Financial Aid

Applying for Financial Aid

Financial aid consists of grants, loans and work programs which provide funds for students to assist them in paying for educational expenses. At Doane University, funds are awarded to students based on their qualifications and/or financial need. Financial aid that is based on need must be applied for and reviewed annually. The financial aid award year begins in August and runs through the summer term.

A new student who wishes to apply for financial aid should:

1. Complete the Doane University application for admission.
2. Pay the application fee.
3. Be officially admitted into the college.
4. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Doane’s Title IV code is 002544. This must be done each financial aid award year.
5. Complete the Doane University Financial Aid Questionnaire. The site is www.doane.edu/forms-worksheets
6. Register for classes.

A continuing student who wishes to apply for financial aid should:

1. Complete the Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on-line at www.fafsa.gov. Doane’s Title IV code is 002544. This application must be completed annually. Commitments for financial aid based upon financial need are made annually.
2. Complete the Doane University Financial Aid Questionnaire. The site is www.doane.edu/forms-worksheets
3. Register for classes.

For more information on the types of financial aid, you may refer to the university website or the Financial Aid Newsletter at www.doane.edu/financial-aid-newsletter.

Requirements and Availability of Financial Aid

All types of financial aid are normally awarded for an academic year and credited equally to each term’s charges. Each term, the Financial Aid Office examines the records of students receiving financial aid to determine if they are fulfilling the necessary requirements for the aid awarded to them.

1. Students who already have a baccalaureate degree are not eligible for institutional scholarships and/or grants.
2. Financial aid award notification is based on full-time enrollment (six credit hours), unless a student indicates part-time attendance. If a student changes from full-time to part-time status (fewer than six hours), it can affect the financial aid package. You will be notified when your aid is adjusted.
3. Students receiving any additional scholarships or tuition assistance from any outside source or employer must report this resource to the Financial Aid Office or on the Financial Aid Questionnaire. All resources available must be included in the financial aid award. In some instances, it may be necessary to adjust other financial aid. Veteran’s Education Benefits are not factored into the students’ award.

NOTE: Students are not eligible to receive federal aid for classes added after census day (last day to drop and add).

Satisfactory Academic Progress for Title IV Federal Financial Aid

Doane University is required by federal regulations to define and monitor standards of satisfactory academic progress for students who are receiving or wish to receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid from one or more of the following programs:

1. Federal Pell Grant
2. Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
3. NOG (Nebraska Opportunity Grant)
4. FWS (Federal Work-Study)
5. Federal Perkins Loan
6. Federal Stafford Loan
7. Federal PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students)
8. Federal TEACH Grant
9. Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant

Standards of Satisfactory Academic progress consist of two measurements:

1. Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) - ensures the student is able to meet the minimum academic grade point average (GPA) to complete a degree at Doane University
2. Pace - measures the student’s progress toward a degree by completing a certain percentage of attempted hours.

Each term the financial aid office reviews the academic records of all students to determine if a student is maintaining the required minimum cumulative grade point average to be eligible to receive Title IV Federal Financial Aid. Below is the minimum grade point average requirements based on the number of attempted credits:

NOTE: Withdrawals, in-completes, in-progress, F, and no pass grades are attempted credits.

Transfer credits are not factored into a student’s cumulative GPA, but are considered in the number of attempted credits. For example, if Doane University accepted 60 transfer credit hours from another institution, the student would be required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 to ensure he/she is meeting graduation requirements.

In addition to the minimum cumulative GPA standards, the financial aid office must also ensure the student is completing at least 75% of their attempted hours and is progressing through their program of study towards completion of a degree. Attempted credits are measured by the number of credits the student was enrolled in as of census day (last day for drop and add) each term. At the end of each term, the financial aid office will review all student records to determine if they have completed at least 75 percent of their total hours attempted. The measurement used is as follows:

Only credit hours passed (grades A through D and P) are considered as credits earned. Transfer credits are considered in both the total credit hours completed and in the total credit hours attempted. Grades of I and /or IP are not counted as credits earned until they are replaced by a satisfactory letter grade. Grades of I, IP, W, and F are included as attempted credits in the calculation. A student should notify the financial aid office when I and IP’s grades are replaced with a satisfactory letter grade.

Maximum Time Frame

Students may be able to receive federal financial aid for up to 150% of the credits required to earn a bachelor’s degree or until degree requirements have been met, whichever is less.  For example, if a student is required to successfully complete 123 credits for a bachelor’s degree, the maximum amount of credits they could receive aid for is 185 attempted credits.

 Note:  All attempted credits are counted in the 150% calculation regardless if the student received federal financial aid.  Attempted credits include: credits for which a satisfactory grade was earned, transfer credits, withdrawals, in-completes, repeated courses, F, and no pass grades.

Financial Aid Warning

Students that are not meeting either the (CGPA) and/or the (PACE) measurements at the end of a term, are placed on Financial Aid Warning the ensuing term of enrollment. Students are allowed to receive financial aid during the Financial Aid Warning period. A student receives only one Financial Aid Warning term while at Doane University. The student will be notified in writing of their Financial Aid Warning Status.

Financial Aid Suspension

Financial Aid Suspension occurs following the term of Warning or any subsequent term after the Warning term if the student fails to achieve the minimum CGPA and/or the 75 percent completion rate. Students are not eligible to receive Title IV Federal financial aid if on suspension and are notified in writing of his/her Financial Aid Suspension status. Students may be able to continue taking coursework, however they are not able to receive Title IV federal aid funds and will need to pay at their own expense.

Appeals

If the student has experienced extenuating circumstances which have impeded his/her ability to make satisfactory academic progress, the student may appeal his/her suspension. The contents of the academic program are determined on a case by case basis dependent on the circumstances and whether or not it is a qualitative or quantitative issue which has caused the financial aid suspension. Examples of extenuating circumstances include; death of a relative, personal injury or illness of the student, family medical emergency, etc.

A student must submit their circumstances in writing by the date notated in their suspension letter. The appeal must include the following information:

1. Explanation of the circumstance that prevented him/her from making satisfactory progress
2. Explanation of what has changed or been resolved for him/her to make satisfactory progress in the ensuing term and going forward.
3. Supporting documentation of the extenuating circumstance.

The appeal is considered incomplete if any of the three requirements are missing and it will not be sent to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee for review. If the financial aid appeal committee agrees to let the student continue to receive financial aid for an additional term due to extenuating circumstances, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation or on a Financial Aid Academic Monitoring Plan.

Financial Aid Probation/Academic Monitoring Plan

Students placed on Financial Aid Probation will be required to complete an academic plan and agree to the terms and the conditions of the plan in order to receive financial aid. The student’s progress will be monitored to ensure he/she is meeting the conditions of the academic plan. If the student completes the terms and conditions of the academic plan, and does not return to satisfactory status after the ensuing term, the student will remain on Financial Aid Academic Monitoring Plan. The student can continue to receive financial aid as long as he/she is meeting the conditions of the academic plan.

If after the term of Financial Aid Probation Monitoring the student has not complied with the terms of the academic plan and has not returned to satisfactory status, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and is not eligible to receive Title IV federal financial aid.

Reinstatement

Reinstatement of Title IV federal financial aid occurs at the end of any term in which the student reaches the 75% percent completion rate and has met the required minimum GPA requirement consistent with graduation requirements. At his/her own expense, a student may take courses to attempt to regain their Title IV federal financial aid eligibility. A student who has regained their eligibility may contact the financial aid office if they wish to begin receiving Title IV federal financial aid.

NOTE: Transfer students accepted into Doane University are usually considered making satisfactory academic progress when admitted to a degree program at Doane University. However, if a student was not making progress at his/her previous institution, the student may be placed on Financial Aid Warning by the Financial Aid Office. The student will notified in writing if placed on Financial Aid Warning upon being admitted to Doane University.

Notice of Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Violations is located on-line at www.doane.edu/federal-drug-conviction

Repeat Coursework

A student may receive financial aid for a course taken previously. The student may only receive financial aid twice for the repeated coursework.

The exception to this rule is when a student receives university credits for his/her participation in Intercollegiate Athletics and/or membership in one of the major vocal/instrumental music ensembles.

In addition to the Title IV federal aid rules, a student is subject to Doane University’s Institutional Academic Policies. A student not maintaining the minimum grade point average based on credits attempted (as referenced above) may be subject to Academic Probation and/or Academic Suspension at the end of any term if the student is not meeting the above referenced cumulative GPA requirements. The Vice President for Academic Affairs may place a student on Academic probation or Academic suspension if a student is not making satisfactory progress or is in danger of not meeting all university graduation requirements. If a student is on Academic Suspension, he/she is not allowed to enroll in classes at Doane University. Specific conditions of Academic Probation and Academic Suspension are communicated in writing to the student by the Academic Affairs office.

Note: This policy is separate from the Federal Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.