Applying for Aid

Apply for Aid — Step-by-Step

1. Apply to the University of Saint Francis.
2. Complete and submit the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA). Most financial aid (including grants and scholarships) is determined by the FAFSA, which must be submitted each year you are in college.
   • FAFSA can be filed starting October 1 but must be received for processing by the state no later than April 15.
   • USF’s priority deadline for funding is April 15.
   • USF’s FAFSA code: 001832
   • Make sure USF is listed on your FAFSA as a school of choice.
   • Need help creating an FSA ID or filing your FAFSA? Contact the Office of Financial Aid.
3. You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA. Review your SAR and submit any corrections to FAFSA.
4. Watch for and respond to any information sent from FAFSA (the US Department of Education), the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, or Saint Francis’ financial aid office.
5. Await your Financial Aid offer notification from Saint Francis. Note: Students must be full-time in order to receive institutional scholarships.

Throughout the Financial Aid process, you may need to verify, appeal, or adjust your application. If so, the following forms will be needed.

Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility

As important as it is to receive financial aid, it is equally important to maintain it. Per the Higher Education Act and Saint Francis’ own standards, financial aid recipients must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to keep their financial aid eligibility.

Standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at Saint Francis include the following:

Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement

Students must have the following cumulative GPA, per number of credit hours

Pace of Progression Toward Graduation

To maintain an appropriate pace of progression, students must earn a minimum of 2/3 (67%) of the credit hours attempted. For example, a student enrolled in 15 credit hours must complete 10. Repeat courses and courses that earn the following grades will not be counted toward graduation but will count as attempted credits: W, WP, WF, F, or I. Hours accepted for transfer will be counted as both earned and attempted hours in the calculation.

Repeated Coursework

Students are permitted to repeat a failed class but can only repeat a previously passed course (any grade other than W, WP, WF, F, or I) one time and receive financial aid for it. For example, if a student wants to repeat a passed class in order to improve the grade, she/he may do so one time.

Maximum Timeframe

Students must remain within the maximum timeframe to receive financial aid. Undergraduate students may not exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program. For example, if you are seeking a bachelor’s degree with 120 credit hours required, you can earn 150 percent of the length of the program or 180 credit hours and still be eligible to receive financial aid. All courses in which you receive a grade will be counted toward the duration of
eligibility. Grades include but are not limited to F, I, W, WP, WF, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, P. Once you exceed the 150 % rule, you will no longer be eligible for financial aid assistance. However, institutional aid may be limited to eight semesters.

Failure to Meet SAP Requirements

The Office of Financial Aid reviews enrollment records at the end of each term (fall, spring, summer). If a student does not meet the above-stated criteria, the student is put on Financial Aid Warning. The student has until the end of the next term to improve his/her status. If, at that time, the student does not meet the minimum GPA and two-thirds progression requirements, the student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Students will be notified in writing and will be directed to a SAP appeal form.

Appeal Process

Students who are suspended must appeal to have their financial aid reinstated. Appeals are submitted via the SAP Appeal Form along with supporting documentation prior to the beginning of the next term of attendance. Circumstances that may merit appeals include but are not limited to the following:

• Serious illness or injury to the student
• Death of an immediate family member
• Any other circumstances that cause the student undue hardship

The appeal must include a detailed description of why the student did not meet standards and what has changed that will allow her/him to meet them at the next evaluation. A successful appeal will result in either one semester of Financial Aid Probation or an approved Academic Plan for Financial Aid Funding signed by the student and academic adviser or SASS staff member.

Academic Plans may be used for multiple terms and are required if it will be mathematically impossible to meet SAP after the end of the next term. An Academic Plan must ensure that the student will be able to meet SAP standards by a specific future point in time.

Approved Academic Plans will be evaluated at the end of each term. Failure to meet the criteria of the Academic Plan will result in Financial Aid Suspension. Appeals will be reviewed by the director of Financial Aid, who will consult with appropriate staff or faculty members as needed. Students are allowed to appeal a maximum of two consecutive terms.