Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services
Student Success Center, Room 101
400 7th Street North
La Crosse, WI 54601
For more information, contact us at:
Eligibility
Once the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is completed, Western will award you all types of aid you are eligible for. The types of aid you are eligible for is based on your student aid index and your budget. The student aid index is what the federal government believe you and your family should contribute towards your education based on the information provided on the FAFSA. To calculate this need, the federal government has developed a uniform calculation to determine how much each family is expected to contribute toward educational costs. After your level of financial need has been determined, Western will provide a financial aid package that will include all or some of the following forms of aid: grants, loans, and federal work-study.
Enrollment Status Policy
Your financial aid offer is based on the number of financial aid eligible credits you are enrolled in. Most types of aid, including state grants and student loans, require at least half-time status.
Full-time status = 12 or more credits
Three-quarters time status = 9-11 credits
Half-time status = 6-8 credits
Less than Half-time status = 1-5 credits
If you are not enrolled in classes at the time your file is reviewed, your financial aid offer will be based on a full-time enrollment status. Your financial aid offer will be revised to your enrollment status at the time of disbursement.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations require all schools participating in Title IV federal financial aid programs to have a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Title IV financial aid programs include: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, and Federal Work‐Study. The requirements of this policy apply to all students as one determinant of eligibility for financial aid.
Minimum Standards
To remain eligible for federal grants, loans and work‐study, you must meet the standards indicated below at the end of each term. At the end of each term (Fall, Spring and Summer), you must earn the minimum number of credits and the minimum cumulative Grade Point Average. If you do not meet the minimum standards, your eligibility may be in jeopardy.
Grade Point Average – The qualitative measurement is your cumulative GPA used to determine your status. Students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
Pace – The quantitative requirement has two parts, (a) Required Completion Rate and (b) Maximum Time frame.
- Required Completion Rate – You must, regardless of degree, earn 67% of all credits attempted. This is a cumulative calculation and includes credits attempted at Western as well as all schools at which courses were taken and counted toward your Western degree. If you do not earn 67% of all credit hours attempted you will be placed on financial aid warning, probation, or suspension depending on your history.
- Maximum Time Frame – In order to maintain satisfactory academic progress, you must complete the degree program within a certain time period. Federal regulations stipulate that the maximum time frame for an undergraduate student cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the academic program. The maximum lengths of study depend on the degree you are currently pursuing. Once you reach the maximum time frame, you are no longer eligible for financial aid. Time is measured in credits, including transfer credits and credits attempted credits while at Western, regardless if you received financial aid and regardless if the credits were successfully completed. If you have reached your maximum time‐frame and have mitigating circumstances, you may appeal to Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services for a brief extension of your aid.
Maximum Time Frame Examples:
| Program | Credits Required for Graduation | Maximum Credits (Cumulative Attempted including Transfer) |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting (Associate Degree) | 62 | 93 |
| Medical Assistant (Technical Diploma) | 33 | 49.5 |
Determination of Eligibility
The minimum progress standards will be checked after each term of enrollment (Fall, Spring and Summer). If you do not meet the minimum requirements AND you have been placed in either ‘Suspension’ or ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ status, refer to the “Reestablishing Eligibility” section.
Program Changes
If you are in compliance with Western’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy you may remain eligible for financial aid if you change your program of study or complete one degree and pursue another degree.
- Change in Program – The maximum time frame for financial aid will include all credits for both past and current programs.
Credits Attempted
- All undergraduate credits attempted for a given term are counted.
- Audited Courses are not financial aid eligible and are excluded from SAP calculations.
- Consortium/Shared Program credits are included in financial aid SAP calculations.
- Remedial credits are included in your total hours attempted, and, if successfully completed, credits earned. Graded remedial credits are included in your GPA. You can only receive financial aid for 30 remedial credits while taking only remedial credits. Once the limit is reached, your financial aid eligibility will only be based on program-required classes in which you are enrolled.
- Repeated courses count against your maximum time frame (total attempted credits) and reduce your completion rate as they count as earned credits only once. You may repeat a previously passed class one time to review course material or improve a grade. All courses remain on the transcript. Only the highest grade is record and is included in the GPA calculation.
- Transfer credits (earned at another college and accepted by Western) count toward your maximum time frame and your completion rate but excluded from the GPA calculation.
Treatment of Grades
- Attempted‐Not Earned Credits – INC (incomplete), and W (withdrawn), are counted as credits attempted but not successfully completed.
- Attempted‐Earned Credits – Letter grades of A, B, C, D, and CR* count as completed credits.
- Grade Point Average – Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using a grade point value for grades A, B, C, D, F, and CR*. Grades of INC and W are excluded from the GPA calculation.
- Incomplete Grade – A grade of INC (incomplete) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor. A grade of INC is a temporary grade and will automatically become an F grade four weeks after the end of the term if the required course work is not completed. The GPA and completion rate will be recalculated after the IC grades have been converted to F grades.
- Grade Changes – Grades that are changed (for example, through the grade appeal process) will result in the recalculation of the cumulative GPA and completion rate. It is your responsibility to notify Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services when a grade change occurs.
- Withdrawals – A grade of W is assigned when you withdraw from a class after the class has started. W grades are considered attempted but not successfully completed credits. A grade of W affects the completion rate and the maximum time frame calculations, but is excluded from the GPA calculation.
Failure to Meet Requirements
Failure to meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards may result in a student being placed in one of the following SAP Statuses. Students will receive an email notifying them of failure to meet SAP standards.
- Financial Aid Warning – You will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Warning’ status for one term if you fail to meet the required GPA and/or overall credit completion standards. Note: Students on ‘Warning’ are eligible for financial aid.
- To be removed from ‘Warning’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and/or credit completion rate by the end of your ‘Warning’ period.
- Financial Aid Suspension – You will be placed on Financial Aid ‘Suspension’ if you fail to meet the required GPA and/or overall credit completion standards for two consecutive terms. Note: Students on ‘Suspension’ are NOT eligible for financial aid.
- Financial Aid Probation – Students who are placed on Financial Aid ‘Probation’ are those who have failed their ‘Warning’ period and have an approved academic appeal. Note: Students on ‘Probation’ are eligible for financial aid.
- To be removed from ‘Probation’ you must attain the required cumulative GPA and credit completion rate by the end of your ‘Probation’ period.
- Maximum Time Frame Warning status – Once your record shows you have attempted 125% or more of your undergraduate degree requirements, you will be placed on ‘Maximum Time Frame Warning’ status to indicate you are approaching the maximum time frame for your degree program. Note: Students on ‘Maximum Time Frame Warning’ are eligible for financial aid.
- Maximum Time Frame Suspension status – Once you have attempted credits in excess of 150% of attempted credits for your program, you will be placed in ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ status. Note: Students on ‘Maximum Time Frame Suspension’ are NOT eligible for financial aid.
Reestablishing Eligibility
- Without use of financial aid – You may reestablish financial aid eligibility by enrolling at your own expense, taking at least 6 credits, and receiving a grade of C or better in each course you attempt. You must notify the Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services office at Western once these eligibility criteria are met.
- Probation – If you are suspended after the ‘Warning’ term, you may have the right to appeal your suspension status based on non‐academic, extenuating circumstances (i.e. death of an immediate family member, an extended illness, hospitalization, or injury of the student). To appeal a financial aid suspension, you must complete and submit the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form. If the appeal is approved, you are put on a Probation status and may be required to follow a written Academic Plan.
- Academic Plan – If you are suspended after the ‘Probation’ term, (or you are not able to attain SAP standards after a ‘Warning’ period) you may also regain financial aid eligibility if an Academic Plan is approved with your College Advisor. If you have an approved Academic Plan you must follow the terms of the Academic Plan, which includes completing all courses with a C or better and not dropping any courses after they have started. If you follow the terms of the Academic Plan, you are eligible for financial aid. However, if you fail to meet the terms of the Academic Plan, you will be permanently denied financial aid.
- Maximum Time Frame Plan – If you have reached 150% of your maximum time frame you may regain financial aid eligibility if a Maximum Time Frame Plan is approved with your College Advisor. With your approved Maximum Time Frame Plan, you must follow the terms of the plan (including the list of classes to be taken per term). If you follow the terms of the Maximum Time Frame Plan are eligible for financial aid.
Special Circumstances for 2024/25
Special Circumstances for 2024/25 (Fall ’24, Spring ’25, Summer ’25)
If you (or your parent) have experienced a change in income that may affect your ability to pay for college, complete the following Special Circumstance Appeal Form:
Situations may include loss of job, reduction of income, loss of benefits, one-time income in 2021.
If you are a student with a 0 Expected Family Contribution (EFC) already (you can determine this by logging into your MyWestern account, selecting Accept Awards and reviewing the Total Resources), you are receiving the maximum grant amounts available and do not need to complete the Special Circumstances form.
Budget Increase
If you have additional expenses or other unrelated expenses not already included in your Cost of Attendance/Budget, you can ask to have your Cost of Attendance evaluated for a potential adjustment. In some cases, these adjustments will have no impact on the financial aid award, depending on the type and amount of the award.
Additional expenses that would be considered in a COA/Budget Appeal include:
- Computer expenses
- Transportation expenses, such as major vehicle repair
- Dependent care
- Program expenses that are not already included in the current budget allocation
- Study Abroad expenses
Additional expenses that are NOT considered in a COA/Budget Appeal include:
- Credit card debt or loan payments
- Routine car maintenance
- Moving expenses
- Cell phone bills
If approved, the Cost of Attendance budget increase may allow you to receive additional loan funding if you are not already receiving the maximum annual loan eligibility. To request a budget increase contact Jerolyn Grandall at grandallj@westerntc.edu.
Dependency Override
A dependency override allows a student who traditionally meets dependency status requirements for financial aid purposes an opportunity to appeal based on a special circumstance.
Students who seek a dependency override appeal generally face parental relationship challenges such as estrangement, abusive family environment, abandonment, extended incarceration or other situations.
If you do not have a special circumstance under the dependency override appeal criteria or meet any of the conditions to be considered an Independent student for financial aid purposes, your parents must provide their information on your FAFSA. This is required even if your parents do not claim you on their taxes, you do not live with them, or receive any financial support from them.
To learn more about Dependency Overrides, contact the Manager of Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services at grandallj@westerntc.edu.
Refund and Repayment
Add Policy - Dates of Record (2nd Wednesday of the Term)
Student enrollment status will be reviewed prior to the first disbursement and awards will be adjusted accordingly. After the Date of Record, a student's aid package may be adjusted if classes are cancelled or if they drop a class that has not started. Students may owe a repayment.
Payment of financial aid is based on the number of credits enrolled as of the Date of Record for that trimester. If you add any classes after the Date of Record, your financial aid grant eligibility will not increase. There are no exceptions. Contact Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services at 608-785-9579 for student loan options.
Upcoming Dates of Record
Fall 2024 term: September 11, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Spring 2025 term: January 15, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Summer 2025 term: May 14, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
Always contact Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services before dropping classes to determine the effect on your award.
Total Withdrawal
Federal law states that if students receive federal aid and withdraw or drop ALL classes before completing 60% of the trimester, students may have to return a portion of the federal aid received. Federal law also states that once students have completed 60% of the trimester, they have earned 100% of their aid. (Refer to the Return of Title IV Funds Calculation below).
Return of Title IV Funds Calculation
Federal Regulation 34 CFR 668.22 specifies how a school must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance a student earns if they withdraw from school. The Title IV programs offered by Western Technical College that are covered by this law are as follows: Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG).
Financial aid will be posted to a student’s account, beginning the 4th week of the term or once a student’s financial aid is complete. You will earn the fund as you complete the period. If you withdraw during the term, your federal financial aid will be re-evaluated to determine the amount you have earned as of the date of withdrawal. This process is called Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation. If the R2T4 calculation results in a credit balance on the student’s account, the balance will be disbursed as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the calculation of R2T4. If the R2T4 calculation results in an amount to be returned that exceeds the school’s portion, it is the student’s responsibility to repay the funds. If the total amount of federal financial aid earned is less than the amount of federal financial aid funds disbursed to you, the difference between these amounts is returned to the applicable federal financial aid programs. If federal financial aid funds earned is greater than federal financial aid funds disbursed, the difference between these amounts is treated as a post withdrawal disbursement (PWD).
The total amount required to be returned will be adjusted on your student account. If you have a pending refund of tuition, it will be used to offset the amount you are responsible to repay, if any. If you are receiving a PWD, this will also be reflected on your student account. Please review your MyWestern student account to review the adjustment and see if a balance is owed.
Western will disburse directly to the student any amount of post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds that is not credited to the students account as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the date of the institution’s determination that the student withdrew. Loans will be offered to the student within 30 days, allowing the student at least 14 days to respond to accept or decline the funds. If the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal of loan funds, Western will offer to disburse the funds directly to the student, or parent in the case of a parent PLUS loan, any amount of post-withdrawal disbursement of loan funds that is not credited to the student’s account. Prior to making the direct disbursement of any loan funds, Western will obtain the students, or parents in the case of a parent PLUS loan, confirmation that the student or parent still wishes to have the loan funds disbursed.
The amount of Title IV assistance earned is determined by calculating the percentage of the term the student completed and applying this percentage to the Title IV funding the student was originally scheduled to receive. For example, if you complete 30% of your payment period, you earn 30% of the Title IV funding you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of the payment period or period of enrollment, you earn all the Title IV funding you were scheduled to receive for that period.
If you begin attendance and do not officially withdraw, you must complete the term which you received funding for and earn a grade, or a repayment may be processed based on the mid-point of the term or your last records date of academically related activity.
Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services will determine the amount to be paid back to the financial aid programs within 30 days of your withdrawal and the funds will be returned to the program within 45 days.
The impact on a student's financial aid will depend on several factors:
- Date of Withdrawal—the actual date the withdrawal process began, or the student's last date of attendance
- Total amount of tuition and fees
- Amount of Federal Financial Aid awarded (disbursed & not disbursed)
All post-withdrawal disbursements are applied to the student account first, and any resulting credit balance is handled as follows. Any return of tuition will go to the following federal funds in priority order:
- Direct Unsubsidized Loan
- Direct Subsidized Loan
- Direct Parent PLUS Loan
- Federal Pell Grant
- Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Date of Withdrawal
Regulations define the withdrawal date as the date:
-
The student begins the withdrawal process by notifying the school of their intent to withdraw or otherwise provides official notification, OR
-
The midpoint of the payment period in which the student received Title IV aid, OR
-
The last date of an academically related activity that the student participated in.
Attendance Policy
Instructors are required to take attendance by the end of the first week of each course. Students who do not attend class or begin the course during the first week of each course are reported to the Registrar's Office by their instructor as not attending. The Registrar's Office will drop the student from the course. In accordance with Title IV, the college must cancel any financial aid that has been processed for students who fail to begin attendance.
The College defines "beginning attendance" as attending class or beginning the course by the end of the first week of the course. Such attendance is not based on qualitative performance in the course but rather on attendance as follows:
Attendance Requirements for Online Courses
Students enrolled in an online course must complete at least one assignment by the end of week one.
Attendance Requirements for All Delivery Methods with a Face-to-Face Component
Students enrolled in any course with a face-to-face component such as traditional, hybrid, blended, etc. must meet the following attendance requirements:
- Attend class during the first week of the course or
- Complete at least one assignment by the end of week one.
Planned Absences
In the case of planned absences for all class types, the student must notify the instructor in writing if unable to attend class in week one as defined above. If the student does not begin attending by the agreed-upon date, the student will be dropped from the course. For all situations, students reported as not beginning the course are considered "not attending" and
- Will be charged 20% of tuition and fees for any courses from which they were dropped for not attending. Federal financial aid recipients reported as not-attending may owe a repayment to the College.
- May be reinstated into a class due to extenuating circumstances upon approval of the Dean in consultation with the instructor of the course
Unofficial Withdrawal
If you received all “F” grades and an instructor indicated you ceased attendance during the term, you will be considered an “unofficial withdrawal” and a “Return of Title IV Funds Calculation” will be processed by Financial Aid at 50% completion of the semester. You may owe a repayment.
If you received a “F” in a class and an instructor indicated you never attended, your aid package may be revised and you may owe a repayment.
Withdrawal date is defined as the actual date you begin the withdrawal process or your last date of attendance. If you receive all “F” grades for a term, you may be considered an “unofficial withdrawal” and may be required to repay at least 50% of the institutional costs. Your drop and/or withdrawal will affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Developmental Coursework
Certain developmental coursework (if referred by counselor) can be added to a student’s credit load for financial aid purposes. Dropping or being dropped from a credit course(s) may require repayment of ALL or a portion of financial aid.
Additional Requirements
Auditing Courses
If you are enrolled to audit a course you will not be eligible to receive aid for that course.
Enrollment Status
Your enrollment status will be reviewed prior to the first disbursement and your awards will be adjusted accordingly. If your enrollment status has changed as of the 2nd Wednesday of the trimester at 4:00 p.m. (Date of Record) your financial aid award package will be recalculated and locked in based on your enrollment status as of this date. (After the Date of Record your aid package may be recalculated if classes are canceled or if you drop a class that has not started.) You may owe a repayment.
A student cannot receive financial aid at two colleges for the same payment/enrollment period.
Stay in Touch