If a student totally withdraws from the College for a particular semester and was a federal financial aid recipient, the student is entitled to receive funding based on the percentage of the payment period (semester) that the student completed.

If the student completes more than 60 percent of the enrollment period, he or she has earned 100 percent of the aid for that period of enrollment.

If the student completes 60 percent or less of the period of enrollment, the percentage of the period completed is the percentage of aid earned and eligible to receive.  Any aid that is unearned as a result of totally withdrawing from the College at the 60 percent or less point of the semester must be returned to the Department of Education.

The policy applies to all students receiving federal aid during the fall, spring or summer semesters.  Examples of the refund calculation are available upon request at the Financial Aid Office.

Courses Toward Your Degree and Financial Aid

Any student who takes classes that do not count toward their degree cannot be paid for those classes with federal and/or state financial aid funds. The only exceptions are non-credit or remedial courses which are part of your regular program.

In order that the amount of financial aid we can offer you is not jeopardized, we strongly encourage you to meet with an academic advisor to make sure that all of your courses will be funded with financial aid.

State Funded Financial Aid and the Ability to Benefit Test

Students first receiving state aid in 2007-8 who do not have a certificate of graduation from a recognized school within the United States providing a secondary education (a high school diploma or recognized equivalent) must attain a "passing score on a federally approved ability to benefit (ATB) test that has been independently administered and evaluated as defined by the Commissioner of the State Education Department" to receive New York State-funded grants or scholarships, including Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), Part-Time TAP and the Aid for Part-Time Study Grant.