Guide to Direct LoansSatisfactory Academic Progress
The policies governing the federal and state financial aid programs offered at Iowa Western Community College, including Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant, Iowa Voc-Tech Grant, State of Iowa Grant, Federal Direct Loans, and the Federal Work Study Program, require students who are receiving such assistance to maintain satisfactory academic progress. If they do not, they will jeopardize their opportunity to continue receiving aid while attending Iowa Western Community College.
What Constitutes Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Satisfactory Academic Progress is made when all four of the following requirements are met:
1. GRADE POINT AVERAGE:
You must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 1.75. (A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.) Failure to do so will result in financial aid probation or financial aid termination.
2. PROGRAM OF STUDY/MAJOR:
You may change your program of study/major once and continue to receive financial aid. However, a second change could result in the termination of your financial aid.
3. TIME FRAME:
Federal regulations state that you may receive financial aid for no more than 150% (one and a half times) the length of your program, which is defined by the College and documented in the General Catalog.
For example, if your program is defined as a four-semester program, you can receive the equivalent of six semesters of financial aid as a full-time student. If you receive financial aid on a three quarter-time basis, the semester counts as .75 toward the six semester total. If you receive financial aid on a half- time basis, the semester counts as .5 toward the six semester total. If you receive financial aid on a less than half-time basis, the semester counts as .25 toward the six semester total. Please refer to the General Catalog for the defined length of your program of study.
4. ENROLLMENT STATUS:
Your financial aid enrollment status is determined using registration information captured on the last day of the 50% tuition refund period, which is the 10th day of a sixteen-week term. You must then satisfactorily complete the minimum number of credits needed to maintain the enrollment status for which you received financial aid. Failure to do so will result in either financial aid probation or financial aid termination.
The various enrollment statuses for a regular term* are defined as follows:
| Full-time: | 12 or more credit hours |
| Three quarter-time: | 9 to 11.5 credit hours |
| Half-time: | 6 to 8.5 credit hours |
| Below half-time: | Less than 6 credit hours |
*For the summer term, 6 or more credit hours is considered full-time, 4.5 to 5.5 credit hours is considered three quarter-time, and 3 to 4 credit hours is considered half-time.
Again, you must complete the minimum number of credit hours required to maintain the enrollment status for which you received financial aid. For example, if you received aid as a full-time student, but you did not successfully complete at least 12 credit hours, you would have failed to maintain the enrollment status for which you received aid. Keep in mind that if you withdraw from all classes before the end of a term for which you receive financial aid, you will not make satisfactory academic progress.
MIDTERM PROGRESS REPORTS
During each term a notification is emailed to students regarding any course(s) in which they are not currently showing progress. This allows the student the remaining portion of the term to improve performance to a satisfactory level, thus avoiding the possible loss of financial assistance.
What if I Don’t Make Satisfactory Academic Progress?
PROBATIONARY STATUS:
At the end of each term, the Financial Aid Office will review your grades and make sure you have made satisfactory academic progress. If you have failed to make satisfactory academic progress (i.e. you have failed to meet any or all of the requirements as explained in the box titled “What Constitutes Satisfactory Academic Progress?”), you will be placed on financial aid probation. Your probationary status will most likely last only one term (a semester or summer session), and it will begin the next term you enroll in and attend classes at Iowa Western. You are eligible to receive financial aid, including grants and student loans, while you are on financial aid probation. At the end of your probationary term, you must be in compliance with all eligibility and satisfactory academic progress requirements as explained in this brochure. If you are in compliance, you will be removed from financial aid probation. However, if you fail to meet any of the specified requirements, you will be placed on financial aid termination, at which time you will no longer be eligible to receive any financial aid, including grants and loans.
TERMINATION OF FINANCIAL AID:
If you are not in compliance with all eligibility and satisfactory academic progress requirements as explained in this brochure, you will be placed on financial aid termination. You will be notified in writing that your financial aid has terminated, and you will not be eligible to receive financial aid, including grants and student loans, while you are on financial aid termination.
Please note that if you fail all classes for which you are enrolled in a single term, you will immediately be placed on Financial Aid Termination.
REINSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID:
If your financial aid has been terminated, you are eligible for reinstatement once you have enrolled in and satisfactorily completed a minimum of six credit hours at Iowa Western at your own expense. You must show evidence of performing at a level in accordance with the satisfactory progress requirements.
APPEALING FINANCIAL AID TERMINATION:
If you are placed on financial aid termination and you would like to appeal that status, you must do so in writing. In order for an appeal to be granted, you must submit a Financial Aid Termination Appeal form, which is available in the Financial Aid Office or online at www.iwcc.edu/es/financial, and you must provide documentation to support the fact that unusual or extenuating circumstances prevented you from making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Submitting the appeal does not guarantee financial aid reinstatement. The appeal will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Office, and you will be notified of a decision in writing within two weeks of submitting it. Students have the right to file a grievance in accordance with the procedures outlined in the General Catalog.
PRIOR ATTENDANCE
The Financial Aid Office is required by federal regulation to consider all attendance at Iowa Western Community College when determining whether or not a student is making satisfactory academic progress, even if no financial aid was received. The student's IWCC transcript will be reviewed to determine if the requirements have been met. Any student who has not satisfied the requirements during prior enrollment will be considered to be on either financial aid probation or financial aid termination. The student's academic records from other institutions are not included when making this determination.