Financial Aid Policies - Colorado Mountain College

Accreditation

Academic Year

Auditing Courses

Code of Conduct

Financial Aid Code of Conduct

The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) requires educational institutions to develop and comply with a code of conduct that prohibits conflicts of interest for financial aid personnel [HEOA § 487(a) (25)]. Any Colorado Mountain College officer, employee, or agent who has responsibilities with respect to student educational loans must comply with this code of conduct. The following provisions bring Colorado Mountain College into compliance with the federal law [HEOA § 487(e)].

Consortium Agreements

Explanation: A consortium agreement may be established between Colorado Mountain College (known as the Home Institution) and another college (known as the Host Institution) in order to include courses taken at a Host Institution when financial aid enrollment status is calculated.

Interested students should inquire with the Office of Financial Aid; contact the us for more information.

Eligibility: The student must be admitted to a degree or certificate program at Colorado Mountain College. The courses taken at the Host Institution must be approved by the Registrar at CMC as applying to the student’s degree plan at CMC. Assuming financial aid criteria are met, the student is then eligible to receive financial aid through CMC; the Financial Aid office will count all courses taken (as long as it/they are part of the current degree program) toward enrollment status – both at the Home and the Host Institutions.

Procedures: The student should contact the Office of Financial Aid for the Consortium Agreement Form. This form allows a Financial Aid Specialist to obtain enrollment and financial information from the Host Institution. The student should inform the Host Institution that he or she is enrolling as a consortium student and follow the enrollment procedures and tuition payment guidelines specified at that institution. CMC will not pay the tuition at the Host Institution. It is the responsibility of the student to make payment arrangements and to pay the tuition at the Host Institution.

The student should apply for financial aid at CMC and should not apply for financial aid nor accept financial aid at the Host Institution. Financial aid award amounts are based on many factors, including the student’s intended enrollment. CMC will construct average student expense budgets based upon the student’s reported residency and intended enrollment.

Disbursements will be authorized after individual enrollment verification has been received by CMC's Office of Financial Aid and logged in the system. Each institution will assess regular tuition and fee charges for their own courses.

Official academic transcripts must be forwarded to the CMC Registrar after every semester. The successfully completed hours from the Host Institution will appear in the CMC system as transfer credit for the appropriate semester. This will enable CMC to monitor satisfactory academic progress.

Concurrently enrolled students who receive financial aid from CMC will be subject to all CMC Financial Aid policies, which include but are not limited to: Refund/repayment, packaging, disbursement, and satisfactory progress. CMC is the final authority in determining student eligibility for financial aid and compliance with applicable policies, rules, and regulations.

CMC Financial Aid Consortium Checklist

Submit your FAFSA through the Federal Student Aid site. List Colorado Mountain College, Code 004506, as your school. Please note that the fall semester is the first term in the CMC financial aid year. March 31 is the FAFSA priority date.

Contact the Office of Financial Aid to complete the required Consortium Agreement Form.

Declare a degree-seeking program at CMC.

Create a degree plan with your CMC academic advisor. Ask your academic advisor to approve any and all courses that you want to take that are offered by Host Institutions.

Register for all courses you plan to take at the beginning of each semester. Identify yourself as a concurrent student to the Host Institution and follow their registration procedures.

Receive a financial aid shopping sheet from CMC.

Make arrangements to pay your tuition at Host Institution. It is your responsibility to make payment arrangements and to pay tuition at the Host Institution.

If the financial aid offered to you at CMC is sufficient to pay all of the CMC student account, no further arrangements are needed at CMC. If financial aid at CMC is not sufficient to pay the student account, contact Student Accounts to set up a Payment Plan.

If student loans are offered as part of your financial aid offers at CMC, you can accept loan awards on Basecamp.

Pay tuition at each institution.

Complete courses.

Contact the Office of Financial Aid each semester if enrolling at a Host Institution.

Send official transcripts to CMC at the end of the semester.

Courses Within Your Degree Program

Disbursements / Distribution of Financial Aid

Students are required to pay tuition and fees at registration, your awards MUST be in accepted status to be used at registration.

Financial Aid in the form of grants, scholarships and loans will first be applied towards the payment of outstanding tuition and fees owed to the college by the student. Financial aid awarded in excess of outstanding tuition and fees will be disbursed by check to the student approximately two weeks after the start of the semester, however there are some exceptions (listed below).

EXCEPTION #1: Aid funds will not be disbursed until you have started class. If you are enrolled in “late start” classes, your disbursement will be delayed or reduced until you have begun attendance in all classes.

EXCEPTION #2: For first time borrowers of Federal Direct Loans, disbursement of the loan funds will occur 30 days after the beginning of the semester. For students receiving a one-semester loan, two disbursements will be made. The first half will disburse 2 weeks after the semesters begins (30 days, if first time borrower); the second half will disburse 6 weeks into the semester.

EXCEPTION #3: PLUS Loans will be credited to the student account and all obligations will be deducted before a refund check is issued. Any credit balance from the PLUS proceeds will be paid to the Parent unless the parent authorizes CMC to pay the balance to the student.

Loans will not be distributed if the student is enrolled in less than 6 credit hours.

All borrowers must complete Entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note prior to receiving your first disbursement. We ask you complete these requirements online at studentaid.gov

Ordering Books Using Your Financial Aid

For your convenience, CMC offers the ability to purchase textbooks using your accepted financial aid.

You must have completed all necessary paperwork, have sufficient funds, and financial aid must be in "accepted" status to purchase textbooks. To view and accept your available financial aid, please go to Basecamp (login required).

Students at CMC participate in the Learning Materials Program (LMP). An affordable flat rate "textbooks in tuition" lease system and service which provides 100% of required materials by the first day or start of semester automatically customized to the student’s schedule.

The Learning Materials Program fees are easily budgeted as cost of attendance in financial aid and payment plans. Flat fees are not applicable for non-credit classes. Please see the LMP website for additional information.

Getting Your Textbooks

Students participating in the Learning Materials Program automatically receive their textbooks.

To see your textbook order and information please go to Basecamp (login required), then access Learning Materials Program under MY CMC APPS.

Eligibility

Eligibility for Title IV Aid

Federal Title IV aid consists of the following:

Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Direct Loans (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, Parent PLUS)
Federal Work Study
Other non Federal Aid (see the other sections for award specific eligibility)

For a student to be eligible for Title IV Aid, they must meet some general requirements:

Be a regular student enrolled in an eligible degree seeking program
Not be enrolled concurrently as an Elementary or Secondary student
Have a High School diploma or equivalent
Be meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Meet enrollment requirements (for certain types of aid)
Taking classes that count towards an eligible degree seeking program (we can not pay for classes that are not a part of your currently enrolled program)
Have a valid FAFSA on file with CMC before you cease attending
Have completed all requests for information (through Verification or other requests)
Not be in default on your student loans
Be a US Citizen or Eligible Non citizen
Any other requirements as defined by the Department of Education

Program Eligibility

You must be enrolled in an eligible degree seeking program at CMC. If you are unsure, please reach out to Financial Aid. Also know that each program lists in the description of the program if it is not eligible for Title IV aid. Additionally, each class that you register for and take MUST go towards your eligible program. If the class does not go towards your program, you can not pay for it using Title IV aid. Please reach out to your Academic Advisor with questions on if your class fits in your program.

Estimating Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Estimating Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for Student Aid

The Department of Education uses information from your FAFSA to perform a need analysis and determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). CMC then subtracts the EFC from your Cost of Attendance (COA) to calculate the amount of need-based financial aid you are eligible to receive.

CMC will assemble a financial aid package and send you a shopping sheet outlining the types and amounts of aid available to you along with the estimated educational costs at CMC. You may accept all, part, or none of this financial aid package.

To get an early estimate of your EFC and aid eligibility prior to the official need analysis process, take advantage of the Department of Education’s FAFSA4caster. Using information you provide about the type of school you plan to attend, FAFSA4caster can even estimate award amounts for specific kinds of aid, such as grants, loans, and work-study. When the time comes to fill out the FAFSA, you can use your answers on the FAFSA4caster to prefill many of the FAFSA questions.

You may also want to check out FinAid: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid, which provides an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator. The website also offers a detailed analysis calculator, in addition to a Quick EFC Calculator.

Other kinds of aid, such as scholarships and grants, may be given by schools, organizations, companies, etc. Some grants are based on need, while others are based on academic or athletic ability, career interests, religious affiliation, membership, location, employment, etc. Investigate these opportunities at your school, library, or on the internet at FinAid.

Dependency Status

The maximum amount you may borrow in Direct Loans depends on whether you are an independent student or dependent student, as well as your academic year in school.

You’re automatically considered INDEPENDENT if you:

Were born before January 1, 1999 (for 2022-23) or before January 1, 2000 (for 2023-24)

Are serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces

Since turning 13, both parents are deceased

Are a dependent or ward of the court since turning age 13

Are married as of the date of your application

Are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces

Were in foster care since turning age 13

Are currently or have been an emancipated minor

Have children and provide more than half of their support

Will be working on a master’s or doctorate program

Have dependents (other than children or a spouse) who live with you and you provide more than half of their support

Are currently or have been in legal guardianship

Are homeless or at risk of being homeless

If you are considered Dependent (based on the questions above) then you are required to provide parent information when completing your FAFSA. If you have Unusual circumstances and feel that you should not need to provide parent information on your FAFSA, please reach out to the Office of Financial Aid. We have the ability to review your situation and perform a "Professional Judgement" to turn you into an Independent student. *Please note that to be considered for this Professional Judgement you will still need submit your incomplete FAFSA.*

Enrollment Status

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal Law which gives students certain rights with respect to their educational records.

Once a student reaches 18 years of age or attends a postsecondary institution, he or she becomes an "eligible student," and all rights formerly given to parents under FERPA transfer to the student.

Under FERPA students have the right to:

Control the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) (except in certain circumstances specified in the FERPA regulations)
Access their education records
Seek to have the records amended
File a complaint with the Department of Education.

DIRECTORY INFORMATION

Colorado Mountain College hereby gives notice that it has designated certain items as "Directory Information" under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.

The following Directory Information concerning students at Colorado Mountain College can be disclosed without prior written consent:

Currently enrolled students may choose to withhold disclosure of directory information by submitting the Request to Withhold Directory Information to the Registrar’s Office. Information will be held confidential and the request is effective until rescinded, in writing, by the student.

DISCLOSURE OF EDUCATION RECORDS

Educational records are protected and can only be released to a third party with written consent from the student.

If a student wants to allow their parent(s) or guardian (or another individual) access to their educational records they must submit a FERPA Release Of Information Waiver . The release of information waiver authorizes Colorado Mountain College to release any and all information from a student’s education record to the student’s parent(s) guardian (or other individual) designated on the form. This authorization remains in effect until rescinded by the student.

If a student requires the release of specific information for a specific purpose; for example a copy of their immunization records or a grade verification for a scholarship they must submit a FERPA Consent To Release Specific Confidential Information. This authorization is only in force for the specified request. Additional information for additional individuals/agencies must be requested separately.

Please note: There are some circumstances where Colorado Mountain College can release information from your educational records without written consent according to specific exceptions in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Please see the catalog for more information.

If you have questions concerning FERPA, contact the Colorado Mountain College Registrar’s Office at registrar@coloradomtn.edu.

Fraud/Falsifying Information

It is very important that you provide accurate and complete information to the Office of Financial Aid.

According to the Department of Education, "If you receive federal student aid based on incorrect or fraudulent information, you will have to pay it back. You may also have to pay fines and fees. If you purposely provide false or misleading information on the FAFSA, you may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both."

Providing false information on your FAFSA or in your interactions with the Office of Financial Aid, could jeopardize your ability to be a student here at CMC. If CMC suspects that a student is committing fraud with their Financial aid or in relations to information given to the Department of Education that student may be referred to the Office of Inspector General for investigation.

No Show Policy

No Show Attendance Reporting

CMC Faculty and staff want you to be successful with reaching your educational goals. It starts with attending all of your classes. For all courses, Faculty will report "No Show" students who do not begin attendance for that class. Students are not allowed to receive Financial Aid for classes that they do not attend.

NOTE: A no-show for a face-to-face class is defined as lack of “attendance” where attendance is defined as one of the following:

Physical class attendance where there is direct interaction between instructor and student
Submission of an academic assignment
Examination, interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
Study group assigned by school
Participation in on-line discussion about academic matters
Documented initiation of contact with instructor to ask a question about academic subject

NOTE: A no-show for an online class is a student who has not: Completed the introductory assignment(s) by the deadline.

“No-Show” Reporting: If the student has not “attended” (per language above), the instructor will report the student as a no-show. Class reinstatement cannot occur after this point without significant documented extenuating circumstances.

“No-Show” Reporting and Financial Aid: If a student is dropped from a course (or courses) for non-attendance, the resultant loss in credit hours may cause a reduction and/or cancellation of his/her financial aid award. Like class reinstatement, financial aid awards can only be reinstated with documented extreme extenuating circumstances.

Reinstatement in class DOES NOT guarantee financial aid reinstatement.

Remedial Courses

These courses may be required because a student has basic skill deficiencies and are allowable for financial aid provided that the student is degree/certificate-seeking and enrolled in an eligible program. The maximum number of remedial credits that may be funded by financial aid is 30.

Eligible courses include ENG-0092 AND MAT-0010, MAT-0020, MAT-0030, MAT-0200, MAT-0250, MAT-0300

NOTE: Academic Achievement courses (AAA) do not count towards the student’s enrollment status for financial aid, with the exception of AAA-1001 (only when paired with MAT-0250 OR AAA-0095).

Repeats

Return of Title IV Funds

A student may be required to return Title IV funds after withdrawing or receiving all F's from CMC during a semester

Procedure for Withdrawal

If a student needs to withdraw the student must notify the Student Services office.

Exceptions

You will not be subject to returns of your Title IV funds if you meet one of the following exemptions:

You complete all of the requirements for graduation
You successfully complete a class or multiple classes that comprise at least 49 percent of the days in the term (in a program offered in modules)
You successfully complete a class or multiple classes that comprise at least half-time enrollment (in a program offered in modules)

Returning Title IV Funds

The law specifies how a school must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that a student has earned if they withdraw from school. A student is considered withdrawn if the student does not complete all the days in the payment period the student was scheduled to complete or ceases attendance from all Title IV eligible courses in a payment period. If a student withdraws from a term-based credit-hour program offered in modules during a payment period and reenters the same program prior to the end of the period, subject to conditions established by the U.S. Secretary of Education, the student is eligible to receive any Title IV program funds for which he or she was eligible prior to withdrawal, including funds that were returned by the institution or student under the provisions of this section, provided the student's enrollment status continues to support the full amount of those funds. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are: Federal Pell Grant, Direct Loan, PLUS Direct Loan, IASG and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG).

When a student withdraws the treatment of Title IV grant or loan funds must be determined on a payment period basis. When a student withdraws during a payment period, the amount of Title IV program assistance that the student has earned up to that point is determined by a formula set forth by the U.S. Department of Education. If the student received (or the school or parent received on the student’s behalf) less assistance than the amount earned, the student may be eligible to receive the additional funds. If the student received more assistance than earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or the student.

The amount of assistance earned is determined on a prorated basis. The calculation to determine earned aid includes both aid that has been disbursed and aid that could have been disbursed under the return of Title IV funds formula for a student who began attendance. If a student is enrolled in a module (a course in the program that does not span the entire length of the payment period) all the days the student was scheduled to attend in that payment period in which the student is enrolled will be used for determining eligibility. The percentage of aid earned is equal to the percentage of the payment period completed. For example, if the student completed 30 percent of the payment period, the student earns 30 percent of the assistance originally scheduled to receive. Once a student has completed more than 60 percent of the payment period, the student has earned 100 percent of the student aid the student was scheduled to receive for that period.

If the student did not receive all the Title IV grant and/or loan funds earned, the student may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement.

CMC will automatically use all or a portion of a student’s post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds toward outstanding semester charges on the student account, i.e. tuition, fees, and CMC room and board charges. Any excess grant funds will be disbursed to the student.

If a post-withdrawal disbursement includes Title IV loan funds, CMC must obtain the student’s permission before disbursing them. A student may choose to decline some or all loan funds to avoid incurring additional student loan debt.

Once a student withdraws from all classes, there are some Title IV funds that cannot be disbursed due to other eligibility requirements. For example, if a student is a first-time borrower and has not completed the first 30 days of the payment period before withdrawal, the student will not receive any Title IV loan funds they would otherwise have received had they remained enrolled past the 30th day.

If a student receives (or the school or parent receives on the student’s behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, the school must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

Institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of Title IV funds, or
The entire amount of excess Title IV funds.

The amount calculated as “owed by the school” must be returned to the appropriate Title IV program. This may create a balance due on the student account which will become a debt owed to CMC.

The Return of Title IV funds calculation also determines if a student must repay Title IV grant funds. Any amount of unearned Title IV grant funds that a student must repay is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of Title IV grant funds that must be repaid is one half of the grant funds a student received or was scheduled to receive. If a student is required to repay grant funds, the funds must be repaid with 45 days of being notified or the student will be referred to the U.S. Department of Education. Any student who does not repay the Title IV grant funds owed with 45 days of notification or does not enter into a satisfactory repayment arrangement with the U.S. Department of Education will be ineligible for future Title IV aid at any institution.

Any loan funds owed by the student, including parent PLUS loans, as a result of withdrawal are repaid in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, the student makes the scheduled payments to the holder of the loan in accordance with the terms of the loan. Once the student withdraws, or drops below half-time, the 6-month grace period (if applicable) begins, and the student is required to begin repayment on the debt after the grace period has expired.

Withdrawal Date

For an official withdrawal, the effective withdrawal date is the first date of notification by the student to the Student Services Office.

If a student does not follow the official withdrawal procedure and it is subsequently determined that the student is an unofficial withdrawal (due to the student failing and/or withdrawing from all Title IV eligible classes), the effective withdrawal date must be determined on a case-by-case basis.

CMC may use either the midpoint of the payment period or the last date of attendance at an academically-related activity, (see examples below) as the effective date of withdrawal. If the last date of attendance at an academically-related activity is verified by a CMC employee with sufficient knowledge, then that date will be the effective withdrawal date. If a student experiences circumstances beyond the student’s control, such as accident, illness, or grievous personal loss, the withdrawal date will be the date that the institution determines is related to that circumstance, unless attendance at an academically-related activity at a later date is documented. If the last date of attendance at an academically-related activity cannot be verified, then the midpoint of the payment period will be the effective withdrawal date. In the case of unofficial withdrawals, CMC does not accept a student's self-reported last date of attendance.

Academic attendance and academically-related activity includes but is not limited to:

Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students;
Submitting an academic assignment;
Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction;
Attending a study group assigned by the school;
Participating in an online discussion about academic matters; and
Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

Regulations require schools to perform calculations within 30 days from the date the school determines a student's withdrawal and to process the actual return of funds within 45 days of the date the school determines the student’s withdrawal.

Title IV Fund Repayment Order

A school must return Title IV funds to the programs from which the student received aid during the payment period, in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source.

Unsubsidized Direct loans
Subsidized Direct loans
Direct PLUS loans
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
IASG

The requirements for Title IV program funds when a student withdraws are separate from the CMC refund policy. Therefore, the student may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. Unpaid institutional charges may also occur if CMC is required to return any unearned Title IV aid.

The CMC refund policy can be found in the Refund Policy.

For questions about Title IV program funds, visit Federal Student Aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, mandates institutions of higher education establish a standard of satisfactory academic progress for students who receive Title IV funds. This standard applies to the student’s entire academic history, whether Title IV aid was received or not. In order to remain eligible to receive aid at Colorado Mountain College, students must meet the standards specified for acceptable academic performance and for Satisfactory Academic Progress toward the completion of their program of study.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Deadlines

Summer 2023 / July 07, 2023
Fall 2023 / October 13, 2023
Spring 2024 / March 8, 2024

Satisfactory Academic Progress Components

Cumulative GPA: 2.0 or above.
Pace of Progression (cumulative completion rate): 67% or above. Calculations are not rounded up to 67%.
Calculating a student’s Pace of Progression allows for variations of enrollment status since the percentage of credits successfully completed is evaluated in relation to the number of credits attempted.
Maximum Time Frame: Students must complete the academic program within 150% of the required number of credits for completion of a degree or certificate program. Both institutional credits and all transfer credits accepted by CMC are included in the calculation for Maximum Time Frame.
Students enrolled in a program longer than 2 academic years in length must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (“C” average) or “P” (passing) or better on all courses taken at CMC at the end of the second academic year.
Satisfactory Academic Progress is calculated at the end of each term.

SAP Status

Financial Aid Warning

A status assigned to a student who fails to make SAP and will be granted automatically without a written appeal from the student (at least one credit will have been completed in the semester).
A student on Warning may continue to receive financial aid for one payment period.
A student on Warning who then fails SAP standards the next payment period will be placed on Financial Aid Termination.
Exception: A student who has attempted 9 or more credits and earned a cumulative GPA of 1.0 or less will be placed on Financial Aid Termination.

Financial Aid Termination

All federal, state, and most institutional aid is canceled immediately upon Financial Aid Termination. Any of the conditions listed below will result in Financial Aid Termination:

A student’s failure to comply with the stipulations of the academic plan
First-year students (completed less than 30 CMC credits) with a zero-completion rate for a single term
Students with 9 or more attempted credits and a cumulative GPA of 1.0 or less

Following a Financial Aid Warning status, students who meet any of these conditions are placed on Financial Aid Termination:

CMC cumulative GPA is less than 2.0
Pace of completion is below 67% (students must satisfactorily complete at least 67% of attempted courses)
For Maximum Time Frame: if a student cannot mathematically complete required coursework before reaching the 150% maximum credits for his/her degree program, the U.S. Department of Education regulations require Termination.

Notice of Maximum Time Frame

Students will receive a SAP status of Notice if he/she has completed 75% of the 150% of the published length of the educational program.

The maximum time frame calculation is based on the student's total number of attempted credits in relation to 150% of the current program of study requirements. This calculation includes all attempted and completed credits at CMC and transfer credits from other institutions.

Exceeds Maximum Time Frame

CMC, in accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations, has set a maximum time frame in which students are expected to complete their program. As stated above, the maximum time frame calculation is based on the student's total number of attempted credits in relation to 150% of the current program of study requirements. This calculation includes all attempted and completed credits at CMC and transfer credits from other institutions.

When 150% of the attempted credits is reached, the student will be placed in Exceeds Maximum Time Frame status. Affected students who have reached or exceeded the maximum time frame for their program can complete a Maximum Time Frame Appeal to have their status reviewed.

Refer to the chart below for the maximum number of attempted credits including transfer credits from other colleges that will be counted in the determination of maximum attempted credits.

DEGREE	CREDIT REQUIREMENTS*	MAXIMUM ATTEMPTED CREDITS
Bachelor of Arts/Science	120	180
Associate of Arts	60	90
Associate of Applied Science Nursing	72	108
Associate of Science	60	90
Associate of General Studies	60	90
One-year Certificate Program	varies	total credits x 150%

*Additional credits may be required to complete major.

Financial Aid Probation

If a student does not meet SAP standards at the end of the Financial Aid Warning period, the student is placed on Financial Aid Termination. If the student successfully appeals Financial Aid Termination, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation. A student on Probation must follow all stipulations, outlined in the SAP determination letter, including any academic plan, if applicable, to be considered for Title IV eligibility. Terms of the academic plan are defined in the approval letter.

Once placed on an academic plan:

The student remains on probation.
The student must fully comply with the academic plan each term. Compliance is checked at the end of each enrollment period. Failure to fully comply with all aspects of the plan will result in Termination. If terminated, the student will be notified of the steps that must be taken before there will be any future consideration for aid eligibility.

Other SAP Items

Monitoring

CMC will measure students’ eligibility for financial aid at the end of EVERY semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer), and will measure for all SAP components. The updated status will be effective for the following semester.

Incompletes

An Incomplete grade (I) is given when no credit is earned. This counts as an attempted class that has not been completed and affects the Pace of Progression component of SAP. Therefore, an (I) grade may cause a student to be placed on Financial Aid Warning or Termination. The next SAP calculation will reflect the final grade assigned.

Withdrawals

Students withdrawing from some, but not all, classes after the funds have been disbursed, may not have their current aid adjusted. A Withdrawal (W) or Administrative Withdrawal (AW) does not count as a completed credit, and failure to complete the credit hours upon which your award was based may impact future SAP calculations and future financial aid eligibility. However, a W or AW does count as an attempted credit(s) in calculating the maximum number of credit hours for the Maximum Time Frame and Pace of Progression calculations.

Repeats

Students may repeat a previously passed course one time using financial aid funds. A failed course may be repeated until it is passed using financial aid as long as the student remains in an eligible SAP status. Total attempted credits will be included toward the Maximum Time Frame.

Remedial Courses

Remedial courses are included in both the Pace of Progression and Maximum Time Frame calculations.

Auditing Courses

If a student chooses to audit a course, it will not count toward the student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes and cannot be paid with financial aid.

Appealing Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students have the right to appeal an ineligible SAP status of Financial Aid Termination or Exceeds Maximum Time Frame.

Students may appeal the Maximum Time Frame status if it is the result of CMC credit hours received over 10 years ago and/or transfer credits from other colleges. A student's cumulative academic history, Pell grants, loan history and proximity to degree completion are considered with all appeals.

Appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis and will be evaluated in part on how complete the student is with each requirement of the appeal. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee an approval.

Appeals must include the following:

The typed appeal form.
A typed, detailed letter from the student explaining any mitigating or extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control that made it impossible to successfully complete the semester. The letter must include an explanation of what has changed in the student’s circumstances that will allow the student to successfully meet the SAP requirements at the next evaluation.
In the event of a medical issue, appropriate documentation supporting the extenuating circumstance is required (includes documents from physicians and/or hospitals). Proof of diagnosis MUST be attached.
Any other documentation required to support information provided in the student letter.

Incomplete appeals or those lacking appropriate detail WILL NOT be reviewed. All relevant details and supporting communication must be submitted by the deadline each term. Any appeals submitted after the deadline may not be reviewed prior to disbursement for the subsequent term. This is important as you can only appeal 1 time each semester. If your appeal is denied, you can not re-appeal until after successful completion of a full semester.

First the student needs to contact Financial aid, either by email, phone or by completing the "Request SAP/EMTF Appeal" form in Basecamp. After receiving the request Financial aid will review your file. If you are not on Academic Suspension, you will be sent the "Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal" to your CMC email. If you are on Academic Suspension, you will need to contact your Academic Advisor/Counselor first. You can not appeal your SAP status if you are on Academic Suspension.

The student is responsible for all charges on the student account.

If the appeal is approved, any aid disbursed will serve as reimbursement to the student for payments made during this period.

Decisions to approve or deny appeals rendered by the SAP Appeals Committee are final.

Notifications

If the student is placed on Financial Aid Warning, Financial Aid Termination, Financial Aid Notice of Maximum Time Frame or Exceeds Maximum Time Frame the student will be notified of this status. If the student submits an appeal, the student will be notified of the results of the appeal whether it is approved or denied. If the appeal is approved, the notification will also include the requirements of the academic plan.

Notifications are sent to students via CMC issued email address.

Academic Standards

Refer to the Colorado Mountain College Student Handbook

Special Circumstances

When you complete your FAFSA, income information from 2 years ago is used. There are times where that income information does not match what your financial situation is this year or even 1 year prior. CMC has the ability to perform a Professional Judgement and change the income information from 2 years ago to a more relevant year's income.

There are other Special Circumstances where the information you list on your FAFSA may not reflect your current situation. If this is the case, please reach out to the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) and speak with a Financial Aid Specialist to see how we can help.

Please see the process below:

Identify that your information on your FAFSA does not match your current situation
Contact the OFA
Complete the Special Circumstance Appeal form and provide all requested information
The OFA will review your form and documents and make a determination within 10 business days of receiving the completed application
- If approved, OFA will submit any changes needed to your FAFSA. OFA will then adjust your awards based on the new information
- If denied, no changes will be made
You will receive an email to your CMC issued student email letting you know of the determination

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Financial Aid – Student Rights and Responsibilities

Understand your right to financial aid information and your responsibilities as a financial aid recipient.

You Have the Right to:

Know what financial aid programs are available;
Know the deadline for submitting applications for each of the programs available;
Be informed of financial aid policies and procedures;
Know how your financial eligibility was determined and what resources (such as your income, assets, parental contribution and other resources) were considered in the calculation of need;
Know what portion of your financial aid must be repaid, and what portion is gift or aid received from work;
Know how The Office of Financial Aid determines whether you are making satisfactory academic progress and what the consequences are if you are not;
Request an explanation of the various programs in your financial aid package;
Know the terms of any loans you receive, and your deferment, cancellation and forbearance rights.

You Have the Responsibility to:

Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress;
Complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time;
Provide accurate information. Misrepresentation of information on financial aid applications is a violation of federal law and may be a criminal offense;
Report to The Office of Financial Aid any change in the information used to determine your eligibility, including name, family size, or other financial resources (e.g. scholarships);
Return all required documentation in a timely manner;
Read and understand all required forms and maintain a copy for your records;
Adhere to all agreements that you sign;
Perform the duties of your work study position in a satisfactory manner;
Notify The Office of Financial Aid immediately if you withdraw from school or reduce enrollment status;
Be informed of loan repayment options and procedures;
Complete online entrance counseling and the Master Promissory Note (MPN) when applying for your first student loan;
Complete online exit counseling upon graduation, dropping below six credits or leaving Colorado Mountain College;
Student loan recipients must notify their lender and The Office of Financial Aid if enrollment status drops below half-time (6 credits).
Repay all loans including interest;
Work with your lender for any deferment, forbearance, or forgiveness requests;
Read and understand the CMC Financial Aid Policies.

Questions? Contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Unusual Circumstance

Your Dependency Status on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines whose information you must complete. If you are a Dependent student then you are required to fill out your parent information.

If you are unable to list your parent information due to an unusual circumstance, you may be eligible for a "Professional Judgement" where we can adjust the information on your FAFSA and make you Independent.

If you feel that you might qualify, please reach out to us. Here is the process:

You will be asked about your situation, the conversation is confidential with the Financial Aid Specialist and will not be shared with others
You will be sent and asked to complete a "Petition for Dependency Status Review" form
Once the form and any supporting documents are received we will review the information and make a decision
You will know the decision within 10 business days of receiving the completed information

Financial Aid Policies at Colorado Mountain College

Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Deadlines

@Colorado Mountain College

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