Financial Aid

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We consider financial aid an investment in the future of our students. Our primary goal is to provide assistance to those who might not otherwise be able to earn a degree. Please be aware, however, that we assume students and their families will contribute to the costs of education according to their means. Financial assistance is offered only after it has been determined that family resources are not adequate to meet college expenses. Whenever possible, you will be expected to work or borrow to meet these expenses.

Three types of financial assistance are available: grants and scholarships, which are classified as gifts and need not be repaid; low-interest loans, which are repaid in installments after leaving college; and various campus employment opportunities. Depending upon financial need, a student may be eligible to receive one or a combination of these types of aid.

Complete a Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on-line between October 1 and February 15 to be considered for all types of aid. Use FAFSA code #003689 to ensure that Lyndon receives your FAFSA application. FAFSA’s received later by Lyndon State College will be reviewed in order of the date received. Aid is awarded subject to the availability of funds. Promptly answer or act on requests for additional forms or information, such as official IRS tax information via the Data Retrieval Tool on the FAFSA or obtaining a Tax Return Transcript via https://www.irs.gov/individuals/get-transcript, and/or obtaining an IRS Verification of Non-Filing via IRS Form 4506-T https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506t.pdf.

All admissions candidates, including transfer students, must be accepted for admission before any action will be taken on financial aid applications. Returning students must be registered before any award commitment can be made. For further information, contact the Financial Aid Office.

To be eligible to receive financial aid based on financial need, a student must be enrolled in a degree program and be making satisfactory academic progress; be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident with an I-151 or I-551, or I-551C; or have a Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (showing certain designations, contact Financial Aid Office for more information); not be in default on a federal loan and not owe a refund on a federal grant.

Students receiving Federal student financial aid must maintain “Satisfactory Academic Progress” at Lyndon State College in order to remain eligible for Federal aid consideration.

The Financial Aid Office evaluates Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) once a year after the completion of the spring term for all students receiving financial aid.  All semesters of enrollment, including summer, must be considered in the determination of SAP (even periods in which federal aid funds were not received).

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) tests three standards:

1. GPA (Qualitative) Standard

Students academically dismissed from their academic program are automatically recognized as failing to meet Lyndon State College’s Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. Otherwise, as a student progresses through their academic program, their cumulative GPA must meet the following standards: Students with fewer than 30 earned credits must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.75, students with 30 earned credits or greater, must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0, as recorded and documented by the Registrar’s Office.

1. Pace (Quantitative) Standard

Students must successfully complete 67% of their attempted courses as recorded and documented by the Registrar’s Office. Dropped courses will not be included. Courses withdrawn from after the end of the add/drop period will be counted as attempted credits. 

1. Maximum Timeframe Standard

A student’s maximum time frame for completion of their academic program must not exceed 150% of the published program length, measured in credit hours. For example: AA or AS degrees require 60 credits, therefore the maximum time frame allowed is 90 credit hours.  BA or BS degrees require 120 credits, therefore the maximum time frame allowed is 180 credits hours.

Grades and Credits

Courses with grades of “W” (withdrawn), “I” (incomplete), and/or “F” (failed) are counted as courses attempted but not earned AND count toward the Maximum Timeframe Standard and the Pace Standard. Satisfactory Academic Progress will include repeated and remedial coursework unless determined otherwise by the Financial Aid Office during review of a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal.  Please note that transfer credits do count in determining the GPA (Qualitative) Standard, Pace (Quantitative) Standard, and Maximum Timeframe Standard for Satisfactory Academic Progress.  The Financial Aid Office will NOT automatically adjust a student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress status when grades are changed or finally reported. For any grade change (especially regarding a prior grade of “I” incomplete that has now been assigned a traditional letter grade), a student is responsible for notifying the Financial Aid Office of such a change and requesting a review of their Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluation.

Monitoring Period and Suspension

Students will have their satisfactory academic progress evaluated once a year at the end of the spring semester regardless of whether the student received financial aid.  Students not meeting these Satisfactory Academic Progress standards will receive communication via letters sent to the mailing address on record.

The first time a student falls below the GPA (Qualitative) Standard, or the Pace (Quantitative) Standard for Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student’s aid will be suspended for the upcoming semester. The student can immediately appeal for a probationary period.

Appeal for Probationary Period

A Student who fails to meet a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standard at the conclusion of the Spring Semester will be placed in a Financial Aid Suspension Status and will lose all Federal aid eligibility until the student is in compliance with the SAP standards. A student whose Federal Aid eligibility has suspended may appeal for a Probationary Semester by completing a: (1) SAP Appeal Form, and (2) writing a letter explaining the specific circumstances attributable to their noncompliance,  and (3)meeting with a member of the Academic Support team. Academic Support will assist the student with strategies for successful completion of the students’ academic career.

An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances that seriously impacted academic performance. Examples of possible mitigating circumstances are serious illness, severe injury, death of a family member, and other similar situations. Also, the student will need to describe what has changed in their current situation that will allow the student to demonstrate SAP at the next evaluation.  The student will be notified of the appeal decision via their LSC email and the decision is final.

If a student’s appeal is approved they will generally be placed on an “Academic Plan” created in conjunction with a member of the Academic Support Office, and the student will be notified via LSC email. The student will be considered for federal aid during a probationary period but only for the semester that is current at the time the appeal is submitted- aid will not be reinstated retroactively. Once the probationary semester has concluded the students’ progress will be reviewed. Continuation of federal aid eligibility will be based on adherence to the “Academic Plan” and the general requirements of a probationary period which requires the student to earn all credits attempted (no W’s/Withdrawals) and to also earn a GPA of at least 2.00

REPEAT COURSEWORK

If you repeat a course, it will be added to your attempted credit hours total. However, only the most recent grade received in the course will be included in the calculation of your cumulative GPA/qualitative measure.

Note: Federal financial aid will pay for only one repeat of a previously passed course.

The student’s probationary period ends once they are meeting both components: GPA (Qualitative) Standard and

Pace (Quantitative) Standard as outlined in Lyndon State’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Special Circumstances

Students with documented disabilities may be allotted additional time for completion of courses

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), ranging from $200 to $1,500, are available to undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Priority is given to Pell Grant recipients.

Federal Perkins Loans at low interest (five percent) are made to undergraduate students by the college from available funds. A total of $20,000 may be borrowed by undergraduate and up to $40,000 by graduate students (including undergraduate Perkins Loans/NDSL). Under current federal regulations, Federal Perkins loans are scheduled to end 9/30/2017.

Federal Work-Study provides jobs on campus for eligible undergraduate and graduate students. A limited number of jobs are available off-campus for America Reads tutors.

Federal Pell Grants for the current academic year range from $606 to $5,920, depending upon eligibility as determined by a national standard formula.

Federal Direct Stafford Loans, from the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program, are low-interest loans for eligible students to help cover their cost of education. Eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education. A student cannot borrow more than the cost of attendance minus any financial aid, so in some cases the amount of a student’s need may limit the amount of the Federal Direct Loan. The federal government pays the interest on the Subsidized Federal Direct loans while students are enrolled on at least a half-time basis. The student pays the interest on the Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan while the student is enrolled on at least a half-time basis.

The following chart provides maximum annual and aggregate (total) loan limits for subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) allow parent borrowers of undergraduate, dependent students to borrow federal funds up to the cost of attendance minus financial aid. Borrowers choose whether to begin repayment when the loan is fully disbursed or to defer repayment while the student is enrolled.

Veterans’ Administration Educational Benefits may be available to students who fit one of the following categories: 1) children, spouses, widows, or widowers of veterans who died or were permanently and totally disabled as the result of service in the armed forces of the U.S., 2) children of servicewomen/men missing in action or prisoners of war for more than 90 days, 3) qualified servicewomen/men in civilian life, or on active duty in the armed forces who qualify. Application should be made to the Veterans’ Administration. The Student Services Center provides information and assistance for those seeking education benefits.

Lyndon State College offers a variety of scholarships to both new and returning students. Awards are based on academic and personal achievement and are need-based or non need-based. To be considered for both need-based and non-need based scholarships, a completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required.

Application deadlines are April 1 for new students and April 15th for returning students. Applications are available on our website at www.lyndonstate.edu by clicking on Admissions & Aid, then Financial Aid and Scholarships, then Forms.

Vermont Incentive Grants are awarded on the basis of financial need by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). Any full or part-time undergraduate Vermont resident who plans to attend or is enrolled in an approved post-secondary institution is eligible to apply.  An on-line application is also required.

Out-of-State Incentive Grants are available to qualified students from Maine, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Application procedures vary and should be made directly to the Higher Education Assistance Agency from each of the states listed. Additional information is available on the FAFSA web site.

Non-institutional/outside scholarships are an excellent and frequently overlooked means of obtaining financial assistance. Local service organizations are an especially good source of scholarships.

Financial aid awards may be adjusted upon receipt of such items as family contribution, grants, outside scholarships, and loans. In order to be eligible for financial aid, such resources may not exceed the total costs of attending Lyndon.