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Kristal Gama, Director
Financial Aid, Harper East
Website: https://my.cgu.edu/financial-aid/
E-mail: finaid@cgu.edu
Office: (909) 621-8337
To be considered for Federal financial aid, students must complete a current FAFSA. CGU’s federal school code is G01169. Priority consideration is given to applications received prior to March 2nd.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan - (6.54% fixed interest as of July 1, 2022)
The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is available to graduate/doctoral students regardless of income. The student is responsible for all accrued interest which begins at the time of disbursement. The loan has an origination fee of 1.057%, which is assessed by the federal government and deducted from the loan proceeds prior to disbursement. The federal limit per academic year is $20,500. Interest rates and fees are set by the U.S. Congress.
Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan - (7.54% fixed interest as of July 1, 2022)
The Grad PLUS Loan is a credit-based loan that allows students the opportunity to borrow up to their cost of attendance, minus any financial aid received. The student is responsible for all accrued interest which begins at the time of disbursement. An origination fee of 4.228%, which is assessed by the federal government and deducted from the loan proceeds prior to disbursement. Interest rates and fees are set by the U.S. Congress.
A credit check is performed during the application process. If there is an adverse credit history, the student may still receive a Grad PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser or submitting an appeal.
Federal Work Study
Federal work study provides part-time jobs for graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to assist with educational expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student’s course of study. Hourly pay rates vary depending on the type of work performed. A determination of eligibility for federal work study does not guarantee a job, but qualifies the student to interview for open positions.
CGU’s policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is available in the Academic Policies section of the Bulletin.
Federal Regulations require CGU to establish an annual SAP Policy that applies reasonable standards measuring the progress towards degree completion. These standards must equal or exceed the academic standards for students not receiving federal financial aid. Programs governed by the SAP policy include Federal Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans, Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loans, Federal TEACH Grant, Federal Work Study, and any other financial aid program requiring academic progress standards. A review of these standards are conducted from two perspectives:
- Qualitative Standard - must maintain good academic standing by meeting the minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA requirement. In addition, for master’s and doctoral students alike, a maximum of two Incomplete grades are permitted at any one time.; Incompletes or Grade Pendings in Master’s Critique, Master’s Thesis, or Dissertation Research are not factored into the number of incomplete grades for financial aid purposes.
- Coursework taken as Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail, or Audit do not impact the GPA requirement.
- Grades of credit, pass, grade pending, incomplete, unreported evaluation, or withdrawn do not impact the GPA requirement. Repeated coursework with previous grade not counted in GPA calculation.
Monitoring of Satisfactory Academic Progress
The Financial Aid Office monitors both qualitative and quantitative standards on an annual basis for all graduate financial aid applicants. However, students only enrolled in a certificate program are not eligible for federal financial aid and, therefore, not subject to SAP evaluation. This evaluation generally occurs after each academic year at the end of the Spring Semester. However, the timing may vary based on timing of FAFSA application submission. Please note that federal financial aid will not be disbursed until your student account has been evaluated for SAP.
Quantitative Standard – time limits to complete a degree on a cumulative basis, comparing the number of units attempted versus the number of units earned on an annual basis Time limits to degree are established in the University’s SAP policy. Leave of Absence and semesters during a student withdraws prior to receiving financial aid are not counted toward the time limit. Research leaves, which are intended to facilitate the student’s progress to degree are counted against the student’s time limit.
- Changing a degree program: If you successfully complete a previous program of study, that coursework will not affect the maximum timeframe allowed for your new program of study. However, if your new coursework can also be applied to the new program of study, it will be counted as transfer coursework and will reduce your maximum timeframe allowed for the new program of study.
- Although grades of no credit, incomplete, unreported evaluation, grade pending, or withdrawn do not impact GPA, they will negatively impact the quantitative standard.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Chart
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| REQUIREMENT |
MASTER’S DEGREE |
DOCTORAL DEGREE |
WHEN REVIEWED |
| Minimum level of enrollment |
Half-time 4 units per semester |
Half-time 4 units per semester |
Each semester and before disbursement |
| |
| Minimum GPA |
3.00 |
3.00 |
Annually |
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| Minimum number of units completed academic year during coursework |
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8 |
8 |
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| Maximum number of incompletes and/or permanent number of incompletes |
2 total |
2 total |
Annually |
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| Maximum time-frame with: |
| 13-24 transfer units |
5 years |
6 years |
Annually |
| 1-12 transfer units |
5 years |
6.5 years |
Annually |
| No transfer units |
5 years |
7 years |
Annually |
Financial Aid Ineligibility
Failure to meet SAP standards results in the student’s ineligibility to receive financial aid. Any student who does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements will be notified by the Financial Aid Office via CGU email.
Regaining Financial Aid Eligibility
If you have lost financial aid eligibility due to the qualitative standard, your eligibility may be reinstated when you regain good academic standing. This reinstatement may come with a grade change that allows you to complete sufficient units and/or improve your GPA above the minimum requirement. Students must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing of a grade change to be reevaluated for SAP and financial aid eligibility.
Appeals
Students who wish to appeal ineligibility for financial aid due to unsatisfactory progress must do so in writing via email to financialaid@cgu.edu, providing:
- Extenuating circumstances/reasons why the minimum academic requirements were not met.
- How those circumstances have changed/steps you’ve taken to resolve those circumstances.
- What you will do in the future to ensure you meet the minimum requirements and make progress towards your degree.
Supporting documentation must be provided as evidence of extenuating circumstances. If time limits to complete a degree have expired, an academic plan may be required to document outstanding degree requirements and to track the additional time that may be needed. A GPA calculation may also be required for those who are not currently meeting the qualitative standard.
Guidelines for developing an appeal are available from the Financial Aid Office. The student’s academic record and documentation provided in the student’s appeal package are taken into consideration. Additional considerations include, but are not limited to: extended illness, one-time extenuating circumstances that have since been resolved, and research/dissertation progress limitations outside of the student’s control. At the conclusion of the review process, students are notified via CGU email of the disposition and advised whether an exception to policy can be approved.
If your appeal is approved, you will be placed on probation and monitored on a semester-by-semester basis. You must adhere to any conditions set forth in your decision email including, but not limited to adhering to any academic plan or contract with your academic department and demonstrating progress toward your degree. You must submit an update of your progress each semester to ensure you have met the specific terms of your probation.
If you fail to meet the terms of your probation or do not make sufficient progress toward your degree, you will be ineligible for future financial aid. You may submit a subsequent SAP appeal and updated academic plan/GPA calculation. However, subsequent appeals are granted on an exception basis and are not guaranteed to be approved.
Note: The Financial Aid office may change these policies at any time in accordance with changes in federal and state regulations regarding student financial aid.
Private Loans are credit-based consumer loans that can be used for education-related purposes and require no collateral. Many students qualify on their own, but we do recommend that you apply with a credit-worthy cosigner who has excellent credit. International students may qualify for these loans; however, they must apply with a credit-worthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-borrower. You may select any lender who participates in the loan program. We do recommend that you research the various private-loan options to ensure that your selection best suits your needs.
Merit-based fellowships are awarded to students based on the recommendation of each academic department to support distinguished students in their degree programs. CGU is committed to honoring the awarded level of fellowship support throughout a student’s time in required coursework as long as Satisfactory Academic Progress is maintained. Students may also be offered need-based fellowships upon the recommendation of the student’s academic department or by the Office of Financial Aid.
Money for fellowships comes from CGU’s general fund, the generosity of private donors, foundations, and corporations. A listing of our donors is provided in the Fellowship Funds section of the Bulletin.
Teaching and Research Assistantships
These awards are compensation for specific services and usually allocated to advanced students. Assistantships are available in all fields of study, though award amounts vary. Workloads range between 8 and 15 hours per week.
Dissertation Awards
Faculty Research Committee Dissertation Awards offer recipients monetary support of $10,000 to help advanced doctoral students complete their dissertations by or before the end of the following year.
Transdisciplinary Awards
Each year, the Transdisciplinary Studies Program awards up to five dissertation awards to PhD candidates. These awards recognize students who have embraced a cross-disciplinary, collaborative, and disciplinarily reflective research approach in developing a compelling and innovative project centered on a socially or culturally complex problem. Awards range from $3,000 to $10,000.
The Transdisciplinary Studies Program also offers other funding opportunities to encourage and support innovative approaches to complex problem solving. Please visit the Transdisciplinary Studies website for more information on Transdisciplinary funding opportunities.
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Students who are certified by a tribal agency to be at least 1/8 American Indian may be eligible for a grant from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and/or their tribal agency. Information and applications are available from the BIA and the specific tribal agency.
Veterans’ Education Benefits
”GI Bill®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
CGU is an approved institution for Veterans to utilize their educational benefits. As a veteran, you are entitled to certain benefits under the various Veterans Administration programs. Contact the Registrar’s Office for more information.
Eligibility criteria and benefits for veterans vary. Listed below are various education programs or chapters that veterans may be eligible for from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (USDVA).
- Chapter 30: Montgomery GI Bill®-Active Duty
- Chapter 31: Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment
- Chapter 33: Post 9/11 GI Bill® - Yellow Ribbon Program
- Chapter 35: Dependents Education Assistance (DEA)
- Chapter 1606: Montgomery GI Bill®-Selected Reserve
- Chapter 1607: Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP)
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