Office of Student Financial Aid & Veterans Affairs

1. Office of Student Financial Aid & Veterans Affairs Guide for Faculty March, 2009

2. Financial Aid Quick InfoLottery Scholarships • Students must submit a FAFSA every year • Award amounts are $4,000 to $5,500 per year • Renewal eligibility is measured every 24 attempted hours • 2.75 GPA at 24 and 48 hours; • 3.0 GPA at 72, 96 and 120; or • Provisional Status -- 2.75-2.99 cumulative and 3.0 semester. Those in provisional status must enroll full-time. • Students must not change enrollment status after the census date. Doing so will result in the permanent loss of the scholarship.

3. Lottery ScholarshipsWhat can you do to help? • Advise lottery recipients to see a lottery or financial aid counselor before they drop courses that will change their enrollment status from full to part-time. • Use academic alert and encourage tutoring at the first sign of academic trouble.

4. Financial Aid Quick InfoScholarship Website www.apsu.edu/secure/scholarships/ • Prospective and current students may use this website portal to apply for all scholarships with the exception of: • Academic awarded by Admissions • Performance such as music, athletic, art…… • Departments should designate a representative to pull applicant information from the Website database. We recommend doing this even if you have a separate application. • We have sent detailed instructions to our primary departmental contacts, as well as to the Academic Deans. We have a “Scholarship Resource for Staff” link on our Website with this same information.

5. ScholarshipsResources for Staff

6. Scholarships Resources for Staff • Accessing the Database • Detailed instructions on how to access applicants who have applied for your departmental scholarships. • Direct link to logging into the database • Award Notification to Financial Aid • A required form to submit initial awards, deletions or changes has been developed. This will provide both the department and financial aid with a cumulative list and accurate account information. • We anticipate this process to improve our efficiency and the recordkeeping of both the department and the financial aid office. • Supervisory Responsibilities • Information provided to assist those who supervise scholarship recipients who have a work requirement. (Link currently under revision)

7. ScholarshipsWhat can you do to help? • Ensure your departmental representative(s): • Regularly check the scholarship applicant database during awarding periods • Understand the supervisory responsibilities for scholarship students with a work requirement • Avoid using a separate scholarship application, if possible • Check the Website for accuracy

8. Financial Aid Quick InfoTeacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH) • For students who intend to teach in public or private elementary or secondary school serving students from low-income families. • All public schools in Montgomery County qualify. A link of eligible schools, nationwide, is on our Website. • Award amount is $4,000 per year.

9. Financial Aid Quick InfoTEACH Eligibility Requirements • U.S. Citizen • Sign annual agreement to serve as a full-time teacher in a low-income school for at least four academic years • Maintain 3.25 GPA • Major in high need field such as foreign language, math, reading specialist, science, special education. Eligibility for elementary ed majors is for special education only.

10. Financial Aid Quick InfoTEACH – Caution! • TEACH grant recipients who do not fulfill the requirements of the grant will be required to repay the grant in the form of a Federal Direct Loan with interest charged from the date of each TEACH grant disbursement.

11. Financial Aid Quick InfoWhat you need to know! • Enrollment Status • Students should consult with a financial aid counselor before dropping courses resulting in a change in enrollment status. • Students may be billed for a financial aid overpayment if they change enrollment status during an unauthorized period. • Course Repeats or Unnecessary Courses • May result in increased loan indebtedness for the student. • May result in an attempted hour level too high to be eligible for financial aid.

12. Financial Aid Quick InfoWhat you need to know! • Graduate Students • Undergraduate courses do not apply towards enrolled hours required for financial aid unless the professor provides documentation the course is a required pre-requisite. • We do not recommend substituting an undergraduate level course for a graduate level course in order to save the student money. This may result in a billing or ineligibility for financial aid.

13. Financial Aid Quick InfoSatisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) • Financial aid recipients are required to make satisfactory academic progress in order to remain eligible to receive financial aid. • Qualitative and quantitative measures are required. For example: • QUALITATIVE • • Has a cumulative GPA of less than 1.5 for 0-29 attempted hrs • • Has a cumulative GPA of less than 1.8 for 30-45 attempted hrs • • Has a cumulative GPA of less than 1.9 for 46-59 attempted hrs • • Has a cumulative GPA of less than 2.0 for 60 or more attempted hrs • • • Has a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 if pursuing a Graduate Degree • AND/OR • QUANTITATIVE • • Has attempted 36 or more hours if classified as Freshman • • Has attempted 90 or more hours if classified as Sophomore • • Has attempted 144 or more hours if classified as Junior • • Has attempted 180 or more hours if classified as Senior • • Has attempted 54 or more hours if classified as Graduate

14. Financial Aid Quick Info(SAP) • SAP is measured three times per year. • A status of warning and probation are given before students are determined ineligible for financial aid. • Ineligible students may appeal; however, documented extenuating circumstances must exist. A maximum of two appeals is allowed. • Students may regain eligibility for financial aid once academics improve within required guidelines previously outlined.

15. Financial Aid Quick InfoBooks – New Initiative! • AP Bookstore Debit Program • Financial Aid students with a credit balance may charge their books at the bookstore. • AP Bookstore Scholarship Program • The bookstore has provided limited funds to our office to assist students with books. • These funds are used, at the discretion of the director, for students who have an extenuating circumstance(s). • Students who have received a financial aid refund are not eligible.

16. Veterans Affairs Quick Info • VA students are only paid for courses required for degree. • Program of Study is required for all VA students. • Change of major must be reported to VA Office. Not doing so will result in loss of benefits. • Withdrawing from course(s) may result in student billing from VA.

17. What can we do to help you? • Email any suggestions to: priced@apsu.edu or deverss@apsu.edu

18. Financial Aid and VA StaffEllington, Room 216 • Donna Price, Director (7410) • Mary Cochran, Assoc. Director (7957) • Wanda Welker, Assistant Director (6282) • Sherri Devers, Scholarship Coordinator (7035) • Jill Tyus-Coates, Manager/Counselor (6170) • Rakida Sims, Financial Aid Counselor (7397) • Elizabeth Stonerock, VA Counselor (7956) • Amanda Keller, VA Counselor (1438) • Jennifer Ellis, Lottery (7963) • Rebecca Yeatts, Lottery (6125) • A full listing of our staff is available on the APSU Directory under Student Financial Aid