Financial Aid Requirements

Federal and Institutional Aid Requirements

Students receiving federal, state, and/or Keuka College aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined in the College Record.

If students are suspended from the College (unless they successfully appeal the decision), they are no longer considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. These students are not eligible to receive financial aid from federal or institutional sources. This includes students on suspension who have been given approval by the Provost or designee to continue enrollment.

Students who have been suspended must reapply and follow the guidance provided under the Suspension Appeal Process.

New York State Aid Eligibility Requirements

For state financial aid purposes, “full-time” is defined as being enrolled for 12 or more credits during each fall semester and each spring semester. Credits from January or Summer Field Period^® do not influence the fall or spring credit hours. Students who fail to enroll as stated above forfeit their New York State TAP awards and face a possible reduction in other federal, state, and institutional awards.

*The above chart applies to full-time attendance (12 or more credit hours).

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To remain eligible for financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in accordance with federal regulations and the standards established by the New York State Commissioner of Education. Failure to maintain satisfactory academic progress may result in the loss of good academic standing for financial aid purposes and the loss of eligibility for financial aid. 

The academic records of financial aid recipients are reviewed at the conclusion of each fall and spring semester to determine compliance with satisfactory academic progress requirements. Students are responsible for reviewing and understanding the applicable Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

To receive New York State student financial aid, including but not limited to Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Child of Veteran Award (CV), Veterans Tuition Award (VTA), and other New York State grants, scholarships, and awards administered by the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC), students must pursue an approved program of study and maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the New York State Commissioner of Education. 

State standards generally require students to progress toward degree completion within a reasonable timeframe. For a typical baccalaureate degree program, students are expected to complete degree requirements with at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average. In addition, the maximum timeframe for completing an undergraduate program may not exceed 150 percent of the published program length, as measured in credit hours.

The requirements of this policy follow: 

Academic Progress

Satisfactory academic progress includes:

• GPA, or required cumulative (overall) minimum Grade Point Average
• Pace, or required cumulative (overall) completion rate, computed by dividing total credits completed by total credits attempted
• Timeframe, or maximum time allowed a student to reach their educational objective, set at 150% of program length.

GPA

Undergraduate students are required to have a 2.0 minimum cumulative GPA. The GPA will include all aided and unaided terms. Students with fewer than 18 credits (all prior coursework included) are required to have a 1.75 minimum cumulative GPA. 

Pace

Pace is the rate at which a student completes requirements for their educational goal. Pace is calculated by dividing the number of cumulative units completed by the number of cumulative units attempted. A fixed percentage of all cumulative units attempted is required. For 0-17.9 cumulative units attempted, 50% is the minimum needed. For 18+ cumulative units attempted, 66.67% is the minimum needed. All units count as attempted units, whether they were completed with a 'W', were repeated for a better grade, or eliminated from the GPA calculation through the Academic "Fresh Start" policy. As per federal policy, units transferred from schools previously attended count as both units attempted and units completed.

Timeframe

Time frame is used to determine the maximum number of units for which you may remain eligible for financial aid for your Education Goal and Academic Program. Time frame includes transfer units and all unaided terms of attendance.

Program Pursuit (NYS TAP)

The regulations define program pursuit as receiving a passing or failing grade in a certain percentage of a full-time course load (for TAP), as follows:

• 1st year - Must attempt 6 credits per semester.
• 2nd year - Must attempt 9 credits per semester.
• 3rd year - Must attempt 12 credits per semester.
• 4th year - Must attempt 12 credits per semester.

Attempting a course indicates that the student:

• Attended the course for the entire semester or payment period; and
• Completed all the necessary requirements.
  • A grade of W does not count as an attempt (toward Program Pursuit).
  • A grade of Incomplete would be acceptable only if it is automatically changed to a standard passing or failing grade before completion of the next term of study. (Incompletes require submission of the Keuka College Incomplete Form.)

Note: Keuka College certifies a student’s eligibility for TAP before each payment (in other words, each semester); therefore, the above must be checked and standards developed for each semester. The federal and New York State financial aid funds listed in this section could be reduced or withdrawn based on the approval of proposals in the federal and New York State budgets.