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Financial Aid Policies

RETURN OF TITLE IV FUNDS POLICY

(updated July 2021)

Policy
During the first 60% of the enrollment period, a student earns Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time he/she is enrolled.  A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns 100% of their Title IV aid for the period of enrollment.  The percentage of aid earned is determined by:

1. the date the student officially withdraws from the University
2. the total number of calendar days comprising the period of enrollment
3. the calendar days the student completed during the period of enrollment

The official withdrawal date of the student is determined by the date indicated on the “Withdraw from all Courses” form processed by the Registrar’s Office.  An unofficial withdraw is the mid-point of the enrollment period unless the student can document a specific date.

This return of funds policy does not apply to students who withdraw from individual classes, it applies to only those students who withdraw from the University completely.  This policy does not take precedent over the University’s tuition refund policy.  Refer to the Course Schedule book for the tuition refund policy.
The Financial Aid Office will review each student who totally withdraws from the University to determine the lesser of:

• Unearned amount of title IV assistance or
• Institutional charges incurred for the period of enrollment, multiplied by the unearned %

A student enrolled in eight week classes is considered to be enrolled in modules during the semester. If a student withdraws during a module class the return of Title IV aid will be determined based on the module within the enrollment period unless the student confirms in writing they will be enrolled in a subsequent module during the enrollment period. A student's current registration is not confirmation that they will be enrolled in a subsequent module within the enrollment period. An enrollment period is defined as fall semester, spring semester or summer semester.

Title IV funds will be returned to the Federal Programs in the order listed below:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
• Federal Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grant
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
• Federal SEOG
• Teach Grant

Procedures

1. The Financial Aid Office will meet with the student and discuss the R2T4 policy and how it will affect their Title IV financial aid.
2. The Financial Aid Office will sign the WITHDRAW FROM ALL COURSES form that is processed by the Registrar. The withdraw date is the date the student indicates is their last 'date of attendance' on the form, not the date the form is actually processed by the University.
3. º£½ÇÉçÇø utilizes the R2T4 Banner module in determining the unearned financial aid and return of funds by the school
4. The unearned aid must be returned to the Title IV programs within 45 days of the student withdrawing from the University. It will be returned in the order listed below:
   • Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
   • Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
   • Federal Direct PLUS Loans
   • Federal Pell Grant
   • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
   • Federal SEOG
   • Teach Grant

Relevant terms

1. Title IV grant or loan recipient
   A Title IV Grant or loan recipient is defined as a student who meets the enrollment eligibility, student eligibility and Title IV program eligibility for Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS), Teach Grant and Iraqi and Afghanistan Service Grant.
2. Period of enrollment and payment period
   The period of enrollment or payment period is defined as fall and spring for a traditional program offered in 16 weeks; and as fall, spring and summer for a non-traditional or graduate program offered in 8 week modules.
3. Institutional charges
   Institutional charges are defined as tuition, º£½ÇÉçÇø residential charges, º£½ÇÉçÇø board charges and books purchased with a book voucher that are charged to the student's statement of account.
4. Title IV disbursement
   A Title IV disbursement is a credit to the student's statement of account of Title IV funds, (ie. Federal Pell, FSEOG, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loan (subsidized, unsubsidized, PLUS, Teach, Iraqi and Afghanistan Service Grant).
5. Withdraw date determination
   1. Official withdraw
      An official withdraw is initiated either by the student or administratively with the Withdraw from all Courses Form. If a student withdraws from one course that does not constitute an official withdraw.
   2. Unofficial withdraw
      An unofficial withdraw is defined as a student who does not complete his/her coursework and receives failing grades or 'W' in all of their courses.
   3. No show policy
      A student who fails to begin attendance in any or all of his/her coursework is reported to the Registrar by the faculty as a 'No-show' after the institutional drop deadline. These students are administratively dropped and no financial aid is disbursed to their student statement of account. If the student is reported as a 'No-show' for one or more but not all of their classes that student is assigned a 'W' grade by the Registrar's Office for the classes that were reported.
   4. Programs offered in modules
      A student enrolled in eight week classes is considered to be enrolled in modules during the semester. If a student withdraws during a module class the return of Title IV aid will be determined based on the payment period unless the student confirms they will be enrolled in a subsequent module during the enrollment period. A student's current registration is not confirmation that they will be enrolled in a subsequent module within the enrollment period. An enrollment period is defined as fall semester, spring semester or summer semester.

R2T4 Withdrawal Exemptions
Effective July 1, 2021 the following exemptions will be reviewed to determine if a Return of Title IV Funds needs to be performed.  A student meeting one of the following exemptions below has not withdrawn from their coursework.

All Programs

• A student who completes all the requirements for graduation from his/her program before completing the day in the period is not considered to have withdrawn

Programs that contain modules

• If student successfully completes one module or a combination of modules that includes 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of 5 or more days
• Successful completion means earning a passing grade
• 49% of the number of days in the enrollment period

• If the student successfully complete coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required to be a half time student.  For an undergraduate student that is six semester hours and for a graduate that is three semester hours.

Formula Calculation
º£½ÇÉçÇø utilizes the R2T4 Banner module to calculate the amount of funds to return for those students that withdraw before the 60% point of the semester. The student is notified by letter that their Title IV aid has been revised due to their withdrawn status from the period of enrollment.  A revised award letter email is sent to the student that directs them to their myLewis to review their revised awards..

Failing all Course work
At the end of each semester a report is generated by the Financial Aid Office of all students that failed to pass at least one course during the semester. The Faculty who assign a grade of 'F' are required to indicate the last date of attendance for the student. The unofficial withdrawal record is created with the student's last date of attendance. The R2T4 record is generated using that date.

Post Withdrawal Disbursement
A students whose Title IV financial aid disbursed is less than the amount of Title IV financial aid earned, the student is eligible to receive a post withdrawal disbursement of the earned aid that was not received. A student that is eligible for a post withdrawal disbursement of a Title IV Loan after the R2T4 calculation is performed is contacted within 30 days of date of determination for affirmation that they do indeed want the Title IV Loan. If the student has done all of the necessary paperwork for the Title IV Loan we will process the loan as a late disbursement no later than 180 days from date of determination. All Title IV grants will be disbursed on the student's behalf within 45 days of date of determination as long as the student meets the eligibility requirements and has an Official ISIR with an EFC at º£½ÇÉçÇø.

Returning Unearned Funds
Once it is determined that the student did not earn all of their Title IV funds the return will be sent back in the order described above. º£½ÇÉçÇø repays the funds on behalf of the student to the appropriate programs. The Financial Aid Office adjusts the student's Title IV records. º£½ÇÉçÇø then bills the student for the return of funds from their Statement of Account. The options for payment are handled through the Business Office at Lewis University. If the student fails to make payment arrangements a hold is placed on the student's record that prevents future registrations, transcript requests or graduation activities. In addition the university could pursue collection activity on the unpaid balance.

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

The Lewis University Financial Aid Services Office is responsible for ensuring that all students (both undergraduate and graduate) who are receiving federal, state and institutional financial aid are meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.  In order to continue to receive financial aid, recipients must meet the standards outlined below. The progress of each student will be reviewed each semester according to the requirements outlined below.  Those students who are placed with a ‘Financial Aid Warning’ status after the semester will need to adhere to the policy guidelines in order to avoid being placed with a ‘Financial Aid Suspension’ status.

Qualitative Standard: Cumulative Grade Point Average
Requirement:  Each financial aid recipient must be enrolled in an approved certificate or degree program and maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average as outlined below for earned credits:

Quantitative Standard: Maximum Time Frame
Students are expected to complete an undergraduate degree after attempting 192 credit hours. Students are expected to complete a graduate degree after attempting 150% of the required coursework for completion of the graduate degree. Students in the aviation certificate program are expected to complete the program after attempting 98 hours. This policy will consider all enrollments including those where there was no financial aid received at º£½ÇÉçÇø. In addition, any transfer credits accepted towards the degree are included as attempted and completed hours toward the degree and will be counted towards the maximum time frame of completion. A student who changes his/her major is still required to complete the degree within the maximum timeframe. A change of major does not reset the maximum time frame.

Requirement: Students must progress towards their educational goals at a minimum rate of 67% completion. A student must complete 67% of credit hours attempted. For example if a student attempts 15 semester hours they must complete (earn a grade of 'D' or higher) at least 11 semester hours in order to avoid being placed in a 'Financial Aid Warning' status.

• If a student reaches the attempted credit hour maximum without completing their degree they will be placed on permanent ‘Financial Aid Suspension’ status with no ability to appeal. 
• Earned A,B,C,D and P grades are considered hours earned. 
• Incompletes and withdrawals are not considered hours earned, however they are included toward maximum timeframe.  Audits, proficiency tests and non-credit courses are not included in attempted hours.
• The incomplete grades once graded are evaluated during the next academic term since the deadline for grading incompletes occurs during the next academic term.
• All repeat coursework is considered toward maximum timeframe as attempted hours.  The course that was completed in the most recent term will be counted in the student’s cumulative GPA.

Review
Students are reviewed according to the criteria outlined above at the end of each semester (fall, spring and summer terms).  If students do not meet the above mentioned criteria they are placed in a 'Financial Aid Warning' status.   Students may continue to receive financial aid while in a warning status. During ‘FA Warning’ students must return to qualitative and quantitative standards as listed above. At the end of the following semester those students on warning are reviewed for eligibility.  If students do not attain satisfactory academic progress at the time of review they will be placed with a 'Financial Aid Suspension' status. A student who is in suspension is ineligible for aid.

Appeals
A student who has been suspended from financial aid for failing to meet the SAP criteria has the right to an appeal.  A student regains eligibility by submitting a written appeal.  The written appeal must explain the mitigating circumstances that caused the student not to meet the guidelines of the policy, as well as an Academic Plan that is created outlining how the student will meet the policy until the completion of their degree program.  Mitigating circumstances could include but is not limited to a medical illness, death of a family member or an injury. An appointment will need to be made with the appropriate academic official to develop an Academic Plan that outlines how they will be successful academically.  A student who is placed on an FA Academic Plan will have no further suspensions from financial aid as long as they adhere to the Academic Plan as submitted in their appeal.  A student whose appeal is denied or does not appeal must bring their cumulative GPA up to the required qualitative standard as listed and be completing their coursework at the 67% completion rate before their financial aid will be reinstated.

Deadline for Appeal
The student will be notified in writing of the deadline in which to complete the appeal process in the letter notifying them of the Satisfactory Academic Status.  The appeal will only be reviewed for the semester that it is submitted.

SAP Process
The Office of Financial Aid Services reviews SAP Progress each semester.

The Office of Technology prepares a spreadsheet for undergraduate, graduate and second degree students who were enrolled and received financial aid disbursements during the semester

Effective for the 2016-17 Academic Year the process of determining students who need to be notified of SAP is completed with the process ROPSAPR in Banner.

The Director of FAS reviews the student’s that failed the requirements for meeting SAP.

A student who does not meet one or both the Quantitative or Qualitative measurement will be put on SAP Warning A student is notified of their SAP status in two ways:

A letter is mailed to the student’s permanent address.  Student’s that are suspended will receive their letter through Certified Mail to ensure that they do in fact receive their notification.

The status is part of their myLewis Financial Aid page

A student who is on SAP Warning will be allowed to receive financial aid for one semester.

A student who is on SAP Warning and fails to meet one or both Quantitative or Qualitative measurement will be placed on FA Suspension with the right to appeal.  A successful appeal will include but not limited to a written letter, academic plan and any supporting documentation if applicable.

The Director of FAS in coordination with the Academic Advisor will determine a successful appeal.

A student who has a successful appeal will be placed on FA Probation and be required to meet the outline of their Academic Plan.

A student on FA Probation who does not meet one or both the Quantitative or Qualitative measurement with be placed on FA Suspension.  A successful appeal will include but not limited to a written letter, academic plan and any supporting documentation if applicable.

A student with a successful appeal after being on probation will be placed on an Academic PLAN, any deviance from the Academic Plan will remove from the student from any further FA disbursements.

Consumer Information

º£½ÇÉçÇø has developed a spreadsheet with all of the locations related to federally mandated consumer information required to be disclosed.  The chart below provides you with all of the necessary information, website and responsible department for each category at the university.

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