical and yearly basis.

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C. Minimum Cumulative Credits and Maximum Time Frame to Earn a Baccalaureate Degree

Full-Time students are expected to graduate within five years (a maximum of 15 quarters). To accomplish this, a full-time student needs to complete a minimum of 36 credits for each academic year. STATE FINANCIAL AID recipients must complete a minimum of 36 credits each academic year in order to be considered making SAP for those programs.

Note: To be considered a full-time student you must be enrolled for at least 12 credits.

Part-Time students are still required to complete a minimum of 75% of total attempted credits or a minimum of 18 credits whichever is more. For three-quarter time attendance, STATE FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS must complete a minimum of 27 credits to be considered making SAP for those programs each academic year. For half-time attendance, STATE FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS must complete a minimum of 18 credits to be considered making SAP for those programs each academic year.

Note: Three-quarter time attendance is 9-11 credit enrollment. Half-time attendance is 6-8 credit enrollment.

Partial-Year students will have the required minimum credits completed toward their degree adjusted according to the number of quarters they attend. They are still required to complete a minimum of 75% of total attempted credits for the quarters they attend or the appropriate minimum based on the length of their attendance whichever is more. The minimum requirements for their period of attendance is based on the number of quarters they attend (i.e. one quarter students must complete six credits; two quarter students must complete 12 credits to be making SAP).

Please Note: Students who complete less than 18 credits in an academic year will be considered not making SAP and will be put on Financial Aid Suspension (see Part V below).

C. Maximum Cumulative Credits

Full-time students may not exceed 225 credits attempted toward the baccalaureate degree and still receive financial aid. Students pursuing a dual degree (BA/BS) may not exceed 270 credits attempted. In order to be considered a dual-degree student, the student must have applied to graduate through Registration and Records for a dual degree one year prior to the final academic year.

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IV. Financial Aid Probation and Suspension

Since satisfactory progress is monitored once a year at the conclusion of the spring quarter, future financial aid eligibility for federal and institutional financial aid will be suspended for students who do not maintain progress. Credits from the previous summer will be included in the determination of a student’s SAP.

For STATE FINANCIAL AID programs, students who complete more than 18 credits but less than 36 credits in the academic year will be considered to be on financial aid probation and must petition the Financial Aid Appeal Committee for reinstatement. STATE FINANCIAL AID recipients who complete less than 18 credits in an academic year will be ineligible for further consideration of State Financial Aid.

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V. Reinstatement of Eligibility (Appeal Process)

A. Students who have had their financial aid eligibility suspended may appeal their case.

Appeals must be in writing, to the Financial Aid Professional Judgment Committee. Generally, an appeal should be based on the students' unusual circumstances that prevented them from meeting SAP requirements.

B. If a petition for reinstatement is not granted...

...then the student may repetition for aid reinstatement upon successful completion of at least one quarter paying on his/her own, without benefit of financial aid funding from Evergreen.

C. If financial aid eligibility is reinstated...

...then the student will be put in a probationary status for one quarter and the amount of financial aid awarded will be contingent upon the availability of funds. Probationary students who, at the end of the probationary quarter, do not complete the required number of credits during the probationary quarter will be put on financial aid suspension and will be ineligible for further financial aid.

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VI. Other Information

A. Incomplete or Outstanding credit is considered NO CREDIT earned.

Students with either of these designations at the time SAP is determined will be ineligible to receive financial aid until such time as the incomplete or outstanding credits are completed.

B. Withdrawals or Leaves of Absence begun prior to or during the first week of the quarter are not counted when determining a student's SAP.

Withdrawals or Leaves of Absence begun after the tenth day of the quarter will be counted as attempted credits when determining a student's SAP.

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Contact the Site Manager

Last Updated: Monday September 14 2009

The Evergreen State College

2700 Evergreen Parkway NW

Olympia, Washington 98505

(360) 867-6000