Attendance Policy as it pertains to Title IV Aid

• If a student drops a course during the 100% drop add period, the student is not considered to have begun attendance in that course unless adequate written documentation can be provided to prove the student did actually either physically attend, or logged into Blackboard with documentable interaction.  If the student drops or withdraws from a course after the 100% drop/add date with a ‘W’, the student is considered to have begun attendance in that course.

• Students who are dropped for “Dropped for Non-Attendance: D4” or “Financial Warning: D7” are considered NOT to have begun attendance, unless documentation can be provided to prove otherwise. 

 

What Are Grants?

Grants are money that does not have to be paid back. Eligibility for grants is determined by the information submitted on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year.

A student must have a Pell Grant-eligible flag on the FAFSA denoting the student is Maximum or Minimum Pell Grant-eligible, or has a calculated Pell Grant-eligible SAI (Student Aid Index), to receive Pell Grant funding. All grants are considered need-based aid.

Basic Eligibility Requirements for Grants include; but are not limited to, the following criteria:

• Be admitted into an undergraduate degree-seeking program and cannot have earned a prior Bachelor’s degree.
• Be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
• Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
• File a FAFSA each year and be assigned a Pell Grant-eligible flag.

Note: CAP and SEOG Grants have limited funding and are awarded until funds are exhausted.

Please note federal regulation prohibits a student from receiving Federal Title IV grants, including Federal Pell Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG) and TEACH Grant, at two or more schools at the same time for concurrent enrollment. A student can receive Federal Title IV grants at one school ONLY for each semester or period of study.  WKU follows the same federal regulation for the disbursement of state CAP Grant funds.  No federal regulation prohibits the receipt of Federal Direct Loans from two schools at the same time for concurrent enrollment. 

 

Information for JUMP Students

The following information pertains to the awarding of financial aid for current undergraduate students who have been admitted to a Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Program (JUMP). Per federal regulations, current undergraduate students who have been admitted to a Joint Undergraduate-Master’s Program may only be eligible to receive Pell Grant/CAP Grant for the number of graduate credit hours that will be counted towards their first bachelor’s degree. Based on University policies, a JUMP student may be eligible to be awarded Pell Grant/CAP Grant for a maximum of 9 graduate level credit hours if the undergraduate student is in a JUMP graduate program requiring less than 33 hours AND a JUMP student may be eligible to be awarded Pell Grant/CAP Grant for a maximum of 12 graduate level credit hours if the undergraduate student is in a JUMP graduate program requiring 33 hours or more. You can view the WKU Graduate School policy at https://catalog.wku.edu/graduate/enrollment/.

The WKU Department of Student Financial Assistance had hosted a question-and-answer session for WKU JUMP academic advisors during the Spring 2024 academic term to discuss how JUMP students’ financial aid eligibility may be affected due to certain federal rules and regulations. A copy of our presentation that was utilized during this session can be viewed here and should be used for informational purposes only. If any students have questions pertaining to their specific financial aid situation (especially for awarding purposes), then we encourage these students to contact the WKU Department of Student Financial Assistance at (270) 745-2755 or fa.help@wku.edu for additional assistance.

 

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College Access Program (CAP Grants)

The College Access Program (CAP) grant is a free, need-based grant awarded to eligible undergraduate students who are Kentucky residents and who enroll in a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. The CAP Grant is prorated per credit hour from 6 hours up to full time (12 credit hours) or above. To determine eligibility, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current academic year, be enrolled in a degree-seeking program,  have no outstanding financial aid requirements, and be admitted as a Kentucky resident. CAP awards may be reduced for students who do not have enough need-based aid remaining in their budgets. To find the current year award amounts, please visit www.kheaa.com. CAP grant funds are awarded until funds have been exhausted. Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA early each year to increase their chances of receiving CAP funds.

Watch Video About CAP Grant

 

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Pell Grant

The Pell Grant is a free, need-based grant awarded by the federal government to eligible undergraduate students. To determine eligibility, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, and have no outstanding financial aid requirements. Pell Grant awards vary each year based on the student’s FAFSA result, known as the SAI (Student Aid Index). Pell Grant awards are prorated based on enrollment. Students enrolled full time (12 hours or more) per semester are eligible for the full grant amount associated with their SAIs. However, students enrolled in as few as 1 credit hour, who have low enough SAIs, may qualify for a prorated amount of Pell Grant.

 

Pell Recalculation Date

WKU uses a single Pell Recalculation Date (PRD).  Pell Grant awards are initially awarded at the full time enrollment rate.  After the 100% drop/add deadline has passed for a term, grants will be recalculated based on the students enrollment at that time*.  Grants will not be adjusted up or down for further enrollment changes.  The only exception to this is for “mandatory” Pell recalculations, which pertain to courses in which the student did not begin attendance, which includes D4’s “Non-Attendance” and D7’s “Financial Warning”.  College Access Program (CAP Grants) are treated this way as well.

Watch Video About Pell Grant

 

*For the Summer Session, contact the WKU Department of Student Financial Assistance to obtain the PRD.

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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

SEOG grants are federally funded and awarded by the university to undergraduate students with exceptional need.  Students must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours. These funds are quite limited and awarded until exhausted.