Financial Aid Policies

Method of Communication

Rowan College at Burlington County’s Financial Aid Department uses email as an official method of communication with all financial aid applicants. Students are responsible for reading all emails they receive from RCBC in a timely manner.

Method of Communication

Rowan College at Burlington County’s Financial Aid Department uses email as an official method of communication with all financial aid applicants. Students are responsible for reading all emails they receive from the RCBC Financial Aid Department in a timely manner.

Rights and Responsibilities of Aid Recipients

Before receiving funds, students must follow these steps:

• All aid recipients are required to be degree-seeking.
• All recipients must be in a financial aid eligible program.
• All aid recipients must have a high school diploma or equivalent in order to receive funding.
• Any financial aid applicant who has been selected for verification by the federal programs, state programs, or the institution, must complete the verification process prior to disbursement of any financial aid funds.
• Every financial aid recipient is required to notify the Financial Aid Office of any change in enrollment including; drops, adds, withdrawals or if they stop attending any courses.

Aid recipients may continue to receive funds provided they:

• Maintain attendance in the courses upon which aid eligibility was calculated. Being reported for Not Attending (an NA grade) will result in an immediate recalculation of aid awarded to a student.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in the course of study they are pursuing.
  • SAP policies are outlined below.
• Are not in default on any Federal loan at any institution.
• Are not required to return money previously received under EOF, SEOG, PELL, Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) or any other state or federal financial aid program.
• Are citizens or nationals of the United States or in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and intend to become permanent residents.

General Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for federal, state and RCBC need-based financial aid and most assistance other than scholarships, you must meet the general eligibility requirements:

• Financial need, as indicated by your FAFSA or other aid applications. 
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program, or in another program leading to a recognized educational credential.
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national or eligible non-citizen.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in your degree or certificate program of study. SAP requirements are outlined below

Meet the defined criteria to each financial aid program

Rowan College at Burlington County Verification Policy

When a student is selected for verification, the Department of Education requires the Financial Aid office to verify everything that the student submitted on their FAFSA application. Often, a student will be required to submit a verification worksheet, tax return transcript(s) and W2 form(s), and may be asked for additional documents. 

Verifications will go through the automated verification software solution powered by ProEd which will

enable RCBC students to complete verification from their smartphone, tablet or computer. 

Once all the requested documents have been submitted, the file will be reviewed. ProEd may request additional information during their review process. Once ProEd has reviewed the student’s record and either confirmed all information initially submitted on the FAFSA was correct or necessary changes are made, the FA office will award aid to the student. No FA funding will be awarded to any

student until this 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 is typically the end of the 10th day of class for both Fall and Spring terms. Refer to the Academic Calendar page for those dates for current and upcoming terms.

Generally, the published Census Date coincides with the end of the drop/add period for the traditional 15 week courses. 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.

The Department of Education requires all institutions that participate in the federal student aid programs to measure student progress toward degree completion in order for the individual student and the institution to continue participation in the Federal student aid programs.

The Financial Aid Department checks the SAP status of all students between the submission of final grades, and before the 10th day of the subsequent semester. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress includes three standards: qualitative, quantitative, and maximum time frame. Students must meet these standards to receive or continue receiving financial aid. It is the responsibility of the student to be aware of the SAP standards and their SAP status.

Qualitative (GPA requirement)

In order to meet the qualitative standard for SAP, students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. The cumulative GPA, which is determined by the Registrar’s Office processes, will be checked at the end of each semester for Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Quantitative (Completion Rate)

Financial aid recipients must successfully complete at least 67% of all courses attempted. The completion rate will be checked at the end of each semester. (Total number of credits completed successfully divided by the Total # of credits for which the student registered for). 

Maximum Time Frame

Students must complete their program of study within 150% of (or 1.5 times) the normal length of the program of study. This includes all credit hours attempted. For example, if a student is in a program of study and the requirements in the catalog for completing the program is 60 credit hours, then the maximum number of credits for which the student can receive aid is 90 hours (60 x 1.5 = 90).

The table below details which grades are counted toward each of the Standards of Academic Progress measures detailed above. NOTE: Specific grades can be added or discontinued at any time by the Registration Office and will be updated in this policy.

***Grading Table for Standards of Academic Progress***

SAP status definitions: 

Satisfactory Status – The student is eligible for financial aid. This category may include students without a SAP issue, or students who have successfully completed their Warning period of enrollment after being ineligible previously.

Warning – Defined as any student not making SAP standards for the first time. Such students may automatically receive aid for one semester while on Financial Aid Warning and no appeal is necessary. The Financial Aid Warning period will consist of the next semester the student is enrolled in classes.

Suspended – Students in this category are ineligible for financial aid. This status is assigned if a student fails to meet the GPA and/or Completion Rate standard in back-to-back terms, or if the student exceeds their maximum time frame for aid. The student is eligible to appeal. Students may also choose not to appeal and attempt to regain financial aid eligibility by meeting SAP while paying out of pocket (without any financial aid.)

Probation – Student was suspended, applied for an appeal, and the appeal was approved. This student is eligible for financial aid for one more period of enrollment. The student will need to be manually evaluated at the end of each term to ensure they continue to meet the terms of their probation.

Ineligible – Failure to make SAP and/or failure to follow required Academic Plan. This status also applies to appeals that are not approved. Such a student is not eligible for financial aid until cumulative SAP standards are met.

1st Violation of the GPA or Completion Rate Standard

If a student with Satisfactory status does not maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA, or maintain a 67% completion rate, they will be placed into the Warning status. The SAP Warning term will allow the student to continue receiving financial aid assistance for one semester only.

If the student raises their cumulative GPA to at least a 2.0, achieves a 67% completion rate, and is still within the maximum time frame at the end of the Warning term, then the student will be placed back into Satisfactory status and will continue to receive aid.

If the student is still not making SAP at the end of the Warning term then the student will be placed into Suspended status, and will be ineligible for aid. 

2nd Violation of the GPA or Completion Rate Standard or 1st Violation of the Maximum Time Frame

If a student fails to meet the GPA or Completion Rate standard in back-to-back terms their financial aid will be suspended. Students who will exceed the Maximum Time Frame based on the current register program will also have their financial aid suspended.

In a suspended status, students are ineligible for federal and state grants and loans. You may also not be eligible for other sources of financial assistance. Students are required to pay out-of-pocket for all future classes, until they are back in compliance with the standards. Students who are ineligible for aid may enroll at RCBC if they are able to pay for tuition and fees, from their own resources. Payment arrangements can be made by contacting the RCBC Student Accounts Office.

Financial Aid Appeals

Students in a Suspended status may appeal to the SAP Appeals Committee, in an effort to gain probationary participation in the student aid programs. An appeal to the Committee must be made by submitting the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form. The form is found on the Financial Aid Forms page https://rcbc.edu/financial-aid/forms.

It is critical that all the required documentation be submitted with your appeal form. The appeal committee will only approve appeals if extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control are clearly documented. Special circumstances with documentation that may be approved:

1. student has a serious illness or accident,
2. death, accident, or serious illness in the immediate family,
3. unanticipated military deployment, or
4. change in academic program

Documentation of the student’s special circumstances, past academic performance, and assessment of ability to make up the SAP deficiencies will be evaluated. The strategy/strategies that the student will take to ensure success must be indicated on the appeal form and becomes a part of the student’s plan for success in completing the program of study. If the appeal is approved the student is placed on Probation. A student may only apply for one appeal during an academic year and twice during their academic career.

Approvals: Students who have appeals approved by the Committee will be placed in a Probationary Status. Students on Financial Aid Probation will be reviewed at the end of each semester to determine if they are meeting the requirements of their academic plan. The Financial Aid Office will check to ensure that you have only taken the classes as outlined in your program of study, have not received any grades lower than a C, and did not receive grades of I, W, NA, SR or ST. Students who do not meet these requirements will have their financial aid suspended.

Approval of financial aid based on an appeal is normally granted one time during a student’s academic career at Rowan College at Burlington County. If a student has not corrected the deficiencies after the first probationary period, the student is ineligible for aid until the deficiencies are corrected

Auto Denials: Students who were automatically denied because their appeal packet was not complete, will remain in a suspended status. A completed packet includes the letter stating the circumstances that led to the deficiency for all terms in which the student did not receive a grade of C or better, the appeal form, and the documentation to substantiate the circumstances that contributed to the deficient grades.

They are able to resubmit the missing documentation for appeal before the term deadline and the appeal will be read by Committee at the next regularly scheduled meeting for the term. This exception is only available to auto-denials for incomplete packets.

Denials: Students whose appeals are denied by Committee will remain in a Financial Aid Suspended status until they are in compliance with the standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress. A student placed on Suspended status should demonstrate the ability to successfully complete coursework without financial aid before making an appeal. For example, a student enrolled for 12 semester credits who successfully passes all courses with a minimum 2.00 GPA and with grades of “C” or better, and who can complete the program of study within the allowable maximum time frame, is encouraged to file an appeal.

How to challenge an appeal decision

Students who believe that their circumstances were not accurately represented and merit further review, may request their appeal be considered by the Director of Financial Aid. This request must be made in writing. You may include additional information to support your appeal. The decision of Assistant Director and/or Director are final. No additional appeals will be heard for that academic year.

This secondary appeal must be sent to financialaid@rcbc.edu and the subject line should read: Secondary Appeal for the Directors. 

The deadline for submission is November 1st for the Fall semester, April 1st for Spring semester, and July 1st for Summer semester.

Developmental and ESL Coursework

Grades received for developmental courses are not calculated in the GPA (qualitative), but the hours are calculated in the 67% completion rate (quantitative). The measure of maximum time frame will exclude all English as a Second Language (ESL) course work and up to 30 credits of developmental course work in the calculation of attempted credits. If the number of attempted credits exceeds 150% of the active program’s requirement for graduation, the student is placed on suspended status. 

Credits for developmental and ESL coursework with a grade of “A*” (outstanding), “B*” (advanced), “C*” (pass), “P” (pass), “O” (outstanding), “S” (satisfactory) are treated as attempted and earned. 

The grades of “F*” (unsatisfactory), “U” (unsatisfactory) or “Q” (questionable) is treated as attempted but not earned. Credits with a grade of “N” (no grade reported) or “NA” (non-attendance) are treated as attempted but not earned. 

The grades of “AU” (audit), “L” (old audit), “M” (old audit non-attendance), “Z” (withdrew before the 10th day of a term) or “EX” (credit by exam) are not included in attempted or earned credits.

Transfer Credits

Credits transferred from another college are counted in the number of credits attempted and completed to measure completion rate and maximum time frame. Transfer credits are not counted in the calculation of grade point average.

Repeat Coursework

Repeated courses are included in the qualitative and quantitative calculations. Students may only receive federal financial aid for one repeat of a previously passed course. Credits for repeated courses are treated as attempted but not earned, except for the course with the highest grade, which is included in the GPA calculation.

Multiple Degrees

RCBC permits the pursuit of more than one academic program concurrently. Maximum Time Frame will be measured using the credit number requirements of the longest standing active program. Students should be aware that they may exceed the maximum time frame, and become ineligible for financial aid.

Change in Program

If a student changes academic programs, the credits from the prior program will be counted in attempted and earned credits. If the student does not meet the minimum SAP requirements, the student may appeal on the basis of a change in program and request that only credits applicable to the new program be included in the calculation of cumulative GPA, completion rate, and maximum time frame.

Financial Aid for Second Degree Students

Financial aid is available for students pursuing a second degree. Credit hours attempted and/or completed toward a prior degree will be included in the measures of Completion Rate and Maximum Time Frame, along with any transfer credits.

Academic Dismissal

Students classified as on Academic Dismissal by RCBC are immediately ineligible for financial aid. Any aid disbursed for a term in which the student has been dismissed must be repaid to the college.

Academic Amnesty

Federal regulations make no provision for academic amnesty. If a student’s prior coursework was given special treatment under RCBC’s provisions for Academic Amnesty, the student’s cumulative GPA must be calculated based on the inclusion of all credits attempted at RCBC. If the recalculated GPA is less than 2.0, the student may appeal to the Financial Aid Office for special circumstances.

Re-Admission to RCBC

Students should be aware that being readmitted to RCBC does not automatically make them eligible for financial aid. Students must meet the standards above to qualify for financial aid eligibility.

Students that have lost eligibility to participate in federal student aid programs for reasons of satisfactory academic progress can regain that eligibility only by enrolling at Rowan College at Burlington County at his/her own expense and demonstrating that he/she is capable of completing a semester without any failures, incompletes or withdrawals and showing the ability to complete his or her degree requirements in a more regular fashion. The mere passage of time will not ordinarily restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory progress.

As of July 1, 2020 Students are responsible for the most current version of this policy, which is reviewed annually and published in the financial aid section of the RCBC website.

Financial Aid Developmental Credit Limitation Policy

The U.S. Department of Education allows students up to one academic year (30 credit hours) of developmental coursework. Developmental Courses are designed to prepare a student for study at a postsecondary level. 

Developmental courses, courses with numerical designations of less than 100, do not count toward graduation and are not computed into a student’s grade point average (GPA). This policy may impact a student's Federal aid eligibility and awards, including the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study. 

Any student who enrolls in developmental courses after reaching the thirty credit limitation will require adjustments to their enrollment status and award(s). Any developmental credits above thirty credits will not be funded, will not count toward enrollment for financial aid purposes, and any tuition and fees will be the student's responsibility.

* English as a Second Language (ESL) courses do not count toward the 30 credit limitation

When students are awarded financial aid for a course, it is assumed that the course will be completed successfully. Failure to do so may impact financial aid for current and future semesters.

Students reported as Not Attending 

A student flagged for non-attendance in a class who does not drop the class by the Last Day to Drop deadline, will receive a grade of NA (Never Attended) on the official transcript. Courses with NA grades do not count toward financial aid eligibility, and count as credits attempted but not earned for SAP purposes. 

It is important to note that for an online class logging into the class is not a sufficient indication of attendance, active participation is required. Examples of active participation are: discussion boards, submitting or completing an assignment in Blackboard, or communicating with the instructor (if determined by the instructor as sufficient to validate participation). On the other hand, if a student is physically present in an on-ground/campus class at least once, they may not be flagged for non-attendance but can be flagged for stopped attending.

Students who were wrongly flagged as Not Attending a class should fill out the “Never Attended (NA) Status Proof of Attending” form on the Financial Aid Forms website

Official Withdrawals

It is important for students to be aware of their financial responsibilities when withdrawing from and/or failing classes.

Students who receive W, AW, or F grades in every class for the term, may be required to repay some portion of the student aid funds they received during the term. 

Federal financial aid regulations mandate that students who withdraw or cease attendance, as well as those who fail or have a combination of all failing grades during a term will be reviewed to determine if their financial aid awards should be reduced.

Upon withdrawal, the Financial Aid Office will calculate the percentage of the term that the student completed. This percentage will be applied to the amount of aid received for the term with the student being able to retain aid based on the percentage of the term actually completed. 

The unearned portion of the financial aid award must be returned to the federal programs which provided aid. If excess financial aid funds have been refunded to the student, a portion of these funds may also need to be returned to the financial aid programs, as well. This may result in large sums being owed to both Rowan College at Burlington County and federal financial aid programs.

Students considering withdrawal from classes should consult the Financial Aid Office prior to initiating the withdrawal process. Withdrawal can have a significant impact on a current financial aid award, as well as future financial aid eligibility (see the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy).

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).

Repeated Coursework Policy (Effective July 1, 2011)

The Department of Education published Program Integrity Regulations which affect the enrollment status for students who repeat courses. These regulations may impact a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid awards, including the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Direct Loans, and Federal Work-Study. 
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These regulations state that, once a student has earned credit for a course, federal aid can only pay for one additional attempt to take the course. Any subsequent attempts cannot be covered by federal aid. 

• This policy does not limit the number of attempts allowed by a student who does not receive a passing grade in a class. 
  • Note: Students repeating classes in this manner must still maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and may lose aid if they do not. (See the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, above).
  • Grades of A, B, C, D, P (developmental) and O are considered passing grades. 
• If a student is enrolled in at least 12 credits which are allowed under this policy, they are full-time for financial aid purposes. Additional credits would not affect financial aid, whether they are allowed by this policy or not. 
  • Note: If a student’s costs are not fully covered by financial aid, they are required to pay the balance. 
• If a student receives a D in a course and decides to repeat the course to improve his/her GPA, federal aid can be used to repeat this passed course one time. However, if the student wants to repeat it a second time, the second repeat would not count for financial aid eligibility.

Examples: 

Explanation of the Above Examples:

1. For course 1, the credits for the third attempt are counted towards the financial aid eligibility because the student didn’t earn credit for the class until the second attempt. As such, aid can be used for one additional attempt to take the class and get a better grade. 
2. For course 2, the credits for the second attempt may be counted. The student earned credit for their first attempt, so aid can be used for one additional attempt to take the class and get a better grade. 
3. For course 3, the credits for the third attempt cannot be counted. The student earned credit for their first attempt, and they have since re-taken the class. Regardless of the grade earned for the re-taken class, no further attempt at the class can be covered by financial aid. 
4. For course 4, the credits for the third attempt cannot be counted. The student earned credit for their first attempt, and they have since re-taken the class. Regardless of the grade earned for the re-taken class, no further attempt at the class can be covered by financial aid. 
5. For course 5, the credits for the third attempt are counted towards the financial aid eligibility because the student hasn’t earned credit for the class yet. As such, aid can be used for additional attempts. 

Details of the new regulations 

• Repeated enrollment that is not aid eligible will be excluded from the student's enrollment status for the term.
• Federal financial aid will be recalculated based on the student's adjusted enrollment status.
• This recalculation will be applied regardless of whether a student received aid for previous course enrollments.
• Some courses are repeatable per college policy and are not restricted by these regulations.
• All repeated courses do affect financial aid satisfactory academic progress calculations. A repeated course, along with the original attempt, must be counted as attempted credits.
• If you are in a class that is not eligible for payment, but the class is part of an approved educational plan for SAP purposes, you will not be penalized for repeating the class, but you cannot receive financial aid for that class.

Important Reminder

The Financial Aid Office does not determine if a student may repeat a class, only whether a student may be eligible for financial aid for a repeated class. For more information on your academic programs policy regarding repeat coursework, contact Academic Advising. In addition, every repeated course will impact Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations since all repeated courses are counted as attempted credits that will be factored into a students completion rate.

Complete Regulation Q&A can be found here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2009/course.html

Refund Policy for Title IV Funds

Title IV Funds are the federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG,  Federal Direct loans (both Subsidized and Unsubsidized), and Federal PLUS loans. FSA refers to Federal Student Aid.

• A FSA credit balance occurs whenever the college credits FSA program funds to a student’s account and the total amount of those FSA funds exceeds the student’s allowable charges.
• If FSA disbursements to the student’s account at the college creates a FSA credit balance, the credit balance will be paid directly to the student or parent as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after:
  • the date the balance occurred on the student’s account, if the balance occurred after the first day of class of a payment period.

NOTE: FSA regulations refer to the amount of aid that exceeds the allowable charges as a credit balance. College administrators sometimes refer to this as a refund; however, it is not the same thing as a refund under the college's refund policy.

The college may not require a student to take any actions to obtain his or her credit balance. It is the sole responsibility of the college to pay, or make available, any FSA credit balance within the 14-day regulatory timeframes.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy

The Financial Aid Office must return funds received under Title IV if a student withdraws from all classes during the term before completing more than 60 percent of the term. The adjustments are calculated based on any of the following actions:

• The date the student officially withdraws or is expelled, or
• The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity, or
• The date the college determines the unofficial date of withdrawal, or
• The date the faculty report the student for non-attendance.

Title IV aid is earned prorated on days attended up to or greater than the 60 percent point in the semester. Title IV aid is viewed as 100 percent earned after that point in time.

The Financial Aid Office monitors all withdrawals for financial aid students. Students who withdraw from courses and reduce their course loads after registration may have their financial aid reduced accordingly.

In accordance with the federal regulations, the Financial Aid Office will return funds to the Title IV Fund programs in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans, Subsidized Federal Direct Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal SEOG, other Federal sources of aid.

The college’s responsibilities regarding the return of Title IV Funds are:

• Providing each student with the information given in this policy
• Identify students affected by this policy and complete the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for them.
• Returning of Title IV Funds that are due to the Title IV programs.

The student’s responsibilities regarding the Return of Title IV Funds include:

• Notification of proper withdrawal from the college, i.e., completion of the required withdrawal documents.
• Returning of Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for via the calculation.

Failure to repay the overpayment to the college will jeopardize the student’s eligibility for continued enrollment at the college.

Refund Policy for State Funds

Students in state aid programs (for example, TAG, EOF) must complete more than the first four weeks of the semester to earn 100 percent of the aid they have been awarded. Aid will be reduced if the student does not meet the attendance requirement. Aid adjustments based on the number of weeks of attendance will be made according to the college’s published refund policy. The Financial Aid Office will assume the responsibility for returning overpayments received by the college and the student to state aid programs. Students are responsible for paying the college any overpayments that were disbursed directly to the student, which the student was determined to be ineligible to receive, based on the refund calculation.

The procedures and policies listed above supersede those published previously and are subject to change at any time. Any notification of a withdrawal should be in writing and addressed to an academic counselor and the Registration Department.