Disbursements & Policies

Financial Aid Policies

Repeat Coursework Policy

Effective July 1, 2016, per federal regulations (34 CFR Section 668.2), repeated coursework that falls under the following conditions cannot be included in a student’s enrollment status for Title IV Federal Aid eligibility, including the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Stafford Loans:

• Repeating a previously passed course more than once. A course is considered passed if the student receives a grade of D or better.
• Repeating a previously passed course for the sole purpose of gaining eligibility for Title IV aid.

Federal Title IV aid will be recalculated based on the student’s adjusted enrollment status.

This recalculation will be applied regardless of whether a student received aid for previous course enrollments.

Example 1:
A student is repeating a previously passed three credit hour course for the second time. The student is enrolled in a total of twelve credit hours for the term. Per federal regulations, the repeated course must be excluded from the student’s Title IV enrollment status. Only nine of the student’s twelve hours can be used to calculate his Title IV aid eligibility. The student’s Federal Pell Grant will be reduced to reflect three quarter time instead of full-time enrollment.

Example 2:
A student repeats a previously passed course. The student receives an F on the second attempt. The student attempts the course for the third time. The third course attempt will not be counted in total enrollment hours for Title IV aid purposes.

Example 3:
A student repeats a previously passed course. The student withdraws from the course on the second attempt. The student attempts the course for the third time. The third course attempt will not be counted in total enrollment hours for Title IV aid purposes.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal Rules you have to follow to keep your financial aid.
All students at Holmes Community College who receive federal financial aid must make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their degrees within a reasonable period of time. If a student fails to maintain the following mandated federal standards, then the student loses their financial aid. The student may continue to attend Holmes Community College at their own expense.

Required Qualitative Measure
In order to meet the required qualitative measure, a student must maintain a minimum overall cumulative GPA based on the following scales. This measure becomes effective when the student has attempted at least 6 credit hours at Holmes Community College.

• 1-48 hours 1.75 G.P.A.
• 49 hours and above 2.0 G.P.A.

Measurable Progress Requirement (Completion Rate)
In order to maintain measurable progress toward the completion of their degree, a student must pass 67% of their classes.

Withdrawals count against this percentage. (Hours attempted include repeated courses, dropped courses, withdrawals, remedial courses, incomplete and completed courses.) This measure becomes effective when a student has attempted at least 6 hours of credit at Holmes Community College.

Max Time Frame:
In order to comply with federal guidelines, Holmes Community College must place students on financial aid suspension when they have attempted 150% or more of the hours required to complete their respective degree. (This is generally 96 attempted hours.)  Students who have changed majors, or are considering changing majors, are encouraged to communicate with the Office of Financial Aid any extenuating circumstances that may have resulted in the accumulation of extra hours, particularly those students considering changing to a Career/Technical major. These circumstances will be considered and an extension may be granted for a limited time based on appeal.

Appeal Process:
To complete the appeal process, sign in the My Holmes portal and select Financial Aid/Business Office from the main menu. The appeal can be started under the box labeled Financial Aid Requirements/SAP appeal. Current semester grades will also be used to determine eligibility for students who choose to file appeals during the semester.

Cumulative Record:
A student’s entire academic record at Holmes Community College, as well as all transfer work will be evaluated to determine eligibility for financial aid, regardless of whether or not he/she has received aid for all semesters. Therefore, all transcripts are required to be considered for an appeal and must be on file in Admissions and Records.

Notification:
Any student placed on probation or suspension will be notified in writing from the Office of Financial Aid. Only students wishing to utilize federal financial aid are required to file an appeal.

Example A: A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 36 of those hours, dropped 3 hours and failed 3 hours. Their completion rate will be 36 hours earned divided by 42 hours attempted which equals 85.7% completion rate. Therefore, the student has then met the measurable progress component of this requirement.

Example B: A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 20 of those hours, and has either dropped, failed, repeated, has an incomplete, or has withdrawn from the other 22 hours. Their completion rate would be 20 hours divided by 42 hours attempted which equals only a 47.6% completion rate. Therefore, the student has not met the measurable progress component of this requirement.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

(Effective Fall 2011)

To be eligible for student financial aid, you must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. The Financial Aid Office has established guidelines (based on federal regulations) for evaluating your progress, taking into consideration both your cumulative GPA and the number of hours that you have attempted since you have been in school. The Financial Aid standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress are not exactly the same as the academic standards of the college. Acceptance for admission does not necessarily indicate that Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines have been met for Financial Aid. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress is not measured until a student has attempted at least 6 hours and is calculated at the end of every semester.  Students may continue to receive financial aid while meeting the minimum standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Satisfactory Academic Progress standards apply to the following Title IV federal financial aid programs:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
• Federal Work Study
• Federal Direct Loan Program

Students Receiving Federal Financial Aid Must:

1. Complete a minimum percentage of hours attempted with passing grades
2. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA); and
3. Complete a diploma or degree program within a maximum time frame

Hours Earned and Grade Point Average Required for Eligibility

• Total Attempted Hours 0 – 30, Cumulative GPA should be at least 1.75, Completion Rate Percentage should be at least 50%
• Total Attempted Hours 31 – 48, Cumulative GPA should be at least 1.75, Completion Rate Percentage should be at least 67%
• Total Attempted Hours 49 and above, Cumulative GPA should be at least 2.00, Completion Rate Percentage should be at least 67%

Academic progress for financial aid purposes is reviewed for all students, regardless of whether financial aid was or will be utilized. It is based on cumulative history and includes all transfer hours, withdrawal hours, incomplete hours, repeated hours and developmental hours. Attempted hours include all Holmes CC and transfer hours in which the student has enrolled.  Earned hours include all HCC and transfer hours completed with a passing grade. 

The formula for calculating the completion rate is:

Earned Hours/Attempted Hours

Example A:  A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 36 of those hours, dropped 3 hours and failed 3 hours. Their completion rate will be 36 hours earned divided by 42 hours attempted which equals 85.7% completion rate. Therefore, the student has then met the measurable progress component of this requirement.

Example B: A student has attempted 42 credit hours and successfully completed 20 of those hours, and has either dropped, failed, repeated, has an incomplete, or has withdrawn from the other 16 hours. Their completion rate would be 20 hours divided by 42 hours attempted which equals only a 47.6% completion rate. Therefore, the student has not met the measurable progress component of this requirement.

Maximum Time Frame for Eligibility

In order to comply with federal guidelines, Holmes Community College must place students on financial aid suspension when they have attempted 150% or more of the hours required to complete their respective degree.  (This is generally 93 attempted hours.)  Students who have changed majors, or are considering changing majors, are encouraged to communicate with the Office of Financial Aid any extenuating circumstances that may have resulted in the accumulation of extra hours, particularly those students considering changing to a Career/Technical major.  These circumstances will be considered and an extension may be granted for a limited time based on appeal.  Once a student earns an associate degree from HCC, they are not eligible to participate in federal financial aid programs without an appeal and a graduation plan.

SAP Review and Notification

• Academic progress is reviewed at the end of each term to determine compliance with the grade point average (GPA), completion rate and maximum time frame standards.
• Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress (sap) standards will be notified via student email.
• Students who fail to meet the GPA and completion rate standard for the first time are automatically placed on probation
• Students who fail to meet the maximum time frame standard for the first time are automatically placed on suspension.
• It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the SAP Policy and to monitor his/her progress each term.

Students are placed on Financial Aid Probation if:

• Their completion rate is below the minimum standard
• Their cumulative GPA is below the minimum standard
• They have been approved by appeal due to mitigating circumstances

Standards for Students on Probation are:

• Must earn a 2.0 GPA for all hours attempted during the probationary term
• Must not receive any withdrawn, failing, or incomplete grades
• If a student has failed to meet the cumulative GPA and completion rate standards, but has met the minimum standards for probation and/or the conditions of the appeal, the student may retain financial aid eligibility under a “continued probation” status.

Students are placed on Financial Aid Suspension if:

• Their cumulative GPA remains below the minimum standard after probationary status
• Their completion rate remains below the minimum standard after probationary status
• They fail to complete the requirements (GPA and completion) for courses taken during the probationary term approved by appeal
• They have reached the 150% maximum time frame for completion of a diploma/degree

Reinstatement of Eligibility

• Enrolling at Holmes CC without financial aid and passing sufficient hours to meet minimum standards for GPA and completion rate or
• Being approved through the appeal process.

NOTE: Students who have exceeded the maximum time frame may only be reinstated by the appeal process.

Program of Study

Only courses within a program of study are eligible for federal financial aid. Once a student meets the requirements for an Associate of Arts Degree and/or an Associate of Applied Science Degree they will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid.  Note – the student does not have to graduate, they simply must meet the requirements to graduate.  Students who meet graduation requirements and change “concentration/majors” will not regain Title IV eligibility.

Appeal Process

To complete the appeal process, sign in the My Holmes portal and click the Financial Aid/Business Office icon.  Then click verify my FAFSA and request a SAP appeal. The appeal will be reviewed and determined whether the suspension is justified. Only exceptional circumstances or an improved academic record will be considered. The student will be notified in writing via email and possibly text of the decision, generally within 10 business days of submitting the appeal. Students whose appeals are approved will be placed on financial aid probation and must follow their degree evaluation as an academic plan. This plan will assure that they will be able to complete their degree with the timeframe to meet SAP.  If you are denied aid based on your academic progress, that denial takes precedence over any previous award notification you may have received.