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Census Date and Financial Aid Awards
Ineligible Programs and Courses
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
CENSUS DATE AND FINANCIAL AID AWARDS
Students who are eligible for financial aid and enroll at CLC receive an award notification which lists each type of financial aid you may receive. The award amount shown in the award notification is based on your enrollment (credit hour load) at the time the award is processed. If the award is processed for fall term, the award notification will also include a projected award amount if you attend CLC full-time in the spring.
However, the actual amount of aid you receive will be based on your enrollment as of the financial aid census date. Please refer to the class schedule or the Important Dates web page for the 2008-2009 Aid Year census dates. On the census date, the financial aid office will 'freeze' your enrollment and adjust your award to the correct amount based on actual credit hours enrolled. If you enroll in late-starting classes after the financial aid census date, those classes will not be eligible for financial aid. If your award of aid includes a class that has not yet started, you will not be able to drop that class without contacting a financial aid advisor. Your aid will be adjusted after you are permitted to drop and you will be required to return a portion of the aid you received.
Late applicants (awarded after the census date) will be processed during the remainder of the term on a first-come, first-served basis. The amount of the award will be based on enrollment at the time the award is processed. Late awards will be disbursed immediately.
INELIGIBLE PROGRAMS AND COURSES
In order to be eligible to receive financial aid, a student must be enrolled in and actively pursuing a degree or certificate in an eligible program of study. The College of Lake County offers a wide range of associate degrees and certificates in eligible programs. The Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, Associate in Engineering Science, Associate in Fine Arts, Associate in Arts in Teaching and Associate in Applied Science degree programs are eligible. Most career certificate programs that require at least 16 credit hours to complete are eligible as well. (See the specific career certificate for more information on eligibility.)
The College offers courses that meet a wide range of community need. Some courses are not eligible to be included in a financial aid award. Eligible courses are those that may be applied to completion of a degree or certificate, and/or developmental courses that are at a post high school level and prepare a student to take college level classes. Courses that do not meet this criteria, as well as audited courses, non-credit courses, or courses with the prefix of ABE, ADE, ASE, ESL, GED and VST are not eligible for financial aid.
RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS
The Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Public Law 105-244 established how Title IV eligibility is determined when a student completely withdraws from school. The Department of Education required this provision to be implemented by all schools starting in October 2000.
The new requirements do not dictate an institution's refund policy as it relates to institutional charges incurred by the student. Instead, the institution is required only to determine the amount of Title IV funds a student has earned as of the date he or she ceases to be enrolled. The amount of Title IV funds earned by the student is based on the amount of time the student was enrolled; it has no relationship to the student's incurred institutional charges.
The percentage of Title IV funds earned by a student who fully withdraws is calculated by simply dividing the number of calendar days the student was enrolled by the number of calendar days in the semester. For example: If a semester contained 112 calendar days and a student withdrew on the 28th calendar day, they would be entitled to 25% of their Title IV funds (28 days attended/112 days in semester = 25%).
Schools are required to calculate the Return of Title IV Funds up through the 60% point of each semester. After the 60% point it is considered that the student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds disbursed. For more information on the College's Withdrawal policies, please refer to the Student Records Policies web page.
Please feel free to contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have any questions concerning this provision.
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS STANDARDS
FOR FINANCIAL AID RECIPIENTS
The federal government requires that students who receive Title IV financial aid make satisfactory academic progress towards completing their degree. Satisfactory academic progress is measured in three ways:
- COURSE COMPLETION RATE
- PROGRAM TIME FRAME TO COMPLETE DEGREE (Timeframe Limitation)
- GRADE POINT AVERAGE
You must satisfy all three of these standards of progress to maintain financial aid eligibility. Failing to comply with this policy will result in the denial of your financial aid award.
Course Completion Rate Requirement
- Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all course credit hours that are attempted at CLC. A successful completion is defined as earning a grade of 'D' or better. Withdrawals (official or unofficial), incompletes, repeated classes, and remedial courses are included in hours attempted.
- Beginning in the Fall 2007 semester, there is no probationary status for students who complete between 25-67% of the hours attempted.
Program Timeframe to Complete Degree
Students may pursue completion of a degree program on a full or part-time basis, but the federal government requires that students make progress toward degree completion in a timely fashion. Progress toward completing a degree is measured, not by time, but by a total number of attempted hours allowed to complete the degree. For example, a student pursing a 60 credit hour associate degree will continue to be eligible for financial aid until he has attempted 150% of the required number of hours for the degree, or 90 attempted credit hours. Degrees or certificates of varying lengths are prorated accordingly. Once the student's time frame to complete the degree has been met, the student is placed on restricted status and is no longer eligible for financial aid at the college.
Included in the count of attempted hours are all attempted coursework taken at CLC, transfer credit accepted from other institutions, and any Advanced Placement or CLEP credit. All withdrawal grades, failing grades and incompletes, as well as repeated classes are included in the attempted hours count.
Grade Point Average Requirement
Financial aid recipients must maintain the following cumulative grade point averages. A definition of how grade point averages are calculated is found in the CLC Catalog.
| Hours Attempted |
Cumulative GPA | Grade Level |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 - 1.49 | 1.50 - 1.99 | 2.00 - 4.00 | ||
| 0-15 | Denial | Probation | Good Standing | Freshman |
| 16 and Above | Denial | Denial | Good Standing | Sophomore |
Financial Aid Probation Status
A student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for failing to meet the Grade Point Average Requirement as defined by this policy. During the probationary period, the student will maintain their eligibility for financial aid. A student may remain on probationary status for GPA until 15.0 attempted hours has been reached.
Financial Aid Denial Status
A student will be placed on financial aid restriction and will be denied aid for failing to meet the Course Completion Rate Requirement, Grade Point Average Requirement, and/or for exceeded the Program Time Frame to Complete a Degree Requirement as defined by this policy. During the denial period, the student will not be eligible for financial aid. Eligibility for financial aid will be regained once the student meets the conditions for satisfactory progress.
Appeal Process
Any student placed on restricted status has the right to appeal. All appeals must be complete and provide detailed information about extenuating circumstances. Extenuating circumstances include: personal illness/accident, serious illness or death within the immediate family, auto accident or other situation beyond the reasonable control of the student. Third-party documentation is required with each appeal. Documentation may include but is not limited to copies of medical records, accident reports, and/or letters from an academic advisor, work supervisor, or other counselor. Appeals must be submitted in the term for which the student is seeking financial aid. All appeal decisions are final. 2007-2008 SAP Appeal Form
STUDENT LOAN POLICY
CLC certifies Federal Stafford student loans under the Illinois Student Assistance Commission unless you request a different guarantee agency.
CLC Stafford Annual Limits
Generally, the Financial Aid Office will certify a Federal Stafford Student Loan to help you meet your direct education costs (tuition, fees, books and supplies).
There are other factors that we will take into consideration when certifying your student loan: your other awards, the amount of your direct education expenses, your academic progress, your anticipated graduation date, the number of credit hours you are enrolled in each term, the number of hours remaining in your program of study, and the total amount of Federal Stafford loans outstanding as reported on your FAFSA Student Aid Report and at NSLDS Student Access.
Please note that we may not certify the amount that you request and that we take very seriously our responsibility to monitor student loan debt and manage student loan defaults at CLC.
Federal Stafford Annual Loan Limits
For first-year students (fewer than 30 credit hours earned) the annual limit is $3,500.00; for second-year students (30 credit hours or more) the annual limit is $4,500.00.
Subsidized and Unsubsidized
A subsidized loan carries no interest while you are in school and enrolled in six or more hours. The advantage to this loan is that you will owe the same amount of money that you borrowed when you finish your studies.
An unsubsidized loan carries interest while you are in school as at least a half-time student. The disadvantage to this loan is that you will owe more money than you borrowed when you finish your studies.
Plus Loans
If you are a dependent student and your parent(s) want to apply for a PLUS loan, see PLUS Parent Loans.
How to Apply for a Stafford Student Loan at CLC
For information about applying for a student loan, see Student Loan Procedures.
Verification
The process of documenting the information you provided on the FAFSA is called verification. If your application is selected for verification by the Department of Education, you will receive the following message on your Student Aid Report (SAR):
Your application has been selected for review in a process called verification. Your school has the authority to request copies of certain financial documents from you, your parents (if you are dependent) or your spouse (if you are independent and married).
The Financial Aid Office will send you a letter (1) notifying you that your were selected for verification and requesting certain financial documents and (2) a Verification Worksheet 2005-06 for you to complete and return to the office. Each person who entered financial information on your FAFSA must submit signed copies of their recent income tax return and W-2 wage and tax statements. Students must submit all requested documenation within 30 days from the date postmarked on the verification notification letter. If you do not provide the documents requested, you will not receive federal student aid, and you might not receive aid from other nonfederal sources.
If there are differences between your FAFSA and the documents you submitted to the office, we will make corrections to your FAFSA, notify you of the changes, and adjust your financial aid award
The Financial Aid Office can not award you federal or state financial aid until you complete the verification process.
