Eligibility for Federal Financial Aid

To receive financial aid, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Complete the FAFSA
• Be accepted in a degree-seeking or certificate program
• Not be in default on prior federal student loans
• Meet satisfactory academic progress requirements
• Note: Students in PBPH (Preparatory Coursework) may be eligible for loans for only one continuous 12-month period.

Minimum credits required per trimester to receive Federal Loans

Financial assistance will be adjusted for each trimester of enrollment according to the student’s enrollment status and the regulations governing each financial aid program.

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

For purposes of determining student eligibility for assistance under a title IV program, the university must establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether an otherwise eligible student is maintaining satisfactory academic progress in their educational program.

NWHSU’s Policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requires a student to meet both a Scholastic Standard (qualitative-grade requirement) and a Program Standard (quantitative-work completed). Supportive services are available through the Office of Student Affairs to help ensure scholastic success. A student who does not meet the SAP requirements may lose eligibility to receive student financial aid from federal, state, and institutional sources.

SAP is used to establish a student’s eligibility to continue to receive financial aid. SAP will be monitored at the end of each Academic term, defined as the fall, winter, and summer trimesters.

For more information, refer to the Financial Aid section of the University Catalog.

Criteria for satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

A student may continue to receive financial aid by meeting all of the following criteria:

• Maintain a minimum trimester and cumulative grade point average– A student must earn a trimester and cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or better.
• Maintain a minimum trimester and cumulative completion rate requirement– A student must successfully complete at least 67% of trimester and cumulative attempted credits by the end of each trimester. The completion percentage is calculated by dividing credits earned by credits attempted. While grades of W, WP and WF may have no impact in the academic GPA calculations, these grades are included as attempted credits, as required by federal regulations.
• Meet a maximum timeframe requirement– The maximum number of credits allowed for receipt of financial aid to complete a degree is 150% of the scheduled credits required to complete the degree or certificate program.

Financial aid warning, suspension, probation and SAP appeal

To review the complete policies, refer to the Financial Aid section of the University Catalog.

Financial aid warning

A student who fails the SAP evaluation may be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. A Financial Aid Warning:

• Lasts for one trimester – the student is notified at the beginning of the trimester
• Does not require action (such as an appeal) by the student
• May be invoked for more than one trimester – there is no limit to the number of warnings a student may receive during his or her enrollment, but the student may not receive a warning in consecutive trimesters

Financial aid warning

A student who fails the SAP evaluation may be placed on Financial Aid Warning status. A Financial Aid Warning:

• Lasts for one trimester – the student is notified at the beginning of the trimester
• Does not require action (such as an appeal) by the student
• May be invoked for more than one trimester – there is no limit to the number of warnings a student may receive during their enrollment, but the student may not receive a warning in consecutive trimesters

Financial aid suspension

A student in Financial Aid Warning status who continues to not meet SAP requirements in the next trimester of enrollment will be placed in Financial Aid Suspension status. A student in Financial Aid Suspension may not receive financial aid until the suspension status is successfully appealed or the student meets the required SAP measures. The student may submit an appeal, and if the appeal is approved, the student will be placed in Financial Aid Probation status and may continue to receive financial aid.

Financial aid probation

A student in Financial Aid Suspension status who submits an appeal which is approved will be placed in Financial Aid Probation status. A student in Financial Aid Probation status will be permitted to receive financial aid. At the end of one trimester of Financial Aid Probation status, the student must:

• Meet satisfactory academic progress standards; or,
• Meet the requirements of the academic plan set out in the approval of the SAP suspension appeal

If the student does not meet these requirements, the student will again be placed in Financial Aid Suspension status.

Maximum timeframe

If at any time it is determined that a student will be unable to complete their program of study prior to attempting 150% of the scheduled program length, the university is required to immediately suspend the student’s financial aid eligibility. The student may submit an appeal, and if the appeal is approved, the student will be placed in Financial Aid Probation status and may continue to receive financial aid.

SAP appeal

When a student becomes ineligible for financial aid by failure to meet SAP standards, the student may submit a SAP Appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for consideration. Mitigating circumstance to present in an appeal may include:

• Death of a relative
• Personal injury or illness
• Other special circumstances (e.g., difficult transition to NWHSU, family issues, legal troubles, work or budget problems)

Submitted SAP appeals will be reviewed within fifteen business days. The student will be notified by campus email if the appeal is approved or denied.

Additional SAP information

Dual degree programs/Changed majors

Students who are enrolled in a dual degree program or who have changed majors may file a SAP Appeal to request an extension of the maximum time frame provision of the SAP policy. Appeals will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Second degrees

Students seeking a second degree may file a SAP Appeal to request an extension of the maximum timeframe provision of the SAP policy. Appeals will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Transfer/Audit credits

Transfer and consortium credits accepted by the university will be included in calculating your credit completion ratio and maximum timeframe, but not your GPA. This includes credits earned from non-Northwestern Health Sciences University programs. Audit credits are not considered either attempted or earned. Credits earned at a foreign institution are included in the SAP evaluation if the university accepts the credits.

Repeated coursework

Repeated courses will count toward enrollment status, attempted credits and maximum timeframe.

Summer sessions courses

All credits attempted and completed in the summer sessions are treated as any other trimester credits in determining SAP.