Financial Aid Process
The primary purpose of the NCCC financial aid program is to provide financial assistance to eligible students. A comprehensive assistance program which includes scholarships (institutional, academic, and athletic), grants (state and federal-based aid), loans (federally funded subsidized, unsubsidized, and PLUS loans), and part-time employment (Federal Work Study or institutional student employment) is available. Only students who have made application in the student services office as degree or certificate seeking, and have been accepted as such, will be eligible for federal financial aid.
To apply for federal aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year. The FAFSA on the web worksheet is available beginning in October preceding the academic year. These worksheets are available at NCCC, high school counseling offices, and at the website https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. It is strongly recommended that students complete the FAFSA before April 1 of the academic year.
Official copies of all prior academic transcripts, including verification of high school graduation or GED certification, must be submitted to the NCCC registrar’s office. Students will be notified by letter of any additional items/documents that may need to be submitted to the financial aid office to complete their financial aid file. Students applying for any federal student financial aid must provide official copies of all previous academic transcripts before financial aid eligibility can be finalized and before any federal student aid funds can be awarded.
Students with prior loans should contact their lender or servicer to obtain a loan deferment form and submit it to the registrar for completion. Federal aid will be applied towards the student’s NCCC charges; however, the student is responsible for all costs not paid by the federal aid or if they lose their federal aid eligibility. Students should contact the financial aid office for more information.
Home-Schooled Students
To qualify for federal student aid, home-schooled students may provide an official high school transcript showing classes completed and high school graduation. Home-schooled students not providing an official transcript may qualify for federal student aid at NCCC by meeting one of the following two options:
- Provide other documentation of meeting high school graduation requirements as accepted by the NCCC registration office,
- Take the Adult Basic Education classes and obtain a GED (General Equivalency Diploma).
Grants, Loans, And Work Study
The federal government funds several financial aid programs. Financial assistance is awarded to students who demonstrate need through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once financial need and eligibility have been determined, the following programs are available: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Family Educational Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans (loans for parents).
- Federal Pell Grants are awarded to eligible students for educational related expenses.
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants range from $150 to $450 per academic year at NCCC.
- Federal Family Educational Stafford Loans, both Subsidized and Unsubsidized, are available to eligible students while attending NCCC. These are low interest loans that enter repayment six months after the student’s enrollment falls below six credit hours. Loans received at other institutions are considered part of the aggregate amount that a student may borrow. Under this program, there is a maximum lifetime aggregate limit that a student can borrow. Students can avoid reaching this limit by borrowing only what they need for education-related expenses.
- Parents of dependent students may apply for a PLUS Loan and are responsible for repayment. Interest rates, deferments, repayment dates, and other specific information are available in the financial aid office and from lending institutions.
- Eligible students may participate in part-time employment through the Federal Work Study program for at least minimum wage.
- NCCC will assist students in applying for other financial aid. The following is a partial list of other assistance that is monitored or coordinated by NCCC:
- Kansas State Scholarship
- Kansas Minority Scholarship
- Kansas Board of Regents Nursing Scholarship
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Vocational Educational Scholarship
- Veterans’ Educational Benefits
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
Scholarships
NCCC offers a variety of institutional and foundation scholarships for full-time and part-time students. Scholarships are awarded based on academic ability, participation in activities, athletic skill, service, and various other criteria. Various types of scholarships are available, including academic, activity, athletic, honors, nursing, service, business, industrial technology, senior citizen, and high school. Students may apply for scholarships in addition to other financial aid. Scholarship applications are available on the NCCC website. Please refer to the NCCC Scholarship Handbook and/or to the financial aid office for additional information regarding scholarship programs, applications, and procedures.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Federal regulations require that a student must be making satisfactory academic progress in a certificate or degree program in order to be eligible to receive federal aid.
As per federal regulations, all academic transcripts will be evaluated for satisfactory academic progress whether or not financial aid was received. For the purposes of determining satisfactory academic progress, grades of “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “P,” “F,” “XF,” “W”, “WA,” “NP,” and “I” will be calculated as attempted financial aid hours. This includes developmental and repeated courses. Audit and non-credit classes are not considered for financial aid and will not be included as attempted financial aid hours. If a student completes a course that he/she received an incomplete grade, the student must notify the financial aid office in writing, in order for satisfactory academic progress to be reviewed again.
Upon a completed financial aid file, a student’s current status at NCCC will be reviewed. Qualitative and quantitative measures are required to determine satisfactory academic progress. That criterion is listed below.
- Students must successfully complete 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted.
- Students must have a 2.0 or greater cumulative career GPA.
- The maximum time frame for students to complete their academic program may not exceed 150% of the published length of the program. For example, if the published length of the program is 64 credit hours, the maximum number of attempted credit hours may not exceed 96. After 150% of the published length of the program has been attempted students will be placed on financial aid denial.
Successfully completed grades include: “A,” “B,” “C,” “D,” “P” (Pass)
Unsuccessfully completed grades include: “F” (Failure), “XF” (Failure Due to Violation of Academic Honesty Policy), “I” (Incomplete), “W” (Withdraw), “WA” (Withdrawn by Administration), “NP” (No Pass).
Example: Peter Panther has attempted 12 hours at XYZ College and has attempted 15 hours at NCCC. He has attempted a total of 27 credit hours (27 hours x 67% = 18.09). He must have successfully completed at least 18.09 credit hours and have at least a 2.0 cumulative career GPA to be making satisfactory academic progress.
Financial Aid Warning
New NCCC financial aid applicants will be reviewed to see if they have successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of prior credit hours attempted and if they have maintained a cumulative career GPA of 2.0 or higher. Student who do not meet both of these conditions are placed on financial aid warning for their first term of attendance.
At the end of each term (semester), NCCC financial aid recipients in good academic standing will be reviewed to see if they have successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted and maintained a 2.0 or greater cumulative career GPA. Students who do not meet both of these conditions are placed on financial aid warning for their next term of attendance.
A student on financial aid warning is still eligible to receive financial aid the next semester of attendance. However, notice of financial aid warning may be retroactively incurred based on an evaluation of the student’s previous academic record at NCCC.
At the end of each semester, the students who received aid and were on warning will also have their academic performance evaluated. At that time, one of the following actions will occur:
If the student has successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted and has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater, the student will automatically be reinstated to good academic standing. If the above conditions have not been met, the student will be placed on financial aid denial.
Financial Aid Denial
Under the following conditions, students are placed on financial aid denial:
- Receiving unsuccessful grades in all of their classes in one term at NCCC.
- Attempting more than 150% of the published length of the program.
- Have had one semester of financial aid warning, but are still not meeting 2.0 cumulative GPA and/or successfully completing 67% or greater of cumulative classes attempted.
- Currently on financial aid probation and did not meet the probation requirements.
A student on financial aid denial is not eligible to receive federal aid. Notice of financial aid denial may be retroactively issued based on an evaluation of the student’s previous academic record at NCCC.
Excluded Grades
Audit and non-credit classes are not considered for financial aid and will not be included as attempted financial aid hours. Grades of “F” (Failure), “XF” (Failure Due to Violation of Academic Honesty policy), “I” (Incomplete), “W” (Withdraw), “WA” (Withdrawn by Administration, “NP” (No Pass) do not count as credit hours earned.
Repeated Coursework
- Once a student has passed a course with a “D” or better, he/she can receive Federal Financial Aid Funds to repeat the course one time. (“P” grades are considered a passing grade)
- If a student fails a course “F”, “XF”, “NP” or withdraws “W”, “WA” from a course, which has never been passed, they can receive Federal Financial Aid until they pass the course with a “D” or better.
Transfer Credits and Your GPA
All previous college attempted and completed coursework on file with NCCC’s registration department will be counted when determining the student’s GPA, cumulative completion rate, and maximum timeframe, regardless whether the student received Federal Financial Aid for those hours or not.
Conditions for Reinstatement of Financial Aid
When a student successfully completes 67% of the cumulative number of credit hours attempted and has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater, a student may apply to be reinstated to good academic standing.
To apply for reinstatement for the first offense, the student may appeal to the director of financial aid by filling out the Denial Appeal Form listing reasons (examples: illness, death in the family, unusual circumstances) why he/she did not achieve satisfactory academic progress or why he/she has attempted more than 150% of the published length of the program and is seeking aid for additional courses. The student must also supply an academic plan and appropriate supporting documentation, such as a letter from his/her doctor, employer, advisor, etc. All appeals should be submitted to the office of student financial aid at your campus.
If the appeal is approved by the director of financial aid, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester, and will be eligible to receive federal aid. Certain conditions and timeframes may be included with the probation reinstatement. If the appeal is denied, the student will remain on financial aid denial, and therefore ineligible for federal aid. The student will be notified in writing by mail or student email of the director of financial aid’s decision.
The student may appeal the director of financial aid’s decision to the Financial Aid Committee within ten business days. The student must fill out the Denial Appeal Form and attach all supporting documents and submit them to the office of student financial aid. Upon receipt of the request for an appeal hearing, the director of financial aid will schedule a hearing and notify the student requesting the appeal of the date and time of the scheduled hearing. A time shall be set for a hearing, not less than two nor more than ten calendar days after the student has been notified. Maximum time limited for scheduling of hearings may be extended at the discretion of the director of financial aid. To apply for reinstatement for the second and subsequent offenses, the student may appeal to the Financial Aid Committee or its designee by filling out a Denial Appeal Form and attaching the applicable supporting documentation. All forms and letters must be submitted to the office of student financial aid. If the student wishes to present his/her case orally to the committee, he/she must indicate this intention in writing. This appeal, as well as the original appeal to the director of financial aid, student academic file, academic transcript and financial aid file will be submitted for review. The student will be notified of the initial meeting of the committee if the student has indicated in writing his/her request to orally present the appeal. Additionally, the committee may mandate that the student appear at the appeal meeting. The student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision and may appeal to the president or his/her designee. NOTE: The president’s current designee is the Vice President for Student Learning.
Financial Aid Probation
Students whose financial aid denial appeals are approved will be placed on financial aid probation. At the end of each semester, the students who received aid and were on probation per appeal will also have their academic performance evaluated. At that time, one of the following actions will occur:
- If the student has successfully completed 67% of the cumulative number of cumulative credit hours attempted and has a cumulative career GPA of a 2.0 or greater and has not attempted more than 150% of the published length of the program, the student will be reinstated to good academic standing.
- If the student has successfully followed the terms of his/her academic plan and appeal conditions, but cannot yet be returned to good academic standing, the student will remain on financial aid probation.
- If neither of the above conditions has been met, the student will be placed back on financial aid denial.
Revocation Of Scholarships And/or Grants-in-Aid
Scholarships and/or grants-in-aid shall remain in force for the semester or academic year in which each was issued provided the student remains in good standing with the College. Upon the loss of good standing, scholarships and/or grants-in-aid shall be revoked. Specific conditions of scholarships through the College are contained in the scholarship letter signed by the student.
A student may be deemed to have lost good standing upon conviction of a felony; conviction of or repeated illegal use of narcotics, including marijuana or controlled substances as defined by Kansas statutes; and failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the College, or the athletic team or activity of which the student is a member, or failure to cooperate with officials and instructors at the College. Also, scholarships may be revoked for the following reasons:
- A scholarship over-award as defined by either the U. S. Department of Education or the KJCCC;
- Voluntary withdrawal from classes;
- A drop in the academic standing below the specified grade point average indicated in the award letter; or,
- Degree completion.
An official notice, sent to the student email account or address on record, of the revocation of an academic or activity scholarship and/or grant-in-aid shall be given to the student indicating the loss of good standing or for the reasons indicated above. If the student disagrees with the revocation decision, he/she may file a grievance as outlined in the Student Grievance Procedure.
Return Of Title IV Funds
Title IV funds are all federal aid to students including the PELL grant, student loans, etc. Return of Title IV or R2T4 refers to the calculation done when a financial aid student withdraws from the semester. The calculation determines if it is necessary to return a portion of the federal financial aid to the Department of Education, or if the student is entitled to receive a post withdrawal disbursement because aid had not yet been disbursed. The calculation of R2T4 is required by the Department of Education.
Determining Student Withdrawal Date
The Registration Office has been designated as the official office for withdrawal notification. Once registered, failure to attend classes is not considered an official withdrawal. Students who decide to leave the college should contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss their options. Students must contact the Registration Office to officially withdrawal from all courses.
A student’s withdrawal date is:
- The date the student began the institution’s withdrawal process or officially notified the institution of intent to withdraw; or
- The midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution; or
- The student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically related activity.
SAP Policy (R2T4)
If a student fails to earn a passing grade in all classes in a semester and was paid federal financial aid, the R2T4 calculation will be completed and the student will be placed on financial aid denial, and will no longer be eligible for federal financial aid.
Calculating Percentage Aid Earned
A student may be required to repay all or part of the financial aid disbursed for the semester in which they withdraw if they do not complete more than 60% of the semester.
The amount of Title IV aid earned by the student is determined by multiplying the percentage of the payment period completed by the total amount of Title IV aid disbursed, or that could have been disbursed. If the percentage of the payment period completed is more than 60 percent, the student has earned 100 percent of the aid. An institution would add up the total Title IV loan and grant assistance awarded to the student for the payment period (excluding FWS funds and the nonfederal share of funds for the FSEOG) and multiplies this dollar amount by the percentage of the period completed. If the student is subject to the 30-day delayed disbursement restriction for Stafford loans and withdrew during the first 30 days; no Stafford loan amounts could be disbursed and will not be counted.
Post Withdrawal Disbursements
When determining the earned aid for each student, the institution compares actual funds disbursed and the total amount of Title IV financial assistance earned by the student at the time of withdrawal to determine whether the student is entitled to additional funds or if funds need to be returned to the Title IV programs.
If it is determined that the student earned more than they were disbursed, then the student is entitled to a “post-withdrawal disbursement” of funds up to the total amount earned. If there are outstanding current institutional charges, the institution may credit a post-withdrawal disbursement to the student’s account under the terms of the cash management regulations. If the student is eligible to receive loan funds, the institution must offer those funds to the student within 30 days of the determination of withdrawal. The student has 14 days from the date of the letter to accept loan funds.
Return of Title IV Funds by Institution
If Title IV funds need to be returned, the institution has to return funds first within 45 days of the determination of withdrawal. The institution must return the lesser of the unearned aid or the sum of the institutional charges multiplied by the percent of aid unearned. Then, if the amount that the institution is responsible for returning is less than the total amount of aid that needs to be returned, the student is responsible for the remainder.
The aid the institution must return will be billed to the student account. If those funds are not paid, a hold will be placed on the student account and may be turned over for collection through an outside agency.
Funds Included in the Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) Policy
Aid will be repaid to the appropriate fund in the following distribution order, which is statutorily prescribed.
- Unsubsidized Direct Loans
- Subsidized Direct Loans
- Federal Parent PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal SEOG Grants
- Other Title IV aid programs (Does not include Federal Work Study)
Return of Title IV Funds by Student
The student (or parent for a PLUS loan) must return unearned aid for which the student is responsible by repaying the funds to the following sources, in order as listed below, up to the total net amount disbursed from each source, after subtracting the amount the school will return. Amounts to be returned to grants are reduced by 50%. Loan amounts are returned in accordance with the terms of the promissory note.
Students are obligated to return any Title IV overpayment in the same order that is required for schools (listed below). The student has 45 days to resolve the overpayment. If the student fails to resolve the overpayment within 45 days the institution will refer the student to Debt Resolution Services.
Grant overpayments may be resolved through:
- Full and immediate payment to the institution
- Repayment arrangements satisfactory to the school (has to be paid in full within 2 years), or
- Overpayment collection procedures negotiated with Debt Resolution Services.
Student Notification as a Result of Withdrawal
The federal government has established a Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) Policy which impacts financial aid recipients. This policy is not the same as the college refund policy. Financial aid is awarded to students contingent upon completion of the semester. Federal financial aid recipients who withdraw prior to completing 60% of the semester will owe a repayment to the U.S. Government. If it is determined that a portion of the financial aid received by the student is unearned, the college must return those funds to the Department of Education within 45 days.
Students will receive a written notification after the R2T4 is calculated within 30 days of the determination of withdrawal. In the written notification students will receive specific information including the dollar amount NCCC is returning to the Department of Education as well as any amount that may be due to the Department of Education or NCCC by the student. More information is available in the financial aid office.
Veterans’ Benefits
Students eligible to attend NCCC under their entitlement to veterans’ benefits should obtain VA Form 22-1990, the Veteran’s Application for Program of Education or Training, from the financial aid office or from a veteran’s administration representative. Application can also be made online at www.gibill.va.gov. The veteran should complete the application, attach a copy of DD 214, Notice of Separation, and submit them to the financial aid office.
For payment purposes, the Veterans Administration uses the following schedule: full time is 12 or more hours of credit; three-fourths time is nine to 11 hours of credit per semester; half time is six to eight hours of credit per semester; less than half time, benefits calculated on a per credit hour basis. Students are required to make satisfactory progress toward graduation in order to continue receiving educational benefits. More information regarding VA benefits is available at the financial aid office.
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