Policies and Disclosures

Keystone College will allow a student to take courses at another institution to be transferred back to the College to fulfill a graduation requirement under certain conditions. Student Central will allow a student to have a Consortium Agreement between Keystone College as the home school and a visiting institution only if the student is in the last year of their program, the course is not going to be run within the academic year at the College, and the course is necessary for the graduation requirement.

The student must contact Student Central in order to see if the request qualifies under the stated guidelines. If the course is approved, the student must sign a Consortium Agreement, have the visiting institution sign the Agreement, and have the Agreement returned to Student Central

Once the Consortium Agreement is signed, Student Central will include the number of credits and costs associated with the credits in the financial assistance package for that semester. It is the student’s responsibility to make all payment arrangements with the visiting school.

Download the Consortium Agreement form (PDF)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), also known as the Buckley Amendment, protects the privacy of a student’s educational records. All of the rights under FERPA belong to the student, once he or she has enrolled in a post-secondary institution.

Learn more about the FERPA Policy Statement and the opt out procedure.

Students who have withdrawn from all classes prior to completing more than 60% of an enrollment term will have their eligibility for aid recalculated based on the percent of the term completed. Students who withdraw before the 60% period in time will have a pro-rated amount of their federal Title IV aid returned to the aid program by the school and possibly by the student. Students who withdraw after the 60% period of time in the semester will not have a refund calculated. This policy meets federal requirements in which students earn financial aid based on the percent of the term completed (see 34 CFR, Section 668.22 of the Title IV Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended).

Keystone College financial aid office is responsible for calculating the percentage of earned aid for the semester and for returning the unearned aid portion to the federal aid programs. The financial aid office will perform this calculation within 45 days of the student’s withdrawal date**. This calculation is measured by dividing the number of days the student attended by the total number of days in the period or semester. The length of the period or semester is based on Keystone College’s published academic calendar, including weekends and excluding scheduled breaks of 5 days or more. The first day begins on the first day of classes and ends on the last day of final exams.

The amount of federal aid (other than work study) to be returned is equal to the total federal aid that was disbursed for the term multiplied by the percentage of the term not attended. Federal monies will be returned in the following order: Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan, Federal Direct Subsidized loan, Federal Perkins loan, Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan, Federal Pell grant, Federal SEOG grant, Federal TEACH Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. If a Title IV refund amount is owed to the student, but the student has outstanding institutional charges, or if the student owes a repayment of a cash disbursement for non-institutional costs, the college will automatically apply the refund amount to those charges or repayment (after obtaining written permission from the student). Keystone College will also notify the student in writing if either situation has occurred.

If all the funds the student earned were not yet disbursed to the student’s account before the student withdrew, the student may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes grant funds, the Financial Aid office will automatically disburse the portion of these funds required to cover any outstanding tuition, fee, room and board charges at Keystone College. If no outstanding institutional charges exist, the grant disbursement will be sent to the student within 14 days of the post-withdrawal disbursement.

If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds (including a Federal Parent loan), the Financial Aid office will notify the student (or parent) and provide him or her with the option to accept all or a portion; or decline all of the loan funds. If the student (or parent) responds and gives permission, the Financial Aid office will disburse the loan funds to cover any outstanding tuition, fee, room and board charges at the University (or non-institutional charges with written permission). If the student responds and declines permission, the loan funds eligible to be disbursed as a post-withdrawal disbursement will still be offered to the student. If the student does not respond within 14 days from the date of being notified, the loan funds will be cancelled.

Students who are Title IV (federal aid) recipients will have the return of those funds and repayments calculated and distributed as prescribed by federal law and regulation. These distribution schedules are available to all prospective and currently enrolled students by contacting the business office or the office of financial aid.

*To officially withdraw, a student must contact their academic advisor and submit a drop slip to the registrar’s office.

**When it is determined that a student has stopped attending classes and has withdrawn (officially or unofficially), the Registrar office contact the instructors for that student to determine the last date of attendance (LDA) in each class. The latest date of attendance then is the withdrawal date used for both official and unofficial withdrawal.

Other Possible Changes in Financial Aid

When a student is withdrawn from all classes prior to completing more than 60% of their enrollment they may have other eligibility for financial aid recalculated. Their state and institutional financial aid may have to be adjusted. Please contact the financial aid office for further questions regarding state and institutional financial aid charges.

Federal Tuition Assistance funds will be returned to the issuer as detailed in the chart below:

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements

Federal regulations require that educational institutions measure students’ progress toward a declared educational objective, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In accordance with these requirements, Keystone College has established the following standards to measure a student’s academic progress. These standards will be applied uniformly to all students when determining their eligibility for Federal and/or Keystone College funding regardless of whether the student previously received these funds. Should a student fail to meet any of these requirements they are deemed not eligible to receive Federal and/or Keystone College funding until the deficiency is made up by the student.

Satisfactory Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined as a measure of both qualitative and quantitative levels of a student’s grade performance. Students who have not met the requirements are not eligible for Federal and/or Keystone College funding until the credit deficiency is made up.

For the qualitative measurement, a student must meet the following minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) requirements:
1.< 24 Credits Attempted: CGPA of 1.75 with a completion rate of 67%
2.> 24 Credits Attempted: CGPA of 2.00 with a completion rate of 67%

For the quantitative measurement, a student must demonstrate they are progressing towards completion of their program within a maximum time frame. In order to meet this, a student must complete no less than 67% of what they attempted – see points 1 & 2 above. This calculation is cumulative and is based on all credits attempted and earned. Credits transferred into Keystone College are considered as attempted and earned for this purpose.

Maximum Semesters of Aid Eligibility

For undergraduate programs of study, the maximum time frame allowed to receive aid cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program. For example: for a Bachelor’s Degree that requires 120 credits for graduation, a student may attempt or enroll in 180 credits with the objective of earning the 120 needed to graduate. Students who are pursuing a double major or who change majors may be eligible for an extension of the time on an individual review basis.

Procedure for Checking Satisfactory Academic Progress

At the end of each semester, aid recipients are reviewed to determine if they have met the minimum credit requirements as well as earned the appropriate CGPA. If they have not, a letter is sent to each student informing them that they are on FINANCIAL AID WARNING and ARE eligible for continued Federal and/or Keystone College funding throughout their following constitutive term. If the student again does not make progress they are NOT eligible for federal or keystone funding. Should progress not be met after a semester of warning the student may appeal for aid to Student Central if the appeal is approved the student will be presented with an academic plan. If they have satisfied the requirements of the academic plan, they are considered to be making progress and their progress is then checked per semester moving forward.

Students Applying for Re-admittance to Keystone College

Any student looking to readmitted to Keystone College will have their SAP checked. If at that time the student shows a deficiency in either requirement from previous semesters at Keystone College, they will be deemed ineligible for Federal and/or Keystone College funding until the progress is made up. If deemed ineligible for financial aid the student will be held to the SAP standards of the SAP policy.

Incomplete Work, and Withdrawals

Incomplete work in a course, resulting in an ‘I’ or “IP” on the grade report will be counted toward the academic progress calculation. In addition, withdrawing from a course or a number of courses may affect a student’s academic progress if the withdrawal causes a student to fall short of the minimum credits required for that term’s academic progress requirement. Since financial aid may have been previously awarded for the course(s) dropped, students may need to earn the credits at their own expense in order to make academic progress and remain eligible for financial aid assistance.

Repeated Courses

• Qualitative Standard: If a course is taken for a second time, the latest grade will be figured into the student’s CGPA.
• Quantitative Standard: In determining eligibility for financial aid, each attempt is included in calculating total hours attempted.

Re-Establishing Eligibility for Financial Aid

Credit Deficiency (quantitative):
Students may make up a credit deficiency by attending Keystone College summer sessions or other sessions without aid. Or, students may take credits at another accredited institution as long as they will be accepted toward the student’s degree objective.

Once a student has made up the credit deficiency, it is the student’s responsibility to notify Student Central and request to be reinstated.

Cumulative Grade Point Average Deficiency (qualitative):

Students may make up a CGPA deficiency by attending summer sessions or other sessions without aid. In order for a CGPA deficiency to be made up, classes must be taken at Keystone College. Classes taken at other accredited institutions have bearing only on credit deficiencies and will not affect the CGPA deficiencies. Only credits transfer in – not the grade(s) earned. Once a student has reached the required CGPA, it is the student’s responsibility to notify Student Central and request to be reinstated.

In both situations, Student Central will verify that the deficiency has been made up and award aid if appropriate. If Student Central’s findings are inconsistent with the student’s, the student will be contacted and the results explained.

Appeals

Any student who has failed to meet the academic progress policy requirements due to extenuating circumstances may appeal the termination of their financial aid. Appeals must be made in writing to Student Central. The appeal must include the following:

1. Why the student failed to make academic progress.
2. What has changed that will allow the student to make progress.
3. Any/All supporting documentation MUST be submitted WITH the letter of appeal.

All appeals must be submitted no more than 14 days before the start of the next semester. Appeals may be granted upon one of two conditions:

1. Student Central has determined the student will be able to make up their progress by the next evaluation period.
2. Student Central (in conjunction with the Registrar) has developed an academic plan that will ensure progress is met within a specified time frame and the student agrees to the conditions of the plan.

All such appeals will be reviewed on an individual basis and will take into consideration special circumstances and improved academic performance. A student may only be on Financial Aid WARNING for one semester unless there is an academic plan in place which specifies a later time frame. By federal regulations, Student Central may not place a student on Financial Aid WARNING for consecutive semesters without an academic plan.

Students may appeal for financial aid only ONE time. If a student can show documented proof of cause an appeal may be made amended; a letter of appeal and supporting evidence will be necessary for an appeal amendment. Academic plans will be reviewed by Student Central on the third (3rd) Monday of every month or 14 days prior to the start of the semester. Any appeal made after the 14th day prior to the start of the term will be declined (with exception ONLY given to amendments). Students will be notified via email of the decision no less than 7 days after a decision is made.

Purpose: to review student appeals concerning matters regarding registration, student billing, and/or financial aid policies and issue a final determination.
Procedures:

1. Student Policy Exception requests are accepted only after the student has addressed the matter with the Director of the applicable department.
2. Request is submitted to the Registrar, who serves as the point of contact for the student.
3. The request should be clearly written and include supporting details and documentation. Only written requests will be considered.
4. Request is forwarded to all Committee Members for consideration at its monthly meeting. The Committee meets on the third Thursday of each month. Students are not present during the Committee meeting.
   a. Requests for exceptions are considered individually based on circumstances presented. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee approval.
   b. At any point during the process, the Committee may request additional information from the student, and will table the request until said information is received. Requested information must be received prior to the Committee’s next meeting or the appeal will be denied.
5. Should the request not fall under the purview of the Student Policy Exception Committee, the Committee will forward the request to the appropriate office and the Registrar will inform the student accordingly.
6. Once the Committee reaches a decision, the Registrar informs the student, in writing, of the decision. All decisions of the Committee are final.

Download the Student Policy Exception Committee policy.

Withdrawals
Withdrawing from, or dropping a course, may adversely affect a student’s financial aid eligibility. All students should speak with a member of Student Central prior to withdrawing from, or dropping a course.

A student seeking to withdraw from the College during a semester must schedule an appointment with the Student Success Advocate to complete an exit interview and begin the withdrawal process. Merely notifying an instructor or academic advisor is not sufficient. Once a withdrawal is authorized by the Dean, tuition refunds will be made as outlined below.

No withdrawal from a course or from the College can occur after the “last date to withdraw from a course for the term” that is notated on the College's academic calendar.

A student who leaves the College due to dismissal for disciplinary reasons is not entitled to any refund. No credits on any charges will be made to students who have been suspended or expelled from the residence hall and/or the College. Room charges are not refunded at any time and credits of board are prorated as of the end of the calendar week of withdrawal.

Refund Policy
If a student withdraws before the first day of classes for the payment period, Keystone College will refund 100% of all tuition, lab fee(s), activities fee, health fee, technology fee, and room and board charges. Keystone College will return all Title IV awarded monies, in full, to the appropriate program accounts.

When a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes, Keystone College will refund the difference between any amount paid toward tuition and board charges (which includes financial aid payments) and the amount of charges retained on the student’s account for the period of the student’s attendance. The charges retained on the student’s account are in accordance with the return of Title IV Refunds Policy, as directed by federal regulations.

Students who withdraw on or before the 60% point of time in the period of enrollment, for which the student has been charged, is only eligible to receive the amount of Title IV Federal Aid earned during their actual enrollment. Keystone College must, per federal regulations, calculate a refund of Title IV Federal Aid to be returned under the federal refund calculation. Refunds of tuition and board if applicable for students as a result of an official withdrawal will be made according to the appropriate tuition refund schedule. These schedules are listed further in this section.

The room charge is not refundable due to a withdrawal; however board is prorated as of the end of the calendar week of withdrawal. Institutional fees are not refunded. An Unofficial Withdrawal will result in a 50% of payment completed refund calculation.

The date used to calculate the refund is the Official Withdrawal date as determined by Keystone College. Backdating withdrawal dates is not permissible.

No reduction is granted after the last day to drop/add classes to a student who withdraws from one or more courses, but remains registered in others. No adjustment is made from full-time to part-time status after the drop/add deadline.

The Title IV portion of the refund will be distributed to the Title IV programs, up to the full amount received from each program, for the enrollment period in question. Title IV funds are returned to the appropriate accounts in the following order:

• Federal Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Subsidized Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent Plus Loans
• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal SEOG
• Other Title IV Programs

Written examples of the applications of these refund policies are available, upon request, from the Financial Assistance & Planning Office.