Policies Table of Contents:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress policy SAP
• Office of Financial Aid Leave of Absence Policy
• Federal Financial Aid Refund and Repayment Policy

Satisfactory Academic Progress policy SAP

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for continued financial aid eligibility is reviewed every year after the conclusion of the spring semester. Students not making financial aid SAP are no longer eligible for financial aid (this includes federal and state grants and scholarships, federal work-study and federal student loans) but, may request and receive certain alternative loans to attend Ramapo College.  Students not making SAP may discuss alternative loan options that are available with their Loan Counselor in the Financial Aid Office.  Students not meeting any of the standards outlined below will receive a letter and/or email to their Ramapo College email address advising them of their status and the appeals process in late May/early June.

Maximum Time Frame for Completion

The maximum time frame during which you can continue financial aid eligibility cannot exceed 150% of the published length of your academic program,

For example, the number of credits required for Bachelor’s Degree programs at Ramapo College is 128. Therefore, when an undergraduate student has attempted greater than 192 credits (128 x 1.5) any additional credits they attempt would exceed the 150% maximum.

The number of credits that define the maximum time frame for graduate students will vary based on the number of credits required by the program, but will always be defined as 150% of the published length of the program.

When a students’ enrollment exceeds the 150% point, they are no longer eligible for federal and state financial aid.  Students may still have the option of applying for alternative/private loans.

Credits transferred to Ramapo College affect the quantitative measure and the maximum time frame for completion. For example, credits completed at another institution that are being counted towards a students’ degree/program will be used to determine academic progress. This includes credits from other colleges as well as other college credit programs such as AP and CLEP. All attempted credits count toward the 150% time‐frame requirement, even if a student changes major. 

Qualitative Standard

At the time of the annual SAP review, undergraduate students are expected to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) at Ramapo College of at least 2.0 in order to continue to be eligible for Financial Aid.  Graduate students are expected to have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.

Please note, these Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements are independent of the GPA requirements established by the Office of Academic Affairs.  For details on the College’s policies regarding academic standing view the online college catalog here.   

Quantitative Measure

At the time of the SAP review, students’ academic records must show they are completing a minimum of 67% of credits attempted toward graduation requirements.  This standard is the same for both graduate and undergraduate students.

Procedures for Appealing

Students not meeting the minimum SAP standards are ineligible for Federal, State, and institutional financial aid and will receive notice from the Financial Aid Office via email and/or letter. Students may request reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility on probation for the following semester by submitting an appeal to the Committee on Academic Progress in the Financial Aid Office prior to the deadline communicated in the students’ notification of ineligibility.

Appeal requests must be submitted in writing and must include

1. A Completed link SAP APPEAL FOR REINSTATEMENT OF FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY.
2. A typed appeal stating in detail, the DOCUMENTABLE mitigating circumstances that caused the student to fail to make satisfactory academic progress. The written appeal must also discuss what changes have (or will occur) to ensure the student will make progress during the next aid period.
3. The students’ realistic academic plan for improvement. Students should meet with an academic advisor to develop an academic plan of action and review their academic history prior to submitting an appeal.

All student granted aid on probation agree to a minimum  academic plan to earn all attempted credits registered for at the end of the following semesters add/drop period with at least a 2.0 GPA for undergraduate students (3.0 for graduate students).

ALL APPEALS MUST INCLUDE DOCUMENTATION OF THE MITIGATING CIRCUMSTANCES DESCRIBED IN THE WRITTEN APPEAL.

If approved, a student may be permitted to receive financial aid on probation for ONE semester. After that semester, the student will be expected to meet the SAP standards detailed above OR at least be meeting the minimum academic plan described in the appeals process in order to receive aid on continued probation for the following term.

If, after being on probation, a student is still not making SAP AND IS NOT meeting the academic plan, they may submit a subsequent appeal.  However, additional appeals cannot be granted based on the same circumstances outlined in the original appeal.

Office of Financial Aid Leave of Absence Policy

A leave of absence (LOA) is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study. A leave of absence (LOA) cannot exceed two or more consecutive fall and spring semesters or cohort terms, as this may have a serious impact on the student’s financial aid. Any student considering requesting a LOA that has received financial aid must consult with the Office of Financial Aid to determine how their financial aid may be affected.

According to federal regulations, 34 CFR 668.2(d), the following criteria outlines the requirements to process and an approved LOA:

• The student must request the leave of absence in writing to the Office of Student success for approval. The letter should state the reason or reasons for the request. The student needs to meet with their Academic Advisor to discuss the leave of absence in person. Additional information is provided on the College website at https://www.ramapo.edu/registrar/withdrawing-leave-of-absence/
• After meeting with the Center of Student Success the student must meet with an Office of Financial aid representative to discuss financial aid status (grace period, repayment, etc) prior to granting the LOA. The information that will be provided will include the financial consequences if the student fails to return from LOA.
• Student on Financial Aid must complete the Office of Financial Aid LOA & Withdrawal checklist form
• Student’s requesting a medical leave of absence due to medical reasons must make arrangements with the Center for Health and Counseling Services. Additional information is provided at https://www.ramapo.edu/chcs/mloa/
• An LOA cannot be granted for academic reasons (i.e.to keep a student from failing).
• There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from LOA.
• A student returning from an LOA must resume classes at the same point in the academic program that he or she began the LOA. (i.e. if student is a sophomore when the student takes an LOA, the student will be a sophomore when the student returns from LOA)
• Upon return from LOA, the institution may not assess the student any additional institutional charges related to returning from an LOA or withdrawal. Therefore, the student is not eligible for any additional federal student aid (Title IV funds).

A student granted an LOA is not to be considered withdrawn and no return of Title IV calculation is required. If a student does not meet the LOA criteria, the student is considered to have ceased attendance from the institution and a Title IV return of funds calculation is required if the student received federal aid.

Federal Financial Aid Refund and Repayment Policy

Students who officially withdraw or leave school before 60% of a semester concludes are subject to Federal regulations that determine the amount of Title IV financial aid funds that may be retained and the amount that must be returned.

The amount of Federal aid that must be returned is based on the percentage of time the student attended school during an academic term. Students are entitled to retain only that portion of Federal student aid that they have earned based on their attendance.

The formula through 60% of the payment period is as follows:
(# of days attended)/(# of days in semester)=% of earned Federal Student Aid
100%-(% of earned Federal Student Aid)=% of Federal aid to be returned

A repayment may be required when cash has been disbursed to a student from financial aid funds in excess of the amount of aid the student earned during the term. The amount of Title IV aid earned is determined by multiplying the total title IV aid (other than FWS) for which the student qualified by the percentage of time during the term that the student was enrolled.

If less aid was disbursed than was earned, the student may receive a late disbursement for the difference. If more aid was disbursed that was earned, the amount of Title IV aid that must be returned (i.e., that was unearned) is determined by subtracting the earned amount from the amount actually disbursed.

The responsibility for returning unearned aid is allocated between the College and the student according to the portion of disbursed aid that could have been used to cover institutional charges and the portion that could have been disbursed directly to the student once institutional charges were covered. Ramapo college will distribute the unearned aid back to the title IV programs as specified by law. The student will be billed for the amount the student owes to the title IV programs and any amount due to the college resulting from the return of title IV funds used to cover institutional charges.

As specified in Section 484B of the Higher Education Act, the law also specifies the order of return of Title IV funds to the programs from which they were awarded.

• Federal Direct Loan – Unsubsidized
• Federal Direct Loan – Subsidized
• Federal PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
• Other Federal Title IV Programs

The College reserves the right to change costs, dates and procedures at its discretion.