Financial Aid Policies
HEA Sec. 484(c), 34 CFR 668.16(e), 34CFR 668.32(f), 34 CFR 668.34
Revised for Spring 2024
14.0 INTRODUCTION
Federal and state regulations require that students receiving financial aid be enrolled as a regular student in a financial aid eligible program. An eligible program is one that leads to an associate or bachelor's degree, a one- to two-year program leading to a vocational certificate, or a specialized program that meets federal criteria. Continued eligibility requires meeting the criteria for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). It is the responsibility of all financial aid recipients to understand the terms and conditions of the Napa Valley College (NVC) Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy in order to maintain their eligibility to receive aid. "Making SAP" means meeting all the standards and requirements of this policy.
14.1 STANDARDS
Three standards are used for the assessment of Satisfactory Academic Progress. These standards are reviewed at the end of each semester and are subject to change.
Standard #1: Qualitative GPA
Students are required to maintain a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA. The GPA will include all aided and unaided terms at NVC.
Standard #2: Quantitative Pace
Minimum PACE at NVC is 67% of all cumulative units attempted. PACE is the rate at which a student completes requirements for their educational goal and is calculated by dividing the number of cumulative units completed by the number of cumulative units attempted. Beginning with Spring 2024, Remedial and ESL units do not count when calculating Pace for SAP.
To measure whether students are progressing on pace for completion of their course of study within the maximum time frame, NVC evaluates the pace rate of financial aid students at the end of each term. At each term's end, students are expected to have completed at least 67% of all units attempted. Classes with grades of A, B, C, D, P (Pass), and CR (Credit) are considered to have been completed. Classes with grades of W, F, I, NP (No Pass), NC (No Credit), and RD (Report Delayed) are not considered completed.
Beginning with Spring 2024, all units on a student's transcript count as attempted units, except for remedial and ESL units, whether they were completed with a "W", "P/NP", and "C/NC", were retaken for a better grade, or eliminated from the GPA calculation through the Academic Renewal policy. Note: transfer of credit from schools previously attended will count as both units attempted and units completed.
Standard #3: Quantitative Timeframe
The maximum TIMEFRAME at NVC is 150% of published length of the student's declared program. TIMEFRAME is used to determine the maximum number of units for which a student may receive financial aid for their educational goal. Timeframe includes transfer units and all aided and unaided terms of attendance.
All financial aid students are expected to complete their program of study within 150% of the published length of the program. Students enrolled in 60‐unit AA/AS, 4‐year transfer, or vocational programs are expected to complete their programs by the time they attempt 90 units. Students enrolled in vocational programs of less than 60 units are allowed a maximum time frame (attempted units) that is 150% of their program's length.
For clock hour programs, the maximum timeframe must be no longer than 150% of the cumulative clock hours required for completion of the program, as expressed in calendar time. Example: For a program that is 40 weeks in length, requires 1200 clock hours and meets 30 clock hours per week, the maximum is 150% of 40 weeks, or 60 weeks.
14.2 SAP EVALUATION
SAP will be evaluated at the end of each semester. The number of units a student attempts and completes will be used to calculate SAP status. Clock hour programs are evaluated at the end of each payment period.
A. SATISFACTORY
SATISFACTORY is the status assigned to a student in good standing who is making SAP and is not subject to disqualification.
B. WARNING
WARNING is the status assigned to a satisfactory student who fails to make SAP. A student on WARNING status may continue to receive aid for one semester only. WARNING status does not require an appeal or other student action. In addition, students who have never applied for financial aid will be placed on Warning if their cumulative GPA is below 2.0 and/or if their cumulative PACE rate is below 67% at the time they enter the Financial Aid program.
At the end of the WARNING semester, a student is required to meet SAP standards. Students who have failed to make SAP will be notified by email from the Financial Aid Office about their loss of eligibility, and with instructions about an appeal process.
C. PROBATION
PROBATION is a status assigned to a student who was disqualified for failure to make SAP, who has successfully appealed, and has had eligibility for aid reinstated.
PROBATION status will be granted for one semester only after the student has appealed and has had eligibility reinstated based on approval of the appeal. Probation and reinstatement of aid are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and will not be granted automatically.
According to federal regulations, if it has been determined that a student cannot mathematically finish their program of study with the required cumulative GPA and PACE within the allotted timeframe, the student will be considered ineligible for financial aid and Probation will not be granted.
D. DISQUALIFICATION
Students placed on DISQUALIFICATION status are not eligible to receive financial aid. Students may be subject to DISQUALIFICATION based on any of the following:
- Failure to meet SAP standards while on WARNING status.
- Withdrawing from all units during a semester (may be required to repay all or part of the funds received).
- Receiving failing grades (F, NC, NP, I, and/or W) for all attempted units for a semester (students may be required to repay all or part of the funds received).
- Being placed on NVC Dismissal status.
- Exceeding Timeframe.
- Completion of a Bachelor's degree or higher (at any school, foreign or domestic).
- Completion of an Associate's degree or vocational certificate.
- Failure to meet the terms and conditions of an approved appeal or academic plan.
- Exceeding the 600% FTE Federal Pell Grant limit (Timeframe equivalent of 144 units attempted).
- Other criteria as stated in the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy or required by law.
14.3 RE-ESTABLISHING ELIGIBILITY
Students who are DISQUALIFIED from financial aid may re-establish financial aid eligibility by meeting all SAP standards. Students who failed to make SAP, but have not yet exceeded timeframe may re-establish financial aid eligibility by meeting all of the following requirements:
- Without benefit of aid (other than a fee waiver or COVID-19 Emergency Grant), students
on Financial Aid Disqualification must:
- enroll in at least 6.0 units for a semester, and
- complete 100% of units attempted for the semester, and
- achieve a semester GPA of 2.0 or better, and
- achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better, and
- achieve a minimum 67% PACE.
- Students who complete a semester on DISQUALIFICATION must have their academic progress reviewed before financial aid eligibility is determined for the following semester.
- If eligibility is re-established, students must submit a written request for reinstatement of their financial aid awards.
- Under certain circumstances, students who are DISQUALIFIED from financial aid may submit a Financial Aid Appeal.
14.4 APPEAL PROCESS
- A student who has lost eligibility due to failure to make SAP or by exceeding Timeframe
may file a Financial Aid Appeal. Submission of an appeal does NOT GUARANTEE the reinstatement
of financial aid. Click here for the Financial Aid Appeal.
- Circumstances related to an outbreak of COVID-19, including, but not limited to, the illness of a student or family member, compliance with a quarantine period, or the general disruption resulting from such an outbreak, qualify as extenuating circumstances for the Financial Aid Appeal process.
- Students should be prepared to pay for their books and other school-related expenses pending the outcome of their appeal.
- Financial Aid Appeal
- If approved, students must strictly adhere to the terms and conditions of their appeal approval letter and contract.
- Failure to meet the terms and conditions of the appeal will result in termination of the appeal and immediate disqualification from further financial aid.
- Students may appeal the denial of their financial aid appeal with the Director of Financial Aid. Appointments can be made by contacting the Financial Aid Office.
14.5 ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS
A. REPEATED COURSEWORK
- Class repeats may be included when determining the student's enrollment for Financial
Aid as long as the repeat is NOT a result of:
- More than one repeat of a previously passed course, or
- Any repeat of a previously passed course due to the student failing other coursework required to be taken simultaneously, or
- Repeated coursework may not be eligible for federal aid, if:
- A student repeats a previously passed course (grade of "D" or better) more than once.
- A student who has received a passing grade in a course two times, cannot have that class count toward financial aid if enrolled in for a third time;
- A student repeats a previously passed course due to failing other related coursework, and
- A student repeats a previously passed course only for the reason of obtaining financial aid.
B. REMEDIAL COURSEWORK
Students may receive aid for no more than 30 units of remedial coursework.
C. ESL COURSEWORK
Students enrolled in ESL courses may receive financial aid as long as they are in a financial aid eligible program and meet all other eligibility criteria.
14.6 COVID-19 NATIONAL EMERGENCY EXCEPTIONS AND FLEXIBILITIES
The following criteria applies to students who are identified with Admissions & Records as having dropped due to COVID-19 related reasons. Applicable for SAP assessments made March 13, 2020, through the end of the payment period that includes the last date that the national emergency is in effect.
- Napa Valley College implemented a COVID-19 Excused Withdrawal (EW) grade and a COVID-19
drop reason code to identify students who withdrew from classes due to COVID-19 related
reasons.
- Beginning Spring 2023, classes dropped with an "EW" grade are not automatically excluded from attempted credits when the SAP calculation is run each semester. Students who receive an "EW" grade due to COVID-19 must submit a written request to exclude the "EW" grade along with a copy of their approved Late Add/Drop and Waiver of College Regulations Petition.
- Beginning Spring 2023, classes dropped with a COVID-19 drop status (but not an "EW" grade) are manually reviewed and excluded from attempted credits after the SAP calculation is run each semester. Students who receive a COVID-19 drop status must submit a written request to exclude the course along with a copy of their approved Late Add/Drop and Waiver of College Regulations Petition.
- On March 13, 2020, the President of the United States declared a COVID-19 pandemic national emergency, resulting in the temporary caseation of operations and interruption of instruction at Napa Valley College. Due to that interruption, all Spring 2020 students were determined to have been affected by COVID-19 and given an "EW" grade if they dropped a course during the affected period. Affected drops that did not qualify for an "EW" grade (due to registration rules) were reviewed and excluded manually after the semester SAP Calculation was run.
- Beginning Summer 2020, students who drop for COVID-19 related reasons must submit
a petition to Admissions & Records requesting an Excused Withdrawal (EW) for a COVID-19
releated circumstance. If the petition is approved:
- An EW grade is entered if the student dropped for COVID-19 related reasons during the timeframe allowed to drop a class with a "W" grade.
- A COVID-19 drop status code is entered if the student dropped outside the timeframe allowed to drop a class with a "W" grade.
- Students affected by COVID-19 circumstances who fail to meet the FA SAP criteria and lose financial aid eligibility may submit a Financial Aid Appeal. See section 14.4 Appeal Process for more information.
COVID-19 Related Guidance Links
- https://www.congress.gov/116/plaws/publ136/PLAW-116publ136.pdf
- https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/030520Guidance4interruptionsrelated2CoronavirusCOVID19
- https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/051520UPDATEDGuidanceInterruptStudyRelCOVID19May2020
- https://ifap.ed.gov/electronic-announcements/082120UpdatedDeadlinesFlexReltoCOVID19
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy - Revised for Spring 2024 (printable version)
POLICY STATEMENT
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulation 34 CFR 668.51-61, we must verify applications selected by the FAFSA Processing System (FPS) for the accuracy of the information submitted on the FAFSA. The purpose of the verification process is to reduce errors in applicant reported data and to ensure that eligible applicants receive the financial aid they are eligible for.
APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION TO BE VERIFIED
Each year, the FPS selects a number of Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAs) for a process called verification. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, Napa Valley College (NVC) will need to collect additional documentation from you to verify some of the information you provided on your FAFSA. For example, we may ask for additional information about your income, the number of people in your family size, and other relevant details.
The verification process is separate from the requirement to resolve conflicting information and verify unconfirmed citizenship/eligible non-citizen status, active duty status, veteran's status, etc. Any discrepancies in a student's application or unconfirmed status must be resolved before aid eligibility can be determined.
Schools are required to verify FAFSAs selected for verification by FPS. Napa Valley College will verify applications as slected by FPS. Students may also be selected for verification by NVC upon our discretion, if NVC has conflicting information or believes an applicant has provided incorrect information on the FAFSA, or to determine the independence status, or by excercising projessional judgment. For students selected for verification, documentation will be reviewed prior to exercising professional judgment to adjust values that are used to calculate the Student Aid Index (SAI).
HOW YOU WILL BE NOTIFIED
You will be notified in the following ways, if your FAFSA is selected for verification:
- The Department of Education will include the information about your estimated eligibility and any comments regarding verification or conflicting information in the FAFSA Submissions Summary that they send to you.
- Once NVC receives your Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), you will be notified via email with instructions to access the MyNVC Self-Service portal to view and complete the required documents for verification. Students may receive follow-up notices, if they have not yet submitted required documents.
Required documents are listed under "Required Documents" in MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service. Students should check their MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service "Required Documents" regularly for updates on the status of their outstanding documents.
If conflicting information appears after you submit documents for review, NVC will contact you via email or phone to resolve the issues by requesting additional documentation, which will also be posted in MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service, "Required Documents".
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
Federal Verification Requirements: Complete the verification requirements promptly, if your FAFSA is selected for verification. All required documents must be submitted via DocuSign before the institution's deadline, unless you are required to complete the Statement of Educational Purpose, which requires you to appear in person at the Financial Aid Office or in the presence of a Notary.
Applicants selected for verification are placed in tracking groups (V1, V4, or V5), which determine the specific FAFSA information to be verified. Below are the items that must be verified depending on the tracking group.
V1 Group - Standard Verification Group
Tax Filers (student, student spouse, parent, and parent spouse, as applicable) must verify the following:
- Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
- U.S. Income Tax Paid
- Income earned from work
- Untaxed portions of IRA Distributions and Pensions
- IRA Deductions and payments
- Tax-Exempt interest income
- Education Credits
- Foreign income exempt from federal taxation
- Family Size
Non-tax filers (student, student spouse, parent, parent spouse, as applicable) must verify the following:
- Income earned from work
- Family Size
V4 Group - Custom Verification Group (Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose)
- Identity
- Statement of Educational Purpose
V5 Group - Aggregate Verification Group
This group is the combination of V1 and V4. Tax filers and non-tax filers must verify the items listed in the Standard Verification Group (V1). Students must also complete the Identity and Statement of Educational Purpose (V4).
Conflicting Information/Unconfirmed Status/Institution Verification
Students will be notified via email or phone of the documents required to clear up conflicting information/unconfirmed status/institution verification. The required documents will also be posted in MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service under "Required documents".
Verification Process and Correction
Submitted documents and any supplemental verification documents will be reviewed by NVC Financial Aid Office to verify the accuracy of the student's FAFSA information and to calculate the student's eligibility for aid.
If the FAFSA information are inaccurate as a result of the verification process, Financial Aid staff will:
- Submit the FAFSA changes and corrections to FPS for processing via FSA Partner Portal
- Recalculate the Federal Pell Grant based on the student's recalculated Student Aid Index (SAI), after receiving the updated ISIR from FPS
- Adjust the student's award package for the academic year based on the recalculated SAI
- Notify the student via email to check their updated offer letter in MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service for any changes to their award package for the academic year.
If there are discrepancy in the information provided that needs correction to your FAFSA, the financial aid staff will submit the corrections to FPS for reprocessing. Once the verification is completed, your aid will be packaged, and an Award Offer email notification will be sent to you with instruction for you to review your Offer Letter in MyNVC Financial Aid Self-Service "Award Letter". Please note that the amounts listed on the "Award Letter" is based on full-time enrollment. Your award will be prorated to reflect your units (Pell/Enrollment Intensity) locked by the "Pell Recalculation date" at the time of disbursement processing.
The verification process may take between 3 to 4 weeks, but during peak processing times, it may take up to 8 weeks.
Verification Exclusions: NVC will exclude from verification the following applicants in full or partially, unless conflicting information is found:
- Death of the student during the award year
- Applicants who are not eligible for aid
- Applicants who are only eligible for Unsubsidized Loan
- Applicants who are selected for verification after they are no longer enrolled and all Title IV aid have been disbursed
- For dependent students (parental data): if both parents are deceased after submitting the FAFSA, both parents are mentally incapacitated, both parents cannot be located, or both parents reside outside the U.S.A and cannot be contacted by normal means of communication or contacting them would impose a risk.
- For independent students (spouse data): if the spouse is deceased after submitting the FAFSA, mentally incapacitated, residing in a country other than the U.S.A and cannot be contacted by normal means or the spouse's contact information is unknown.
VERIFICATION DEADLINE AND FAILURE TO SUBMIT
It is important to complete the verification process. All Federal aid, CalGrant, Student Success Completion Grant (if eligible) are held until verification is complete. If the verification process is not completed by the deadline, students may not be eligible for the aid mentioned, which means they will need to find other means to pay for their college expenses. Failure to provide required documentation by the deadline results in losing eligibility for the award year.
Requested verification documentation must be submitted to NVC Financial Aid Office in a timely manner, by no later than NVC's published deadline for the award year.
SUBSEQUENT FAFSA TRANSACTIONS
When you make any changes or updates to your FAFSA, a new transaction will be sent to NVC. If this transaction is selected for verification, no additional undisbursed aid will be made, until verification is complete. Your awards will be adjusted to reflect the disbursed amount. You will be notified via email or phone. You must submit all required documents by the institution's deadline to complete the verification process. Failure to complete verification requirements could result in retraction of some or all aid and an overpayment may be posted to your student account. If the subsequent transaction is not selected for verification, but the changes or updates made affect your eligibility, your aid will be adjusted accordingly.
IDENTITY THEFT
If you were a victim of identity theft, you will not be able to obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript until the issue has been resolved by the IRS. You will need to provide the Financial Aid Office with a copy of the Transcript Database View (TRDBV) along with a signed and dated statement stating that you were a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft and that the IRS has been informed about it. You can obtain a copy of the TRDBV from the IRS by calling 1-800-908-4490.
If the identity theft is related to federal financial aid, act immediately by following the steps below:
- Contact the credit reporting agencies.
- Contact the school where the theft was used to take out the loan or grant.
- Visit the following websites for information on reporting and repairing identity theft
REFERRAL of FRAUD CASES
Three common types of fraud have been identified: Admissions Application Fraud, Enrollment Fraud, and Financial Aid-Related Fraud (such as enrolling in classes and receiving financial aid based on enrollment with no intent to complete classes and/or falsifying information on the application ).
When a student is involved in enrollment and/or financial aid fraud, a hold will be placed on their record. The student is responsible for contacting Admissions and Records to provide vaild proof of identification to clear Enrollment Fraud. The student is responsible for contacting the Financial Aid Office and appear in person to complete the Verification of Identity and provide valid government issued identitification to clear Financial Aid Related Fraud.
Should Financial Aid fraud or abuse be detected or suspected, the Director of Financial Aid will be notified. The Director will consult with the schools's Chief of Police prior to referring it for investigation to the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Education or any agency outside the school. All credible information indicating that an applicant for financial aid may have engaged in fraud or other criminal conduct will be provided.
If you reduce units after receiving a federal or state grant payment for a semester, you may be required to repay all or part of the amount you received. Click the box above for more information on whether you will be required to repay your financial aid.
Consumer Information: Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws
Consumer Information In accordance with the Requirements of 34 CFR 668.22
Treatment of Title IV Aid When a Student Withdraws
The law specifies how your school must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from school. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are: Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, TEACH Grants, Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs), and Federal Perkins Loans.
Though your aid is posted to your account at the start of each period, you earn the funds as you complete the period. If you withdraw during your payment period or period of enrollment (your school can define these for you and tell you which one applies), the amount of Title IV program assistance that you have earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you received (or your school or parent received on your behalf) less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or you.
The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rata basis. For example, if you completed 30% of your payment period or period of enrollment, you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of the payment period or period of enrollment, you earn all the assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period.
If you did not receive all of the funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If your post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, your school must get your permission before it can disburse them. You may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so that you don’t incur additional debt. Your school may automatically use all or a portion of your post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition, fees, and room and board charges (as contracted with the school). The school needs your permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges. If you do not give your permission (some schools ask for this when you enroll), you will be offered the funds. However, it may be in your best interest to allow the school to keep the funds to reduce your debt at the school.
There are some Title IV funds that you were scheduled to receive that cannot be disbursed to you once you withdraw because of other eligibility requirements. For example, if you are a first-time, first-year undergraduate student and you have not completed the first 30 days of your program before you withdraw, you will not receive any Direct Loan funds that you would have received had you remained enrolled past the 30th day.
If you receive (or your school or parent receive on your behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, your school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:
- your institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of your funds, or
- the entire amount of excess funds.
The school must return this amount even if it didn’t keep this amount of your Title IV program funds.
If your school is not required to return all of the excess funds, you must return the remaining amount. Any loan funds that you must return, you (or your parent for a Direct PLUS Loan) repay in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, you make scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.
Any amount of unearned grant funds that you must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant overpayment that you must repay is half of the grant funds you received or were scheduled to receive. You do not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. You must make arrangements with your school or the Department of Education to return the unearned grant funds.
The requirements for Title IV program funds when you withdraw are separate from any refund policy that your school may have. Therefore, you may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. Your school may also charge you for any Title IV program funds that the school was required to return. If you don’t already know your school’s refund policy, you should ask your school for a copy. Your school can also provide you with the requirements and procedures for officially withdrawing from school.
If you have questions about your Title IV program funds, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the Web at www.studentaid.ed.gov.
You are required to pay for your classes at the time of registration. Pay To Stay provides you with a 14-day grace period to pay your tuition and fees before you are dropped for non-payment.
If you are a CA resident or eligible AB540 student with a California College Promise Grant (formerly BOGFW) award, only your enrollment fees will be waived. You must still pay for all other class related fees (lab fees, materials fees, etc.) within the grace period or you will be dropped for failure to pay all required course-related fees.
Students who are enrolled full-time and have received a NVC Promise approval email for the current academic year are not required to pay covered fees. See NVC Promise program website for a list of covered fees.