Policies

This page will explain a few of the Financial Aid Policies and Procedures that apply to some students. For more detailed information, please see an assistant director.

ECU's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Student academic records are reviewed annually, at the end of the spring semester.  In order to continue receiving financial aid at ECU, a student must meet all of these requirements:

1. Maintain an acceptable grade point average.
   Students who are permitted to enroll as degree-seeking students at ECU are considered to be meeting the minimum grade point average requirements.
   Students on probation 4 or higher are NOT eligible for financial aid.
2. Successfully complete a minimum number of credit hours.
   Successful completion is obtaining a grade of "D" or better.
   An undergraduate student must earn at least 80% of the credits he/she has attempted at ECU.
   To calculate 80%:
   Multiply total number of credits attempted by 0.80.
   Always round down to the nearest whole number.
   A chart showing the 80% calculation can be found at www.ecu.edu/financial.
   A graduate student must complete enough credits to remain enrolled in his/her program of study.
3. Complete a program of study before attempting more than 150% of the number of credits required to complete that program of study.
   

Teacher Certification

Students who are working on their initial teacher certification are listed as non-degree seeking students. The Department of Education requires that all students who receive Title IV aid must be working towards a degree. There are exceptions to this rule, initial teacher certification is one of them.

In order to process your request for aid, we will need you to have your academic advisor send us a letter with the following information:

1. List of courses required for your program. Be sure to include the credit hour value of each course.
2. The schedule you plan to follow to take these courses.
3. Your anticipated date of completion. Once we have received this information we will be able to continue processing your request for financial aid.

Second Degree Students

If you have already earned a bachelor's degree and are pursuing a second undergraduate degree, we will need some specific information from your academic advisor.

1. Total number of hours required for 2nd degree.
2. Total number of hours from 1st degree that count towards 2nd degree.
3. Anticipated date of completion of 2nd degree.

Please have your academic advisor send us this information with your name and social security number in order to continue to process your request for financial aid.

Refunds and Repayments

When a federal student financial aid recipient withdraws from school it is often necessary to return a portion of his/her financial aid to the awarding agency. This is because financial aid was awarded to the student on the assumption that he/she would successfully complete enrollment in the entire academic term. A student has not "earned" all of his/her financial aid for the current academic term until he/she has attended at least 60% of that term.

To determine how much financial aid a student earns each day he/she is enrolled, we divide the days in the term by the days you've been enrolled. So, if there are 120 days in the term and it is the 10th day of the term, we divide 120 by 10 and you've "earned" 12% of your aid.
A calendar for specific terms is available by clicking on this hotlink.

Student loan funds are the first financial aid monies to be refunded when a student withdraws. The loan funds are returned to the lender. This refund reduces the student's repayment obligation. Remaining loan funds that were received by the student in the form of excess financial aid are subject to the originally agreed-upon repayment conditions. Check with your lender for more information about loan repayment.

Sometimes a student who has received a Federal Pell Grant or Federal SEOG (Supplemental Grant) and withdraws is required to REPAY some or all of that grant. A student who owes a repayment on a federal grant is not eligible to receive any additional financial aid - at any school - until that repayment obligation is complete.

When a student withdraws, we mail a letter to him/her indicating the action taken - loan funds that have been refunded, other financial aid that has been refunded, repayment obligations.