Federal regulations require that students receiving Title IV aid earn that aid by attending and satisfactorily completing the classes they are funded for each semester. It is the established policy at Feather River College that the Financial Aid Office will monitor and evaluate a recipient’s enrollment during each semester, making the necessary changes to aid disbursed that may result from changes in that enrollment. A Financial Aid (FA) Enrollment Revision Deadline is established for each semester to correspond with the last day to drop full-term classes without a “W” for that semester.

Financial Aid Enrollment Revision Deadline(s): 

• Fall: September 4, 2022

• Spring: February 5, 2023

Repeat Courses - Federal Aid

Federal regulations limit the number of times a student may receive financial aid for a repeated course. Students may only receive federal financial aid for one repetition of a previously passed course (for financial aid purposes “D” is a passing grade). There are exceptions for courses that programs require to be taken more than once. Students taking a course required to be repeated for their major should work with the Financial Aid office to ensure those credits are counted appropriately for federal financial aid eligibility.

Loan Disbursements

Students who request federal student loans or whose parents request Parent PLUS loans must be actively enrolled in a minimum of 6 units each semester in order for the loans to disburse. First time borrowers’ loans cannot disburse into student accounts until 30 days after the first day of classes; refunds are available 1-2 weeks later. Single semester loans will be disbursed in two payments.

Federal & State Grant Disbursements

The Pell Grant is disbursed in two payments each semester, one the first week of classes and the second the first week of the second 8 or 9 week session. The Cal Grants are disbursed in a single payment after the FA Enrollment Revision Deadline.

The first (half) disbursement of the Pell and the full Cal Grant disbursements reflect the number of units registered for at the time the grants disburse into the student account. If a student adds or drops units, the grant disbursements may increase or decrease accordingly.

At the time of the second Pell disbursement, the system ensures that the total amount of Pell you receive for the semester is based on the number of units you were enrolled in at the time of the Enrollment Revision Deadline. If your enrollment is adjusted after the second disbursement, then your grant disbursement(s) will be adjusted further according to federal and state regulations and you would possibly owe money back.

Possible Over Payment of Federal and/or State Financial Aid Due to Change in Enrollment

Each semester has a Financial Aid Enrollment Revision Deadline. The amount of Pell Grant and Cal Grant a student is eligible to receive for the semester will correspond to the student’s enrollment on the revision deadline. However, if a student receives financial aid based on a particular number of units and later drops units before a short-term class begins and/or is no show dropped from a class resulting in a reduction in level of enrollment, the student may owe a repayment.

FRC will send emails to students who have received overpayments for the semester, notifying the students that they are responsible for repaying some of the aid previously received. Students with overpayments will have 30 calendar days to (1) repay these funds in a single payment to the college who will then return the funds to the Federal Government or (2) in the case of the Pell grant, request to make satisfactory payment arrangements to repay the government over time. If the student does not take care of a Pell overpayment within the 30 days, the matter will be referred to the Federal Government for collections which will result in the student becoming immediately ineligible for federal aid at FRC and all other colleges in the country. Cal Grant funds are due back to FRC; students will not be eligible to register or obtain transcripts until these funds are repaid. They may also be referred to collections.

Contact the Financial Aid office for more information on an over payment of funds and how it may affect your future eligibility for financial aid.

Complete Withdrawal from Classes for a Semester

Federal aid recipients who begin attendance in a given semester and withdraw from school before completing 60% of the semester may be subject to repayment of federal aid, called “Return of Title IV Funds”. “Withdrawal” includes students who submit withdrawal forms as well as students who drop all classes, are dropped by all instructors, or do not earn any units for the semester.

2022-2023 Withdrawal 60% Dates: 

• Fall: October 30, 2022
• Spring: April 3, 2023

Federal formulas are used to determine how much financial aid a withdrawn student has “earned”; unearned funds must be returned. If the amount disbursed to the student is less than the amount the student earned, and for which the student is otherwise eligible, he/she may be eligible to receive a post-withdrawal disbursement. Under federal regulations, the school and/or the student may be responsible for returning funds to the Federal Government.

Return of Title IV Funds calculations must be completed within 30 calendar days of the date of determination of complete withdrawal and must be returned to the program from which the funds originated, in the following order:

• Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Direct Subsidized Loan
• Direct Plus Loan
• Pell Grant
• FSEOG
• Other Title IV programs

Funds the Student is Responsible to Return

Once FRC notifies the withdrawn student that s/he is responsible for repaying some of the aid previously received, the student will have 45 calendar days to repay these funds in a single payment to the college who will then return the funds to the Federal Government. If the obligation is not resolved within 45 days of the notification, the unearned funds will be reported to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) as an overpayment and the student will be ineligible for Title IV funds (such as Pell Grant, FSEOG, Direct Loans) at any institution until this overpayment is resolved.

Funds the College is Responsible to Return

The college will return to the Federal Government any funds the institution is responsible to repay due to the student’s complete withdrawal, within 45 calendar days of the R2T4 calculation. FRC will then bill the student on the student billing account in order to recover funds returned to the government. In addition to owing monies to the college, a hold will be placed on the student’s account which will prevent registration and the release of transcripts. The student will also be given a deadline to make repayment, after which the student will be referred to collections.

 

Federal regulations require that all students receiving Title IV aid meet or exceed the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy established at that institution. It is the established policy at Feather River College that the Financial Aid Office will evaluate a recipient’s progress at the end of each semester (fall, spring, and summer). This progress evaluation includes all semesters of attendance at FRC, regardless of whether or not a recipient received financial aid for those semesters. Progress also includes all units attempted at FRC and all units from other schools transferred to FRC, regardless of whether or not financial aid was received during the time the student earned the units.

Ability to Benefit (ATB)

Criteria mandated by the Federal Department of Education states that, in order to receive federal financial aid a student must be qualified to study at the post-secondary level. For Student Financial Aid purposes, a student with a high school diploma or an equivalent such as a GED certificate, is considered qualified.  While new students can no longer become eligible by passing an approved ability-to-benefit test, students who were enrolled in an eligible educational program of study before July 1, 2012 may continue to be considered eligible.

Academic Requirements

Students must be enrolled in an eligible program for the purpose of completing a Bachelor's Degree, AA/AS degree, a transfer program, or a certificate program.

Progress Standards

The FRC Financial Aid Office will evaluate student’s academic progress at the end of each semester following the completion of the official posting of ALL grades for ALL students by the FRC Admissions and Records Office. Students must maintain a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade point average (GPA) and are required to maintain a satisfactory pace in progressing toward their certificate or degree. Pace is determined by computing the percentage from the academic record of cumulative units earned divided by cumulative units attempted. The resulting pace must be 67% or higher. Remedial courses are included in the cumulative GPA and pace calculations along with all other courses. Repeated course attempts also count toward the student’s pace and maximum timeframe. Students are expected to earn their certificate or associate degree before they have attempted 150% of the published length of the program (maximum timeframe). A student reaches maximum timeframe after having attempted the credit hour equivalent of 150% of the program hours required for the current degree or certificate.

BA	180 attempted units
AA, AS, Transfer	90 attempted units*
Certificate Program	52 attempted units*
LVN	120 attempted units
LVN Certificate	85 attempted units

(*Maximum units may vary according to individual program). A maximum of 30 remedial credits may be excluded from this limitation.

All courses the student has received a grade for on the transcript, including A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D+, D, F, FW, I, IP, NP, P, RD, or W grades, count in the maximum timeframe attempted hours calculation. As a courtesy, students who are close to reaching their maximum timeframe will receive an “alert” notice.  Once a student reaches maximum timeframe, he/she will be disqualified from receiving further financial aid.

Financial Aid Warning

Students who drop below a cumulative 2.0 GPA and/or who do not earn 67% of their cumulative attempted units will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next semester they enroll at FRC.

Students on Financial Aid Warning will continue to receive their financial aid during the semester they are on warning. Students who are on Financial Aid Warning for a semester are expected to regain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress status by the end of that semester.

Financial Aid Disqualification

Students put on Academic or Progress Dismissal by the Registrar immediately become ineligible for financial aid. Financial Aid Warning students who do not meet both the minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA requirement and/or 67% pace at the end of their Financial Aid Warning semester become ineligible for financial aid.  Students that have reached their maximum timeframe become ineligible for financial aid.  Financial Aid Disqualified students will be sent an email informing them of their Financial Aid Disqualified status and will also be given the opportunity to appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility.

Disqualification from Financial Aid does not prevent students from enrolling without financial aid if they are otherwise eligible to continue their enrollment. 

The Appeal Process

Financial aid students that were disqualified due to GPA or Pace may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility by completing a “Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form”. Financial aid students that were disqualified due to Program Completion or Maximum Timeframe may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility by completing a “Maximum Credit Appeal Form”.

The Financial Aid Appeal Committee will review each complete and timely appeal and will make a decision whether or not to approve the appeal and to restore the student’s eligibility to receive financial aid at FRC. The student will be notified of the decision by email. Committee decisions are final.

Appeals and all supporting documentation must be turned in by the established deadline for the semester. At times, depending on when the appeal is submitted, a completed Financial Aid Progress Report form may be required. Click here to review the list of Important Financial Aid Dates.

Financial Aid Probation

Students whose appeals are approved are placed on Financial Aid Probation for one or more subsequent semesters for which they enroll at FRC. Students on Financial Aid Probation will receive their financial aid during the semester(s) they are on Financial Aid Probation.

Students who are on Financial Aid Probation are expected to regain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress by the end of their probationary period. Students on Financial Aid Probation who are given Academic Plans as part of the appeal approvals are expected to meet the requirements of their Academic Plans at the end of each semester. Failure to meet the requirements of any Financial Aid Probation semester will result in automatic Financial Aid Disqualification at FRC. Students who are disqualified for the second time no longer have an appeal option except in the case of a student’s documented medical emergency.

Regaining Eligibility

Students who fail to meet these Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and who choose to enroll without benefit of financial aid may request a review of their academic records after any semester in which they are enrolled (without the receipt of financial aid) to determine whether they have met the financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards. If the standards are met, financial aid eligibility is regained for the next semester of enrollment at FRC.

Grade Change

It is the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office of a grade change at the time it is made in the Records Office. The Financial Aid Office will evaluate the student’s transcript to determine if they have regained financial aid eligibility due to the grade change.

Loss of Eligibility for California College Promise Grant

A student shall become ineligible for a California College Promise Grant if the student is placed on Academic or Progress Probation, or any combination thereof, for two consecutive primary terms (fall, spring). Loss of eligibility shall become effective at the first registration opportunity after such determination is made.

Notification of Academic or Progress Probation Status

Students will be notified by email of their placement on Academic or Progress Probation no later than thirty days following the end of the term that resulted in the student’s placement on probation. The notice will clearly state that two consecutive primary terms of probation will lead to a loss of the California College Promise Grant until the student is no longer on probation.

Notification of Loss of Eligibility for California College Promise Grant

Students will be notified by email that they are no longer eligible for a California College Promise Grant, after being placed on Academic or Progress Probation for two consecutive primary terms of probation.

Appeal Process for Loss of Eligibility for California College Promise Grant

Students may appeal the loss of a California College Promise Grant due to extenuating circumstances, or when a student with a disability applied for, but did not receive, a reasonable accommodation in a timely manner. Extenuating circumstances are verified cases of accidents, illnesses, or other circumstances that might include documented changes in the student’s economic situation or evidence that the student was unable to obtain essential student support services. Extenuating circumstances also includes special consideration of the specific factors associated with Veterans, CalWORKs, EOPS, and DSPS student status.  Foster Youth shall not be subject to loss of California College Promise Grant due to placement on Academic or Progress Probation.

Students may appeal for reinstatement of their California College Promise Grant eligibility by completing a “California College Promise Grant Appeal Form”. The Financial Aid Appeal Committee will review each complete and timely appeal and will make a decision whether or not to approve the appeal and to restore the student’s eligibility to receive the California College Promise Grant at FRC.  The student will be notified of the decision by email.  Committee decisions are final.

Students whose appeals are approved are eligible to receive the California College Promise Grant during the semester that he/she lost California College Promise Grant eligibility.

Regaining Eligibility for California College Promise Grant

Students who do not appeal or whose appeal is not approved, will not regain eligibility for the California College Promise Grant until they are no longer on Academic or Progress Probation, or after not attending FRC for two consecutive primary terms (fall/spring).