There are a number of financial aid programs available to assist students attending Blinn College. For information about financial aid, students should visit www.blinn.edu/finaid or contact the Financial Aid Office at (979) 830-4144 or (979) 209-7230, or via email at finaid@blinn.edu.
How to Apply
To apply for federal, state, or institutional funding, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The Blinn College Federal School Code is 003549. Students and parents are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Process when completing the FAFSA. The Data Retrieval Process allows the applicant to view and transfer IRS tax return data directly from the IRS website into the appropriate fields on the FAFSA. Using the Data Retrieval Process may help students avoid having to submit additional documents to the financial aid office.
Most, but not all, programs require a student to demonstrate financial need. Awards may include grants, work-study jobs and student loans. Students with demonstrated need are always considered for gift aid first, then student loans. Students may accept or decline all or any part of their award offer. Students who have been enrolled at other postsecondary institutions must supply the Blinn Admissions Office with an academic transcript from each of those institutions (even if no aid was received).
To receive the maximum consideration for limited financial aid resources, students must submit the FAFSA and all required materials by June 1, 2016 prior to the beginning of the Academic year (Fall semester) or by October 1, 2016 for the Spring semester. Summer awards may be available for incoming and continuing Blinn students who notify the office of their intent to attend summer school by April 15, 2017. Please visit our website at www.blinn.edu/finaid for more details on all the financial aid programs available at the Blinn College.
Establishing and Maintaining Eligibility
In addition to establishing financial eligibility the student must be enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, as a “regular student” in an eligible program of study and must maintain satisfactory academic progress. A “regular student” is one who has graduated from high school, has a GED, or has completed a secondary school education school under State law. A student in an “eligible program of study” is one who is seeking a degree or certificate at Blinn College and is enrolled in courses leading to that goal.
Summer Transient students are not eligible for aid. Students who are co-enrolled at Blinn and another college may not be eligible to receive aid. Recipients are expected to enroll and attend as at least halftime students.
Disbursement of Aid
Each semester, financial aid disbursement begins no earlier than the 12th day of classes, or “day of record”. Students who have satisfied all application and disbursement requirements and met the conditions of the award at least two weeks to prior to the beginning of registration, will have financial aid automatically credited to their student account as payment.
All students who have accepted a loan must complete entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note requirements before loan funds will be requested. Student loan funds for first time freshman borrowers cannot be released until 30 days after classes begin.
If the student has financial aid remaining after all charges are fully paid, an institutional refund will be issued to the student. Financial aid funds must be used for education related expenses. Students whose financial aid credit is not sufficient to cover charges must be prepared to pay the difference.
Students who withdraw from school prior to receipt of aid funds will not receive those funds. Any indebtedness they incur from registration will be the student’s responsibility.
Revisions and Cancelations of Aid
Blinn College reserves the right to review, revise, or cancel all financial aid at any time due to changes in the student’s financial and/ or academic status or failure to comply with federal or state laws and regulations, including financial verification, audit procedures, and institutional policies. In addition, all financial aid is subject to revision based on the funds received by the College from the federal or state government and any changes to federal or state laws, regulations, or policies.
If the student registers for classes on financial aid credit and the student reduces the number of enrolled hours, financial aid will be adjusted to reflect semester registration. If the reduced enrollment results in less eligibility for aid, the student will be responsible for any charges due.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Federal regulations require Blinn College to implement Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policies to ensure that students receiving federal student aid are making adequate progress toward completing their degree programs. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be monitored for all periods of enrollment whether or not the student has received financial aid. The satisfactory academic progress policy applies to all Federal, State and institutional aid, including Federal and State loan programs. Private loans that require school certification may also be subject to SAP policies.
Blinn’s financial aid SAP policies are similar, but not identical, to the College’s Academic Standing policies. Students should review both sets of policies and ask for clarification as needed. Questions about financial aid SAP policies should be directed to the Financial Aid Office; questions about the College’s Academic Standing policies should be directed to the Registrar’s office.
Measurements of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Blinn measures academic performance based on three standards: grade point average (GPA), pace and maximum time. See below for a detailed description.
Minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards
CUMULATIVE GPA CUMULATIVE
Pace of Completion
(Hrs. Completed/Hrs. Attempted)
(Minimum 2.0) 67% |
Total Attempted Hours
(Including Transfer Credits)
96 |
- Grade Point Average: Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (equivalent to C average) on a 4.0 scale.
| A |
|
4.0 |
| B |
|
3.0 |
| C |
|
2.0 |
| D |
|
1.0 |
| F |
|
0.0 |
Special Note: Hours earned in repeated courses count only once in calculating GPA and the highest grade is used. An “F” will only be replaced by a passing grade. A “W” or “Q” will not replace an “F” or higher. An “F” will replace a “W” or “Q.”. Incomplete (I) and “QF” are treated as an “F.”
- Pace of Completion: Students must successfully complete 67% their overall attempted hours to stay on pace to complete their degree. The following formula is used to determine a student’s Pace:
(# of credits earned at Blinn + Transfer hours accepted by Blinn)
(# of credits attempted at Blinn + Transfer hours accepted by Blinn)
Attempted credits include:
- Earned credits - Passed (A through D-), Pass (P)
- Withdrawal (W)
- Drops (Q) (QF)
- Failures - Failed (F), Not Passing (NP)
- Incomplete (I)
- Developmental Courses
- Repeated courses - both attempts
- All accepted transfer credits
- Maximum Timeframe: In addition to the above GPA and Pace requirements, all students must complete their programs of study by attempting no more than 150% of the hours normally required for completion. For example, an associate’s degree from Blinn is normally completed with 64 credit hours; financial aid eligibility will be suspended once a student has attempted 96 credit hours or more. All attempted credits are counted toward the maximum timeframe. Consideration of eligibility includes all terms of enrollment, whether or not a student received financial aid during those terms.
Evaluation of Satisfactory Academic Progress
Blinn College calculates SAP annually at the end of the spring semester. Reviews will occur once grades are published in the College’s system. If the student meets all three of the conditions listed above, they remain eligible to receive federal student aid funds until the next evaluation period.
Financial Aid Suspension
If a student fails to meet the minimum SAP standards, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to receive financial aid. Students may appeal their financial aid suspension by submitting a SAP appeal. Students who have been academically suspended but who are subsequently given permission to re-enroll are not automatically eligible to continue to participate in federal, state, or institutional aid programs. Admissions decisions are separate from funding decisions.
Students with an Associate’s Degree and/or Bachelor’s Degree:
Students who have earned an Associate’s Degree and/or Bachelor’s Degree and continue enrollment at Blinn College are not making satisfactory academic progress and will be placed on financial aid suspension. A suspended student may submit a SAP appeal to the Financial Aid Office. Students must be degree seeking at Blinn College and have their chosen major and degree already declared prior to submitting their Appeal.
First-time freshman students:
First-time freshman students are meeting the satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirements as long as they have:
- Been accepted as a regular student in an eligible program. A regular student is defined as someone enrolled in an eligible institution for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate offered by the institution.
- A high school diploma or recognized equivalent of a high school diploma, typically a general education development (GED) certificate. Students who have been homeschooled are reviewed on a case by case basis. Blinn College reserves the right to deny financial aid to any student who does not have a high school diploma or GED from a recognized and accredited institution.
Notification of SAP standing
Students are notified through the myBlinn portal of their SAP status. Students who are not meeting the SAP standards are told what aspect of their academic history caused them not to meet SAP standards. E-mails are sent to the student’s Blinn Buc e-mail account.
Appeal Process
Students are allowed to appeal their financial aid suspension once a year. Students may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form. The appeal may not be based upon the student’s need for the assistance OR lack of knowledge that their assistance was in jeopardy. It is the student’s responsibility to provide 3rd party documentation showing that their failure to meet the SAP standards was caused by something outside of their control. Examples of possible situations include documented serious illness, severe injury, or death of a family member.
Appeal Approval Conditions
Appeals are reviewed on a case by case basis. Each student’s prior academic history, letter, and 3rd party documentation is reviewed. Students who are denied may submit a Review of Denied Appeal by contacting the Financial Aid Office. A Review of Denied Appeal can only be submitted if an additional situation arose or additional documentation was unavailable when the first appeal was submitted.
If a student’s appeal is approved they are placed on tougher academic standards and will be expected to maintain those stricter standards until they are meeting SAP, graduate, or no longer attend Blinn. If a student fails to meet the conditions of their appeal their aid will be denied for the remainder of the academic year (Fall/Spring/Summer). Students who are denied will not be able to appeal again until the beginning of the new academic year (Fall).
Financial Aid Appeal Decisions
Students whose appeals are approved will receive aid on a conditional basis. Students will be placed on a strict semester-by-semester contract (academic plan) with the Financial Aid Office. Failure to meet any section of the contract will jeopardize future Financial Aid eligibility.
If the student does not have grounds to appeal, or the appeal is denied, the student may submit additional documentation or request a Review of Denied Appeal. The decision on the Review of Denied Appeal is final and cannot be appealed.
Students awaiting a decision on their financial aid appeal are responsible for paying their tuition fees by the payment deadline to avoid being dropped from classes or to avoid late fees.
Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid
To regain financial aid eligibility after Financial Aid Suspension, or denial of a SAP appeal, a student must meet all of the following:
- Complete at least 100% of the attempted cumulative hours;
- Not exceed the maximum time frame;
- Achieve the required 2.0 cumulative GPA;
- Enroll in 6 or more hours. All hours enrolled will be reviewed, or
- Students who were on appeal and did not meet conditions must meet overall SAP in order to regain eligibility within the same academic year.
Withdrawal
For any student receiving Federal Title IV Funds that officially or unofficially withdraws or fails to earn a passing grade in all courses, federal regulations require a refund calculation to be performed. The calculation of the return of these funds may result in the student owing a balance to the college. In addition, any future aid will be canceled.
Withdrawing from classes will impact the student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress and may cause the student to be ineligible for future financial aid. All students should contact the financial aid office prior to withdrawing.
Vocational Rehabilitation Aid
The Texas Rehabilitation Commission offers assistance for tuition and required fees to eligible students in Texas colleges and universities. Eligibility for such assistance is based on permanent disabilities. Applications should be made to the Texas Rehabilitation Commission, 1002 W. Main, Brenham, Texas 77833.
Veterans Educational Benefits
The Office of Veterans Affairs, housed in the financial aid office, provides assistance and information to veterans and dependents of veterans. Students may review information and steps to apply for and receive VA and Hazelwood benefits by going to http://www.blinn.edu/veterans/index.html. Students or parents may also speak with a Financial Aid Advisor by calling (979) 209- 7230 or (979) 830-4144 or emailing veteran.services@blinn.edu
Certification requests must be made by the veteran or their eligible dependents two weeks before the payment deadline for each semester so that The Office of Veterans Affairs can certify enrollment to the Veteran Administration, (VA). All students are responsible for paying all tuition and fee charges that are not paid directly to Blinn College under chapter 33 (post 9/11) or Chapter 31 (Vocational Rehabilitation) benefits. Payment for tuition and fees will be due at the time of registration unless a payment plans or satisfactory arrangements have been made. The fees may include but are not limited to parking, books, late registration, class change fees, housing and meal plans. It is the responsibility of the veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent to contact the Office of Veterans Affairs concerning enrollment certification or any change in enrollment status.
Requirements for Certifications
The veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent must submit the following to the Office of Veteran’s Affairs prior to enrollment certification.
- Copy of DD-214 member 4 copy or DD-2384 (Notice of Basic Eligibility). These are the separation papers for Prior Active Duty and Reservist/National Guardsmen respectively.
- Transcript of any previous college course work from each institution attended (if applicable), and official military transcript (JST) from appropriate service branch.
- Appropriate THEA or Assessment Test scores to document any eligible Development courses being certified (if applicable).
- Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs indicating proof that veteran or dependent is eligible to receive educational benefits. This can be obtained by applying for benefits at www.gibill.va.gov.
- Veteran’s Request for Certification (VAROC) form. Must be submitted every semester. This form can be obtained online at www.blinn.edu/veterans
Educational Objectives
The veteran or their eligible dependent must choose an associate degree or certification program and must decide on a major within the associate degree plan after completing thirty-two, (32), semester hours. The VA will compute benefits based only on those courses required for the selected course of study. Courses taken at other institutions must be evaluated prior to enrollment certification from Blinn College. The VA will only permit payment for courses that have been taken and passed with a “D” or better at a previous institution.
In order to qualify for maximum educational benefits, the veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent must enroll in a minimum of twelve (12) semester hours in a long semester or four (4) hours in a short semester.
A veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent must notify the Office of Veterans’ Affairs before changing their course of study. The veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent must also notify the VA of a change of program or place of training.
Standards of Academic Progress
Students utilizing any VA educational benefits must maintain a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA. Under the guidelines of the Veterans Administration, the Veteran Services Office at Blinn College monitors and notifies VA any time a student, utilizing VA educational benefits, is not maintaining a cumulative GPA of a 2.0 or better. Students should refer to Blinn College’s Academic Good Standing and Scholastic Probation or Suspension rules in the Admissions and Records section of the catalog for academic requirements and consequences.
Veterans who transfer from another institution without the required 2.00 GPA, must visit the Coordinator of Veterans Affairs to determine if they are eligible for certification. Veterans who are placed on scholastic suspension will not be certified again until they receive written approval from the VA. Additional information can be found in this catalog under the heading Scholastic Probation. Recipients must notify the Veteran Services Office and the VA when dropping a class. A veteran or veteran’s eligible dependent who drops a class or classes during the semester may expect to receive an overpayment statement from the VA requiring the veteran to repay that portion of the benefits received.
Hazelwood Act
The Hazelwood Act, (Article 2654B-1), aids Texas veterans who have exhausted all of their VA educational benefits. A legal resident of Texas is exempt from all tuition and fees, excluding student services fees, if they meet certain criteria. Please contact the Office of Veterans Affairs to find out if more information.
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