FAQ: Rights & Responsibilities
What are my financial aid rights and responsibilities?
If you are a financial aid recipient you have certain rights and responsibilities:
You have the right to:
- Confidentiality - the privacy of your file is protected
- Appeal financial aid decisions about your application. Written appeals should be submitted to the Student Aid Appeals Committee in care of the Office of Financial Aid.
- Information about the terms and conditions of financial aid programs. This information is provided in the Rollins College Catalogue and in the Student Aid Award Notice enclosures.
- Inspect your education records and request amendment of those records, if you believe them to be inaccurate, by contacting the Dean of your program.
- File a complaint with the Department of Education if you believe your right to confidentiality has been compromised.
- Defer Direct Loan payments for Peace Corps or certain other types of volunteer service after you graduate.
You are responsible for:
- Submitting accurate applications and forms before the deadlines.
- Following instructions for application, renewal of aid, or resolving problems. Providing the Dean of Students Office with accurate permanent and local addresses and telephone numbers.
- Notifying the Office of Financial Aid if a change in your family financial situation occurs, or if you receive assistance from an outside source.
- Reading the provided information about the terms and conditions of all aid programs.
- Requesting special assistance when it is needed.
- Maintaining satisfactory academic progress according to the policies established for financial aid recipients.
What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)?
In order to receive financial aid at Rollins, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). These standards apply to federal, state, and institutional need-based aid; however, merit-based scholarships (including Bright Futures and Rollins Scholarships) may require higher renewal criteria.
SAP Monitoring
The Office of Financial Aid monitors SAP annually at the end of each spring term. Notifications are mailed and emailed to students who are not meeting SAP any later than June 1st each year. You may also view your status from MyRollins.
Qualitative Standards
GRADE-POINT-AVERAGE: Undergraduate students must successfully achieve a cumulative 2.0 GPA and graduate students must successfully achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Courses that are taken outside of Rollins (with the exception of Rollins affiliated study abroad courses) do not count towards your Rollins cumulative GPA.
Quantitative Standards
COMPLETION RATE: Students must successfully complete 67% of coursework in order to meet SAP standards (defined as completion rate or pace). Transfer hours accepted into Rollins count as both hours attempted and hours completed. Incompletes and withdrawal grades count as attempted hours, but not toward completed hours.
Completed Hours / Attempted Hours = Completion Rate
Please note: if you have transfer hours, add the accepted transfer hours to Earned Hours and Attempted Hours in the calculation.
Example: If Student A attempted 20 credit hours in the fall and completed 12 credits plus attempted 15 credit hours in the spring and completed 8, then the completion rate would be 57% (20 completed hours divided by 35 attempted hours). In this example, Student A would not meet the Completion Rate SAP standard.
MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME: Students must complete degree requirements within 150% of the published semester hour length of the academic program. Undergraduate degree requirements are 140 credit hours and, therefore, the maximum degree completion time frame is defined as 210 credit hours attempted.
Financial Aid Suspension
Students must meet all of the Qualitative and Quantitative Standards as outlined above in order to receive financial aid. If you do not meet one or more SAP requirements, a letter will be mailed to your permanent address on file as well as an email to your Rollins account. A notification in your Foxlink account will also appear.
Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility
What Happens: If your GPA is less than a 2.0
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your GPA to at least a 2.0 or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.
What Happens: If you do not have an overall completion rate of 67% or higher
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your completion rate to least 67% or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.
What Happens: If both your GPA is less than a 2.0 and your overall completion rate is less than 67%
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your GPA to at least a 2.0 and your completion rate to at least 67% or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.
What Happens: If you attempt over 150% of your program of study (major)
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: you can appeal one time if you have mitigating circumstances.
1. If you successfully complete coursework that improves your Rollins GPA and/or completion rate, please notify the Office of Financial Aid once grades are available. As noted earlier, you are evaluated on an annual basis. However, you may request an SAP review at the end of any semester of enrollment. Please note that if approved, need-based grants and scholarships may only be reinstated for the upcoming semester. Loans may be available for the entire academic year.
2. You may submit an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid. Information on how to submit an appeal will be provided in the email and letter notification. Download Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Instructions (PDF).
- Please provide a typed personal statement explaining the mitigating circumstances and what actions you are taking to ensure future academic progress.
- Provide any relevant documentation to support your appeal.
- If approved, you will be placed on financial aid probation for the upcoming semesters. Your SAP probation letter will outline the requirements needed to continue receiving financial aid in subsequent semesters.
SAP Appeal Reviews
The committee will review your appeal within 10-15 business days after receipt of your completed appeal form and the required documentation. Decisions are made after a careful review of your circumstances, federal regulations, and Rollins guidelines. You will be notified of the outcome via your Rollins email account. Regularly monitor your Rollins email for additional information.
Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval of aid eligibility. As such, the earlier you submit your appeal, the sooner you will know if your aid can be reinstated. Decisions are made after a careful evaluation of your unique circumstances, Federal Title IV regulations, and Rollins guidelines. You will be notified of the committee's decision via your Rollins email account. During this time, you will be responsible for any and all charges on your account (including late fees). We encourage appeals to be submitted no later than one month prior to the beginning of classes in order to receive a timely decision. You may submit an appeal after that time; however, you may not know the outcome of your appeal prior to the end of the 100% refund period which may result in charges.
Deadlines:
- Appeals should be submitted no later than one month prior to the beginning of classes.
- July 1st: appeals received after this date are not eligible for summer financial aid.
- November 1st: appeals received after this date are not eligible for fall financial aid.
- April 1st: appeals received after this date will not be reviewed for the current academic year.
Rollins Scholarships and Florida programs (Florida Student Assistance Grant, Effective Access to Education Grant, and Bright Futures) have separate renewal criteria. Contact financial aid to learn more.
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