Financial Aid Policies

RCBC's FAFSA School Code: 007730

Rowan College at Burlington County’s Financial Aid Department will communicate financial aid information via your RCBC student email. Students are responsible for reading all emails they receive from RCBC in a timely manner.

To receive financial aid, students must:

• Be enrolled in an eligible program: Students must be enrolled in a financial aid-eligible certificate or degree program.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent: Students must have completed high school or earned a GED.
• Complete verification (if selected): If selected, students must complete additional paperwork to verify their financial information.
• Notify the Financial Aid Office of enrollment changes: Students must inform the Financial Aid Office of any changes to their enrollment, such as adding, dropping, or withdrawing from courses.
• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or eligible non-citizen: Students must meet specific immigration eligibility requirements. More information can be found on the FAFSA website.
  • Students ineligible for the FAFSA may be eligible for the NJ Alternative Application.
• Be in good standing with federal loans: Students must not be in default on any federal loans.
• Repay any overpaid aid: Students who have received too much financial aid must repay the excess amount.
• Attend all classes: If you receive an "NA" grade for a class or stop attending a class before the end of the semester, you may lose your financial aid.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP): Students must meet specific academic standards, as outlined in RCBC’s SAP policies.

Verification is the process the Department of Education uses to confirm information on a student’s FAFSA.

If you're selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office needs to verify the information you provided on your FAFSA is correct. This involves reviewing documents like tax returns, W-2 forms, and a verification worksheet. You may be asked to submit additional documents, as well.

To streamline this process, RCBC uses automated verification software provided by a company called ProEd. This allows you to complete verification using your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Once you've submitted all required documents, your file will be reviewed. You may be asked for more information during this review. 

Please note: You will not receive any financial aid until the verification process is complete.

Financial Aid Census Date

In accordance with federal regulations, the Financial Aid Office will recalculate student aid awards based on the enrollment status as of the published Census Date. The Census Date for the 15 week term is  the end of the 10th day of class for both Fall and Spring terms.Census dates for terms lasting between 6 and 12 weeks vary. Please check the Academic Calendar for those dates for current and upcoming terms.

If a student enrolls after this Census Date, then the date they initially enroll becomes that student’s census date for the semester. 

If you are enrolled and attending less than full time as of the Census Date, your aid will likely be less than what was reported to you in your initial award letter. This is because students are initially awarded based on the expectation of full-time enrollment. Aid is then adjusted on census date to their actual enrollment.

For financial aid purposes, there are generally 4 enrollment levels: 

Full-time (12 or more credits)

3/4-time (9 - 11 credits)

1/2-time (6 - 8 credits)

Less than 1/2-time (1 - 5 credits)

If you increase your enrollment level after the census date, you may not be eligible to receive additional financial award increases.

To receive federal financial aid, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as required by the U.S. Department of Education. This means meeting standards in three areas:

• Grades: Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• Course Completion: Successfully complete at least 67% of attempted courses.
• Time Limit: Complete your program within 150% of the normal program length.

The Financial Aid Department reviews your SAP status after each semester ends.

You are responsible for understanding and meeting SAP requirements.

For more information about RCBC’s SAP policy, please see RCBC’s SAP policies.

Developmental Courses and Financial Aid

Developmental courses are designed to help students prepare for college-level work. At RCBC, these courses have numbers starting with a zero (like ENG-080). They don’t count towards graduation or your GPA.

The U.S. Department of Education allows federal financial aid to cover up to 30 credit hours of developmental coursework. This means your eligibility for aid, such as Pell Grants, FSEOG, loans, and work-study, could be affected.

If you enroll in more than 30 credit hours of developmental courses, your aid will be adjusted. Any credits over 30 will not be funded, won’t count towards enrollment for financial aid purposes, and you'll be responsible for tuition and fees.

Please note: English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are not included in the 30-credit limit.

When you receive financial aid for a course, we expect you to attend and complete it successfully. If you don't, it could affect your future financial aid eligibility.

What Happens If You Don't Attend?

If you're marked as "Not Attending" a class and don't officially drop it by the drop deadline in the Academic Calendar, you'll receive an "NA" grade on your transcript. This means:

• The course won't count towards your financial aid eligibility.
• It will count as an attempted but not earned credit for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) purposes.

Please note: For online classes, simply logging in isn't enough to be considered "attending." You must actively participate, such as posting on discussion boards, submitting assignments, or communicating with your instructor. For in-person classes, attending at least once can prevent being flagged as "Not Attending," but you could still be flagged for "Stopped Attending."

If you were mistakenly marked as "Not Attending," please fill out the "Never Attended (NA) Status Proof of Attending" forms, which can be found on the Forms section of RCBC's Financial Aid website.

Understanding the Financial Impact of Withdrawing or Failing Classes

It's crucial to be aware of the financial consequences of withdrawing from or failing classes.

If you withdraw or fail all your classes for a term, you may be required to repay a portion of your financial aid.

Federal regulations require us to review your financial aid award if you withdraw, stop attending, or fail every class in a term. We'll calculate the percentage of the term you completed and adjust your aid accordingly. Any unearned aid must be returned to the federal programs.

This could lead to significant debt owed to both Rowan College at Burlington County and federal financial aid programs.

Before withdrawing from a class, please consult with the Financial Aid Office. This will help you understand the potential financial impact on your current aid and future eligibility (including Satisfactory Academic Progress).

Unofficial Withdraws

When a student stops attending classes and does not utilize the official withdrawal process they are considered unofficial withdrawals and will receive grades of SR, ST or F on their transcripts. In all cases, the official withdrawal procedures should be followed, as stated above. Failure to attend classes as scheduled can have a significant impact on a current financial aid award, as well as future financial aid eligibility (see the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy).

Students can repeat a course they have never earned credit for if they maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. However, federal regulations limit the number of times a student can repeat a course they have already passed and still receive financial aid.

Once you've earned credit for a course, federal aid can only pay for one additional attempt.

Subsequent attempts will not be covered by federal aid.

Important Notes:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Even if you're repeating a course, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to remain eligible for financial aid.
• Passing Grades: Grades of A, B, C, and D are considered passing.
• Full-Time Enrollment: If you're enrolled in at least 12 credits allowed under this policy, you'll be considered full-time for financial aid purposes. Additional credits, whether allowed or not, won't affect your financial aid eligibility.
• Unpaid Costs: You're responsible for any costs not covered by financial aid.

Here are some examples to illustrate the repeated coursework policy:

Example 1: Course 1

• First attempt: F
• Second attempt: D

Financial Aid Eligibility: A third attempt may be eligible for financial aid because the student didn't earn credit until the second attempt.

Example 2: Course 2

• First attempt: C

Financial Aid Eligibility: A second attempt may be eligible for financial aid. The student earned credit on the first attempt, and is permitted one additional attempt to improve their grade.

Example 3: Course 3

• First attempt: C
• Second attempt: D

Financial Aid Eligibility: A third attempt is not eligible for financial aid. The student earned credit on the first attempt and has already used their one additional attempt to improve their grade.

Example 4: Course 4

• First attempt: B
• Second attempt: D

Financial Aid Eligibility: A third attempt is not eligible for financial aid. The student earned credit on the first attempt and has already used their one additional attempt to improve their grade.

Example 5: Course 5

• First attempt: F
• Second attempt: A

Financial Aid Eligibility: A third attempt may be eligible for financial aid because the student didn't earn credit until the second attempt.

Remember: Even if a course is eligible for financial aid, you must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue receiving aid. Please see RCBC’s SAP policies for more information.

Refund Policy for Federal Financial Aid

This policy outlines how refunds are issued for federal financial aid programs, such as:

• Pell Grants
• Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG)
• Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)
• PLUS Loans

What is a Credit Balance?

A credit balance occurs when the amount of federal financial aid received exceeds the total cost of your education (tuition, fees, room, board, etc.).

How are Credit Balances Paid?

• If a credit balance exists, you (or your parent for PLUS loans) will receive the funds directly within 14 days of the aid being disbursed to your student account.
• Disbursements typically begin mid-October for the Fall term and mid-March for the Spring term.

Important Note:

• The term "credit balance" is used by the federal government.
• The college may use the term "refund," but it's not the same as the refund policy for other college expenses.

The College's Responsibility:

The college is responsible for ensuring you receive any credit balance within the 14-day timeframe. You do not need to take any action to receive your credit balance.

This document explains how withdrawing from classes impacts your federal and state financial aid. It's important to understand these policies to avoid jeopardizing your aid eligibility.

Federal Financial Aid (Title IV Funds)

If you withdraw from all of your classes before completing more than 60% of the semester, the Financial Aid Office is required to return a portion of the Title IV funds you received. This calculation is based on the earliest of the following dates:

• The date you officially withdraw or are expelled.
• Your last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity.
• The date the college determines you unofficially withdrew.
• The date faculty report you for non-attendance.

Title IV aid is earned proportionally based on the number of days you attended up to the 60% point in the semester. After that point, all Title IV aid is considered fully earned.

Monitoring Withdrawals and Aid Adjustments:

The Financial Aid Office tracks all withdrawals for students receiving financial aid. Even reducing your course load after registration can result in a reduction of your financial aid.

Return of Title IV Funds Process:

The Financial Aid Office will return funds to the following Title IV programs in this order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
2. Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
3. Federal PLUS Loans
4. Federal Pell Grants
5. Federal SEOG
6. Other Federal sources of aid

Responsibilities:

• College's Responsibilities:
   
  • Provide this policy information to all students.
  • Identify students affected by this policy and calculate the return of Title IV funds.
  • Return Title IV funds to the appropriate programs.
• Student's Responsibilities:
   
  • Officially withdraw from the college by completing the required withdrawal documents.
  • Return any Title IV funds disbursed directly to you that you are deemed ineligible to receive.

Failing to repay any overpayment to the college will jeopardize your continued enrollment.

State Financial Aid

Refunds may be due to HESAA if a students award was disbursed prior to the date of withdrawal or change in enrollment status

The Financial Aid Office is responsible for returning any overpayments to the state aid programs. You are responsible for repaying any overpayments disbursed directly to you.

Important Notes:

• This policy supersedes any previously published policies and is subject to change.
• All withdrawal notifications should be submitted in writing to both an academic counselor and the Registration Department.