Financial Aid Information

Financial Aid

PVCC website: www.pvcc.edu/finaid
Phone number: 434.961.6545
Fax number: 434.961.6557

Piedmont Virginia Community College believes students should have the opportunity to attend college, regardless of their financial situation. The college has many sources of financial aid, including programs funded by the federal government, the Commonwealth of Virginia and PVCC Educational Foundation Scholarships.

The Key to Financial Aid is the FAFSA: How and When to Apply

The best time for students to apply for financial aid are the months of October or November preceding the academic year in which students plan to enroll. A FAFSA must be completed for all aid programs, including loans and work study. Completed FAFSAs received by March 1 for Fall, October 1 for Spring, and April 1 for Summer, will receive priority consideration. Since many aid programs have limited funding, it is critical that students file as early as possible. The FAFSA form may be submitted by completing the on-line form on the Web at www.fafsa.gov.

Assistance with completing the FAFSA is available in PVCC’s financial aid office in the Bolick Center. Dedicated computers are available for completing the FAFSA during office hours. Office hours can be found on the College’s website, https://www.pvcc.edu/about-us/hoursoperation.

Note: A new financial aid application must be submitted for each academic year of enrollment

Detailed information on scholarships, grants, loans, on- and off-campus and community service employment, and applications may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office. Information may also be found in the current college catalog and on PVCC Web site.

Financial Aid Policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress

To be academically eligible for student financial assistance, a student must be making satisfactory academic progress toward his/her degree or certificate program. To accurately measure a student’s progress, the PVCC Financial Aid Policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress will incorporate a qualitative (GPA) measure of progress, a quantitative (Completion Rate) measure of progress, and a time (150% Rule) measure of progress. This policy became effective July 12, 2005.

GPA Requirements (GPA Rule)

In order to remain eligible for financial aid, students must meet minimum cumulative grade point average requirements. Only non-developmental courses with grades of A, B, C, D, and F are included in this calculation. Transfer credits are excluded. In order to graduate, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 is required.

Completion Rate (67% Rule)

Students must receive satisfactory grades in 67% of cumulative credits attempted. This evaluation is made prior to financial aid being awarded and after grades are posted at the end of each semester a student is enrolled at the College. Credits with satisfactory grades are those for which a grade of A, B, C, D, S or P is earned. Developmental and ESL coursework are included in this calculation. Accepted transfer credits will be counted as both attempted and completed.

Maximum Hours (150% Rule)

In order to continue to receive financial aid, a student must complete his or her program of study before 150% of the credits required have been attempted. Developmental and ESL course work are excluded in this calculation. Attempted credits from all enrollment periods plus all accepted transfer credits are counted. All terms of enrollment are included whether or not the student received financial aid and regardless of the age of the coursework.

Developmental and ESL Courses

Students may receive financial aid for a maximum of 30 semester hours of Developmental Studies courses as long as the courses are required as a result of placement testing, the student is in an eligible program of study, and satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements continue to be met. ESL credits are unlimited in numbers as long as they are taken as part of an eligible program and SAP requirements continue to be met.

Financial Aid Warning Status (WS)

Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) for the first time will be automatically placed in a Warning Status for one (1) term and are expected to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements by the end of that term. Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of the warning status term will lose their eligibility for financial aid.

Financial Aid Probation Status (PS)

Students who have successfully appealed the loss of their financial aid are placed on probation. Students on probation are eligible to receive financial aid for one (1) semester, after which they MUST be meeting all of the satisfactory academic progress standards OR the requirements of an academic progress plan that was pre‐approved by the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid Suspension Status (SS)

Students who do not meet the credit progress schedule and/or the cumulative grade point average standard, or who fail to meet the requirements of their pre‐approved academic progress plan will be placed in suspension status and are not eligible for financial aid.

Repeated Coursework

Students can repeat courses with financial aid until successfully completed. There is no limit assuming all other SAP requirements are met. Students may only repeat a passed course once as long as it is in order to meet an academic standard (i.e., a higher grade is required for their program of study). Repeated coursework will be included in the evaluation of completion rate and maximum timeframe. Only the latest grade will count towards the cumulative grade point average.

Appeals

Under certain circumstances, students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards and lose eligibility for financial aid can appeal the financial aid suspension (SS). Appeals will be evaluated by the Financial Aid Office and all decisions are final.

A link to the complete Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy can be found at: http://www.pvcc.edu/docs/policies/policy_satisfactory_academic_progress.pdf

PRIOR PERIODS OF ENROLLMENT

All of the qualitative and quantitative standards of progress must be applied to all prior period(s) of enrollment. Federal regulations require that a student must be in compliance with the school’s satisfactory academic progress policy before receiving a financial aid award. These guidelines must be applied to any student requesting financial aid, even if the student did not receive financial aid in the past.

PLEASE NOTE:  Students who have defaulted on a federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant will not be eligible, nor will they receive any future financial aid until the loan or grant obligation is satisfied.

ADDITIONAL POLICIES GOVERNING SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (SAP) AT PIEDMONT VIRGINIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

• Financial aid programs included under this policy are the Federal Pell Grant (Pell Grant), Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study, Commonwealth of Virginia State Grant (COMA), Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program Grant (VGAP), Part-Time Tuition Assistance Program Grant (PTAP), G3 State Grant (G3), Federal Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Parent PLUS Loans.
• Students who have reached the 150 percent point of enrollment may be financial aid eligibility in some circumstances.
• For purposes of defining credits completed concerning developmental course credit the following will apply:  S grade is considered a completed course. U grade is considered an incomplete course.
• Academic credit courses completed with a final grade of A, B, C, D are considered passing. Some courses require a minimum passing grade to progress to the next level. Academic credit courses completed with a final grade of F, W, U, X, I are considered incomplete.
• A student who does not maintain satisfactory academic progress cannot regain their eligibility on the basis of a change of curriculum.
• Returning financial aid students should be aware of any changes to the PVCC SAP Policy.
• Courses taken for audit are not eligible for financial aid.
• Federal regulations allow a student to receive financial aid for only the equivalent of the first 30 semester credit hours of developmental studies attempted, regardless of whether or not the student received any financial aid for these developmental credit hours.

Refunds/Recovery

When a Title IV (Federal Student Aid) recipient completely withdraws, drops out, or is expelled after receiving a disbursement, the college will determine whether the student has received an overpayment. If the federal aid disbursed exceeds the amount earned, the unearned funds must be returned. The college will calculate this amount based on a federally mandated formula and will notify the student. The percentage of federal aid earned is equal to the percentage of the period of enrollment completed as of the student’s withdrawal date. If this date occurs after the 60 percent point, 100 percent of the aid is considered to have been earned. Federal work-study earnings are not included. Loans will be repaid by the student in accordance with the terms of the promissory note.

The college will notify the student of the amount owed and will attempt to collect the repayment to federal student aid programs. If the student does not pay the determined amount, he or she will be ineligible for further federal student aid and will be reported as being an overpayment. The student may be referred to the U. S. Department of Education for collection for failure to pay or failure to make payment arrangements. Payments that are collected from the student will be returned to the appropriate program accounts within 30 days of receiving the student’s repayment. Repayments will be distributed in the following order:  Unsubsidized Stafford Federal Direct Loans; Subsidized Stafford Direct Loans; Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program; Federal Pell Grant Program; Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants Program; and other Title IV programs.

Students withdrawing will have their academic progress evaluated and, even though a student may have repaid part or all of an award, failure to make satisfactory academic progress could result in loss of aid in future semesters.

Recalculation of Awards/Repayment for Non-Attendance

If a student fails to begin attending any class, financial aid awards will be recalculated. This may occur at any point during the semester/term that the Financial Aid Office is made aware of the situation, and it may affect a student’s enrollment status. In most cases, however, calculation of the award will be based on enrollment status on the last day to drop with a tuition refund.

Work-Study Opportunities

The college offers both on- and off-campus, part-time employment opportunities for students who qualify for the federal or work-study programs. Federal work-study is a need-based program and students are awarded work-study based on eligibility and funding. 

Return of Title IV Funds

Under a regulation known as Return of Title IV funds, students who withdraw from college or stop attending all classes before completing the first 60 percent of the semester have not earned all of their financial aid. Title IV aid (Pell, FSEOG, ACG, Stafford and PLUS Loans), as well as state aid, must be prorated to the date of withdrawal. Students will be required to repay the unearned portion of aid received. This will include books charged to financial aid and any refund received.