Danger of Losing Financial Aid

• Both Federal and State law mandate the courses you take must apply toward your degree program
• Federal and State financial aid regulations state that while financial aid can be given for those courses which are remedial (developmental) in nature and required by the institution, credit-bearing courses that are prerequisites for a required course in a program are not eligible for financial aid unless these courses can fill in for other requirements in the program (e.g. electives)

• The regulatory definition for full-time enrollment status (for undergraduates) has been revised to allow a student to retake (one time only per previously passed course), any previously passed course. For this purpose, passed means any grade higher than an F
• This retaken class may be counted towards a student’s en­rollment status and the student may be awarded Title IV aid for the enrollment status based on inclusion of the class
• A student may be repeatedly paid for repeatedly failing the same course (normal SAP policy still applies to such cases), and if a student withdraws be­fore completing the course that he or she is being paid Title IV funds for re­taking, then that is not counted as his or her one allowed retake for that course
• However, if a student passed a class once then is repaid for retaking it and fails the second time, that failure counts as their paid retake, and the student may not be paid for retaking the class a third time

• Recipients must be registered full-time, however at least six (6) credits must be college-level class work
• Second-time New York State Grant and Scholarship recipients or Transfer students who received New York State Grants and Scholarships at another college must be registered full-time and be taking at least nine (9) credits of college-level course work
• If a student has been registered for more than two semesters of college and is taking developmental coursework, they should check with a financial aid counselor in order to see how many college-level classes they need to take in order to receive TAP and other NYS Grants and Scholarships
• First time NY State Grant and Scholarship recipients who register for at least six (6) credits of developmental course work must take at least three (3) credits of college level coursework

• You could lose your financial aid eligibility for this semester and for future semesters: TAP and other New York State, Pell and other Federal Grants, Loans and Scholarships can be impacted drastically
• If you have attempted thirty (30) credits of developmental course work, you will not be eligible for any additional federal aid if the course work is developmental. Once you have attempted thirty (30) credits of developmental course work, you will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid for developmental courses
• Your financial aid could be reduced and you may have to repay part or all of your tuition and/or financial aid. Please check Financial Aid Refund information on the Bursar’s website for further details
• New Affordable Care Act: Under the Affordable Care Act, if your parents’ health insurance plan covers children, they can now add or keep you on their policy until age 26. For more information see the Wellness Center web pages
• You will or may have a W (withdrawal) grade on your permanent SUNY Sullivan academic transcript
• If you participate in intercollegiate athletics and you drop to part-time status, you may become ineligible to play, and could jeopardize the team
• You will have to pay the tuition again to take the same course(s) in the future if the course(s) you drop are required for graduation
• Should your enrollment status/attendance drop below six (6) credits, your current aid may be affected and you may become ineligible for certain aid programs such as Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans or a Pell Grant

• If you drop a course and are receiving a grant, loan, or scholarship, please check with a Financial Aid counselor for a review on the impact this may have with your future aid and with the Business Office for a review on the impact this may have on your current aid
• All state grant and scholarship programs can be affected if you drop classes or withdraw from college. These grants and programs include, but are not limited to: TAP, Child of a Veteran, Memorial Scholarship for families of Deceased Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Police Officers and Emergency Medical Service Workers, WTC, Flight 587, Military Service Recognition, Volunteer Recruitment Service, Aid to Native Americans, Vietnam Veterans, Academic Excellence, Regents, NY Lottery, and Robert Byrd
• All federal grant and scholarship programs can be affected if you drop classes or withdraw from college. These grants and programs include, but are not limited to: Pell, SEOG, Federal Work Study, Perkins Loans, and Stafford Loans

Attendance is important. Instructors may withdraw students from courses for excessive absences. If illness, accident or similar circumstances make it impossible for a student to attend classes for three or more consecutive days, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Records and Registration Office immediately. Financial Aid may be impacted.

• Ask the instructor for help and a realistic assessment of your performance in the class. Your instructor can help you, and you may be doing better than you think
• Contact Learning Assistance Services in the Library, or your academic department’s lab, or utilize a private supplemental instructor or tutor
  Talk to your academic advisor, or seek assistance at the Advising and Counseling Office
• Drop back to an easier course. If you do drop back to an easier course, check with the Financial Aid Office to see if it will impact your current aid

• Persons convicted of drug trafficking or possession under federal or state law may be ineligible to receive federal student aid including grants, loans, and work-study programs
• When completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, question 23 asks if the student has ever been convicted of a drug related offense. Failure to answer the question will automatically disqualify the student from receiving federal aid. Answering the question falsely, if discovered, could result in fines, imprisonment, or both
• Convictions count only if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal aid
• A conviction does not count if it was reversed, set aside or removed from the student’s record or if the conviction occurred when the student was a juvenile (before age 18) unless the student was tried as an adult
• According to the law, the following chart indicates the period of ineligibility for federal student aid (A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs)

• A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when he or she successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program
• Further convictions will make the student ineligible again
• Students denied eligibility for an indefinite period can regain it only after successfully completing a rehabilitation program as described below
• A qualified drug rehabilitation program must include at least two unannounced drug tests and must satisfy at least one of the following requirements:
  • Be qualified to receive funds directly or indirectly from a federal, state, or local government program, or federally or state-licensed insurance company
  • Be administered or recognized by a federal, state, or local government agency or court
  • Be administered or recognized by a federally or state-licensed hospital, health clinic, or medical doctor

It is the student’s responsibility to certify to the Financial Aid Administrator that he/she has successfully completed a qualified rehabilitation program.