<p>Looking at the student aid “guidebooks” around the country I keep seeing phrases like:</p>
<p>“Undergraduates may receive aid for a maximum of 150% of the published length of the educational program …”</p>
<ul>
<li><p>“… whether or not aid was received.”</p></li>
<li><p>“… including periods without Title IV assistance.”</p></li>
<li><p>“… regardless of whether financial aid was received.”</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The problem is after digging through the Title IV text I can find no explicit code that says this last part. If it is implied somewhere I cannot see that either. Can anyone point out the exact code section I am looking for? The reason I ask is because I took a lot of NON-degree classes when I was younger but paid for them by myself. I did not even <em>apply</em> for financial aid back then. Now I need the financial help to get a degree and those self-paid units are interfering with my education.</p>
<p>I’m sure one of the financial aid specialists who post here will jump in to respond, but I did want to point out that a thorough understanding of the application of Title IV would require reading the regulations that were adopted under the law, not just the text of the law itself, and that’s going to be challenging for a layman.</p>
<p>Schools have to have a SAP (satisfactory academic progression) policy for financial aid. It includes things such as minimum GPA, minimum % successful completion of credits attempted, and maximum time frame. It does not take into account whether aid was previously applied for or received. </p>
<p>The most common figure I have seen for maximum time frame is 180% of the credit hours required for a degree. So if a degree requires 120 hours, 180 attempted might be the max. If it looks like you may exceed this, you could appeal. Sometimes a school will allow extra hours because of a change in degree program. It is at the discretion of the school. But the rules have been tightening up lately.</p>
<p>If you do a search on the web site of the school’s you are interested in for SAP, you may find their particular policy.</p>
<p>Hi. I am familiar with SAP and the 150% limit (MTF). I also understand that this is designed to prevent students from <em>wasting</em> federal funds. It also is intended to <em>improve</em> the student learning experience by focusing the coursework taken. In my case it has resulted in a diminished learning experience because I cannot take relevant courses for my degree due to unit limits (I would run out of funds if I did). I am a communications major and due to these limits I cannot take courses on electronic media even though most communications jobs are requiring these skills. In effect I am being told I am allowed LESS financial aid and LESS educational opportunity because I was MORE financially responsible earlier in my life. This is contrary to the reason why the new law was created.</p>
<p>I want to challenge/appeal this inequity of benefits but I need to know the relevant sections of the law that I asked for in my original question. As far as I can tell so far, despite the above mentioned phrases, there is absolutely no legal code whatsoever that allows the DOE to apply this limitation to students who have never used financial aid in the past. But I am not a lawyer and it is complicated which is why I am asking a specific question and looking for a specific answer from the experts here. Any help is appreciated.</p>
<p>I can’t provide you with links to the law itself, but I doubt you will convince the school to act contrary to the handbook. </p>
<p>If you have not already done so, your best option is to try appealing, especially if you have changed majors. Schools do have some leeway there, though it is ultimately their decision how they set their policies up (within the guidelines provided by ISAP). That would seem a better approach than trying to tell them they have the rules wrong.</p>
<p>I don’t think there has to be something “in the law” concerning every regulation the DOE establishes. A phrase “in the law” such as “the DOE shall have the authority to establish regulations, guidelines and procedures to carry out the blah, blah, blah” would give the DOE authority to do this. I don’t think there is something changed “in the law” every year when the asset allowance or income allowance amounts change, or if the DOE would remove or add criteria for independent status etc. </p>
<p>I would also add that the goal of federal aid is assisting people in getting a post-secondary education in a reasonable amount of time/credits. Taxpayer money isn’t going to subsidize professional students. Not saying you are one. The logic behind prior aid being irrelevant may be that if a person can afford to get 100 credits on their own dime and circumstances change and they require aid, that doesn’t mean the taxpayers are going to subsidize another full education starting from the beginning, just enough to complete an education in a reasonable amount of time/credits.</p>
<p>If only financial aid was so simple … implementing federal student aid involves understanding various laws, Department of Education interpretations of those laws, etc, etc, etc. Believe me, many hours are spent learning, training, and relearning / retraining to understand the regs and implement them in real life situations.</p>
<p>Don’t even bother challenging the regs. You won’t win.</p>
<p>Focus your attention on making a case for yourself to regain eligibility for aid. Go to an academic advisor at your school and develop a written plan outlining the courses you will take in each semester. Write a statement explaining the importance of each class to obtaining your chosen degree. Do not take classes that fall outside requirements necessary to obtain your degree. Submit that to the SAP committee along with any other required forms. </p>
<p>If you DO want to take classes not for the degree but rather to improve your own personal knowledge, understand that this is not the intent of federal aid. Federal aid is designed to allow students to pay for the classes necessary to earn a degree. Save those classes to take later … when you can afford to pay for them yourself.</p>