Financial Aid Information

Shenandoah University awards financial aid to graduate and doctoral students in the form of grants, assistantships, and student loans. Sources of aid include institutional, Federal government, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students are strongly encouraged to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each year of their enrollment. The FAFSA is available at www.studentaid.gov For financial aid purposes, full-time enrollment is defined as six enrolled credits per semester, while half-time enrollment is defined as three enrolled credits per semester.

The following types of financial aid are available for graduate students:

Virginia Tuition Assistance Grants (VTAG)

This program is a state-funded, non-need-based grant potentially available to graduate and doctoral students enrolled in a health profession program. Students enrolled in fully online programs are not eligible for VTAG.  Students are required to have been domiciled in the Commonwealth of Virginia for least one year and be enrolled for at least nine credits per term. The application for VTAG is due September 15 and is available at the Office of Financial Aid’s website. Once awarded, it is not necessary to reapply for subsequent years. Previous recipients of VTAG as an undergraduate student must complete a new application. Pharmacy students may receive the VTAG for up to four years, while other graduate and doctoral students may receive the grant for up to three years. Recipients must notify the Office of Financial Aid immediately if their domicile moves outside of Virginia. The amount of the grant is based on annual state funding. The Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant is routinely used to replace other institutional scholarships and fellowships that cover tuition costs.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are awarded to selected graduate students who are qualified to fulfill specific responsibilities. Assistantships are awarded on the basis of merit by the dean/director of the school/division after receipt of a letter of application and a resume. Assistantships may include a scholarship, a salary for services rendered, or a combination of both. Recipients of assistantships and student employment program positions may be limited in the number of classes they can take each semester. The work of graduate assistants and students receiving student employment program positions is reviewed each semester to verify acceptable performance. Unsatisfactory performance of assigned responsibilities will result in loss of the assistantship or grant.

Federal Student Loan Programs

These federal loan programs are available to graduate and doctoral students who are enrolled at least half-time and file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov. The FAFSA must be completed for each year of a student’s enrollment.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is a guaranteed loan available to degree-seeking students and some certificate-seeking students. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is borrowed from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. This loan does not require a credit check in order for a student to be approved.

The interest on the Direct Unsubsidized Loan is determined each year and is fixed for the life of loan. Interest will begin to accrue immediately from the time the loan is disbursed to the university until it is paid in full. Students are permitted the option of paying the interest each quarter or deferring interest payments until they enter repayment. If the student allows the interest to accrue while they are in school or during other periods of nonpayment, it will be capitalized — that is, the interest will be added to the principal amount of the loan, and additional interest will be based on that higher amount. There is an origination fee that is deducted from the loan amount prior to its disbursal to the university.

The total loan amount graduate students can borrow in a Direct Unsubsidized Loan each year could be limited by the costs of their academic program, but cannot exceed the federal maximum of $20,500. Pharmacy students may receive additional loans based upon their enrollment in the academic year. Students will receive a financial aid notification informing them of the maximum Direct Unsubsidized Loan they are eligible to borrow for the academic year or term. If the student wishes to accept the loan as awarded, decline the loan, or request a different amount, they must notify the Office of Financial Aid by indicating this on Financial Aid Self-Service.

After a student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time enrollment, they are given a six month grace period before they must begin repayment of their Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Students are granted one grace period. The grace period may be extended to longer than six months if the student is on active duty in the military.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

Depending upon the cost of their academic program, graduate or doctoral students may borrow additional loan funds beyond the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. For these students, the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan may be an available option.

The Graduate PLUS Loan is borrowed directly from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program. The interest on Graduate PLUS Loans is determined each year and is fixed for the life of loan. These loans also carry an origination fee. The origination fee is deducted from the loan amount prior to its disbursal to the university and is subject to change.

To qualify for a Graduate PLUS loan, a student must not have an adverse credit history, which is determined by a credit check. If necessary, students may obtain an endorser to qualify. Students may borrow up to the Cost of Attendance for the period of enrollment, minus other financial assistance such as the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, grants, or assistantships. Students may borrow for each year of their academic career, though subsequent credit checks will be required.

The interest rate is determined each year and is fixed for the life of loan. Payment is deferred as long as the student is enrolled at least half-time. Similar to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the Graduate PLUS Loan does accrue interest while the loan is in deferment. This interest can either be paid as it accrues or capitalized. Repayment begins immediately upon graduation or less than half-time enrollment. Unlike the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Graduate PLUS Loans do not have a grace period. The student can defer repayment while enrolled in school at least half-time and for an additional six months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment.

Undergraduate to Graduate Seamless Programs

Shenandoah University has several Undergraduate to Graduate health professions programs, including: Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Athletic Training, and Physician’s Assistant. Students are accepted into these programs upon acceptance into Shenandoah University and will transition into their graduate program once they have taken all of the prescribed courses.

Students who have completed from 0-83.99 credits will be considered an undergraduate for Financial Aid, which means:

• The student is eligible for undergraduate Federal Financial Aid—Pell, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) and loans.
• The student is eligible for an undergraduate level of VTAG.
• The student is eligible for Shenandoah University Grant and Academic Scholarships.
• The student is considered for federal or institutional work-study.

Once the student reaches the 84-credit mark, and is accepted into a graduate health professions program,  the following parameters apply:

• The student will receive the remainder of their SU Academic or Presidential Scholarship. They are eligible for this for a total of 4 years, or 8 semesters as an undergraduate and graduate student. This award will apply to tuition charges only (not fees or housing). 
• The student is eligible for VTAG at the graduate level and will be required to complete a new VTAG application for their graduate health professional program.
• The student is eligible for Federal Financial Aid at the graduate level.
• The student is not eligible for federal or institutional work-study.
• The student is not eligible for Pell or SEOG, unless the following exception is met: A student who is enrolled full time, but in a combination of graduate and undergraduate courses may by paid a Federal Pell Grant only on the basis of the courses applying to his or her bachelor’s degree. For example, if the student is enrolled for 15 credits, but only 6 credits are applied to the baccalaureate degree, the student can be paid a Federal Pell Grant only as half-time student. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Process Overview & Responsibilities

All undergraduate and graduate students must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements in order to receive Financial Aid at Shenandoah University. Federal regulations require each college or university to have an academic progress policy, which establishes the minimum standards of eligibility for Financial Aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured by:

• Cumulative grade point average (GPA).
• Cumulative number of credits attempted compared to credits earned, often referred to as Pace of Progress. Students must earn credits toward their degree at a 67% rate when compared to credits attempted.
• Total number of credits attempted overall (maximum time). Students are not eligible for aid once they have reached 150% of the credits allowed for their specific program. This includes all coursework taken for a specific academic level (undergraduate or graduate), even if the student is no longer pursuing that degree.

Students who have not received Financial Aid in previous years, but apply for Financial Aid assistance for the first time are also held to these requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress is reviewed for all semesters of a student’s enrollment, regardless of whether or not the student was eligible for assistance during a term.

If a student is not meeting the requirements as outlined above, they are considered in Financial Aid Suspension and must appeal and be approved to regain eligibility for Financial Aid. To appeal, please follow the instructions below under Appeal Procedures.

Repeats, Pass/Fail, and Transfer Credits

Students who have earned a passing grade in a course can only take it one more time for Title IV aid, where a “D” is considered a passing grade. Once they have earned two grades of “D” or higher, any subsequent enrollment in the course is not eligible for Title IV aid and will be excluded from the R2T4 calculation. Withdrawals and drops while in attendance at Shenandoah University will not count towards GPA SAP requirement, however, may count for pace calculations.

Courses that are graded as pass/fail are included in the calculations for pace and GPA if they have a credit-load attached to them.

At Shenandoah University there are some courses that share the same name/number, but are not the same course and are required multiple times in the same degree for degree completion. These courses are evaluated based on the number of instances per required completion of the student’s degree, not on the total number of attempts overall.

Transfer credits will count towards both courses attempted and completed for pace, but will not be considered for GPA calculations.

SAP for Graduate Students

Students pursuing graduate programs must adhere to the GPA that is outlined in their program, earn 67% of the cumulative credits they have attempted, and not exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program in their attempted credits. Withdrawn courses will be counted in this calculation.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Review

The Office of Financial Aid will review each student’s SAP status at the end of each semester. Email notifications of SAP standards are sent to the student’s university email account. Students not meeting the SAP requirement are placed on either Financial Aid Warning or Suspension. Students on Financial Aid Suspension may appeal the suspension. If the appeal is approved, the student is placed on Financial Aid Probation.

Financial Aid Warning

Students who are not meeting SAP at the end of the semester are placed on a one-time warning status. While no further action is required from the students, it is strongly recommended students meet with an advisor to ensure their course load is appropriate and any courses taken apply to the student’s degree. Following the one semester warning, any student failing to meet SAP is automatically placed on Financial Aid suspension.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students failing to meet SAP following their warning semester are placed on Financial Aid Suspension. Students have the option to appeal this suspension. An appeal must be based on significant mitigating circumstances seriously affecting academic performance.

Some examples of mitigating circumstances include:

• Death in the family.
• Disabling illness or injury.
• Emotional or mental health issues.
• Divorce.
• Natural Disaster.
• Extreme change in financial or legal circumstances.
• etc.

Financial aid Suspension does not prohibit a student from continuing his or her education at Shenandoah University, but it does prohibit the student from receiving institutional or federal Financial Aid until they are in good standing.

Please note: Neither paying for classes with other means for a semester nor sitting out for one term restores Satisfactory Academic Progress on its own unless the student also brings their GPA or pace up to the standard required.  It is possible that a student may pay for so many courses out-of-pocket or using other means to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards which would restore their aid.

Financial Aid Probation

Students successful in their suspension appeal have their aid reinstated for one semester. Students are notified of the conditions of their probationary period. Following the probationary semester, the Office of Financial Aid reviews the student record to determine future eligibility.

If a student requires more than one semester to return to good standing, they may be required to submit an academic plan and work with the office of academic advising.

Financial Aid Academic Plan

If an academic plan is required to be developed by the student and their academic advisor, it will be monitored each semester. If the student fails to meet the conditions of the plan, they will no longer be eligible for aid until they re-establish eligibility on their own. 

Re-establishing Eligibility

Students on Financial Aid Suspension, or have their appeal denied may re-establish their eligibility for financial aid assistance by achieving Satisfactory Academic Standards without federal or institutional aid. This is at the student’s own expense. Sitting out one semester does not accomplish this. Students who have earned the required GPA, or have completed the required number of credits, should submit an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid to have their financial aid reinstated.

Withdrawing from the University

To withdraw from Shenandoah University at any time during the academic year, a student is required to obtain a Withdrawal Form from the Office of Student Success. This form must be completed and returned to that office in order for the withdrawal to be processed in an accurate and timely manner. A student who fails to withdraw properly may receive failing grades in all currently enrolled courses and may be ineligible for a proration of tuition and fees as described below.

Tuition Proration Policy

For students withdrawing after the add/drop period, tuition will be pro-rated accordingly. The amount of tuition will be calculated on a pro rata basis through the first 60 percent of the term. After 60 percent of the term has been completed, the student will be responsible for all tuition charges assessed. Tuition charges and awarded financial aid will be prorated based on the official withdrawal date as determined by the last date a student participated in an academically related activity.

The determination of the payment period attended by the student will be calculated as follows: Number of days completed divided by the total number of days in the term =   the % of term completed.

This percentage will determine the amount of tuition charges that the student is responsible for paying. If the percentage is 60 percent or higher, the student is responsible for 100 percent of tuition charges assessed.

Distribution of Financial Aid Funds