Arcadia University Financial Aid
For institutional (Arcadia-funded) scholarships and grants, a student must complete a minimum of 24 credits in an academic year (September to August) to show progress toward a degree, and remain in good academic standing (minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA for upperclassmen, 1.75 cumulative GPA for first-year students).
If a student drops below full-time, there is a possibility that this can adversely affect their financial aid for the current semester and/or future semesters. Additionally, changes in housing status can impact a student’s eligibility for any need-based Arcadia Grant aid. Students may go to either the Financial Aid Office (Castle) or to the One-Stop Shop (Taylor Hall, Room 100) to discuss possible repercussions. Students must be taking at least 12 credits a semester in order to receive Arcadia Grant and/or merit scholarships, including Tuition Exchange and CICTE Scholarships. Institutional (Arcadia) financial aid is only offered during the fall and spring semesters.
PHEAA State Grant Aid
PHEAA, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, requires that schools perform Academic Progress checks annually for students who have received a part-time or full-time PHEAA grant in the two (2) prior semesters. This PHEAA Grant academic progress check will be completed early summer. PHEAA requires that part-time students successfully (no F grades) complete at least 12 credits total and full-time students successfully complete at least 24 credits total for every two semesters of state grant aid they received (credits from one summer term may be eligible to count toward this, if the student is receiving a state grant in that summer term). Students who fail to meet PHEAA satisfactory academic progress will be notified and will be ineligible for future PHEAA Grants until the shortfall in credits is made up. A course previously passed during a semester in which a PHEAA State Grant was awarded will not count in the PHEAA State Grant Academic Progress calculation if taken and passed again. PHEAA mandates the responsibility of checking PHEAA State Grant Academic Progress to the institution of attendance. As a result, students may receive an award notification from PHEAA before the Financial Aid Office can review the student’s academic record for satisfactory academic progress.
Title IV (Federal) Financial Aid
A student can only receive federal financial aid for courses required for completion of his/her degree. Students cannot receive federal aid for a timeframe greater than 150% of the standard required time it typically takes to complete the degree (i.e.-for a 4-year bachelor’s degree, this maximum timeframe would be 12 semesters as a full-time student). Arcadia University is required by federal regulation to monitor a student’s progression toward completion of his/her degree. This Satisfactory Academic Progress Standard includes both a quantitative and qualitative measure of progress. The quantitative measure states that a student must complete a specific percentage of attempted credits in order to maintain satisfactory progress for Title IV (federal) aid purposes. The qualitative measure requires the student to maintain a cumulative GPA that meets the minimum standard for Academic Good Standing according to University policy. This determination of progress must be made at least once a year and before the Financial Aid Office disburses any Title IV (federal) funds for the subsequent semester or year. Title IV (federal) funds include: Federal Direct Stafford, PLUS and GradPLUS Loans, Perkins Loans, Pell Grants, SEOG, TEACH Grants and Federal Work Study.
Quantitative Standard
To be eligible for continued receipt of Title IV (federal) financial aid, students must satisfactorily complete at least 70% of all attempted credits as measured on an academic year basis. Withdrawals/Dropped courses, transfer credits, Pass/Fail courses and remedial courses are counted as attempted credits. (Note: Credits from the preceding summer can count toward this percentage, provided they did not count toward progress for the prior academic year).
Example: If a student attempts 30 credits total in an academic year, he/she must minimally successfully complete (no F grades) 21 credits for that given academic year.
Qualitative Standard
To be eligible for continued receipt of financial aid, students must achieve the following cumulative grade point average (GPA):
- Has earned less than 27 credits toward graduation at the point of review: 1.75 cumulative GPA
- Has earned 27 or more cumulative credits toward graduation at the point of review: 2.0 cumulative GPA
When Minimum Standards of Academic Progress Are Not Achieved
Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or qualitative standard will be notified in writing via email by the Financial Aid Office at the end of the academic year (typically in late June). Student who do not meet progress will be given the opportunity to submit an appeal (see below). Students who fail to meet either the quantitative or qualitative standard will not be eligible for Title IV (federal) financial aid until all requirements have been met. This academic progress determination will supersede any financial aid package for the upcoming year which may have been offered to the student at that point. Under no circumstances will financial aid be awarded retroactively to the semester(s) in which the requirements were not met.
Students who fail to meet these requirements have the opportunity to make up the hours and grade point requirements needed during the summer sessions (at their own expense). Keep in mind, credits completed at another college/university are not counted toward one’s Arcadia GPA. Once the summer course grades are posted by the Registrar’s Office, the student will be considered for financial aid for the next semester if the requirements are met. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure official transcripts reflecting the grades and credits completed have been properly submitted to the Registrar’s Office. Additionally, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office once this has occurred so his/her eligibility can be re-reviewed. Note: If the courses are taken outside of Arcadia, an Approval for Non-Arcadia course form (available at www.arcadia.edu/registrar, under Forms), must be submitted prior to enrolling in the course.
Academic Progress Appeal Process
If a student feels that there were extenuating circumstances which prevented him/her from making satisfactory academic progress (i.e. the death of a relative, a serious personal illness/injury, or other extenuating circumstance), and can demonstrate that the illness/injury or extenuating circumstance had a direct impact on his/her academic performance, he/she may submit a Financial Aid Academic Progress Appeal Form to the SAP Committee Chair. Information submitted by way of an Academic Progress Appeal will remain confidential. If the Financial Aid Academic Progress Appeals Committee feels that there are mitigating circumstances that had a direct bearing on the student’s academic performance, then the student can receive Title IV (Federal financial aid) during a probationary period for one semester. If a student fails to meet both standards of academic progress for Title IV aid purposes at the end of the probationary period (semester), then the student becomes ineligible for Title IV aid until he/she meets the appropriate progress standard(s).
Please note: The passage of time will not automatically restore Title IV aid eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory progress. Also, students who have been academically dismissed from the university but who are subsequently given permission to re-enroll are not automatically eligible to continue to receive Title IV aid. Academic Standing Committee decisions and Registrar re-admission decisions are completely separate from Title IV financial aid determinations.
Important Academic Progress Reminders:
- As expressed in years: students are normally expected to complete an undergraduate degree by the end of 4 years of full-time study. Therefore, students will forfeit their eligibility to participate in Title IV (federal) financial aid programs after 6 years of full time enrollment (4 x 150% = 6).
- Withdrawals: Grades of W are counted as courses attempted and count toward the maximum time frame.
- Audited Courses: Students do not earn any academic credits for audited courses. They do not count in the calculation of “attempted credits.”
- Pass/Fail Courses: These credits do count in the calculation of “attempted credits” and “earned credits.”
- Transfer credits accepted for the student’s academic degree or certificate program are counted when measuring the maximum time frame to complete the degree or certificate. Visit https://www.arcadia.edu/admissions/undergraduate/transfer-applicants for more information on the Transfer Credit Policy. Transfer credits are not counted toward the Arcadia cumulative GPA.
- Double Majors and/or Minors: Students who are pursuing a double major or minor will normally be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching 192 attempted hours.
- Change in Majors: Students who change their majors will normally be expected to complete all degree requirements before reaching 192 attempted hours.
- Attempted credits are those hours for which students were still officially registered at the conclusion of each semester’s Add/Drop period. Withdrawals are counted as “attempted credits” when reviewing student’s satisfactory academic progress.
Student Refund Information and Policies
Students who withdraw from the University, or change their status from full-time to part-time, after the semester begins must complete the appropriate forms in the Registrar’s Office. The date of notification and the date the room is vacated are used in the calculation of tuition and board refunds. The amount of refund is determined in accordance with the schedule below. Fees, room charges and audited courses are not refundable. Students who receive federally funded financial aid will have their refunds determined according to the guidelines issued by the U.S. Department of Education.
Students considering withdrawal before the conclusion of a semester are encouraged to contact the One-Stop Shop and the Office of Enrollment Management in order to obtain a detailed estimate of the financial implication of their withdrawal.
Refund Information: Fall and Spring Semesters
| Withdrawal |
Tuition
Charge |
Refund |
Board Charge |
Refund |
| Within the 1st week of classes |
10% |
90% |
10% |
90% |
| After the 1st week and before the end of the 2nd week |
20% |
80% |
15% |
85% |
| After the 2nd week and before the end of the 3rd week |
40% |
60% |
20% |
80% |
| After the 3rd week and before the end of the 4th week |
60% |
40% |
25% |
75% |
| After the 4th week and before the end of the 5th week |
80% |
20% |
30% |
70% |
Tuition refunds for students remaining enrolled but withdrawing from a specific course will not be made after the fifth week of the semester.
Refund Information: 7-Week Accelerated Courses
| Withdrawal |
Tuition
Charge |
Refund |
|
| Within the 1st week of classes |
15% |
85% |
|
| After the 1st week and before the end of the 2nd week |
30% |
70% |
|
| After the 2nd week and before the end of the 3rd week |
45% |
55% |
|
| After the 3rd week and before the end of the 4th week |
60% |
40% |
|
| After the 4th week and before the end of the 5th week |
100% |
0% |
|
Tuition refunds for students remaining enrolled but withdrawing from a specific course will not be made after the fourth week of the semester.
Undergraduate Summer Sessions
Students who officially withdraw from a summer course before the end of the first week of class are entitled to a refund of 50 percent of the tuition. No refunds will be given after the first week.
Graduate Summer Sessions
For Summer Session I, a refund of 50 percent is allowed for withdrawal within the first week of class. For Summer II, III and workshops, the refund allowed is 50 percent before the third class meeting.
Recalculating Financial Aid Due to Withdrawal, Stopping Out, LOA or Dismissal
FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID:
The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term. The federal Title IV financial aid must be recalculated in these situations. If a student leaves the institution prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term, the Office of Enrollment Management recalculates eligibility for Title IV funds. Changes in enrollment status for those who remain enrolled may also necessitate recalculation of federal Title IV aid previously awarded. For students who withdraw or stop out, recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula: Percentage of payment period or term completed equals the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.
Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula: Aid to be returned equals (100 percent of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.
If a student earned less than was disbursed, the institution (Arcadia University) would be required to return a portion of the funds, and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned the student borrower may owe a debt balance to the institution (Arcadia University).
If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him or her, the institution (Arcadia University) would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement that must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.
Refunds are allocated in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
- Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Federal Parent PLUS Loans
- Federal Graduate PLUS Loans
- Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants for which a Return of Funds is required
- Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a Return of Funds is required
- Other assistance under this Title for which a Return of Funds is required (e.g., LEAP, TEACH)
INSTITUTIONAL AID:
If a student withdraws, stops out, takes a leave of absence or is dismissed from the University prior to the fifth week of a standard fall or spring term, but after classes have started, typically the student’s tuition charges are pro-rated according to the refund schedule listed above. In most cases, the percentage of tuition the student is charged is generally the percentage of any Arcadia (institutional) grant and/or scholarship aid he/she can retain. Generally, after the fifth week of a standard fall or spring term, institutional aid remains in place provided the student’s tuition charges are no pro-rated. Some exceptions may apply. Students should contact their financial aid counselor for additional information in such cases.
STATE AID:
If a student withdraws, stops out, takes a leave of absence or is dismissed from the University prior to the fifth week of a standard fall or spring term, any state grant aid he/she receives may be returned or pro-rated. Generally, after the fifth week of classes, state grant aid is retained. Some exceptions may apply. Students should contact their financial aid counselor for additional information in such cases.
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