Financial Aid Policies and Procedures

Withdrawals

If you withdraw from Saint Paul College before the add/drop date for a term, you will not receive financial aid funds because there will be no class registration. If you withdraw from attendance at Saint Paul College for any reason after the add/drop date for the term, you will be placed on financial aid probation the following academic term.

Students who receive financial aid and withdraw from all classes are subject to a federal Return of Title IV Funds policy. The policy states that if you withdraw up through 60% of the semester, a proportional amount of financial aid either received or that was applied to your student account must be refunded to the federal government.

When a student withdraws during the payment period, the amount of Title IV program assistance that he/she has earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If the student received (or the school or parent received on the student’s behalf) less assistance than the amount that the student earned, the student may be able to receive those additional funds. If the student received more assistance than he/she earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or the student.

Example: If a student receiving a Pell Grant of $2000 drops out after 50% of the term, 50% of the Pell Grant received, $1000 must be returned to the federal government by the student and/or institution, minus 50% of the student's calculated share for Pell and SEOG.

Any institution refund calculated within the first four weeks of school term will be applied to the student's account to reduce the student's share of the Return of Title IV Funds.

The Tuition Office weekly reviews student withdrawals (W) and faculty reported Failure due to Unofficial Withdraw (FW) grades. Student withdrawal (W) dates are recorded when the student self-reports in eServices. Faculty are required to provide a last date of attendance when reporting Failure due to Unofficial Withdraw grades. If a student has a total withdraw before eligible Title IV aid is disbursed, Saint Paul College will determine if the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement and will apply the aid to the student’s account within 30 days.

Any unearned Title IV funds must be returned to Federal Student Aid within 45 days of the withdrawal determination date. Funds returned to the federal government are used to reduce the federal program amount for which funds were disbursed. Funds are returned in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan 
• Subsidized Federal Direct Loan 
• Federal PLUS Loan 
• Federal Pell Grant 
• Academic Competitiveness Grant 
• Federal SEOG Grant 
• Other assistance under Title IV for which a Return of Funds is required

After the institution's share of any required refund to Title IV programs has been refunded, a proportional share of any remaining institutional refund (not to exceed the amount of the State Grant payment the student initially received for the term), must be returned to the State Grant Program.

Consortium Agreements for Financial Aid

If you are taking classes required for your program at Saint Paul College at another college, you must complete a consortium agreement if you would like those courses considered for financial aid eligibility.  The Consortium Agreement form is available online on the Financial Aid Forms page and also in the Financial Aid Office, and must be completed with an attached registration form from the host school and submitted to the Financial Aid Office by the add/drop deadline. If a consortium agreement is not submitted, financial aid calculations cannot consider courses taken at the host school, as you cannot receive financial aid at two different schools during the same semester of enrollment.

Tuition and Fee Deferments

Tuition and fees will be deferred provided the following has been met by the posted tuition deadline for the term.

1. Student has received an Award Letter with financial aid eligibility equal to or greater than the tuition/fee charge. (Loan only eligibility requires a submitted Promissory Note).
2. An electronic Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) is received resulting from submission of a FAFSA.

Any tuition/fee balance not covered by Financial Aid is the student’s payment responsibility.

Financial Aid Book Charging Process

The Financial Aid Book Charging allows students to charge books and supplies at the Saint Paul College Bookstore and is administered by the Tuition Office

Go to Financial Aid Book Charging Process

Special Circumstances/Income Review

Federal laws governing financial aid allow the Saint Paul College Financial Aid Office to recalculate financial need in cases of special circumstances not taken into consideration by the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To ensure fairness and compliance with federal regulations, there are limits to which circumstances can be considered. Special Circumstances are considered on a case by case basis.

For more detailed information on types of special circumstances and requirements for submitting a “Special Circumstances Appeal Form” go to 61zq5s.cc68988.com/FinancialAidForms

Dependency Override Appeal

Federal Student Aid determines a student’s status as dependent or independent by the answers the student provides on the thirteen questions listed in Step 3 of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students are classified as dependent or independent because federal student aid programs are based on the principle that students (and their parents or spouse) are considered the primary source of support for postsecondary education. The Dependency Override process is used to address on a case-by-case basis a student who claims to be independent but does not meet the federal criteria. The student must demonstrate unique and extenuating circumstance.

For more detailed information on types of extenuating circumstances given consideration and requirements for submitting a “Dependency Override Appeal: Student Information/Recourse Statement” form go to 61zq5s.cc68988.com/FinancialAidForms

Education Tax Credits

The Taxpayer Relief Act (TRA) of 1997 provides for two tax credits that students may be eligible to claim: The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit and the Life-Long Learning Tax Credit. The Hope Scholarship Tax Credit is a tax credit and not a scholarship. If you do not pay federal income tax, this credit will not apply to you. The credit applies to students enrolled at least half-time for at least one term during the calendar year. The credit applies only to citizens or permanent residents of the United States. The credit applies only to tuition and academic fees paid for by the taxpayer (not by grants or third party sponsors). If your grant or other payment will pay for books or other living costs and you pay for tuition and academic fees yourself, you may claim the credit; however, you must report the grant or other payment as income.

Many details surround the Hope Scholarship Tax Credit and the Life-Long Learning Tax Credit. Saint Paul College does not provide Income Tax Counseling. We recommend that you consult with a tax professional to see if you qualify. Information on the Hope Tax Credit is available in the Tuition Office. Tax Credit brochures are available in the Financial Aid Office.