Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or hold permanent resident status are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than eight weeks prior to the beginning of their program in order to determine their eligibility. Students should submit all financial aid paperwork and requests to the Centralized Student Assistance (CSA) Office. For full details on the financial aid process, types of aid, etc., please refer to the Emory & Henry College Financial Aid Handbook, found on the college website under Costs & Financial Aid, Resources: https://www.ehc.edu/financial-aid/resources/index.php.
Financial aid awards are conditional on students’ maintaining satisfactory progress in their graduate program. Satisfactory progress is a qualitative and quantitative requirement. For financial aid purposes, the qualitative requirement parallels the 3.0 minimum grade point average (GPA) necessary to avoid probation in the graduate program. The quantitative requirement is met when a graduate student satisfactorily completes fifty percent (50%) of coursework attempted in any given academic year. A student failing to meet minimum standards must meet with their advisor in order to develop a written academic plan to regain satisfactory academic progress. This plan is presented to the Director of Financial Aid for review by committee. If probation is granted and the student has not regained satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary period, the student will lose federal financial aid eligibility. A student may still be eligible to receive private student loans from outside agencies that are not tied to satisfactory academic progress. Please note that regardless of satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes, a student cannot be aided for more than 150 percent of their program length of attempted courses regardless of whether the student has completed the courses. For example, for a graduate program of 30 semester hours, a student can receive financial aid for up to 45 semester hours attempted, but no more, including those classes from which a student has withdrawn.
The academic progress of students who fail to meet minimum qualitative and quantitative standards will be reviewed each academic year. Financial aid will be suspended for any student failing to achieve minimum standards, pending filing of an appeal and written academic plan. If financial aid is suspended, the graduate student has a right of appeal and a full review of the circumstances resulting in insufficient academic progress upon written request to the Director of Financial Aid. Upon review, a waiver of the aid suspension may be granted if it is deemed by the committee that the student can successfully complete the program within an appropriate time. A waiver may not be made to the 150 percent rule.