Financial Aid Course Eligibility outlines how your course selection can impact your
financial aid. Students receiving aid must enroll in courses that apply directly to
their academic program requirements. Taking classes outside your program, repeating
courses beyond allowable limits, or enrolling in non-credit or prerequisite courses
may affect eligibility. The information also explains how program changes, last-term
exemptions, repeated courses, and course failures can influence financial aid coverage,
as well as how students will be notified if their enrollment does not meet financial
aid requirements.
Financial Aid Course Eligibility
What you need to know.
The Federal and State governments have mandated that all students receiving financial
aid must take courses that apply to their programs. Schools will be held accountable
to make sure students are taking the proper courses and could lose their ability to
offer financial aid to students if they do not comply with this regulation.
They may. Only courses that are required in your Program are eligible for financial
aid. If you received a grade of 'D-"or higher in any of your excluded courses they
will be viewed as completed requirements and will be used again (when determining
financial aid) if there is room in your new Program. The only exception is explained
in FAQ #5.
Students graduate from Monroe Community College in a Program, not in a Major. A Program
is what has been approved by the State Education Department, such as LA04 Liberal
Arts and Sciences - General Studies. Under the Liberal Arts Program there are many
Majors, (which are essentially advisement sequences), or specific 2+2 advising recommendations
that a student follows for transfer to a four-year school. Majors will often require
additional courses than the Program they are under requires.
Not necessarily. Once you complete the requirements for your Program, financial aid
will not cover additional courses that you might need for your Major (advisement sequence
or 2+2 requirements). You may still want to complete the additional courses, but you
will be responsible to pay for them. Careful planning with an advisor upon matriculation
or after a program change may help you navigate around this problem. If you are almost
finished with your program and get a registration error message, please see an advisor.
You will receive financial aid for all courses with 'F' grades if you have not previously
taken the course. You will receive financial aid for courses with a 'C-' and lower
if your program says you must have a grade of 'C' or higher for that course or as
a prerequisite for a course that is required in your program (STATE AID only - TAP/APTS).
Federal aid (PELL/loans) will not pay for a course to be repeated more than one time
(withdrawing does not count as your one time repeat) regardless of the program or
prerequisite requirements.
These are courses that prepare you to complete a required course successfully. They
may or may not be required as part of your program.
Yes, the federal and state governments consider these preparatory classes for successful
completion of college level courses. However, you must follow federal and state financial
aid guidelines.
If you are in your in your last semester and need fewer than 12 credits to complete
your program, you must register for the required courses and may, if you wish, register
for any additional courses totaling 12 credits or more and receive State aid (TAP/APTS).
This is called a Last Term Exemption. You must also file an Intent to Graduate application
upon registering for your last semester and check the box for the Last Term exemption. Note: You may also use the Last Term Exemption for part-time State aid (APTS).
No. You may only use one Last Term Exemption for the same degree. If you still have
courses to take to complete your requirements because you failed a course or courses
in your last semester, only those specific courses that are required in your program
will be eligible for financial aid.
You will see that your financial aid package includes the additional courses.
You will only receive financial aid for courses in your program and your financial
aid award package will be reduced to reflect the number of courses you are taking
that do apply to your program.
You will receive an electronic message when you register for courses online indicating
if a course does not meet the financial requirements and an explanation as to why
it doesn't. You will also receive an email that some or all of your courses do not
meet financial aid requirements.
No. Part time students must adhere to the same guidelines.
You will need to readjust the courses within your program and take courses that do
count for financial aid. Otherwise you will be responsible for payment for all courses
that do not meet program requirements.
No. You may not drop classes for financial aid eligibility reasons once school has
begun; you will be charged the regular fee if you drop classes according to the college
catalog guidelines.
New York State Education Department allows students who qualify for LTE (Last Term
Exemption) to count a repeated course as aid eligible. This means a student can repeat
a course that they previously passed in their last term when using LTE. The repeat
can be for any reason (does not need to be an approved state repeat) for the course/credits
after the one in-program course in the last semester.
