Financial Aid - Eligibility Criteria

Independant Status
Citizenship
Acceptable Documentation for Verification
Social Security Number
Selective Service
Loss of Student Eligibility for Federal Aid Due To Drug Conviction
Default Status
Academic Progress
Add and Drop Procedures
Academic Probation and Dismissal
How Bloomfield College Determines Eligibility

APPEAL FOR INDEPENDANT STATUS

In unusual cases, your financial aid counselor can determine that a student who doesn't meet the dependency criteria should nevertheless be treated as an independent student. The financial aid counselor can change your dependency status from dependent to independent based on adequate documentation of any special circumstances you might have. However, you must provide this documentation because your financial aid counselor will not automatically change your status. The decision to change or not change your dependency status will be based on your financial aid counselor’s professional judgment. 

If you believe that you qualify for filing as an independent student and have the necessary documents, please use the Appeal for Independent Statusform.

CITIZENSHIP

STUDENT MUST BE IN ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CITIZENSHIP CATEGORIES TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR AID:

• U.S. citizen or national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island )
• U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551c (Alien Registration Receipt Card)

If none of these categories apply, the student must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing one of the following designations to be eligible:

"Refugee"

"Asylum Granted"

"Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"

"Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending"

"Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)

ACCEPTABLE DOCUMENTATION FOR VERIFICATION

A Copy of the student’s official birth certificate showing that he/she was born in the U.S.

A copy of Form FS-240 ("Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the U.S.), the FS-545 ("Certificate of Birth-Foreign Service"), the DS-1350 ("Certificate of Birth"), or the INS Form G-639 (the Freedom of Information Act Form). The first three forms are generated by the State department and include an embossed seal.

A U.S. Passport, which may be current or expired. (In the case of nationals who are not citizens, the passport will be stamped "Noncitizen National".)

A certificate of citizenship from the INS, which includes certificate number and date of issue.

A Certificate of Naturalization from the INS, which must include date, certificate number and the INS A-Number.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

To be eligible to receive Federal and State funds, each student must provide a valid Social Security Number (SSN). The FAFSA verifies that the given student’s SSN is correct and that the SSN corresponds to the given student’s name and birth date.

If there is a discrepancy in the student’s information, the FAFSA will indicate that the SSN does not match to the information of the Social Security Administration (SSA). The student will be required to resolve any conflicts before receiving aid. See below:

SSN INVALID If the SSN does not match with the SSA, (i.e., the number is not found in their database) the FAFSA will be rejected. The SAR will indicate that the student should correct the SSN. When the SSN has been reported incorrectly on the FAFSA the student should submit a copy of the SS card to the OFA. If the SSN reported was correct the student must contact a local or regional SSA office to resolve the problem..

DISCREPANCY ON DATE OF BIRTH If the student’s name and SSN match but the SSA shows a different date of birth this will be indicated on the SAR. The student must correct this either through the school or by submitting the SAR for correction. Note that the FAFSA will be rejected if the year of birth is mistakenly reported to be the current year (or a year later). In this case the student must submit a SAR correction before aid can be received

DISCREPANCY ON NAME If the SSN exists in the database but there is a discrepancy regarding the student’s name, this will be indicated on the SAR. The student must make the correction either through the school or by submitting a SAR correction. This situation is likely to occur when a student used a nickname on the FAFSA or failed to inform the SSA of a name change (from marriage, for instance). If both the reported name and SSN are correct, the student should contact the SSA so it can correct its records.

SELECTIVE SERVICE

Most males from ages 18 through 25 –including permanent residents and other eligible noncitizens- are required to register with the Selective Service System. Anyone required to register must have done so in order to receive financial aid. Persons exempted from this requirement include:

1. Females
2. Males currently in the armed services and on active duty (this exception does not apply to members of the Reserves and National Guard who are not on active duty)
3. Males who are not yet 18 at the time they complete their FAFSA (an update is not required during the year, even if the student turns 18 after completing the application);
4. Males born before 1960; and
5. Citizens of Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau.

There are certain less common situations in which the registration requirement is waived. Students who are not required to have already registered prior to meeting one of these criteria and who meet one of the criteria for the entire time they are 18 through 25 qualify for the waiver if they are

1. Unable to register due to being hospitalized, incarcerated, or institutionalized;
2. Enrolled in any officer procurement program at The Citadel, North Georgia College, Norwich University, or Virginia Military Institute;
3. Commissioned Public Health Service officers on active duty or members of the Reserve of the Public Health Service; or
4. Commissioned officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Financial Aid Department must document the student’s status (i.e., whether registered, exempt or can be waived) . If we cannot clearly verify selective service status, the student will be required to contact Selective Service to either confirm registration or obtain a "STATUS INFORMATION LETTER" and provide that documentation to the Financial Aid Department. If the student’s registration is confirmed he will then be allowed to receive financial aid funds. Otherwise, the student remains ineligible until the situation is resolved.

Students who were required to register but failed to do so, must submit a written explanation (with any supporting documentation) of the reason for not registering to the Financial Aid Department. He must also include a "STATUS INFORMATION LETTER" obtained from Selective Service with this explanation. The Financial Aid Administrator determines whether the student’s reason qualifies for exempt status thereby making him eligible to receive aid.

Loss of Student Eligibility for Federal Aid due to Drug Conviction

The Higher Education Amendments of 1998 include a new student eligibility provision. It provides that a student is ineligible for federal student aid if convicted, under federal or state law, of any offense involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance (generally meaning illegal drugs). The period of ineligibility begins on the date of conviction and lasts until the end of a statutorily specified period. The student may regain eligibility early by completing a drug rehabilitation program or if the conviction is overturned

This new student eligibility provision will not be implemented until regulations, which are currently being finalized, defining an acceptable drug rehabilitation program take effect on July 1, 2000.

Nonetheless, a student's actions between now and the effective date of the regulations may affect the student’s eligibility. For example, a first conviction for possession of a controlled substance on February 1, 2000, will make the student ineligible for federal financial aid from July 1, 2000 (the effective date of the regulations) until January 31, 2001.

Students affected by the new law may avoid the loss of eligibility by completing an acceptable drug rehabilitation program prior to July 1, 2000.

Section 484®*, Higher Education Act of 1965, detailing the suspension of eligibility for drug-related offenses and rehabilitation, follows.

In general. - A student who has been convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan, or work assistance under this title during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the following table:

1. Rehabilitation. - A student whose eligibility has been suspended under paragraph (1) may resume eligibility before the end of the ineligibility period determined under such paragraph if -
   
   a. the student satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that –

a. the student satisfactorily completes a drug rehabilitation program that –
1. complies with such criteria as the Secretary shall prescribe in regulations for purposes of this paragraph; and
2. includes two unannounced drug tests; or
b. the conviction is reversed, set aside, or otherwise rendered nugatory.

1. Definitions. – In this subsection, the term "controlled substance" has the meaning given the term in section 102(6) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C.802(6)).
   
   

DEFAULT STATUS

Borrowers are in default if the loan becomes 180 days delinquent (or if they fail to meet any other terms of the promissory note for 180 days) and the lender concludes they do not intend to honor their obligation to repay. Before reporting a default to a national credit bureau, the lender gives the borrower written notice of its proposed actions, an opportunity to enter into a repayment agreement, and an opportunity for a review of the loan’s status.

Borrowers in default are ineligible for Student Financial Aid funds but can take the following actions to have eligibility reinstated:

A borrower may repay the defaulted loan in full or make satisfactory repayment arrangements, defined as six consecutive, voluntary, on time, full monthly payments that are reasonable and affordable given the borrower’s financial situation. "On time" means within 15 days of scheduled due date, "Voluntary" payments are those the borrower makes directly, whether or not a judgment exists. Voluntary payments do not include these obtained by income tax offset, garnishment, or income or asset execution.

For purposes of regaining eligibility a student may make satisfactory repayment arrangements on a defaulted Direct loan only once. for purposes of consolidating a defaulted loan, three payments are required instead of six.

If a borrower regains eligibility during an enrollment period, (for example, if the sixth payment under a satisfactory repayment arrangement is made after the start of an enrollment period), the borrower regains eligibility for the entire academic year.

Academic Progress

Academic Progress is a requirement for all students receiving federal, state, or institutional aid. Specifically, financial aid recipients must meet both a qualitative and a quantitative standard to maintain eligibility for financial aid. The qualitative measure is set by the college and is referred to as Academic Standing. In addition to maintaining good academic standing, based on maintaining a certain cumulative grade point average, students must successfully earn minimal numbers of degree credits for each term of attendance.

The faculty has established the following standards of academic progress:

EQUIVALENT NUMBER OF COURSE UNITS WHICH NUMBER OF MUST BE COMPLETED WITH A SEMESTERS PASSING GRADE

I. Maximum Time Frame

While many students complete a bachelor’s degree in four years, various circumstances such as needing to satisfy EAP or ACF requirements before beginning college level courses, changing majors, withdrawing from courses due to health problems, failing a course, or other factors, may increase the time required. Accordingly, Bloomfield College considers 12 semesters (six years or 150% of full-time normal time frame) as the maximum amount of time during which full-time day students can continue as matriculated degree candidates. Full-time Weekend College students may take as long as 16 semesters (150% of the normal time frame) to complete their degree requirements.

II. Minimum Progress

Within this time frame, students will be expected to continue making degree. At a minimum, students who start as freshmen at Bloomfield College must have completed with a passing grade the following number of courses after each semester of full time attendance.

III. Transfer Students

For any student entering Bloomfield College with transfer credits, an evaluation will be performed to determine the number of courses required to complete the degree requirements at Bloomfield based on the selected major. The maximum time frame allowed will be calculated on a case by case basis, depending on the actual number of courses that a student needs to complete her/his degree. Full-time students may not exceed 12 semesters; part-time and full-time students may not exceed 150% of the normal time frame.

All information in sections I-IV apply.

IV. Part-Time Students

Students who take fewer than 11.2 courses during a semester will be considered as enrolled for 1.4 semester and will be required to make 1.4 of the progress of a full-time student. Students enrolled for at least 11.2 courses but fewer than three courses will be considered as enrolled for 1.2 semester and will be required to make 1.2 the progress of a full-time student. Thus a student who has completed six courses after three semesters of full time attendance and then enrolls in two courses for the next semester, will be considered to have been enrolled for 31.2 semesters and will be required to complete 71.2 courses. If this student enrolls full time the next semester then the student will be required to complete 101.2 courses.

V. Mitigating Circumstances

Students who do not make satisfactory progress but believe there are mitigating circumstances should discuss the situation with the Registrar. The Registrar may determine that a student not meeting the above conditions is nevertheless making satisfactory progress if the reason for the lack of progress has to do with health or other serious problems beyond the student’s control. The Registrar will make this determination only if it is clear that the problem has been solved and the student can now be expected to make normal progress. The Registrar will inform the Committee on Academic Standards of all such decisions. If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the Registrar, then the student can appeal by writing a letter to the Committee on Academic Standards of the faculty, which has final authority to determine if the student is making satisfactory progress.

VI. Verification of Progress

Determination of a student’s progress is conducted once each year, prior to the start of the fall semester. All courses taken during the preceding academic year, including summer courses, are counted. If a student did not earn sufficient credits during the fall semester but “caught up” during the spring or summer, he/she is considered as currently making satisfactory progress. The student is then eligible for the entire period of enrollment (i.e. academic year) in which the student met the academic progress standards. Courses taken at another college as a visiting student are counted toward satisfactory progress. If a student wishes to remain at Bloomfield College and “make-up” the credits, he/she may have a one semester grace period in which to do so. However, if a student withdraws from Bloomfield College, enrolls at another college and then returns to Bloomfield, the student’s academic progress will be determined by the same standards as a transfer student. A student who withdraws from a course or receives a failing grade will not receive credit for that course in establishing standards of progress. An Incomplete grade will not be counted towards the number of course completed until the student has successfully met the requirements of the course and received a grade.

ACADEMIC STATUS

Decisions on academic status (i.e., probation, dismissal and honors) are made twice each year at the end of the fall and spring semesters.

ADD AND DROP PROCEDURES

A student may change a schedule (add and/or drop course) during the first week of a semester by completing an official change of schedule form available in the Office of Advising and Registration. A student should follow the same procedure to drop a course from the schedule during the second week of the semester. A course section may be changed during the second week only with the instructor’s approval. After the end of the second week of classes, no course may be changed unless the Committee on Academic Standards makes an exception. However, a student may withdraw from a course up to two weeks after the official date of mid-semester by completing the withdrawal form. A grade of “W” will be recorded for students who withdraw from classes from the 2nd week of classes up to the 60% point of the semester. After the 60% point a grade of “WF” will be recorded. Once 60% of the semester is completed (refer to calendar) students must petition the Faculty’s Committee on Academic Standards for permission to withdraw from courses and receive a “W” grade. The student must complete petition forms and file them in the Office of Advising and The Academic Standards Committee will not accept academic failure or poor academic performance as a sufficient reason for withdrawal. Some reasons which the Committee will consider are:

– serious illness and/or injury with documentation from a doctor;

– unavoidable change in work hours with documented letter from the employer;

– serious personal or family problems with authentication when available.

Inability to perform satisfactorily in a course will not acceptably support such a petition. No course may be withdrawn from after the date of the last officially scheduled class.

There will be no refunds in tuition or fees after the fourth week of classes, even if part-time status is apparently achieved by withdrawing from courses.

A student who does not officially withdraw from a course is responsible for all work missed. The instructor may issue a grade of WF to a student who unofficially withdraws from a course. This grade carries a quality point value of 0.0 and is calculated into the student's Grade Point Average. There is no charge for schedule changes during the first week of classes; a fee of $10 is charged for each subsequent schedule change after the first week of classes. If in a national emergency students are called to active duty, they will be withdrawn from classes without academic or financial penalty. Alternative arrangements may be made with the instructor in special circumstances. Documentation must be provided.

ACADEMIC PROBATION AND DISMISSAL

Guidelines for probation and dismissal depend upon the student’s cumulative grade point average (G.P.A.). Freshmen, (1-6.25 course units) who fall below a cumulative G.P.A. of 1.70, will be placed on probation for two semesters; if at the end of their probationary semesters they fail to make progress in raising their cumulative G.P.A. to 1.70 they may be suspended from the College for one semester. If, upon their reinstatement to the College they fail to achieve a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A. in one semester, they may be dismissed. Students with 6.25-32 course units are required to maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.0. If they fall below this, the Faculty Committee on Academic Standards will place them on probation for two semesters. If at the end of their probationary semesters they fail to make progress towards achieving a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A., they may be suspended from the College. If, in the judgment of the Committee, it is in a student’s best interest to continue to take classes, rather than be suspended for a semester, a student may be placed on academic probation for a third consecutive semester. If the student fails to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA during that semester, the student may be dismissed. In the event that the student has been suspended for one semester, the student may apply to the Office of Admission for reinstatement. If upon reinstatement to the College a student fails to achieve a 2.0 cumulative GPA in one semester, the Faculty Committee on Academic Standards may dismiss that student.

How Bloomfield College Determines Eligibility

Eligibility for most financial aid programs is determined on the basis of financial need and on several other factors. Basically, to receive aid from most programs, you must meet the following criteria:

• Have financial need (not a criterion for some scholarships and some loans)
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent (not a criterion for some scholarships, New Jersey Tuition Aid Grant, and New Jersey Educational Opportunity Fund)
• Be working toward your degree at Bloomfield College and be enrolled in an academic program that is approved by the federal government
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen (not a criterion for all scholarships or institutional work-study)
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Be registered with the Selective Service (if applicable)
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress

The Financial Aid Office constructs yearly cost-of-attendance (COA) budgets that include tuition, fees, room and board (or living expenses), books, supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. As a financial aid applicant, you and your family have primary responsibility for contributing to the total cost of your education. The information that you and your family report on the FAFSA is used in a formula established by U.S. Congress to determine your expected family contribution (EFC).

Financial aid attempts to fill the gap between your EFC and the yearly COA. The difference between the EFC and the COA is defined as financial need. If you're eligible, you may be awarded financial aid through a combination of grants and scholarships (which you won't have to repay), loans (which you will have to repay), and work-study (part-time employment on or off campus). These combinations of awards are referred to as financial aid packages. Keep in mind that, because of the variation of the COA, financial aid packages will vary as well.

Total aid—including scholarships, grants, federal work-study, loans, and other educational resources (such as tuition remission and veteran's benefits)—cannot exceed the total COA, whether the student aid was administered through financial aid or some other source. In cases where a student receives funds from certain federal student-aid programs, total financial aid may not exceed his or her demonstrated financial need

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