Federal Loan Eligibility
Students accepted for admission may apply for Direct Loan financial assistance. Phoenix Seminary certifies federal Direct Loan assistance on the basis of need, regardless of sex, age, disability, creed, or national origin of the applicant. Need is defined as the difference between a student’s cost of education and the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) as calculated by DOE with the FAFSA application. To receive federal Direct Loan assistance at Phoenix Seminary, the student must:
- be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- have a social security number
- be registered with the Selective Service for males between 18 and 25
- be accepted in an eligible degree program
- be enrolled at least half‐time to receive Direct Loan Program funds
- sign FAFSA statements that you are not in default on a student loan or grant, and agree that you will only use money for educational purposes
Satisfactory Academic Progress
In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, students receiving VA or Title IV benefits are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress [SAP]. Maintaining SAP is both a qualitative and quantitative measurement.
- Qualitative measure–A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale in all master’s‐ level degree programs must be maintained. Should the cumulative GPA drop below this level, there is a one‐semester probationary period to attain the GPA minimum.
- Quantitative measure–In addition, a student must satisfactorily complete: 15 credit hours per academic year (fall‐ spring‐summer) in the Master of Divinity or any MA degree program.
For financial aid eligibility, a leave of absence [LOA] does not extend the time period allowed for degree program completion. Rather, the time limit is calculated from the date of initial matriculation (which is the first semester a student enrolled for classes). The Financial Aid Office will evaluate SAP at the end of each payment period. If satisfactory academic progress is not met in a given semester, a Financial Aid Warning will be issued.
Financial Aid Warning
A student who fails to meet SAP at the end of a payment period may continue to receive Title IV aid for one payment period. If the student is not meeting SAP at the end of the Financial Aid Warning term, the student will be ineligible for financial aid until it is determined that SAP is being met.
Financial Aid Probation
If a student is not meeting SAP after the Financial Aid Warning term and becomes ineligible for financial aid, the student may file an appeal. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and furnished with an academic plan for one payment period. If the student is not meeting SAP at the end of this probation period, the student will be ineligible for financial aid until it is determined that SAP is being met.
Reinstatement of Financial Aid
At the end of the probation period, the financial aid office will review the student’s academic progress. If it is determined that SAP is being met, the student’s eligibility for financial aid will be reinstated. The financial aid office will notify the student in writing of the reinstatement within two weeks of this determination.
The Appeal Process for Unsatisfactory Academic Progress
A student determined to be ineligible for financial aid because of unsatisfactory academic progress may appeal in writing to the Academic Administrative Committee and the Administrator of Financial Aid, indicating reasons why the minimum academic requirements were not met and why aid should not be terminated.
The committee’s decision concerning the appeal will determine whether the student’s eligibility to receive financial aid will be reinstated. The student will be notified of the decision within three weeks of receiving the appeal. The decision made by the committee is final.
Provisional Admittance
Any student who has been provisionally admitted due to outstanding required official transcripts or other required documents will be ineligible for financial aid until the provisional condition(s) has been satisfied.
Academic Probationary Admittance
Any student who has been admitted with an academic probationary requirement will be ineligible for financial aid until the requirement has been satisfied.
Students with Delinquent or Defaulted Student Loans
Delinquent Student Loans
Students who are reported by the National Student Loan Data Service as being in a delinquent or default status on their student loans will be ineligible to register for classes until the delinquency or default status is resolved AND NSLDS shows student in an approved status. A student who is enrolled less than half time must be in an approved status with their outstanding student loans. The NSLDS data base is updated each semester and all students are entered for monitoring by the NSLDS.
The student will be eligible to register in subsequent semesters when NSLDS reports student in an approved status. Any student who is delinquent on a student loan will be ineligible to receive any Seminary financial aid via loans or scholarships until all loan issues have been resolved.
