Financial Information

Statement of Financial Responsibility Disclosure Statement

Registration at University of the Cumberlands is a binding contract between University of the Cumberlands (hereafter referred to as “University”) and the student where the student electronically consents, accepts, and agrees to the terms and conditions of the University’s Statement of Financial Responsibility Disclosure.

The student understands and agrees that registration for classes, enrollment in, or cancellation of room and board contract constitutes their acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Statement of Financial Responsibility Disclosure. Likewise, the student’s consent demonstrates an acknowledgment of debt and promise to pay for all assessed tuition, room and board, fines, fees, and other associated costs by the applicable payment due date.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition is established each spring for the following summer and fall terms. Graduate students may apply for William D. Ford Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan to help with tuition expenses. Applicants must have a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file to determine the amount of loan assistance available to them. For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office at 606-539-4220. It is important to note that Direct Loan assistance is available only to students who are seeking a degree. A limited number of graduate assistantships are available. If you’re interested in pursuing a graduate assistantship, please contact the Student Employment Office.

Current information on tuition and fees is available from the UC Student Financial Center studentfinancial@ucumberlands.edu.

Student Financial Account Record

All charges and payments for tuition, fees, room and board, and other charges are recorded on the Office of Student Account Record. Bookstore charges and library fines are also transferred to this permanent financial record in the Office of Student Accounts.

Monthly Payment Plan Option

The monthly payment plan option of four, three, or two payments allows students to spread payments across a semester. Students are able to schedule tuition, fees, room and board costs into a monthly plan. A late payment plan fee of $50 will be charged if the installment payment is not received in full within five days of the payment due date.

Additionally, in the absence of satisfactory payment (i.e.-balance paid in full/ covered in full by financial aid) or if the student account is or becomes delinquent, the University will place a hold restricting registration and transcript access. Please note, the University reserves the right to drop future term registration based on any unsatisfactory payment and/ or missed payment(s).

Payment Plan Auto Enrollment

University of the Cumberlands’ automated enrollment payment plan for students allows students to better manage their educational expenses by spreading the costs throughout the semester. This plan is for students who do not make financial preparation for any given semester. Students who plan ahead and have satisfactory payment arrangements to cover their educational expenses in full will not be impacted. A late payment plan fee of $50 will be charged if the installment payment is not received in full within five days of the payment due date. Additionally, in the absence of satisfactory payment (i.e., balance paid in full/ covered in full by financial aid) or if the student account is or becomes delinquent, the University will place a hold restricting registration. Please note, the University reserves the right to drop future term registration based on any unsatisfactory payment and/ or missed payment (s).

Class Fees

Registration in some classes may require additional fees that are not covered by tuition and fees such as, but not limited to material fees, lab fees, malpractice insurance, student liability insurance, etc.

Cancellation Deadlines

Specific deadline dates for cancellation/refunds are posted to the Office of Student Accounts webpage at https://ucumberlands.edu/student-accounts

IRS Form 1098-T

The student agrees to provide their Social Security number (SSN) or taxpayer identification number (TIN) to University of the Cumberlands upon request as required by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations for Form 1098-T reporting purposes. The student consents to receive their annual IRS Form 1098-T electronically from University of the Cumberlands. The student understands that if they do not receive their Form 1098-T electronically due to an inactive email account, spam filters, or any other means outside of the University’s control, the student can contact the Office of Student Accounts for instructions on how to access their 1098-T Form.

Late Payment Fees

A student’s account is subject to a late fee for returned payment, non-payment, or insufficient payment after the payment due date. Any student account balance setup on the monthly payment plan is subject to a late fee if the minimum required payment is not received by the monthly payment plan due date.

Drop for Non-Payment

The student is responsible for withdrawing from courses following the procedures outlined within the University’s Official Withdrawal policy. Any refund of tuition is based on the University’s Tuition and Fees Refund Schedule. The University reserves the right to drop/withdrawal a student’s registration for nonpayment if a student does not meet the University’s payment due date.

Returned Payments

The University reserves the right to suspend, revoke or prevent any payment submission based on insufficient funds or returned payments when the student account reaches three occurrences including ACH, physical check, credit or debit card or any combination thereof. In the event of reaching this limit, the student may be prohibited from submitting payments through any of the aforementioned processing methods and/or signing up for a payment plan. As a result, the Office of Student Accounts will assess a $25 non-sufficient funds (NSF) fee for each insufficient funds, returned check or credit card charge back and require certified funds for future payments.

Past Due Accounts/Collections

The student account balance is due on the payment due date at the beginning of each term. If your student account is, becomes, or remains past due, the University may restrict access to both current and future registration.

If a student fails to pay any tuition, fees, room and board, bookstore charges, or other miscellaneous expenses or a student fails to make acceptable payment arrangements to bring their student account current, and the University may refer the delinquent account to a collection agency and/or report the student to credit reporting bureaus. The student is responsible for all collection charges associated with the collection of the debt, including but not limited to: collection agency fees, reasonable attorney’s fees, court costs, and all other charges allowed by law. These costs may add over 33 1/3% to the balance due. Once a student account has been referred to a collection agency, the additional collections fee cannot be removed from the account, and the student must make all payment arrangements with the collection agency.

Prepayment

The University reserves the right to require prepayment of an upcoming semester or term prior to the start of each session.

Financial Hold

The University reserves the right to place a financial hold on any student account with a past due balance. A past due balance will result in a financial hold, which prevents a future term’s registration.

Financial Aid

The University will begin disbursing offered financial aid after being accepted, and that has all requirements satisfied during the third week of class for each semester. Scholarship and grant aid are accepted automatically on the student’s behalf. Financial Aid (grants, loans and scholarships) that has been authorized, but not paid to the student account is considered to be anticipated. Anticipated aid is deducted from the current term balance when reviewing your account activity in the myUC portal. Any balance not covered by financial aid will be billed to your student account and is subject to the payment due date. If the remaining balance after financial aid is not submitted by the payment due date or scheduled and current on a payment plan, then the student account is subject to a late fee. After the financial aid is disbursed, it will be applied to the student account; however, there will be no further reduction in the remaining balance because the aid was taken into consideration while in the anticipated status. A current academic year/term federal financial aid cannot be used to pay a prior balance from a previous academic year/term balance. In certain instances, private loans may be acquired by the student to pay a previous academic year/term balance. All offered financial aid is subject to change based on federal, state, and institutional policies, rules, and regulations.

Third-Party Sponsorship

The University will submit an invoice to a Third-Party Sponsor for tuition and fees. It is a student’s responsibility to manage, review and contact the sponsor regarding agreed upon promises to pay or missing payments toward a student account. If the sponsor does not pay, the responsibility still resides with the student and will remain the responsibility of the student.

Refunds

Refundable credit balances on a student’s account are generally processed starting the third week of each semester. Refunds of excess financial aid will be processed continually during the term as financial aid is disbursed. In the event a student has received the maximum amount of financial aid allowed based on their financial aid budget, the University reserves the right to return or reduce any payment, which created the credit balance status.

Tuition, fees, charges, and expenses incurred after the processing of refunds may create a balance owed to the University. In the event a balance is created due to a refund, the student is responsible for monitoring their student account status and submitting any amount owed to the University. To prevent an outstanding balance from non-allowable charges, the student may complete a Title IV authorization to allow the University to apply excess federal funds to cover non-allowable charges (i.e. bookstore charges, parking fines, student fines, course fees).

Refund Schedule

16 Week Main Session

8 Week Session

Withdrawal Policy

Students must officially withdraw through the Office of Academic Affairs. Students who fail to withdraw officially forfeit all rights to a refund or reduction in fees. See the procedures for official withdrawal later in this catalog.

The student is responsible for notifying the Office of the Registrar and following all University course drop and withdrawal policies and procedures.

If a student did not attend a course(s) and did not submit a drop or withdrawal form, the student is responsible for the grade and cost of that course(s).

If a student begins a course(s) and decides not to continue with the course(s) and does not submit a drop or withdrawal form, the student is responsible for the grade and cost of that course(s).

The University recommends that students discuss the academic and financial implications of a withdrawal prior to making the decision to withdraw.

If a student no longer is receiving financial aid, tuition reimbursement, scholarships or refuse financial aid, this does not automatically communicate intent to drop course(s) or withdraw from the university.

In addition, failure to submit payment to the University by the published deadlines does not relieve a student from financial obligations owed to the University.

For additional questions, please contact: studentfinancial@ucumberlands.edu

Student Financial Aid

University of the Cumberlands strives to make higher education affordable. The total amount of financial aid granted to a student by any combination of sources is not to exceed the total cost of attendance. All students who need financial aid assistance should complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Students can complete the FAFSA, PLUS Loan Application, MPN (Master Promissory Note), and Entrance Counseling form online at www.studentaid.gov. If you need help completing the FAFSA, contact the Financial Aid Office.

The total amount of financial aid granted to any student by any combination of sources shall not exceed the student’s total Cost of Attendance (COA). Once aid has been accepted, and all outstanding requirements have been satisfied, the University will begin disbursing aid during the third week of classes each semester and bi-term if applicable. Financial aid that has been authorized but not paid to the student account is considered to be anticipated. Anticipated aid is deducted from the current term balance when reviewing your account activity in the myUC portal. Any balance not covered by financial aid will be billed to your student account and is subject to the payment due date. If the remaining balance after financial aid is not submitted by the payment due date or scheduled and current on a payment plan, then the student account is subject to a late fee. After the financial aid is disbursed, it will be applied to the student account. However, there will be no further reduction in the remaining balance because the aid was considered while in the anticipated status. Federal financial aid from the current year/term cannot be used to pay a prior balance from a previous academic year/term. The student may acquire private loans to pay a previous academic year/term balance in certain instances. All offered financial aid is subject to change based on federal, state, and institutional policies, rules, and regulations.

A student is not eligible for any financial aid before the first day of class attendance. Do not hesitate to get in touch with the Financial Aid Office for more information concerning financial aid.

Special Circumstance Appeals

If you are a prospective or returning student who has completed your FAFSA and experienced a situation negatively impacting your ability to fund your education. In that case, help may be available in the form of our Financial Assistance Form. These situations may include expenses that have impacted your ability to pay and attend classes that are part of your Cost of Attendance that is extreme. Some expenses that might be considered are medical expenses or dependent care expenses when reevaluating your aid offer.

UC recognizes that each family situation is unique; therefore, each application for financial assistance is carefully analyzed. Since the applications for financial aid are confidential, students are urged to answer all questions completely and fully explain all special circumstances and provide any documentation that may assist in the appeal process. In most cases, incomplete applications will be returned to the applicant for the needed information.

Financial Aid Withdrawal and Non-Attendance Policies

According to the Department of Education Federal Regulations, Title IV funds (Direct Unsubsidized student loans, Pell grant, Federal SEOG, Direct Unsubsidized and Plus loans) are offered to students with the expectation they will attend the classes for which they enrolled. Part of the awarding criteria for Financial Aid is the number of credit hours a student registered for (enrollment status) along with the duration of enrollment (semester). Each semester consists of two eight-week and/or a 16-week term.

Attendance is confirmed before the end census date (Drop/Add period). Courses with confirmed attendance through census determine enrollment status for financial aid purposes. If a student has not attended a class at the census, the student will be administratively withdrawn as a “no-show” from the course and will not receive any federal or state aid for the course.

Changes to enrollment status and your offered aid can occur when altering your class schedule. Suppose you are considering dropping a course before the census date or dropping more credit hours than what is added back (i.e., drop 3 credit hour course but only add a 1 credit hour course). In that case, any offered aid is refigured on the REVISED enrollment status, resulting in a change from full-time to part-time and reducing offered aid for the semester.

Official Withdrawals

When a student officially withdraws from all courses before completing the semester, our office is required to complete a recalculation, for all Title IV funds, as of the Last Date of Attendance (LDA). University of the Cumberlands is not required to monitor student attendance. Instructors must record academic activity (including online, student teaching, internships, practicum, and so forth) through the census period. If a student receives a failing grade in a course, an instructor will be required to enter the last date of the academically related activity for that course. The last date of academic activity is the date used for Return to Title IV recalculations.

The date of notification is when a student begins the withdrawal process or the date, as determined by University of the Cumberlands, that the student otherwise provided official notification in writing or orally of his intent to withdraw.

How to Withdraw from Classes

Students that wish to officially withdraw should contact their student success coordinator.

Online Graduate: gss@ucumberlands.edu or 606539-4539

Unofficial Withdrawals

Students that complete an academically related activity during a period of enrollment and later withdraw or stop attending without proper notification from all their courses will be evaluated for Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4). If one instructor reports a student attended through the end of the period, no R2T4 would be required. Similarly, if the student never attended, they are not eligible for Title IV Aid, and no R2T4 would be necessary. Students that University of the Cumberlands withdraw for nonattendance will have an LDA that is either the midpoint of the payment period or the last date of an academically related activity in which the student participated.

Return of Federal Title IV Aid Funds

At University of the Cumberlands, students withdrawing from all courses either officially or unofficially that received Federal Title IV funds, federal regulations require a specific refund calculation, also known as a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation. It is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, are dismissed, or cease attending before completing 60% of a payment period (semester/term). Suppose a student withdraws on or before the 60 percent point in time. In that case, a portion of Federal Title IV aid funds awarded to a student (All federal aid as mentioned above) must be returned in accordance with the provisions of the Higher Education Act, as amended. The return of federal student aid funds may result in the student owing a balance to the University and/or to the U.S. Department of Education. Calculations that result in a credit balance will be issued a refund within 14 days or sooner as of the date the R2T4 is completed.

In some cases, students can be exempt from withdrawals if they are taking courses that are modular or bi-term courses at University of the Cumberlands. To be exempt, the student must have met one of the following three criteria:

1. Completed requirements for graduation.
2. Successful completion of 49% of days in the payment period or period of enrollment
3. Successful completion of half-time enrollment The Calculation that determines the amount of aid earned by the student for the period is a percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV Funds formula:

Percentage of the payment period completed in which courses are offered in modules = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the payment period’s total days. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the number of completed days or total days in the payment period.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

The Calculation that determines the Funds returned to the appropriate federal program using the Federal Return of Title IV Funds formula:

Aid to be returned = 100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid; multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.

If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the Institution would be required to return a portion of the funds, and the student may be required to return a part of the funds as well. University of the Cumberlands will return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after University of the Cumberlands determines or should have determined that the student withdrew. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, it may create a balance on your student account that you will be responsible for making repayment arrangements.

The return of Federal Title IV Aid funds is allocated in the following order:

1. Loans:
   • Federal Direct Unsubsidized
   • Federal Direct Subsidized
   • Federal Direct Graduate (PLUS) Loans
   • Federal Direct Parent (PLUS) Loans received on behalf of student.
   • Federal Pell Grant
   • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
   • TEACH Grant
   • Iraq Afghanistan Service Grant

Return of Title IV Example:

A student withdraws three weeks into the semester. The student was charged full-time graduate tuition of $1,990. An unsubsidized loan paid for some charges. The student paid the remainder, leaving a $0 balance on the student account on the day of withdrawal. There are 110 total days in the semester; the student attended 37 days. Percentage of earned aid = 37/110 = 33.63% earned.

• Unearned aid = 100% - 33.6% (earned) = 66.4% unearned
• $1,900 (aid received) X 33.63% = $639 earned.
• $1,900 - $639 = $1,261 unearned (Aid that must be returned).
• Amount of Aid to be Returned by School = Institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage; $1,990 X 66.4% = $1,321
• Since $1,321 exceeds. the amount of unearned aid, the lesser number is used.

An amount of $1,261 Unsubsidized Direct Loan disbursement would be reversed from the student account, creating a balance owed to University of the Cumberlands. Student receiving tuition and fee refunds will be credited according to the published refund schedule https://www.ucumberlands.edu/payment/refundpolicy.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement (PWD) Overpayments

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed, the Institution might owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement. A post-withdrawal disbursement must be made from available grant funds before available loan funds. Loan funds require a confirmation from the borrower that they still wish to have the loan funds disbursed. Loan funds that are a second or subsequent disbursement are not eligible for distribution. Grant funds not credited to the student’s account must be disbursed to the student as soon as possible, but no later than 45 days after the date of the Institution’s determination that the student withdrew.

University of the Cumberlands will provide written notification within 30 days of the date of the Institution’s determination that the student withdrew that:

Identifies the type of loan and the amount that will either be applied to the student’s account and/or refunded back to the appropriate borrower(s), requests the acceptance or declination of the postwithdrawal loan disbursement, advises the borrower(s) about their repayment obligation, and advises the borrower(s) a response deadline.

Confirmations received before the deadline will be processed by University of the Cumberlands as soon as possible, but no later than 180 days after the Institution’s determination, the student withdrew. When PWD funds are declined, or no response is received, no loan funds will be processed.

Overpayments

In the event of an overpayment to a student, University of the Cumberlands will return all funds to the appropriate Federal Aid Program(s) as mentioned above, resulting in the student owing the Institution.

University of the Cumberlands utilizes a standard collections procedure for students with account balances. University of the Cumberlands understands that it can report the students who fail to take positive action to NSLDS and refer them to the Default Resolution Group for collection if it were not repaying the funds itself. Inadvertent overpayments will be returned within 45 days of the date of the Institution’s determination that the student withdrew.

Deceased Student

If University of the Cumberlands determines that a student has died during a period, they must perform a Return Calculation. If the calculation indicates that an institution is required to return Title IV funds, the school must return the Title IV funds for which it is responsible.

The student’s estate is not required to return any Title IV funds disbursed to the student. University of the Cumberlands will not report a grant overpayment for a deceased student to National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), nor refer an overpayment to Debt Resolution Services.

The regulations governing the Direct Loan programs provide for a discharge of a borrower’s obligation to repay a Federal Direct Loan if the borrower dies. If University of the Cumberlands is aware that a

student who has died has any outstanding Title IV loan debt, they may contact the student’s estate and inform it of its actions to have that debt canceled. Suppose a Title IV credit balance created from funds disbursed before the student’s death exists after completing the Return calculation and Institutional refund calculation. In that case, University of the Cumberlands will resolve the credit balance in one of the following ways:

1. By Cash Management regulations, paying authorized charges at the Institution (including previously paid charges that are now unpaid as a result of the Return of Title IV funds by the Institution)
2. Returning any remaining credit balance to the Title IV programs

See the Student Handbook for information on complaint procedures regarding state financial aid. For more information concerning financial aid, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Graduate Policy

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

Quantitative

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 150% of its published length. Students who fall below a 67% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 150% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility.

In order to complete the necessary number of credit hours within the maximum allowable time frame, all students must earn credit in 67% of all attempted hours. Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Below is an example of minimum completion rate requirements:

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. Graduate programs at Cumberlands have different minimum requirements for completion. To determine your maximum timeframe, you will need to multiply the minimum required hours in the program by 1.5. For example, if the student’s program requires 30 hours the maximum number of hours a student may attempt is 45 (30 x 1.5) for financial aid eligibility. Any student who attempts hours beyond this number is ineligible for financial aid. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart.

Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program.

Qualitative

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale for their first 6 credit hours. Additionally, all students who have completed at least 6 credit hours must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Evaluation

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of our SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be automatically placed on “SAP Warning”. The student will be eligible to receive aid for one (1) semester. At the end of the warning semester, the student will be reevaluated. If the student is meeting SAP at this time, no further action is required, and the student will remain eligible for financial aid. If a student is not making SAP at the end of the Warning period, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid.

Appeals

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP. Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other special circumstances.

Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will tell us why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan.

Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP.

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to resubmit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP Definitions

Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)

Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.

Maximum Timeframe: 150% the published length of your program

Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (67%)

Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (2.0 for <6 Attempted Hours, 3.0 for >6 Attempted Hours)

SAP Warning: As soon as a student fails to make SAP, they are placed on “SAP Warning” and have one (1) semester to begin making SAP. A student is eligible for financial aid while on SAP Warning.

SAP Suspension: If a student on SAP Warning fails to make SAP after one (1) semester, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and be ineligible to receive aid.

SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.

SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.

Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Physician Assistant Policy - NKY

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

Quantitative

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 95% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 150% of its published length. Students who fall below a 150% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 150% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility.

Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. The Physician Assistant program has a minimum requirement of 113 credit hours. Any student who attempts hours beyond 169 credit hours is ineligible for financial aid and must contact the Student Financial Center. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program.

Qualitative

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Evaluation

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of our SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid.

Appeals

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP. Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other special circumstances.

Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will tell us why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan. Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP.

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to resubmit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP Definitions

Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)

Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.

Maximum Timeframe: 150% the published length of your program

Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (90%)

Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (3.0)

SAP Suspension: If a student fails to make SAP after one (1) semester, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and be ineligible to receive aid.

SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.

SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.

Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Physician Assistant Policy - Williamsburg

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

Quantitative

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 95% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 150% of its published length. Students who fall below a 150% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 150% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility.

Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the student’s degree program. The Physician Assistant program has a minimum requirement of 113 credit hours. Any student who attempts hours beyond 169 credit hours is ineligible for financial aid and must contact the Student Financial Center. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program.

Qualitative

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.15 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Evaluation

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of our SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid.

Appeals

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP. Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other special circumstances. Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will tell us why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan.

Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP.

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to resubmit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP Definitions

Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)

Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.

Maximum Timeframe: 150% the published length of your program

Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (90%)

Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (3.15)

SAP Suspension: If a student on SAP Warning fails to make SAP after one (1) semester, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and be ineligible to receive aid.

SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.

SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.

Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Doctor of Physical Therapy Policy

Federal regulations require that all students who receive federal or state financial aid make satisfactory progress toward a degree. Colleges and universities must establish policies that ensure students’ progress successfully towards degree completion both qualitatively (GPA) and quantitatively (hours attempted versus hours earned and max time frame). At Cumberlands, we have established the following Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy for all types of financial aid (federal, state, and institutional). SAP will be reviewed each semester, including the summer term.

Quantitative

Students are expected to successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted credit hours and must complete their program within 100% of its published length. Students who fall below a 100% completion rate, or who cannot complete their program within 100% of its minimum required hours, can lose federal aid eligibility.

Grades of W, I, F, and transfer hours are counted as attempted hours; however, grades of W, I, and F will NOT count as earned hours. Repeated coursework can impact the qualitative measurement of SAP, but all repeated courses will count toward attempted hours.

Maximum Timeframe

The maximum timeframe in which a student must complete their degree cannot exceed 100% of the published length of the student’s degree program. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program has a minimum requirement of 115 credit hours. Any student who attempts hours beyond this number is ineligible for financial aid and will need to contact the Student Financial Center. All semesters and credit hours attempted are used toward the maximum time frame allowance regardless of whether the student received financial aid. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your completion rate in your new program.

Qualitative

Students must also earn a certain cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) to maintain SAP. All Doctor of Physical Therapy students must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If you change programs or begin a new program after completing your initial degree, your SAP will restart. Any courses from your previous program that apply toward your current program will be counted toward your SAP in your new program. Repeat coursework may improve your GPA, but these courses will still count toward your completion rate.

Evaluation

After each semester, all enrolled students will be evaluated to see if they are meeting the requirements of our SAP policy. If the student fails to meet SAP after one semester, they will be automatically placed on “SAP Warning”. The student will be eligible to receive aid for one (1) semester. At the end of the warning semester, the student will be reevaluated. If the student is meeting SAP at this time, no further action is required, and the student will remain eligible for financial aid. If a student is not making SAP at the end of the Warning period, they will be placed on “SAP Suspension.” Students who are on SAP Suspension will be ineligible to receive financial aid.

Appeals

Students placed on Financial Aid Suspension who wish to regain eligibility for Federal, State and institutional aid have the option to submit a SAP appeal. We understand that there are unforeseen circumstances that could contribute to a student not meeting SAP. Examples of acceptable circumstances include the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, and other special circumstances.

Circumstances that CANNOT be used in a SAP appeal include need for financial aid, work-related issues, problems with web-based classes, and improper advising. Please refer to the SAP Appeal Outline linked above for a full list of acceptable and unacceptable extenuating circumstances.

Your SAP appeal letter should include information that will tell us why you failed to make SAP. In the appeal, you must also tell us what has changed that will allow you to make SAP in the next evaluation. Please submit supporting documentation with your SAP appeal. Once you have submitted your appeal letter and all supporting documentation, please allow our SAP Committee up to 14 business days to review your appeal. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

Approved Appeals

If the student can make SAP within one semester, they will be placed in “Financial Aid Probation.” Probation lasts for one semester. If the student fails to make SAP by the end of the probationary period, they will be placed back on Suspension. If a student needs multiple semesters to make SAP, they may be placed on a SAP Academic Plan.

Once an Academic Plan has been created, the student will be placed on Probation and evaluated each semester to ensure they are meeting the conditions of their Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their plan, they will be placed back on SAP suspension. The student will remain on an Academic Plan until they are once again making SAP.

Denied Appeals

The SAP Committee has the right to deny any appeal. Reasons for denial can include the inability of the student to make SAP within their maximum timeframe, insufficient documentation, insufficient information in your appeal letter, and ineligible circumstances that led to failure to make SAP. The SAP Committee reviews appeals on a case-by-case basis using the information submitted through Guardian. Previous appeals will also be reviewed to compare information.

If your appeal is denied, you have the option to resubmit your appeal with the required information. There is no limit to the number of SAP appeals that may be submitted. However, if you submit the same extenuating circumstance twice, your appeal will be denied. If your SAP appeal is denied and the decision is final, you have the option of paying out of pocket or pursuing a private loan until you are making SAP.

Appeal Timeframes

Because federal loans cannot be disbursed once a student’s period of enrollment has ended, we advise students to complete their appeals within the first six to ten weeks of classes to give our committee ample time to evaluate the appeal and reinstate aid should the appeal be approved.

Academic Suspension

If you are on Academic Suspension, you must submit an Academic Appeal through the Registrar’s Office before you are able to submit a SAP Appeal to reinstate your financial aid.

SAP Definitions

Earned Hours: A, B, C, P (pass), IP (In Progress), and TR (transfer)

Attempted Hours: Earned Hours plus F, W (withdrawal), I (incomplete), repeat coursework.

Maximum Timeframe: 100% the published length of your program

Quantitative Pace: The minimum number of Earned vs Attempted Hours (100%)

Qualitative pace: The minimum GPA requirement (3.0)

SAP Warning: As soon as a student fails to make SAP, they are placed on “SAP Warning” and have one (1) semester to begin making SAP. A student is eligible for financial aid while on SAP Warning.

SAP Suspension: If a student on SAP Warning fails to make SAP after one (1) semester, they will be placed on SAP Suspension and be ineligible to receive aid.

SAP Appeal: A letter and documentation outlining why a student failed to make SAP, how they will make SAP in the future, and why they should regain financial aid eligibility.

SAP Probation: If a student on SAP Suspension has an approved appeal, they will be given an Academic Plan and placed on SAP Probation.

Academic Plan: If a student is on SAP Suspension, they may be placed on an academic plan after an approved appeal. Eligibility for financial aid depends on the student’s ability to meet the conditions of this academic plan.

Tuition Assistance Course Approval Process

Purpose: This policy is set forth to assist Service members in the pre-enrollment and Tuition Assistance (TA) course approval process.

Policy:

1. Once an eligible Service member decides to use TA benefits to cover tuition expenses at University of the Cumberlands, it is in the best interest of the Service member to obtain approval of courses through their Educational Services Officer (ESO) and/or counselor within their Military Service branch, prior to enrolling in the courses. All Military TA benefits must be requested and approved prior to the start date of the course(s).
2. If the eligible Service member decides to enroll in course(s) prior to approval from their respective ESO, and/or counselor in their Military Service branch. The Service member is solely responsible for the tuition of these course(s). This does not indicate that Service Members may not enroll in courses prior to their respective start date if the sole purpose of enrolling is to secure a spot in the course(s). However, the Service member could be responsible for this tuition, and it may or may not be covered by Tuition Assistance benefits.