Financial Aid Policies and Information

Information on Financial Aid policies and procedures is located below to help answer questions to you or your family may have.

  • Overaward Policy

    • The Financial Aid Office is required to monitor and adjust students’ financial aid awards to eliminate overawards and/or overpayments in compliance with federal and state regulations and institutional policy.
    • What is an Overaward?
    • An overaward or overpayment exists when any of the situations occur:
      1. The student’s financial aid exceeds the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA).
      2. The student receives multiple tuition specific awards (scholarships, grants, or waivers) that exceed the student’s tuition assessment.
      3. The student receives multiple housing specific awards that exceed the student’s housing assessment.
      4. The student’s award in an individual program (e.g., Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loan) exceeds annual or aggregate/lifetime limits.
      5. The student is receiving Federal Pell Grant or Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant at multiple schools for the same payment period.
      6. The student is receiving Federal SEOG, Federal Work-study, Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, KY College Access Program Grant (CAP), Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG) other institutional, state, or external need-based scholarship or grant programs, and the student’s total gift aid (scholarships and grants) in combination of the aforementioned financial aid programs exceed the student’s demonstrated financial needFinancial Need is determined by subtracting the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from COA.

      How do Overawards occur?

      Overawards are usually the result of the student receiving aid that the Financial Aid Office was not aware of when the student’s Financial Aid Package was created.

      Overawards may also be created when the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) increases as a result of verification. Overawards can result from application errors as well. Regardless of the reason for overaward, the Financial Aid Office is bound by regulations and policy to correct the overaward.

      Resolving the overaward could result in the student owing the University money if the overawarded financial aid funds have already disbursed to the student’s account.

      How are Overawards corrected?

      Following federal and state regulations and institutional policy, the Financial Aid Office will resolve the overaward in a way that is most favorable to the student.

      To alleviate an overaward, the Financial Aid Office will determine whether the student has increased costs that were not anticipated when the student was previously awarded. Following this step, if the student’s total aid still exceeds his or her COA or Financial Need, loans will be canceled or reduced and returned to the lender if not already disbursed. Following this step, if there is still an overaward and the student is employed under the Federal Work-Study Program, the student will be requested to stop working. If after loans and Federal Work-study have been adjusted and an overaward still remains, grants and scholarships will be canceled or reduced.

      The order in which aid funds are adjusted or reduced to resolve an overaward is as follows:

      1. Private (Alternative) Educational Loan
      2. Federal Direct PLUS Loan
      3. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
      4. Federal TEACH Grant
      5. Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
      6. Federal Work-Study
      7. Federal SEOG
      8. KWC need-based scholarships or grants
      9. KWC Academic Scholarships
      10. KWC Employee Tuition Remission Program
      11. KWC Endowed/Gift funds
      12. KWC College and/or Departmental awards
      13. KY Teachers Scholarship
      14. Kentucky Tuition Grant (KTG)
      15. College Access Program Grant (CAP)
      16. Other state funds
      17. External scholarships

 

  • Satisfactory Academic Progress

    • All previous Kentucky Wesleyan SAP policies are no longer valid. This is the only valid policy.
    • The policy contained herein is the result of the federal revision of the regulations governing Satisfactory Academic Progress, October 29, 2010 to be effective July 1, 2011. The applicable regulations are in 34 CFR 668.16(e), 668.32(f) and 668.34.
    • Kentucky Wesleyan College evaluates all applicants for financial aid in accordance with the policy below. This policy meets federal guidelines, but may differ from other academic institution’s policies. Each institution’s policy is based on their own academic standards.
    • The Kentucky Wesleyan College Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy is as follows: Each student’s record will be reviewed to determine if they have made Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the conclusion of each payment period (semester). Upon receipt of the grades and course completion data the college will review qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (hours earned) standards using the following scale:
    • 1–29   semester hours attempted/transferred…………………1.6 cum. GPA on 4.0 scale
      30–59 semester hours attempted/transferred…………………1.8 cum. GPA on 4.0 scale
      60+     semester hours attempted/transferred…………………2.0 cum. GPA on 4.0 scale
    • SAP will be met if the student meets criteria described on the above scale and earns at least 12 hours per semester (24 hours per academic year). An academic year includes fall, winter, spring & summer semesters. Students may not receive aid for more than 150% of the credit hours required for their degree program – some aid will be negated prior to that.
    • Full-time students must complete 67& of all hours attempted. Part-time students must complete 100% of all ours attempted. All attempted hours will be totaled and multiplied by 67% for full-time students and 100% for part-time students to determine the number of credit hours a student must have earned to continue receiving aid. Grades of F, E, Incomplete, Withdrawal, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours, however they will NOT count as hours. Retaking courses will add to the attempted total but will count only once as earned credit.
    • A student not currently on Financial Aid Warning, who does not make SAP at of the end of any semester, will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. A student who has not met SAP by the end of the next semester in which they are enrolled will lose their financial aid eligibility.
    • A student who has lost financial aid eligibility has two options:
      Option one: They may submit an appeal that includes an academic plan. If their appeal is successful, they will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one additional semester. Appeal requirements are listed later in this document and are very specific.
      Option two: They may attend college at their own expense until they raise their cumulative GPA and/or earned hours to the required levels, and notify the financial aid office when they have done so. The student’s record will be reviewed to determine if they are eligible for reinstatement of financial aid.
    • Definitions and appeal guidance:
    • Disabilities: Students who enroll at Kentucky Wesleyan College and are aware of learning or other disabilities should contact the Office of Disability Services prior to the start of the semester so that reasonable accommodations can be made. Students with documented disabilities or functional limitations are held to the same academic expectations as other students. If a student is registered with the Office of Disability Services and is receiving reasonable accommodations, the student is expected to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress for purposes of financial aid eligibility.
    • Readmits: Students granted readmission and who were previously on financial aid probation, must submit an appeal to the Director of Financial Aid for reinstatement of financial aid eligibility. All attempted and/or transferred hours must be considered when evaluating eligibility. Questions about readmission should be addressed to the Admissions office at (270) 852-3120.
    • Academic probation: Standards for academic probation are not directly related to eligibility for financial aid.
    • Academic suspension: Students are ineligible for financial aid while suspended.
    • Repeated courses: Financial aid can only be applied to the repetition of a previously passed course once, and will not be applied to previously passed coursework that would be taken due to a student’s failure of other coursework.
    • Withdrawals/Unofficial Withdrawals: Students who withdraw or cease attendance  from Kentucky Wesleyan College twice during an award year must submit an appeal for continued eligibility.
    • Appeals: Must be submitted in writing using the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form with all appropriate documentation. It is the student’s responsibility to provide all appropriate documentation. The Financial Aid Office will not contact doctors, professors, or other persons for additional information if the documentation provided is not adequate.  Appeals must be made no later than 30 days after the date on the student’s notification of probation. It is recommended that an appeal be submitted as soon as possible after notification so that the appeal can be evaluated before classes begin.
    • Double Majors and multiple minors: Students seeking double majors or a major with a minor must complete their degree program for the primary major within the limits set for that major. For Pell eligible students, once the coursework for the primary major is complete, no additional Pell can be awarded regardless of whether or not the student applies for graduation.
    • Grades of W (withdraw) and I (incompletes): W’s are included in hours attempted for SAP. I’s are treated as failing grades. When the student receives a letter grade for the “I” their financial aid will be reviewed and revised if necessary.
    • Failing Grades: Students with all F’s and/or E’s for a semester will have their aid prorated based on the last date of academic activity. The professor of each class registered for will be contacted to determine the last date of an academically related event (last class attended, last date of when homework, a test, or a project was turned in, etc.). For online classes, simply logging on will not count as an academically related event.  Academic activity is determined by interaction/participation in the class (chats, projects, etc.)
    • Pell Eligibility: A student with a baccalaureate or professional degree is ineligible for Pell even if the degree is from an unaccredited school or is not recognized by Kentucky Wesleyan College.Occasionally a student will complete all the requirements for a bachelor’s degree but will continue taking undergraduate courses without accepting the degree. If a student has completed all of the required coursework for a bachelor’s degree, then they are no longer eligible to receive a Pell grant.If a Pell-eligible student retakes a course in which they made a passing grade (A,B,C or D), then Pell will only pay for the retake one time.For questions regarding the above policy, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 270-852-3120. You may also email the Financial Aid Office at finaid@kwc.edu.

 

  • Withdrawal from all courses or Quitting

    • Federal financial aid recipients who withdraw from the semester before 60 percent of the term is completed are subject to Return to Title IV regulations. These regulations view aid as a resource for the entire term; aid is earned for the number of days attended, but unearned for the days that will be missed due to withdrawal. Unearned aid must be returned to the appropriate aid programs. Determine the percentage of earned aid by dividing the number of days attended by the number of days in the semester. (When the earned aid is 60% or greater, without rounding, then federal aid is not returned.) Subtract the earned aid percentage from 100% for the unearned percentage. Multiply the unearned percentage by the charges for tuition and fees, room and board on the student’s account. The result is approximately the amount of aid that will be returned to federal aid programs. Loans are refunded before grants. To find out the exact amount for you, please contact the Financial Aid Office.Return to Title IV Policy
    • Federal regulations prescribe the calculation of a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid funds when the student completely withdraws (officially or unofficially) from the College during the semester. For more information on Return to Title IV Policy, please download the appropriate file.
    • Quitting without going through the official withdrawal process
    • Visit the Registrar’s Office to withdraw from the College.
    • Recipients Receiving All F GradesStudents who fail to officially withdraw often wind up with failing grades. Students with all F grades are also subject to Return to Title IV regulations. In addition to the implications all F grades have for satisfactory academic progress, federal financial aid recipients are also subject to Federal Return to Title IV regulations and are considered unofficially withdrawn at the midpoint of the semester. Without acceptable proof of attendance or participation in a class related activity beyond the midpoint of the semester, the Federal Title IV financial aid credited for the term is refunded to the aid program(s) from which it came at the rate of 50 percent of college charges. Loans are refunded before grants.
    • What is acceptable proof of attendance or participation in a class related activity? We will accept an email from a professor, instructor or academic advisor noting the last date of a student’s presence in class or involvement in a class related activity. The instructors of financial aid recipients receiving all F grades are asked by email to confirm the last date of class attendance or participation for that particular term within 10 days. Late certification is not accepted.
    • Why single out students with all E grades?
      The Financial Aid Office is obligated by federal statute to handle aid for students with all F grades in this manner. Failure to do so would result in monetary fines to the College and jeopardize our continued participation in federally funded aid programs. The assumption behind this law is that a student receiving all F grades probably did not complete the semester, but rather left school without officially withdrawing.