Both the U.S. Department of Education (federal) and Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (state) require students to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as an eligibility requirement. SAP applies to all federal/state financial aid programs, including grants and loans.​    

Eligibility requirements are contingent on students meeting the minimum Qualitative (GPA) and Quantitative (pace) standards within a Maximum Timeframe (150%). This means students must maintain a 2.0 GPA and complete a minimum of 67 percent of all credits they attempt to make academic progress. Note your entire transcript history, from your very first semester at RCSJ, is considered in the SAP calculation.    

Students who fail to meet these standards may appeal to reinstate their aid eligibility. You can read more about Rowan College​'s SAP guidelines on the Policies & Procedures webpage.    

Academic Amnesty Disclaimer: Students who apply for, and are granted, academic amnesty by the Office of Student Development will not be granted the same amnesty by the Office of Financial Aid. The reason for this is, the Office of Financial Aid must follow the SAP standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. The academic amnesty policy established by the Office of Student Development is an internal policy of the College.​    

Appeal Requirements

Comprehensive instructions are included on the SAP appeal cover letter. This form can be obtained in person at the Office of Financial Aid. All paperwork must be submitted to Financial Aid at one time as a single organized file.    

1. Verification documents, if selected    

2. SAP appeal cover letter    

3. Detailed, written statement outlining the reasons for the appeal. Verbal appeals will not be accepted. This should include an explanation of how the student plans to promote his/her academic success going forward.    

4. Relevant documentation that supports the reasons for the appeal (i.e. doctor's note, hospital discharge papers, work schedules, court orders, letter from third party source, etc.).    

How it Works

1. Students must complete the FAFSA and verification process, if selected, before submitting an appeal. ​​​​​
       

2. Student file will first be verified according to FSA guidelines.    

3. Appeal will be reviewed by a committee.    

4. Approval or denial letter will be mailed to student's home address.    

5. If approved the student must:    

• Obtain the SAP Plan form from the Office of Financial Aid.
• Meet with Audreen Pittman​, academic advisor, to complete the SAP Plan form.
• Register for classes outlined on the SAP Plan.
• Submit completed SAP Plan form to Office of Financial Aid for final approval.
• Successfully pass all classes on the plan and earn a 2.0 GPA. The student cannot earn any negative grade statuses (F, X, NP, W, NA, I) during the term in which he/she is on a SAP Plan.​

6. If denied the student must find an alternative means of paying the term bill, should he/she decide to enroll at Rowan College.    

Monitoring Academic Progress

The Office of Financial Aid checks SAP once a year, at the conclusion of the spring semester. However, students who successfully appeal are placed on academic probation until they begin making SAP on their own. Their academic progress will be assessed each semester after the final grades have been posted according to the SAP Plan. ​​    

Denied Appeals

Students whose SAP appeals are denied will need to use an alternative method of payment for the semester because they are ineligible to receive federal and state aid. Potential options may include the Rowan College Payment Plan  ​and any personal loans that are used for educational purpose.​    

Note: This is not a complete list; it's meant to provide examples of alternative financing. Students who plan on borrowing a loan from a private financial institution are strongly encouraged to first research the interest rates and repayment requirements.​​
    

Students and families who are experiencing economic hardship may apply for a reduction of income through the Special Conditions appeal. Students may elect to appeal their eligibility for federal and state aid resulting from an involuntary reduction of income during the recent tax years. The purpose of this process is to show a more accurate picture of the family's circumstances at present.  

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Reasons for Special Conditions

• Involuntary job loss   

• Death of wage earner   

• Marital separation or divorce   

• Medical issues and/or bills   

Appeal Requirements

Comprehensive instructions are included on the Special Conditions appeal cover letter. This can be obtained in person at the Office of Financial Aid. All paperwork must be submitted to Financial Aid at one time as a single organized file.​   

1. Verification documents   

2. Special Conditions appeal cover letter. Note the date when the circumstance began on it.   

3. Detailed statement explaining the situation or reason for the reduction of income. (Only involuntary job loss will be considered.)  

4. Supporting documentation for the appeal. Appeals submitted without documentation will be denied.  

• Involuntary job loss — termination letter or lay-off notice, proof of unemployment  

• Death of wage earner — copy of death certificate  

• Marital separation — utility bills no more than 30 days old, copy of lease, separate pay stubs with different addresses  

• Divorce — copy of the finalized divorce decree  

• Medical — all medical bills, Workmen's Compensation statements, Social Security disability statements   

5. Verification worksheet  

6. Tax return transcripts, tax schedules (C, E, K) and all accompanying W-2s 
     

7. Documentation of any untaxed income (i.e., child support received, SSI/SSD, TANF)  

8. Documentation of your projected income for the​ year (last pay stubs, unemployment letter of determination, copy of severance pay, SSI/SSD, Workmen's Compensation determination)  

​How it Works

1. Students must complete the FAFSA​ and verification process before submitting an appeal. ​​  

2. Student file will first be verified according to FSA guidelines.   

3. Appeal will be reviewed by an administrator.    

4. Approval or denial letter will be mailed to student's home address.   

5. If approved the reduction of income will be processed:  

• This will result in a new Student Aid Report (SAR) being sent to the student. It will include his/her revised eligibility.   

• The financial aid will be packaged to the student's account; check the "Financial Aid Awards" portion of the Portal.   

6. If denied the student must find an alternative means of paying the term bill.
     

Denied Appeals

Students whose appeals are denied will be packaged for federal and state aid according to their initial eligibility. If this is not enough to cover the term bill, the student must use an alternative method of payment. Potential options may include the RCSJ P​ayment Plan, Sallie Mae Smart Loan or Wells Fargo Collegiate Loan.    

Note: This is not a complete list; it's meant to provide examples of alternative financing. Students who plan on borrowing a loan from a private financial institution are strongly encouraged to first research the interest rates and repayment requirements.​​  

​Most students age 23 and younger are considered “dependent” when completing the FAFSA and must include their parents’ information. However, the U.S. Department of Education allows students who are experiencing unusual circumstances to apply for a Dependency Override through an appeal process. Unusual circumstances include abandonment by parents, an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or the student being unable to locate the parents. In such cases a Dependency Override might be warranted. This means a student who otherwise would have a “dependent” status (and must report their parents’ information on the FAFSA) may apply for financial aid as “independent” (and will not have to report his/her parents’ information on the FAFSA).​
        

Reasons for Dependency Override

1. Your custodial parent has died and the other natural parent is still living. The student, however, has neither had contact with nor received any financial support from the living parent for a significant period of time.        

2. Your family situation is unattainable. The situation may result from physical, emotional, drug or alcohol abuse.
           

What Doesn't Qualify for Dependency Override

The following will not qualify a student as independent:        

1. Parents refuse to contribute to the student's education.
2. Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification.
3. Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes.
4. Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency (i.e. lives on his/her own, pays all bills).

Appeal Requirements​

Comprehensive instructions are included on the Dependency Override appeal cover letter. This form can be obtained in person at the Office of Financial Aid. All paperwork must be submitted to Financial Aid at one time as a single organized file. ​
        

For Reason #1 — Your Custodial Parent Has Died​

T​he other natural parent is still living. The student, however, has neither had contact with nor received any financial support from the living parent for a significant period of time.        

1. Verification ​documents        

2. Dependency Override appeal cover letter        

3. A letter, from you the student, explaining the situation in detail        

4. A copy of the original death certificate for the deceased custodial parent        

5. A letter (on official letterhead) from an objective third party which supports your claim that you have neither lived with nor received financial support from the non-custodial parent for a significant period of time        

6. Documentation of your income, if applicable        

For Reason #2 – Your Family Situation is Unattainable

The situation may result from physical, emotional, drug or alcohol abuse.        

1. Verification documents​
   
2. ​Dependency Override appeal cover letter
3. A letter, from you the student, explaining the situation in detail
4. A letter (on official letterhead), explaining the situation in detail, from a minister, social worker, high school guidance counselor, teacher, doctor, or another counseling professional
5. One or more of the following:

• A letter, preferably from someone other than a relative or a friend (i.e. the parents of a friend of the student, a neighbor, an employer) explaining their knowledge of the situation        

• Police reports        

• Court reports        

• Documentation from a social service agency        

6. Documentation of your income, if applicable
           

How it Works

1. Students must complete the FAFSA​ and verification process before submitting an appeal. ​​
           

2. Student file will first be verified according to FSA guidelines.        

3. Appeal will be reviewed by a committee.         

4. Approval or denial letter will be mailed to student's home address.        

5. If approved the dependency override will be processed:        

• This will result in a new Student Aid Report (SAR) being sent to the student. It will include his/her revised eligibility.        

• The financial aid will be packaged to the student's account; check the "Financial Aid Awards" portion of the Portal.        

6. If denied the student must include his/her parent's information on FAFSA.         

A student whose Dependency Override appeal is denied will have to report his/her parents' personal, tax and income information on the FAFSA. This is required as part of the verification process. No Title IV federal student aid can be packaged to the student's account until the file has been reviewed and verified, and this includes parents' information.        

In the extreme circumstance that a parent refuses to report his/her information on the FAFSA, both the student and parent must provide a signed, written statement explaining so. At that point a dependent student is only eligible for a $1,000 unsubsidized Direct Loan per term. Stop by the Office of Financial Aid for more information on this particular situation.​