Policies
Satisfactory Academic Progress
The US Department of Education requires the University to establish a Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility that describes the academic criteria a student must meet to maintain eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid. This policy was established by the University's Scholarships & Student Aid Committee and is enforced by the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid.
Official Withdrawal/Cancellation from the University
If you withdraw during a semester in which you are receiving financial aid, you may be required to repay some or all of the financial aid you received for the term. The amount of aid you must repay will depend upon your date of withdrawal. Federal financial aid regulations specify that you “earn” your financial aid by remaining enrolled through more than 60% of the entire semester for which you receive aid. If you withdraw prior to that time, you must repay the aid you did not “earn” based upon the federal formula. Before you decide to withdraw from the University, please contact your financial aid counselor to determine the amount(s) and type(s) of aid you may have to repay. Specific information regarding the University’s refund policy may be obtained from the University Cashier’s Office.
Depending on the date of your withdrawal, you may also receive a tuition credit which may offset a portion of the aid repayment. Please visit the University Cashier's Office website for more details.
Unofficial Withdrawal/Cancellation from the University
It is also important to note that federal regulations also govern "unofficial" withdrawals. As stated in the regulations on federal aid:
"If a student who began attendance and has not officially withdrawn fails to earn a passing
grade in at least one course offered over an entire period, the institution must assume, for
Title IV purposes, that the student has unofficially withdrawn, unless the institution can
document that the student completed the period."
Therefore, if you do not achieve a passing grade in any of your courses in a given semester or summer session, you will be considered to have unofficially withdrawn from the University during that enrollment period and may be required to repay all or a portion of the aid that you did not earn.
Repeated Courses
Federal aid guidelines allow students to repeat a course that you have already passed one time ONLY. On your third enrollment in a course that you’ve successfully passed, you can no longer receive financial aid for that course.
Coursework Toward Degree
Federal guidelines will only permit students to receive financial aid for courses which apply to their degree. You may receive federal financial aid toward free electives within your degree audit, but you cannot receive aid for non-degree coursework.
Awarding of Aid
NC State is committed to being good stewards of institutional financial aid resources, and in doing so the University strives to provide assistance to all students who demonstrate financial need. The University's priority is to first award institutional grant funding to full-time students who apply for aid by the March 1 priority deadline. Applications received after March 1 are considered for Federal and State aid, and for institutional aid as long as funds remain. Institutional aid may be reduced if a student receives outside aid after the original award has been offered. Federal work study is offered first to incoming freshmen with the highest need and those who received work study funding in the prior year. A waiting list is maintained for students who were not offered work study but wish to be considered if funds become available. Loans are offered to all eligible students. Willingness to borrow a loan does not affect consideration for grant aid. Part time students, including seniors in their last semester, receive reduced federal, state and institutional scholarship and grant funding and are eligible for federal loan support if enrolled on at least a half-time basis (a minimum of 6 hours per semester for undergraduates and a minimum of 3 hours per semester for graduate students).
Graduating Seniors
Many graduating seniors mistakenly believe that they are considered "full time" even if they are taking less than 12 credit hours. While you are considered full time for enrollment purposes at NC State if you're taking all remaining graduation requirements, the policies governing financial aid are set by outside entities with differing regulations. Financial aid eligibility is based in part on the tuition and fee charges that you are actually billed by the University Cashier's Office. The adjustments to your aid will vary depending on the types and sources of the funds you receive. Contact our staff if you have questions about your eligibility.
Scholarship Disbursement
Scholarships are split into two equal disbursements, half for each semester, unless your donor requests a single disbursement.
Illegal Drug Conviction
Students who have been convicted of possessing or selling illegal drugs may have their eligibility for federal aid revoked. For more information, please visit Federal Student Aid website.
Loan Cancellation
Students who wish to cancel or reduce student loan funding they have been offered should notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid by sending the Award Update Form as soon as possible after being offered the loan. If you decide to cancel a loan after funds have already been received, you should bring a check for the portion of the loan you wish to cancel to the office. You must repay the loan within 120 days of the date the lender sends the funds to avoid being charged interest on unsubsidized loans.