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Financial Aid
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Students receiving financial aid have a legal responsibility to
maintain certain academic standards and make satisfactory
progress toward a certificate or degree objective. Each semester
the financial aid office must determine an applicant's
eligibility for financial aid. Regardless of whether or not the
student previously received financial aid, the student’s prior
academic record will be evaluated before the student is awarded
financial aid. In order for students to receive financial aid,
they must be registered for and enrolled in an eligible program
of study, be registered in credit courses each semester, and
maintain the following academic standards: |
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All Students
- Must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 1.75 during
the first 30 credits of their program and a cumulative GPA
of at least 2.0 thereafter.
- If a student's cumulative GPA drops below a 1.75 or 2.0
and/or he or she does not pass the minimum number of credits
on which his or her aid is based for the semester, they will
be placed on financial aid probation. Two semesters of
probation will result in suspension. EXCEPTION: Students
will automatically be placed on "Financial Aid Suspension"
regardless of GPA if:
- They are full-time students and do not pass a
minimum of 6 credits
- They are less than full-time and do not pass at
least half or more of their credits (rounding up).
- They withdraw for any reason (other than first time
medical).
- Students on "Financial Aid Suspension" will not be
reconsidered for financial aid until they satisfactorily
complete a full semester based upon the greatest number of
credits for which they received Federal Title IV Financial
Aid.
- Students who have lost their financial aid eligibility
for failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress have
the right of appeal. Contact the financial aid office for an
Appeal Form.
- Students entering Miles Community College on academic
probation or suspension from another school will
automatically be placed on financial aid probation at Miles
Community College during their first semester.
- Students who attend Miles Community College without
assistance of Federal Aid will also be expected to make
satisfactory academic progress (as defined above) prior to
the awarding of any such aid. They will be evaluated
according to their status determined by the number of
credits enrolled in the term prior to their first semester
of aid.
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Maximum Time Frame
(Credit Limit)
A student's aid eligibility is limited to 150% of the required
credits for each program of study. Examples of credit limits are
listed below: |
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| Credits Required for Program in
Catalog |
Credits of Financial Aid
Eligibility |
| 30 required credits (1-year Certificate) |
(30 X 150% = 45) 45 attempted credits |
| 62 required credits (2-year Assoc. of
Arts or Science Degree, Assoc. of Applied Science) |
(62 X 150% = 93) 93 attempted credits |
| 72 required credits (2-year Assoc. of
Science – Nursing Degree) |
(72 X 150% = 108) 108 attempted credits |
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| Required credits include prerequisite classes
for any program. If extenuating circumstances prevent students
from completing their program of study in this time frame,
students may submit a written request for extension to the
Financial Aid Office. |
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Financial Aid Terms
Change in Major - A change in major
will lengthen the period of aid eligibility only if the student
received an Associate Degree at Miles Community College
previously in the former major.
Repeats - Students will receive
financial aid for repeating a class one time only.
Remedial Work - Students may include
as part of their minimum credit load certain sub - 100 remedial
courses which do not apply toward graduation requirements. For
financial aid purposes, students may enroll in sub-100 courses
totaling no more than half their credit load per semester.
Credits Passed - Credits for courses
in which the student received a grade of "D" or higher or a
grade of "P." The grades "F," "E," "N," "W," and "I," are not
considered passing.
Incompletes - Students who are
placed on probation or suspension solely because of the number
of "I" credits will be removed from such status if the "I" is
made up according to academic policy.
Dropped Classes - Financial aid
recipients must maintain the enrollment status for which they
were funded. Failure to do so will result in financial aid
probation or suspension. If student plans to drop a course, they
should visit with the financial aid director to determine the
consequences of the dropped class. |
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Enrollment Status
Full-time Student - 12 or more
credit hours
Three-quarters Student - 9 to 11
credit hours
Half-time Student - 6 to 8 credit
hours
Less than Half-time Student - up to
5 credit hours |
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Professional
Judgment
Students who believe that they have special circumstances that
warrant a consideration of professional judgment should contact
Loren Lancaster, financial aid director, at 1-800-541-9281,
(406) 874-6171, or
FinAid@milescc.edu. Some examples that might warrant special
circumstances include: loss of job and income; loss of
non-taxable benefits; loss of resources due to death,
separation, divorce; increase in budget, or change in dependency
status to independent status. The financial aid office has the
right to deny or accept a request for professional judgment. |
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Repayment Policy
Effective July 1, 2000, Miles Community College adopted a Refund
Policy that conforms to the updated version of the Higher
Education Amendments of 1998 (Section 668.22). Students with
Title IV funding who withdraw or cease attendance will be
subject to both the Federal Refund Policy regarding the possible
return of Title IV funds awarded to the student, as well as the
Miles Community College Return of Funds Policy. Only the amount
of the semester's aid that has been earned (as a result of the
prorated amount of time the student has been in school for the
semester) will be eligible for retention on the student's behalf
on or before the 60% point in the semester. Title IV and all
other aid is viewed as 100% earned after that point in time. Any
aid that is not earned must be returned to its source. If there
is a student account balance resulting from these adjustments,
the student is responsible for payment. Students who withdraw
without attending any class owe a repayment of 100% of the aid
they received. Title IV funds will be returned to its source in
the following order: Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Subsidized
Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Plus Loan, Federal
Pell Grant, SEOG, Montana Grant, Other Title IV Programs,
Students/Parents. For more information on the proper withdrawal
procedures, see the withdrawal section in the Educational
Policies of the catalog. Further details and examples can be
obtained at the financial aid office. |
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| * EO Employer/program Auxiliary aids available
upon request for individuals with disabilities. |
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