by Ryan Norman
Financial aid has students on campus about to unravel. They're confused and down right mad. Reason being: the Federal Government has recently changed financial aid regulations for schools to review a student’s satisfactory academic progress, which has caused changes to West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Financial Aid process. As of this semester, students receiving financial aid will experience more strict time restraints on warning periods, requiring a four-week viewing process on student’s attendance.
The restraint will also affect students when their completion percentage drops below 75 percent, or their GPA falls below 2.0. “The Department of Education had a requirement that students show satisfactory academic progress for the degree in order to remain academically eligible for consideration,” said August Kafer, director of Financial Aid at WVU Parkersburg.
Previously, students were not reviewed until two semesters were completed. Under the new plan, students will be heavily monitored immediately after completing their first semester. If a student is not meeting the requirements, they will be placed on a one-semester probation period. If a student has two consecutive unsatisfactory semesters, aid to that student will be suspended until he/she complies with the standards.
There is assistance on campus that will help, and if a student feels like they are not doing well in a course that may impact financial aid,he/she should reach out for help. Their goal is to make sure every student graduates from a program within time listed, which would be the case if they completed the minimum percentage of credit hours they attempt. This policy will give students an opportunity to rethink their careers if they are not doing as well as they should be in certain areas. “The Department of Education felt that schools were not adequately monitoring students and does not have the right policies to keep up with federal regulations,” Kafer said.
Although nearly every college student wants a scholarship to help pay tuition, only about 50 percent of college students are expected to receive free money in 2011 and 2012. The shortage of scholarships is expected to be especially severe in 2011 and 2012. Many scholarship programs are “first come, first served.”
The state of Illinois ran out of its state grant money on April 18 last year, turning away more than 138,000 qualified students who had waited too long to turn in their applications. Now that Federal Pell Grants are not increasing along with tuition, and many states are cutting their scholarship programs, a growing number of students are left with gaps between their college costs and the money they have on hand. Currently, four percent of financial aid-receiving students have suspended aid, and the number keeps increasing.
Financial aid has students on campus about to unravel. They're confused and down right mad. Reason being: the Federal Government has recently changed financial aid regulations for schools to review a student’s satisfactory academic progress, which has caused changes to West Virginia University at Parkersburg’s Financial Aid process. As of this semester, students receiving financial aid will experience more strict time restraints on warning periods, requiring a four-week viewing process on student’s attendance.
The restraint will also affect students when their completion percentage drops below 75 percent, or their GPA falls below 2.0. “The Department of Education had a requirement that students show satisfactory academic progress for the degree in order to remain academically eligible for consideration,” said August Kafer, director of Financial Aid at WVU Parkersburg.
Previously, students were not reviewed until two semesters were completed. Under the new plan, students will be heavily monitored immediately after completing their first semester. If a student is not meeting the requirements, they will be placed on a one-semester probation period. If a student has two consecutive unsatisfactory semesters, aid to that student will be suspended until he/she complies with the standards.
There is assistance on campus that will help, and if a student feels like they are not doing well in a course that may impact financial aid,he/she should reach out for help. Their goal is to make sure every student graduates from a program within time listed, which would be the case if they completed the minimum percentage of credit hours they attempt. This policy will give students an opportunity to rethink their careers if they are not doing as well as they should be in certain areas. “The Department of Education felt that schools were not adequately monitoring students and does not have the right policies to keep up with federal regulations,” Kafer said.
Although nearly every college student wants a scholarship to help pay tuition, only about 50 percent of college students are expected to receive free money in 2011 and 2012. The shortage of scholarships is expected to be especially severe in 2011 and 2012. Many scholarship programs are “first come, first served.”
The state of Illinois ran out of its state grant money on April 18 last year, turning away more than 138,000 qualified students who had waited too long to turn in their applications. Now that Federal Pell Grants are not increasing along with tuition, and many states are cutting their scholarship programs, a growing number of students are left with gaps between their college costs and the money they have on hand. Currently, four percent of financial aid-receiving students have suspended aid, and the number keeps increasing.