Financial Aid

Financial Aid

An extensive financial aid program is available to supplement your and your family’s contributions toward the cost of education, as well as to recognize academic achievement and special talents. The Financial Aid Office is responsible for the processing and awarding of all types of federal, state, private, and institutional funds to students.

Types of Financial Aid

Financial assistance falls within two categories—gift and self-help aid. These aid programs may be awarded on the basis of merit, financial need, or a combination of both. Grants are aid, based on an analysis of your and your family’s ability to contribute to the cost of education. Scholarships are considered merit awards. Scholarships and grants do not have to be repaid. Loans are considered self-help and must be repaid by the borrower.

Gift Aid

Scholarships

The Financial Aid Office administers a number of special scholarships for students who demonstrate a high degree of academic ability or special talent. Scholarship information can be obtained on the Financial Aid web page at www.shawnee.edu/off/fa/scholarships4.html. Please apply online or contact the Financial Aid office at 740.351.4243 for assistance. The deadline for scholarship applications is February 15 each year. Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be submitted by February 15 for need-based scholarship consideration.

Through the generosity of others, Shawnee State University has the ability to offer a number of scholarships.  Scholarships are based on academic ability, individual achievement, financial need or a combination of criteria. Most of these scholarship funds are administered through the Development Foundation and the Scioto Foundation. Click here for a complete listing of scholarships available through the Development Foundation (Adobe Reader is required).

Grants

• Federal Pell Grant. Pell Grant funds are awarded based on expected family contribution, enrollment status, and the cost of education.

• Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). The ACG is available for full or part time, first and second year students who receive Pell, have successfully completed a rigorous high school program, and meet a minimum cumulative grade point average.

• National SMART Grant. The SMART grant is available to third and fourth year, full or part time students who receive Pell, maintain a minimum grade point average, and are majoring in a select area of study.

• Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant.  The TEACH grant is available to graduate and undergraduate students who intend to teach full-time for at least four academic years within eight years in high-need subject areas at schools that serve low-income students.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). SEOG is a federal grant awarded to undergraduate students on the basis of exceptional financial need beyond the Pell Grant. These funds are limited to the amount allocated to the University by the U.S. Department of Education.

• Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG). OCOG is a state-funded grant available to Ohio residents. Award amounts are based on the expected family contribution as determined by the FAFSA. Deadline for application is October 1 of each year.

          Please Note: Under the OCOG program, you must be enrolled in an eligible associate or bachelor degree program.

Self-Help Aid

Student Loans

Federal Direct Loan. The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program includes subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Direct loans. The interest on a subsidized loan does not start to accrue until you graduate, drop below half time, or withdraw from school. The federal government pays the interest for you while you are in school. Payment of principal and interest does not begin until six months after you leave school, and you have up to 10 years to repay the loan.

You may also be awarded an unsubsidized Federal Direct loan. Interest on this loan is not government subsidized; interest begins accruing at the time the loan is disbursed. You may choose to pay the interest while you are in school or have the interest added to the principal loan amount (capitalized).

As with the subsidized Federal Direct loan, payment of principal begins six months after you leave school and you have up to 10 years to repay the loan.

Students must be enrolled at least half time (6 credit hours for undergraduate students, 5 credit hours for graduate students) to be eligible to receive a Federal Direct loan.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. Additional opportunities to borrow are available through the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) program. Students should apply for, and finalize, a Federal Direct loan before applying for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan because a Parent PLUS loan could reduce the Federal Direct loan amount for which a student is eligible. (For most families, the terms of the Federal Direct loan are more attractive than those of a Parent PLUS loan.)

Federal Direct Parent PLUS loans allow parents to borrow up to the full cost of education minus other financial aid (including the unsubsidized Federal Direct loan). Parent PLUS loans are not dependent upon your family’s income or assets; however, a credit check is required. No collateral or cosigners are required.

The Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan must be used for educational expenses at the school the student is or will be attending. Repayment begins 60 days after disbursement, at a fixed interest rate of 7.9%, each academic year. The parent borrower is responsible for all interest from the day the loan is disbursed.  The parent borrower may qualify for an in-school deferment if his/her student is enrolled in school at least half time.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan. Additional opportunities to borrow are available through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. The GRAD PLUS loan is a credit-based loan available to graduate students to help meet the total cost of attendance.

GRAD PLUS loans allow the graduate student to borrow up to the full cost of education minus other financial aid. GRAD PLUS loans are not dependent upon income or assets; however, a credit check is required. No collateral or cosigners are required.

Repayment begins six months after you leave school, at a fixed rate of 7.9%. The student is responsible for all interest from the day the loan is disbursed. The GRAD PLUS loan borrower may qualify for an in-school deferment.

Please Note: For more information on how to apply for a Federal Direct Loan or PLUS loan, Click here.  If you withdraw from the University, you are not eligible for your next semester’s loan check and you must reapply if you wish to continue receiving student loan funds.

Employment

• Federal Work Study (FWS). The FWS program is available to students who demonstrate financial need through the completion of the FAFSA. All vacant positions are posted on SSU’s Federal Work-Study web page at www.shawnee.edu/off/fa/cws/employ.html. It is the student’s responsibility to secure an interview. You must stop by the Financial Aid Office to obtain an “Authorization to Hire” form before being interviewed. You are paid in accordance with current policy and, in most cases, work 10-20 hours per week. You are paid, based on the number of hours worked, every two weeks with the regular university payroll. Indicate on the FAFSA that you are interested in a work study position. You may apply for work study throughout the year in the Office of Financial Aid and will be placed on a job availability basis.

• Student Employment. Regular student employment is available to all full-time university students, regardless of financial need, on the basis of current openings. Please contact the Office of Career Services for further details.

Veterans, State Programs

Veterans receiving the GI bill and students receiving assistance through approved state agency programs (Vocational Rehabilitation, National Guard, etc.) should contact the Office of Financial Aid for assistance with course and attendance requirements and tuition payment.

Consortium Agreements

During the course of your academic career at Shawnee State University, you may want to take a course at another institution to transfer back to your degree program at SSU.  You might be eligible for financial aid to help cover the cost at both institutions.  To do this, you must complete a Consortium Agreement with both schools.

A Consortium Agreement is a contract between two colleges or universities that recognizes your registration at each location for financial aid purposes.  It also certifies that only one of the two institutions will award your financial aid. 

In a Consortium Agreement, the colleges or universities are referred to as the “Home Institution” and the “Host Institution”:

• The Home Institution is the school that will award the student the degree and the financial aid.
• The Host Institution is the school where the student is temporarily taking courses to transfer back to the Home School to meet degree requirements.

Application Procedure

To apply for federal need based financial aid you must complete the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can apply on the Web at www.fafsa.gov. The form may also be obtained from your high school counselor or the Financial Aid Office at Shawnee State. The FAFSA should be submitted as early as possible beginning in January preceding the academic year.

We recommend that you complete your FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 in order for your FAFSA results to be received by the University in time for consideration for need-based aid.

Eligibility Requirements

To receive Title IV federal aid (PELL Grant, SEOG, Academic Competitiveness Grant, SMART Grant, TEACH Grant, Federal Direct Student loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant) you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, a national or permanent resident of the U.S., or be in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose.
• Comply with U.S. Selective Service registration requirements.
• Be enrolled in a degree-granting program.
• Be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by Shawnee State (see SAP below).
• Not be in default on a Federal Perkins loan, a Federal Family Education loan, Federal Direct Student loan, or Federal Supplemental loan from any school, agency, or lender, or owe an over payment on any Title IV funds.
• Have a valid social security number.
• Have a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent of a high school diploma.

Determining Need

The Federal Methodology (FM) is the calculation used by the federal government to measure your eligibility for assistance. Some federal aid programs require that you show need after the income and (in some cases) assets of your family, as indicated on the FAFSA, have been considered. The Financial Aid Office uses the need analysis information from the FAFSA to determine the amount you and your parents are expected to contribute toward your education. Consideration is given to your and your parents’ adjusted gross income, assets, taxes paid, number of dependents, number attending college, and other factors as appropriate.

The FM performs a separate analysis of income when 1) your parents adjusted gross income is less than $50,000 a year and your parents were eligible to file a 1040A or 1040EZ tax form, or 2) your parents do not file a tax form with the IRS.

If you are independent, you (and your spouse, if applicable) are expected to assist in your educational costs. Your expected contribution is calculated from previous years’ earnings, untaxed income, and a percentage of savings and assets.

The following formula is used for calculating financial need.

    Cost of Education
— Expected Family Contribution
    Calculated Financial Need

Notification and Disbursement

After your FAFSA needs analysis and other documents have been received and reviewed, you are notified either by mail or via your MySSU account of any awards for which you are eligible. If you are adjusting or declining any of the awards, you must return the award letter indicating the change to the Financial Aid Office.

All awards are subject to revision due to changes in federal funding, student eligibility, clerical errors, failure to provide requested documents, or other circumstances beyond our control.

Federal Aid recipients must be officially enrolled in a degree-granting program to receive any type of financial assistance. All requested documents used in verifying the data provided on the FAFSA must be received by the Financial Aid Office before financial aid can be disbursed.

Disbursement dates and procedures vary depending on the type of assistance. Generally, financial aid awards are credited toward your account each semester. When your grants and scholarships are greater than your university charges, you are issued a refund.

Refunds are mailed approximately three weeks after the semester begins. Aid awarded throughout the semester is refunded weekly following the original disbursement dates.

Withdrawal Policy for Financial Aid Recipients

Title IV Funds

If you receive Title IV financial aid and withdraw from Shawnee State, the amount of aid earned and unearned will be calculated using the Federal Return of Title IV Funds policy. This policy is a formula that measures the percentage of days enrolled during a semester. The percentage is determined by dividing the number of days enrolled by the number of calendar days in the semester, including weekends. Based on this percentage, Title IV financial aid will be prorated to reflect the amount of aid that was earned during the period of enrollment. The amount of aid that is earned will remain on your account and the amount of aid that is unearned will be returned to the appropriate program. Title IV funds will be returned in the following order:

Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans
Subsidized Federal Direct Loans
Federal Direct PLUS Loans
Federal Pell Grant
Academic Competitiveness Grant
National SMART Grant
Federal SEOG
Federal TEACH Grant

To learn more about R2T4 and to view a sample calculation, Click here.

Unofficial Withdrawals

If you stop attending Shawnee State and do not officially withdraw, it is considered to be an unofficial withdrawal and subject to the above withdrawal policy. The date of withdrawal will be the latest date based on a student’s attendance at an academically related event. If the last date of attendance is not known, the midpoint of the semester will be used as the withdrawal date. If you never begin attendance in all of the classes for which you have registered, you are considered to be an unofficial withdrawal. It is determined that you have not earned any financial aid. Therefore, all aid will be returned to the appropriate program.

Standards of Satisfactory

Academic Progress (SAP)

Federal legislation requires Shawnee State University to define and enforce Standards of Academic Progress for students receiving federal financial aid. Failure to meet these requirements will result in the loss of federal aid until action is taken to regain eligibility. This policy is established for students who are receiving financial aid from one or more of the following programs: (1) Federal Pell Grant, (2) Academic Competitiveness Grant, (3) National SMART Grant, (4) Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), (5) TEACH Grant, (6) Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG), (7) Federal Work Study, (8) Federal Direct Loan, and (9) Federal Direct PLUS Loan.

Standards Requirements

Maintain Grade Point Average

Students must meet the grade point average requirements as defined in the ‘‘Academic Policies’’ section of the current Shawnee State University catalog. The student’s cumulative grade point average will be reviewed each semester to ensure the following:

Complete 66% of Attempted Credit Hours

Satisfactory progress will be evaluated each semester. Following the first semester for which the student fails to meet minimum credit hour requirements, the student will receive a financial aid probation letter. Following the second consecutive semester, financial aid will be suspended. Students who receive the following grades are considered to have attempted those credit hours: withdrawals (WD), incomplete (I), no credit (NC), failure (F), not reported (NR), and all passing grades (A, B, C, D, P). Course repetitions (R) count as hours attempted.

Complete Your Degree Within a Specified Time (150% of Graduation Requirements)

The financial aid regulations permit a student to use financial aid until the student has attempted 150 percent of graduation requirements. Bachelor degree students are eligible to receive federal aid through the semester in which they attempt to earn their 186th credit hour. Associate degree students are eligible to receive federal aid through the semester in which they attempt to earn their 90th credit hour. Master degree students are eligible to receive federal aid until they have attempted 150 percent of graduation requirements.

Additional Definitions and Explanations

Attempted: “Cumulative number of hours” are the total hours attempted at Shawnee State University during all enrollment periods, irrespective of receiving financial aid. Course repetitions (R) count as hours attempted. Total hours attempted may include no more than 30 semester hours of developmental education credits.

Hours Earned: Successful completion is measured by the number of “hours earned’’ recorded on the student’s academic transcript at the end of the evaluation period.

Academic Year: For purposes of measurement of progress, academic year is defined as enrollment during any or all of the following semesters: summer, fall, and spring.

Enrollment Status: Federal financial aid recipients must be enrolled in approved degree or certificate programs.

Federal Direct Student Loans: In addition to the progress requirements listed above, federal regulations require that students progress from one grade level to the next before they are eligible to receive additional loan amounts. Students in associate degree programs may be certified for loans only at the freshman and sophomore levels.  Students must maintain at least half time enrollment to be eligible for student loans.

Enrollment in a Second Degree: Students seeking federal financial assistance and pursuing a second associate or second bachelor degree must submit a degree audit to determine grade level for federal loan certifications.

Failure to Maintain Satisfactory Progress:  Students who fail the grade (qualitative) portion of the requirement are notified of their probation, or dismissal status by the Office of the Registrar.

The first time a student does not complete successfully the hours passed (quantitative measure), he or she is placed on financial aid probation. The deficiency must be satisfied in the next semester of attendance. If the student does not achieve the required number of credit hours or earn credit for all attempted hours at the end of the probationary period, he or she is suspended from financial aid.

Suspension Due to Non-Attendance:  Federal regulations require adjustment of financial aid awards for students who do not begin attendance in all classes upon which the awards were based. Adjustments are based on registrar records, including add/drop and withdrawal forms. Students are required to repay adjustment amounts. Students who do not meet repayment terms are suspended from financial aid. (See appeal section.)

Reinstatement of Financial Aid:  Unless eligibility is reinstated through appeal, students remain ineligible until that time when they are again in compliance with the standards. It is the responsibility of students seeking reinstatement to request the Financial Aid Office to review their records when they believe they are again in compliance with the requirement.

Appeals:  Students may appeal to the director of financial aid by submitting a written explanation outlining the reason(s) for the failure and may be required to submit a degree audit or other supporting documentation. If the director denies the appeal, the student may request, in writing, that the appeal be reviewed by the Financial Aid Advisory Committee.

Extenuating Circumstances Regarding Appeals:  The major acceptable circumstances for making an appeal are the documented personal illness of the student, serious illness or death of an immediate family member (mother, father, sister, brother, husband, wife, child, legal guardian), or enrollment in a bachelor’s program requiring more than 124 credit hours or an associate program requiring more than 60 credit hours.

The maximum number of credit hours attempted is considered to be adequate and fair under the progress policy. Change of major field of study, completion of developmental courses, or transfer of credits normally are not considered satisfactory grounds for appeal for additional time, but such appeals may be submitted using the process indicated above.

Unacceptable circumstances for appeals are: continued enrollment while seeking admission to an academic program (i.e., health science) or the prior non receipt of Title IV aid since this is irrelevant to maintaining satisfactory progress in the course of study.

Comments about the Progress Requirement:  Students are encouraged to work with their academic advisers, the Student Success Center, the counseling center staff, and Student Support Services’ staff to receive study skills and tutoring assistance.

Students who withdraw from courses after the official add/drop period and students who receive grades of F,WD, NC, R, and I greatly increase their potential for failing to meet the progress requirement.