Financial Aid Policies and Procedures

Financial Aid Policies & Procedures

1. Read the Following Information Carefully. It is the student’s responsibility to read and comply with the policies and procedures detailed in this document, including the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards and the Return of Title IV Funds Policy. If you have any questions regarding this information, please make arrangements to meet with a Financial Aid counselor as soon as possible.
2. Update Your Information in Pioneer Pass Immediately If You Have a Change in Address. All financial aid refund checks will be sent to the address in your student admission’s file.
3. Check Your WPCC Email Account on a Weekly Basis. The Financial Aid Office will only use WPCC email accounts to communicate with students when necessary. It is the student’s responsibility to access their email account and check messages on a weekly basis.

To be eligible for financial aid, students must have official transcripts for a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent on file with the Records Office, be enrolled in an eligible program of study (POS) leading to a degree and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as outlined in the Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for Financial Aid Recipients. Only those courses required and needed in the program of study can be counted towards eligibility for financial aid.

The award amount listed on the Financial Aid Offer Letter is based on full-time enrollment (12 SHC). Your award will be reduced proportionately if you attend less than full-time. Prorations occur for each credit hour less than 12. Your offer letter may include aid from the following programs, each with their own required enrollment status:

All of the above may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books and required supplies. The balance of funds, if any, will be mailed to students on the financial aid refund dates.

Late applications will be processed and awarded on a weekly basis after the initial disbursement date of each term.

Students receiving WPCC scholarships (listed on the Offer Letter) must be enrolled at the College on at least a half-time (6 semester hours) basis, and some scholarships require full-time enrollment to be eligible. Most scholarships are available for students to use for the payment of tuition and fees or to purchase books during registration. Students who receive a scholarship will be notified later of the source of the funding. WPCC scholarship recipients are required to attend the Annual Scholarship Ceremony to be held during the Fall Semester.

Students who receive financial assistance from sources outside the College are required to notify the Financial Aid Office to prevent the over award of Federal funds.

Students who plan to concurrently enroll at another college should make arrangements with the Director of Financial Aid prior to the beginning of the semester. Federal regulations require that WPCC negotiate a Consortium Agreement with the institution that the student plans to concurrently attend. Financial Aid is awarded for one academic year at a time.

The academic year begins in the fall semester. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed for each academic year. Students must also complete a new WPCC Scholarship Application each school year to qualify for Foundation scholarships.

Students should be aware that scholarships and grants might be taxable according to the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Students are encouraged to keep all receipts and check stubs as official documentation. For additional information, students should contact the Internal Revenue Service.

Students must notify the Financial Aid Office of all changes: new name, change of marital status, change of major, or other changes.

The student is required to notify the Financial Aid Office immediately if they are withdrawing from classes, adding classes, or withdrawing from the College.

The Financial Aid Office reserves the right to review, adjust or cancel an award any time there has been a change in enrollment status, financial status, or failure to meet SAP regulations (see below).

Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (SAP)

Federal regulations require students to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as a condition for receiving financial aid. These standards apply to all Federal Title IV aid, state grants, and institutional aid at WPCC. SAP is monitored at the time of application for aid and at the end of each semester (official calculation point).

I. Quantitative Standard (Cumulative Completion Rate)
The minimum completion rate is 67% and is measured by comparing the total number of credit hours earned against the total number of attempted credit hours. Hours attempted are calculated as all hours enrolled per semester, minus hours dropped during the 75 percent refund period minus hours withdrawn during the semester. Hours attempted also include transfer credit hours accepted toward a student’s educational program at WPCC.
For example: a student who attempts 12 credit hours and successfully completes 9 credit hours is making SAP (9 credit hours by 12 credit hours = 75% completion rate).

II. Qualitative Standard (Cumulative Grade Point Average)
The minimum GPA is based on the cumulative number of credit hours attempted per the chart below:

• 1.25 for 1-15 credit hours attempted
• 1.50 for 16-23 credit hours attempted
• 1.75 for 24-31 credit hours attempted
• 2.00 for 32 or more credit hours attempted

III. Maximum Time Frame
Students must complete an eligible program of study within the maximum time frame, which is defined as 150% of the published length of the program. For example, if 64 credit hours are required to complete a program of study, the maximum time frame for this program of study is 96 credit hours (64 x 1.5 = 96). Developmental classes up to 30 credit hours are excluded from this calculation.
If it is determined to be mathematically impossible for the student to complete their program of study within the established Maximum Time Frame (MTF), the student will lose eligibility for financial aid at an official calculation point. Changing programs of study, withdrawing from courses, failing courses and incomplete courses impact the MTF calculation. Students are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office (FAO) prior to changing programs of study or withdrawing from courses to find out the impact on their SAP status.

Change of Majors/Programs of Study

Students who change their major/program of study are still responsible for adhering to the 150% maximum time frame of the new program, and all previously attempted credit hours will be included in the calculation.

Students who decide to change majors/programs of study are advised to do so early in their academic program, and are advised to contact the Financial Aid Office before making the change.

Double Major
Only the primary program of study will be eligible for financial aid funds; however, all courses taken will be used in calculating the 150% maximum time frame for the primary program of study.

Additional Degrees
Students returning to WPCC to pursue another degree after graduating from an eligible program of study (Associate Degrees) will be given a new maximum time frame. Only credit hours the student has previously taken and that apply to the new program of study will be counted in the new maximum time frame calculation. All other credit hours earned or attempted before graduation will be removed from the calculation.

IV. Additional Elements of SAP

• Letter grades of A, B, C, D, P, and SC are counted as successfully completed credit hours.
• Letter grades of F, I (incomplete), NC (non-satisfactory completion), W (withdrawal), or IW (instructor-initiated withdrawal) are counted as credit hours attempted, but not successfully completed.
• A letter grade of NS (No Show) is not counted as an attempted or earned credit hour. Audited (AU) credit hours are not funded by financial aid and are excluded from all calculations.
• Developmental credit hours (courses below the 100 level) are included in the completion rate and GPA calculation but are excluded from the maximum time frame calculation. Students may receive financial aid for developmental credits up to a maximum of 30 credit hours.
• Consortium credit hours are included in both the completion rate and maximum time frame calculations.
• All attempts of a course, including repeats, are included in the calculation for GPA, completion rate and maximum time frame.
• Students may receive financial aid for repeating a passed course one time.
• Students may receive financial aid for repeating a failed course a maximum of three times. Developmental courses are exempt from this policy.
• Transfer credit hours are excluded from the GPA calculation, but are included in both the completion rate and maximum time frame calculations. Students transferring from another institution are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress at the time of enrollment.

V. Eligibility Status:

Satisfactory

Satisfactory status is achieved when the completion rate, GPA and maximum time frame requirements are met.

Warning

Warning status is assigned to students who fail to meet the eligibility standards for the completion rate and/or the GPA requirement. Students with a “warning” status may receive financial aid for one semester, provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Suspension

There are several conditions that may place a student on financial aid suspension. A student is placed on financial aid suspension at an official calculation point if:

• A student fails to meet the cumulative completion rate and/or GPA requirements at the end of a “warning” period;
• It is mathematically determined that a student cannot complete their program of study within the Maximum Time Frame (150); or
• A student with a “probation” status fails to meet the requirements of their Academic Plan

Probation

This status is assigned to a student who fails to make SAP and then eligibility is reinstated as the result of a SAP appeal.

A student on probation maintains continued eligibility to receive aid by successfully following the conditions of their Academic Plan.

All Academic Plans require a 2.0 minimum semester GPA and a 100% completion rate for subsequent periods of enrollment, while in probationary status. The Financial Aid Office or the Financial Aid Subcommittee may require a more rigorous Academic Plan for individual students based on the particular situation and content of the appeal. The requirements of a more rigorous plan are made in writing and signed by the student prior to disbursing financial aid. Academic Plans are monitored by the Financial Aid Office.

Notification of SAP Status

Each student’s SAP status is updated at the end of each semester after grades are posted. All students are notified via email regarding satisfactory, warning, suspension or probation statuses. However, failure to receive notification does not change the student’s status. Not enrolling for one or more semesters or taking classes at other colleges does not change the student’s status.

VI. Re-Establishing Eligibility: 

There are three avenues for regaining eligibility for financial aid:

1. Paying on your own – To regain eligibility, the student attends WPCC (without financial aid) until they meet the GPA and completion rate requirement. To regain eligibility if on suspension or probation for maximum time frame, the student obtains a degree in an eligible program of study.

2. Notification of a Grade Change – The student’s financial aid may be reinstated as a result of a grade change, provided that as a result of the change, the student is meeting the completion rate, GPA and maximum time frame requirements. Per federal regulation, grade changes made during a semester (even if the grade change is for a prior semester) do not affect the SAP status until after the semester has ended.

3. Appeal Process – Students who faced mitigating circumstances may appeal the suspension of their financial aid. Mitigating circumstances are generally beyond the student’s control and may include a death in the family, injury or illness of student, or other special circumstances.

To appeal the suspension of financial aid, the student submits the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form to the Financial Aid Office, explaining their failure to make SAP and what has changed to allow them to be successful in coursework going forward. In addition, the student’s academic advisor completes the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Degree Evaluation form, available in the Financial Aid Office. All appeals require supporting documentation regarding the mitigating circumstances that contributed to suspension. Appeals submitted without supporting documentation will not be reviewed.

The Financial Aid Office reviews the appeal and notifies the student, via the student’s WPCC email account, within 20 business days from the receipt date of the completed appeal. If the student finds the decision unsatisfactory, the student may appeal to the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Subcommittee for further review, by submitting the appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Office. The student has the opportunity to present their case in person to the Subcommittee. The decision of the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Subcommittee is final.

Students may submit only one appeal per academic year, unless submission of a second appeal is granted by the Director of Financial Aid. Students appealing the loss of financial aid as a result of exceeding the maximum time frame are limited to one appeal per eligible program of study.

Students seeking to regain eligibility for financial aid remain ineligible for assistance until the appeal process is completed and an affirmative decision has been made by the Financial Aid Office or the Financial Aid SAP Appeal Subcommittee. Students should be prepared to pay tuition, fees and other education expenses until notified that their aid has been reinstated.

Student Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Policy

The following governs the Return of Title IV funds disbursed to students enrolled at Western Piedmont Community College (WPCC). This policy applies to all students receiving Title IV funds who officially or unofficially withdraw from the College. Title IV funds include the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).

1. During the first 60% of a full-term semester or 49% of an A/B term, a student earns Title IV funds based on the length of time he or she remains enrolled. A student who attends beyond the 60% point of a full-term semester or 49% of an A/B term earns 100% of their aid for the semester. If a student ceases to attend on or prior to the 60% point of a full-term semester or 49% of an A/B term, the unearned portion of the Title IV aid must be returned to the Federal Student Aid program(s). Students who are attending classes after the dates listed below will earn 100% of their aid and will not be required to repay Title IV funds:
   • Fall 2026 – October 27, 2026 – Full-Term
   September 16, 2026 – A-Term
   November 16, 2026 – B-Term
   • Spring 2027 – March 19, 2027 – Full-Term
   February 8, 2027 – A-Term
   April 9, 2027 – B-Term
   • Summer 2027 – July 3, 2027
2. If earned aid exceeds the amount of aid disbursed, the student may be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. Post-withdrawal disbursements may
   • Be credited to outstanding tuition and fees.
   • Be credited to other outstanding current year charges which the student authorized
   • Post-withdrawal disbursement funds remaining after all charges and outstanding balances have been deducted will be refunded to the student no later than 45 days after the date of the school’s determination that the student withdrew.
3. Enrolled percentage is determined by the number of days in the semester (including weekends) divided by the number of days enrolled. Breaks that are a minimum of five days long (including weekends) are excluded from the calculation.
4. A student’s withdrawal date is the student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity.
5. For all programs offered in modules, a student is a withdrawal for Title IV purposes if the student ceases attendance at any point prior to completing the payment period or period of enrollment, unless the College obtains written confirmation from the student at the time of the withdrawal that he or she will attend a module that begins later in the same period or period of enrollment. A program is offered in modules if, for a payment period or period of enrollment, a course or courses in the program do not span the entire length of the payment period or period of enrollment. The determination of whether a program is offered in modules is made on a payment period or period of enrollment basis, as appropriate, and is student specific.
6. The return of Title IV formula assumes that Title IV funds are directly disbursed to the student only after all institutional charges have been covered, and that Title IV funds are the first to be applied to institutional charges. The institutional charges used in the calculation are the charges initially assessed the student for the entire semester. Initial charges are adjusted only for those changes made prior to the student’s withdrawal (for example; a change in enrollment status unrelated to the withdrawal).
7. Funds are to be returned to the appropriate aid program within 45 days of the date WPCC determined that the student withdrew, and in the following order: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
8. The responsibility to repay unearned aid is shared by WPCC and the student.
   • The College’s share repaid by WPCC is charged back to the student’s account, and is the lesser of:
   1. The institutional charges multiplied by the percentage of aid that was unearned; or,
   2. The total amount of unearned aid.
   • The student’s share of unearned aid is the difference between the total unearned amount and the institution’s share. If the aid to be returned is to one of the grant programs, the amount owed to the grant program is reduced by 50%. The student does not have to repay a grant overpayment of $50.00 or less as the result of a total withdrawal.
9. The student will be notified of the overpayment within 30 days of the date WPCC determined that the student withdrew. The student will have 30 days from the date of notification of the Return to Title IV calculation to repay the funds to the College. The funds are to be repaid to the WPCC Business Office. If payment is not made within 30 days of notification, WPCC will submit the overpayment to the Department of Revenue and the collection agency currently used the College for action, and the student will not be allowed to register for classes until all funds are repaid.

Verification Policy

To ensure that Financial Aid funds are awarded to eligible students in an equitable and consistent manner, Western Piedmont Community College verification procedures will be uniformly applied to all financial aid programs which require demonstrated financial need as eligibility criterion.

Who
Western Piedmont Community College will verify all applicants selected for verification by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS) and/or institutionally selected by WPCC. In addition, we will resolve all comments on the ISIR and conflicting documentation. WPCC Financial Aid Staff may also question any aspect of an application.

What
WPCC will verify the items specified in the 34 CFR Part 668.56 for those students selected for verification. Items for verification could include (but are not limited to) the following if applicable:

• Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
• Income Earned from Work (wages)
• US Income Tax Paid
• Untaxed Portions of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Distribution
• Untaxed Portions of Pensions
• IRA Deductions and Payments
• Tax-exempt Interest Income
• Education Tax Credits (American Opportunity Tax Credit and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit)
• Foreign Income Exempt from Federal Taxation
• Family Size
• Identity/Statement of Education Purpose

Additional items may also be verified when there is conflicting documentation on file or when additional items are selected by the WPCC Financial Aid Office.

Applicants’ Responsibilities
It will be the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all documents requested are submitted with proper signatures. If an applicant’s dependency status changes during the award year, please contact the Financial Aid Office before making changes. Family size can only be updated during the verification process.

Documentation
Verification documentation requested must be submitted with all necessary information, including wet (physical) signature(s). Some exceptions to documentation may be made in conjunction with what is allowed by Federal Regulation. The Federal Department of Education has instituted the following guidelines for providing tax and income information for verification purposes:

• When completing the income sections of the FAFSA, the applicant and contributor(s) must consent to use FAD-DX (if available) to collect income data reported to the IRS. If the applicant and/or contributor(s) are unable to use FAD-DX and the application is chosen for verification, the applicant and the parents, if applicable, will be required to submit a signed IRS Tax Return with applicable schedules or Tax Transcript from the IRS.
• If the IRS tax information is not imported directly to the FAFSA using FAD-DX, the applicant will be required to submit an IRS Tax Return Transcript. The IRS data may be able to be retrieved by the applicant when a correction is made to the FAFSA, after the first transaction.
• If the subsequent retrieved data is not changed or incorrect, then an IRS Tax Return Transcript may not be required.
• Effective January 9, 2019, schools can now accept signed copies of tax returns and self-certification of non-filing to complete verification if attempts to get non-filing statements was unsuccessful. What this means is that students selected for verification have two options in which to provide theirs, their spouse (if married), or parents’ (if considered dependent) tax return information. They may submit a tax return transcript or provide a signed paper copy of the required tax return information and applicable schedules that were submitted to the IRS when taxes were filed.

Confirmation of Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose
Applicants who were selected to verify identity and to sign a statement of educational purpose are required to appear in person at the Financial Aid Office with a non-expired, government-issued photo id (i.e. US passport, driver’s license, or another state-issued ID) to complete the Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose form.

Applicants who are unable to appear in person must go to a notary public to sign the Identity and Statement of Education Purpose Notary form. The original form along with a copy of the non-expired, government-issued photo ID presented to the notary must be mailed or hand-delivered to the Financial Aid Office. Faxed copies, photocopies, emailed pdf, etc. are not acceptable. 

Time Period
All applicants are encouraged to submit the required forms and documentation as quickly as possible. For Federal Aid recipients, the deadline for submitting verification documents is 120 days from the applicant’s last date of enrollment. This includes making any necessary corrections, submitting those corrections to the Central Processing System, and submitting the new corrected Student Aid Report (SAR) to the institution. 

Consequences and Deadlines
If a student fails to provide documentation or information within the required time frame, no Title IV aid will be released.

For the 2025-26 academic year, you must submit all required documents to complete the verification process by whichever date is sooner:

• Within 120 days from the applicant’s last date of enrollment
• By September 12, 2026

 For the 2026-27 academic year, you must submit all required documents to complete the verification process by whichever date is sooner:

• Within 120 days from the applicant’s last date of enrollment
• By September 12, 2027

Notification
Students are notified of selection for verification at the time the ISIR is received by WPCC. An email will be sent to the student’s WPCC email account with information, and the Financial Aid Checklist in the student’s Pioneer Pass Account will populate with a listing of items needed and links to the Verification Forms as applicable to the student. Hardcopies of verification forms are available in the FAO for students to obtain upon request.

Once all verification items are turned in by the student, it may take up to 5 business days for documents to be reviewed. Students may track the documents and view their financial aid file status by logging onto their Pioneer Pass account 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

After reviewing the verification items received, if additional information is required, email notifications will be sent to the students WPCC email address.

Once all verification items have been received and reviewed, the file marked complete, and any corrections have been processed and completed with the FPS, the student is notified of their financial aid eligibility via WPCC email accounts.  If the student is awarded aid, the email notification provides detailed information as to how the student can access and view the offer letter in their Pioneer Pass Account.  If the student is not eligible for any aid, the email notification provides information regarding Professional Judgement for Special Circumstances, institutional scholarships, private education loans, and other sources of assistance that may be available to students.

Referral Procedures
WPCC must refer for the investigation to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) any credible information indicating that a Title IV aid applicant, school employee, or third-party servicer may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with the Title IV programs. (Note: Fraud is the intent to deceive as opposed to a mistake.)

Common examples of misconduct include but are not limited to:

• Claims of independent student status
• False claims of citizenship
• Use of false identities
• Forgery of signatures of certifications
• False statement of income

Prior to notifying the OIG, the Financial Aid Office will consult with the WPCC’s General Counsel regarding any cases suspected of fraud.  If it has been determined that intent to commit fraud has occurred, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) can be contacted at 1-800-MISUSED.

If it is determined that a student has received funds that they were not entitled to receive, the student must repay the amount. If a repayment is not made, the overpayment may be referred to the US Department of Education.