Tips for instructors and advisors
How withdrawal affects financial aid
Withdrawal after the 60% point
Students earn financial aid during the course of a semester's enrollment.
Based on federal and Massachusetts policies, students who receive
financial aid from federal and state sources are considered to
have earned all of their financial aid once they have passed the
60% point in the semester. If students withdraw officially from
their classes after this point, they have earned 100% of the aid
awarded to them, just as if they had completed the semester.
Withdrawal before the 60% point
However, the same policies say that students receiving federal
or state financial aid who withdraw officially before this 60%
point will have earned only a certain portion of their aid, prorated
according to the percentage of the semester they have completed.
For example, a student receiving a federal Pell Grant who withdraws
from all of her classes at the 25% point of the semester will have
earned 25% of her Pell Grant for the semester.
Determining the withdrawal date
For a student officially withdrawing from the College, the withdrawal
date is either the date a student began the College's withdrawal
process, or officially notified the Registrar's Office of intent
to withdraw. If a student does not officially withdraw, the date
is either the midpoint of the semester or the date as determined by documented by class attendance records or by an academically
related activity.
Failure to attend
If an enrolled student does not attend even one class, as determined
by deficiency notices and other means, the students is considered
to be unenrolled for the semester. This means that the student's
charges for tuition and fees are cancelled, and that the student
does not receive financial aid for the semester.
Calculating the financial aid adjustment
The Financial Aid Office calculates a student's financial aid adjustment
within 30 days of the student's official withdrawal. The Financial
Aid Office will mail a notice to a withdrawn student indicating
whether the student (1) owes the college any tuition, fees, or
book charges, (2) owes a refund of any aid previously received,
or (3) should expect the refund of any excess funds.
If any federal aid was disbursed directly to a student, the student
is responsible for returning any unused funds to the federal or
state financial aid programs in a timely manner. Failure to do
so may result in your being ineligible for any future federal or
state student aid.
Reminder: Students withdrawing during the first ten days of a given
semester are also entitled to partial refunds of tuition charges
under the College's regular refund
policy
Repeat courses and appeals process
Because federal and state policies do not permit financial aid
to cover repeated courses, students generally have to cover costs
for those repeated courses themselves. There are two important
exceptions:
First, students who repeat a course for which they have received
an "F" or "0" grade may receive financial aid to repeat such courses
for a total of three times.
Second, students who repeat a course for which they have received
a grade, other than "F" or "0," which does not meet the standards
of the program within which the student is matriculated may receive
financial aid to retake that course three times. For example, the
Nursing Program requires a minimum grade of C+ for certain courses.
Financial aid would cover taking such courses until the required
minimum grade is earned, but no more than three times.
At the beginning of each semester, the Financial Aid Office identifies
financial aid recipients who are repeating courses and informs
the students that they may be ineligible for financial aid for
such retaken courses unless it is determined that they students
meet one of the above exceptions.
Satisfactory academic progress
To be eligible for financial aid, federal and Massachusetts authorities
and official GCC policy require students to be making "satisfactory
academic progress." Each semester the Financial Aid Office
monitors students' GPA, and also reviews the success of financial
aid students in earning credits toward their degrees and certificates. Students
also need to earn their degrees within a certain number of attempted
credits, usually about 90 for an associate degree.
Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress are
informed of their status, and that they are ineligible for financial
aid. They are also permitted to appeal their status so that their
eligibility for financial aid may be reinstated.
Federal Pell Grant eligibility
Some students believe that in order to receive a Pell Grant, they must be enrolled full-time. That is incorrect. The Federal Pell Grant is awarded on the basis of financial need, and is pro-rated based on enrollment. For example, a full-time student may be eligible for a Pell Grant of $4000 for the academic year, while the same student enrolled half-time would be eligible for one-half of that, or $2000 for the year, and so forth.
Federal college work-study
The federal college work-study program allows students to work
about ten hours per week in on-campus and off-campus jobs. Staff or faculty
wishing to hire a work-study student for an upcoming academic year
need to make such a request in the previous spring semester, and
the respective department budget needs to include appropriate funding.
Students who are awarded or interested in work-study are required
to attend an informational meeting in late August, after which
they contact prospective employing departments and together arrange
student duties and hours.
Currently, the hourly wage is $7.50 per hour, $8.50 per hour evenings.