Student Financial Assistance

Robert Gamez, Director
104 Fairchild Hall
785-532-6420
877-817-2287
E-mail: finaid@k-state.edu
www.k-state.edu/sfa

Kansas State University administers an extensive financial aid program to bridge the gap between family contribution and the cost of attending the university. Detailed information concerning financial aid is available on request from the Office of Student Financial Assistance, 104 Fairchild Hall.

The Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be used by students applying for all federal and state aid programs. Students may obtain the FAFSA from any high school counselor or from K-State. The priority date for submitting the FAFSA is March 1 before the fall semester in which the student intends to enroll.

Programs

Scholarships

Each year nearly 4,000 Kansas State University undergraduate students receive more than $7 million of scholarship assistance based on their academic records, financial need, and/or leadership qualities. Freshmen are encouraged to meet K-State’s early application deadline of November 1 of their senior year. All students should meet the final application deadline date of February 1 each year for the following academic year. To apply for K-State scholarships, go to the website. Applications and scholarship information are available from high school counselors, the Office of Student Financial Assistance, and the various colleges at K-State.

Grants

Approximately 5,000 students are assisted through the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.

Assistance exceeds $12 million. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the application for these programs and should be filed by March 1.

Teaching and Research Assistantships for Graduate Students

The principal objective of a graduate student is to pursue a concerted program of study that will normally lead to an advanced degree in the chosen academic discipline. To assist students to pursue their studies full-time, the University makes available financial assistance through a limited number of graduate teaching assistantships (GTA), graduate research assistantships (GRA) and graduate assistantships (GA). These assistantship appointments carry with them a service requirement, typically directed at improving professional skills in their academic fields. Award of an assistantship is based on the student’s ability and promise and is usually made for either nine or twelve months. The maximum appointment is 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE), but appointments for lesser fractions may be made. Continuation of appointments is subject to academic performance and the availability of funds. Information on applying for graduate assistantships may be obtained from the department concerned.

Students holding GTA, GRA, or GA appointments from September 1 through November 17 receive tuition benefits for the fall term, and students holding GTA, GRA, or GA appointments from February 1 through April 17 receive tuition benefits for the spring term. If a graduate appointment does not begin by these dates or terminates before these ending dates, all tuition benefits will be lost. The student then is responsible for the total tuition payment.

GTAs, GRAs, and GAs on a 0.5 FTE appointment are eligible to participate in the Kansas Board of Regents GTA/GRA/GA health insurance plan. Information about enrollment in the health insurance plan is available from Human Resources.

The maximum number of credit hours in which a graduate student employed on an assistantship can enroll is 12 hours for the fall and spring terms and 9 hours during the summer. Students desiring to enroll in credit hours exceeding the maximum number permitted should be in good academic standing and obtain permission from their advisor and forward the permission to the Graduate School for final approval. To fulfill the obligation that students pursue studies full-time, graduate assistants must be enrolled for a minimum of 6 hours of credit during fall and spring terms. The Graduate School does not require that graduate students be enrolled during the summer. Individual departments may require minimum enrollment in any term. Information pertaining to minimum enrollment during the summer may be obtained from the department concerned.

Tuition responsibilities for graduate students appointed for 0.5 FTE depend on the nature of the appointment. Students holding a 0.4 FTE GRA, GTA, or GA appointment (or any combination of these appointments) are assessed tuition at the resident rates according to an established schedule.

Graduate students appointed as a GTA are eligible for a tuition waiver. Graduate students appointed on a full-time GTA appointment (0.5 FTE) receive a tuition waiver for a maximum of 10 hours in the fall and spring terms and 6 hours in the summer term. Hours taken during January intersession are counted in the total number of hours for the tuition waiver paid in the spring term. Hours taken during May and August intersessions are counted in the total number of hours for the tuition waiver paid in the summer term. Graduate students holding a 0.5 total FTE appointment during the fall, spring, or summer terms but an appointment of less than 0.5 FTE as a GTA are eligible to receive a partial tuition waiver based on the proportion of the teaching appointment. For example, a graduate student with a 0.2 GTA and 0.3 GRA for all three terms will receive a tuition waiver of 4 hours in each of the fall and spring terms and 2 hours tuition waiver for the summer term. Graduate students with a 20% (.1) GTA and 80% (.4) GRA appointment will be eligible to receive a tuition waiver of 2 hours in the fall and spring terms. Those with an 80% (.4) GTA and 20% (.1) GRA appointment will be eligible to receive a tuition waiver of 8 hours in the fall and spring terms. In all cases, the student will be responsible for paying the remainder of the tuition at the resident rate. GTA tuition waivers are provided for tuition benefits only; students will be responsible for campus privilege fees (student health, activity fees, etc).

The Kansas Board of Regents requires all prospective GTAs who are non-native speakers of English to achieve a:

minimum score of 50 on the TSE (Test of Spoken English)
OR
minimum score of 50 on the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK)
OR
minimum score of 22 on the speak section of the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT)

Disputes concerning graduate assistants (GTA/GRA/GA) are employment matters that should be originated with the appointing department and be addressed through normal supervisory channels. The student should begin addressing the concern with the assigned supervisor of the assistantship and, if necessary, proceed to the department or unit head. If the matter is not resolved at the department or unit level, the student may present it to the Dean of the College in which the (GTA/GRA/GA) is employed. Formal grievance procedures do not apply to these appointments.

Individuals should contact the Office of Institutional Equity or the Office of Student Life regarding employment disputes believed to constitute discrimination or harassment, as defined in the “Policy and Procedure for Discrimination and Harassment Complaints” section of the University Handbook.

Traineeships for Graduate Students

The university has a number of traineeships available. Several departments also have federally supported traineeships available under the programs of the National Institutes of Health and other agencies. Contact individual departments for information

Loans

K-State participates in the Federal Family Education Loan Program, the Federal Perkins Loan, and the Health Professions Student Loan Programs. The university also manages three institutional loan programs: the alumni loan, the foundation loan, and the emergency student loan.

The Federal Family Educational Loan program is comprised of three separate loan types: the subsidized, unsubsidized, and parent loan. The subsidized loan is considered need-based aid, while the unsubsidized loan and PLUS are considered non-need-based aid.

The interest rates for each of these loan programs are variable and are set on July 1 of each year. The subsidized and unsubsidized loans have a capped interest rate of 8.25 percent, and the PLUS has a cap at 9 percent. The federal government pays the interest on the subsidized loan until the student enters repayment. The student borrower is responsible for the interest on the unsubsidized loan from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. The parent borrower is responsible for the interest on the PLUS loan from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.

Repayment of the subsidized and unsubsidized loans begins six months after the student drops below half-time status. Repayment of the PLUS begins 60 days after the loan has been disbursed in full. Borrowers can choose a repayment plan (standard, extended, graduated, or income-contingent) by contacting their lender.

The Federal Perkins Loan and the Health Professions Student Loan programs have a fixed interest rate of 5 percent. The interest on the loans begins when the student goes into repayment. Repayment on the Perkins Loan begins nine months after enrollment drops below half-time status. Repayment on the HPSL begins one year after enrollment drops below half-time status.

The alumni loan and the foundation loan charge six percent interest payable annually from the date of the loan, with $50 monthly payments beginning six months after the borrower is no longer a student at K-State. The emergency student loan is a short-term loan available to enrolled students who have exceptional circumstances. The loan must be repaid by the end of the semester in which it was taken.

Employment

Kansas State University provides services for students seeking part-time employment to help offset educational, living, and social expenses. K-State has two categories of jobs: college work-study program jobs and campus payroll jobs. In addition, students are frequently employed in off-campus positions. Available jobs are listed online.

To be employed on the hourly student payroll, a student must be enrolled in at least 6 resident semester credit hours at K-State during a fall or spring semester, and at least 3 resident semester credit hours at K-State during a summer semester, or have been enrolled in at least 6 resident semester credit hours at K-State during the preceding spring semester.

Services for veterans

The university maintains a veterans’ service to aid veterans, children, and spouses of deceased or 100 percent disabled veterans from a military services-connected disability or death in securing educational benefits.

Veterans who entered the military on or after July 1, 1985; have served at least two years; had their pay reduced or contributed $1,200 for education; and received an honorable discharge may be eligible for educational benefits if they are within 10 years from their final discharge date. Veterans who entered the military prior to January 1, 1977; received an honorable discharge; and are less than 10 years from their final discharge date may be eligible without any contribution. Veterans who entered military service between January 1, 1977, and July 1, 1985; have an honorable discharge; and contributed to the GI Bill may also be eligible. Certain conditions or restrictions may apply.

Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve consisting of reservists and National Guard who have after June 30, 1985, signed a six-year agreement and completed their initial active duty for training; have a high school diploma or GED; and are in good standing in a drilling reserve unit are eligible for educational benefits. Certain restrictions may apply.

Children of veterans with 100 percent service-connected permanent disability or deceased and identified as service-connected may receive educational benefits until age 26. Spouses have 10 years from the time the veteran was classified with the service-connected condition to be eligible to receive educational benefits. Certain restrictions may apply.

A new benefit makes certain reservists or National Guard members who were activated after September 11, 2001, either eligible for education benefits or eligible for increased benefits while in an approved training program for a contingency operation and serving at least 90 consecutive days or more. Certain conditions or restrictions may apply.

Information may be obtained from your nearest Veterans’ Administration Office or the Office of Student Financial Assistance (Veteran’s Office).

Satisfactory Academic Progress

A) Overview/Responsibilities

Federal student financial assistance regulations require Kansas State University, as an institution offering federal, Title IV, forms of student financial assistance, to measure Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) of each attending student on a regular basis. SAP, as assessed by K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) is separate and distinct from a student’s academic standing as determined by his/her college or academic unit at K-State. SAP is a method of measuring a student’s progress toward program completion.  To be eligible for Title IV aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress.  SAP is measured through the use of qualitative and quantitative tests.  Qualitative tests reference a student’s grades (e.g. cumulative GPA) and quantitative tests reference a student’s pace to the successful completion of his/her program of study. 

Students who are placed on SAP exclusion, as detailed below, are ineligible to receive federal, Title IV, forms of student financial assistance. Examples of Title IV assistance include: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Loan (subsidized and/or unsubsidized), Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

In addition, students placed on SAP exclusion may also become ineligible for non-Title IV forms of student financial assistance. Examples of such non-Title IV forms of assistance include: Health Professions Student Loan Program, K-State’s Spouse/Dependent Grant, State of Kansas Scholarship Program, etc..

K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance is responsible for measuring SAP for the purposes of monitoring federal, Title IV, student aid eligibility. To that end, several office staff members assist at various stages of the SAP monitoring process.

The Satisfactory Academic Progress standards outlined in this policy are as strict as or stricter than K-State’s institutional academic progress policies for students pursuing an educational credential. Specifically, K-State’s degree requirements do not impose a set time frame in which a student must have successfully completed his/her academic program.

B) SAP Evaluation Increments

In view of final program integrity regulations, published October 29, 2010 on the topic of SAP by the U.S. Department of Education, K-State’s OSFA has elected to measure SAP at the conclusion of each regularly scheduled semester/term. At K-State the semester/term represents a student’s payment period for federal, Title IV, financial assistance. Consequently, SAP will be measured in increments of single terms i.e. at the conclusion of each fall, spring, and summer term.

C) Quantitative Measure

K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance utilizes three quantitative tests to measure a student’s pace as well as maximum time frame toward his/her degree completion. These quantitative tests are:

• Maximum Attempted Units Test
• Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units Single Term Test
• Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units Cumulative Test

Maximum Attempted Units Test

The Maximum Attempted Units Test is employed for all three categories of students at K-State, undergraduate, graduate, and professional (veterinary medicine) students.

Undergraduate Programs of Study

For students pursuing an undergraduate degree the maximum attempted units may not exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program. Consequently, the Office of Student Financial Assistance attempts to set the threshold for the Maximum Attempted Units Test applied to undergraduate students so that the student will fail this test at a point in time where he/she has attempted in excess of 100% units but is likely to have not yet reached the 150% attempted units mark.

For example: Undergraduate students pursuing a typical four-year degree (requiring the successful completion of 124 credit hours), will fail the Maximum Attempted Units Test when the student has surpassed 154 attempted units without having completed his/her program of study. Allowing the student in this example to fail this SAP test at the 155 or more units attempted mark allows the OSFA to communicate to the student the necessity to complete the program of study before the 150% mark of 186 attempted units has been reached.

Professional Programs of Study (Veterinary Medicine)

For students pursuing a doctor of veterinary medicine degree the maximum attempted units may not exceed 150% of the published length of the educational program. Consequently, the Office of Student Financial Assistance attempts to set a threshold for the Maximum Attempted Units Test applied to students pursuing a doctor in veterinary medicine degree so that the student will fail this test at a point in time where he/she has attempted in excess of 100% units but is unlikely to have reached the 150% attempted units mark.

For example: Students pursuing a doctor in veterinary medicine degree (requiring the successful completion of 169 units), will fail the Maximum Attempted Units Test when the student has surpassed 210 attempted units without having completed his/her program of study. Allowing the student in this example to fail this SAP test at the 211 or more units attempted mark allows the OSFA to communicate to the student the necessity to complete the program of study before the 150% mark of 254 attempted units has been reached.

Graduate Programs of Study

For students pursuing a graduate degree the maximum attempted units may not exceed 200% of the published length of the educational program. Consequently, the Office of Student Financial Assistance attempts to set the threshold for the Maximum Attempted Units Test applied to graduate students so that the student will fail this test at a point in time where he/she has attempted in excess of 100% units but is likely to have not yet reached the 200% attempted units mark.

For example: Graduate students pursuing a typical Ph.D. graduate degree (requiring the successful completion of 90 units), will fail the Maximum Attempted Units Test when the student has surpassed 162 attempted units without having completed his/her program of study. Allowing the student in this example to fail this SAP test at the 162 or more units attempted mark allows the OSFA to communicate to the student the necessity to complete the program of study before the 200% mark of 180 attempted units has been reached.

Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units - Single Term Test

The Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units - Single Term Test is utilized as an additional quantitative measurement of SAP for K-State’s undergraduate and professional (veterinary medicine) student populations. As the name implies, this test is specific to a student’s most recently completed term of enrollment. The test sets a threshold that requires a student to successfully complete 75% of his/her attempted units for a given term.

Examples of the Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units - Single Term Test:

Example #1 – Undergraduate Student A attempts 15 units for the fall term. At the conclusion of the fall term, Student A has successfully completed 10 units. Since Student A failed to meet the 75% threshold of successfully completing at least 12 units (15 x .75 = 11.25 = 12 rounded up), Student A fails this SAP test.

Example #2 – Veterinary Medicine Student B attempts 20 units for the spring term. Student B successfully completes 18 units for the term. Since Student B surpassed the 75% threshold of completing a minimum of 15 units (20 x .75 = 15), Student B passes this SAP test.

Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units - Cumulative Test

The Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units - Cumulative Test is utilized as an additional quantitative measurement of SAP for K-State’s undergraduate and professional (veterinary medicine) student populations. As the name implies, this test measures a student’s cumulative pace toward degree completion by referencing the ratio of cumulative attempted units to the cumulative successfully completed units. The test sets a threshold that requires a student to successfully complete 75% of his/her cumulative attempted units.

Example of the Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units – Cumulative Test:

Example # 3 – Student C attempts 18 units for his first term (fall) at K-State. Student C successfully completes all 18 units for the fall term. Since the student completed 100% of his cumulative units attempted, he passes this test when evaluated at the conclusion of the fall term. Next, Student C attempts 15 units for the following spring term. This time, however, the student completes only 7 units. Since this test is cumulative, the total units attempted for the student’s entire career (fall and spring) will be compared to the total units successfully completed for the student’s entire career under this test at the conclusion of the spring term.  Cumulative attempted units is equal to 33 (18 + 15) and the cumulative successfully completed units is equal to 25 (18 + 7). Since Student C completed 25 units (slightly higher than the 75% threshold of 24.75), the student still passes this SAP test at the conclusion of the spring term.

Where a student has successfully transferred course credits from other post secondary institutions to K-State, those credits are included in the Maximum Attempted Units Test noted above. More specifically, each credit successfully transferred to K-State is considered to represent one attempted unit which was successfully completed.

Both the Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units Single Term Test and the Ratio of Attempted to Completed Units Cumulative Test allow K-State to monitor the quantitative progress toward the completion of a degree program for students with various enrollment status i.e. full-time and part-time.

D) Qualitative Measure

K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance utilizes two qualitative tests to measure a student’s academic standing necessary to complete his/her degree program. These qualitative tests are:

• Two Year Cumulative GPA Test
• Minimum Cumulative GPA Test

Two Year Cumulative GPA Test

The Two Year Cumulative GPA Test is utilized by K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance to measure the qualitative component of SAP for its undergraduate student population.  To pass this test, undergraduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher after having completed two terms.

Minimum Cumulative GPA Test

The Minimum Cumulative GPA Test is utilized by K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance to measure the qualitative component of SAP for its graduate and professional (veterinary medicine) student population.

• To pass this test, a student pursuing a graduate degree must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher beginning with the first term evaluated.
• To pass this test, a student pursuing a professional (veterinary medicine) degree must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.000 or higher beginning with the first term evaluated.

E) SAP Statuses and Implications

As students’ SAP is evaluated at the regularly scheduled increments, K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance will typically confer one of five differing SAP statuses upon a student. They are:

Meets – This status is indicative that a student has successfully passed all of the applicable quantitative and qualitative tests that were deployed in evaluating his/her SAP status. The student has passed the SAP eligibility criteria to receive federal, Title IV, forms of student financial assistance.

Warning – Since K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance endeavors to evaluate student SAP at the conclusion of each regularly scheduled term (fall, spring, summer), a student may be placed on SAP warning. A student who has been placed on warning from a previous status of meets retains his/her federal Title IV student aid eligibility for one subsequent term of enrollment. A student on warning status is not required to successfully appeal his/her SAP status to receive federal, Title IV, student financial assistance.

Typically, a status of warning will be conferred on a student when his/her SAP status of meets is downgraded at a subsequent evaluation where the student fails to pass one or more of the applicable SAP tests outlined above.

Exclusion – This status indicates that the student is no longer eligible to receive federal, Title IV student financial aid.

Typically, a status of exclusion will be conferred on a student where he/she failed to pass all of the deployed SAP tests following a term in which his/her status had been determined to be warning.

Less frequently, a student may be placed on exclusion from a previous status of meets if the margin of failing to pass one of the above noted SAP tests is significant. To illustrate: 

• For undergraduate and professional (veterinary medicine) students, a status of exclusion may be conferred from a previous status of meets if the Maximum Attempted Units Test indicates that the student has reached the 150% mark for attempted units.
• For graduate students, a status of exclusion may be conferred from a previous status of meets if the Maximum Attempted Units Test indicates that the student has reached the 200% mark for attempted units.
• For undergraduate students, a status of exclusion may be conferred from a previous status of meets if the Two Year Cumulative GPA Test indicates that the student has failed to obtain a 2.000 cumulative GPA after the completion of four (4) terms.
• For graduate students, a status of exclusion may be conferred from previous status of meets if the Cumulative GPA Test indicates that the student has failed to obtain a 3.000 cumulative GPA.
• For professional (veterinary medicine) students, a status of exclusion may be conferred from a previous status of meets if the Cumulative GPA Test indicates that the student failed to obtain a 2.000 cumulative GPA.

A student may also be placed on exclusion from a previous SAP status of Probation – Single Term or Probation – Academic Plan where the student failed to meet the academic expectations for the term in review.

Probation – single term – This status allows a student to receive federal, Title IV financial assistance for a single term following the successful appeal by the student of his/her SAP exclusion status. This status may be conferred on a student by the Office of Student Financial Assistance utilizing professional judgment associated with the appeal process. This status is applied where it has been determined that it is mathematically possible for the student to correct his/her SAP standing within the time span of one term. Typically, specific academic objectives for the term are established as a condition of the status of probation – single term.

Probation – academic plan - This status allows a student to receive federal, Title IV financial assistance for a potential period of time greater than one term following the successful appeal by the student of his/her SAP exclusion status. This status may be conferred on a student by the Office of Student Financial Assistance utilizing professional judgment associated with the appeal process. This status is applied where it has been determined that it is mathematically impossible for the student to correct his/her SAP standing within the time span of one term. This status requires the creation of an academic plan that outlines academic recovery objectives over consecutive terms. A student with a status of probation – academic plan is evaluated at the conclusion of each term in an effort to determine if the student has successfully met the objectives for that particular term. Provided the student meets the objectives for a given term, he/she will remain on the probation – academic plan status with no additional SAP appeal required. Conversely, if a student with an SAP status of probation – academic plan fails to meet the objectives for a given term, as set out as a condition of this status, the student’s SAP will be downgraded to exclusion with the resulting loss of federal, Title IV, student eligibility at the time of evaluation.

F) Appeals

Students who have been placed on exclusion status may file an appeal with K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. The appeal should include:

• contact information for the student,
• a statement from the student detailing the cause(s) for his/her failure to meet the SAP standards as well as his/her plans for future academic improvement, and
• a statement from the student’s academic advisor and/or representative from his/her academic department/college  corroborating the student’s academic improvement plans

The above noted information may be submitted utilizing a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form that can be obtained under the ‘Forms and Applications’ link on the Office of Student Financial Assistance’s webpage. Alternatively, the appeal may be submitted in whole or part via e-mail communication with the office by the student and/or his/her academic advisor.

Upon receipt of the completed Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form, a director-level staff member or designated full-time staff member within the Office of Student Financial Assistance will review the information provided to determine if the student has encountered mitigating circumstances that warrant the continuation of federal, Title IV, student eligibility.

Examples of mitigating circumstances might include – student illness, death of a relative, full time employment, a protracted break from academic work, etc..

The Office of Student Financial Assistance reserves the right to premise an appeal decision, in place of or in augmentation with a completed Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form, on a review of a student’s academic history, as recorded in the University’s student information system, and/or on communications with the student, the student’s academic advisor, or the student’s academic department.

The Office of Student Financial Assistance also reserves the right to refuse to review an appeal that has been submitted for a specific term after a set period of time for that term has already elapsed. To exercise this option a deadline for the term is disclosed to the student on the appeal form. In the event the office chooses to review a given appeal for a specific term after the deadline has passed, the office reserves the right to request additional information from the student and/or his/her instructors for the term in order to assess the student’s most recent academic work.

An appeal may be approved or denied. SAP appeal determinations rendered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance are final and may not be contested. 

G) Probationary Periods

In the event that the SAP appeal is approved, a SAP status of probation – single term or probation – academic plan will be conferred on the student.

As a condition of either of the probation statuses, the Office of Student Financial Assistance may set specific academic requirements. The requirements may include any combination of the following:

• successful completion of a set number of units for one or more academic terms
• attainment of a set percentage of attempted vs. completed for one or more terms
• attainment of a specific term GPA for one or more terms
• setting a limit on the number of units attempted for one or more terms
• interruption of one or more terms

*Note: The status of probation – academic plan, will be accompanied with specific academic requirements for each term covered by the academic plan. This status will be conferred on students after July 1, 2011.

H) Regaining Eligibility

Typically, to be conferred the SAP status of meets a student must pass all of the quantitative and qualitative measurements applicable to his/her academic career (i.e. graduate, undergraduate, or professional (veterinary medicine) as described in both the Quantitative Measurement and Qualitative Measurement sections above. After all, failure to meet any applicable test is indicative of a failure to meet SAP.

However, on a case-by-case basis the Office of Student Financial Assistance may place a student on SAP meets status where it has been determined that unique circumstances to the student render an incomplete assessment of the student’s true SAP status via the systematic tests deployed. For example, a student may be placed on a SAP status of meets when it has been verified that not all transfer units accepted by K-State are applicable toward the student’s program of study or when it has been verified that a student is pursuing more than one degree concurrently or when it can be verified that a student has switched from one degree program to a differing one.

I) Communication of SAP Statuses

Generally, the Office of Student Financial Assistance makes no special provision to inform a student that he/she has a SAP status of meets.

The communications outlined below typically take the form of either a paper or electronic (e-mail) notification. Electronic, e-mail communications are sent to the student’s, official campus e-mail address.

If it has been determined that a student has either a SAP status of warning or exclusion, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will communicate this status to the student along with the implications of the status in regard to federal, Title IV eligibility. For students with the SAP status of exclusion, the office will take an additional step of setting a checklist item within the University’s student information system, KSIS, which will alert the student to this status and inform the student how to file an appeal.

Probationary SAP statuses such as probation – single term or probation – academic plan are communicated to the student upon the successful completion of the student’s appeal process.

Typically, the status of probation – single term will outline the expectations of the student for the following term. The status of probation – academic plan will also outline the requirements to be met over a series of subsequent terms. (Note: The status of probation – academic plan will not come into full effect until after July 1, 2011)

In the event that a SAP appeal is denied, a communication is sent to the student when the determination is made.

J) Treatment of Repeated Course Work, Incomplete Course Work, Withdrawals from Course Work, and Course Work with Non-punitive Grade Assignments

Repeated Course Work -

K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance will allow grades earned as part of repeated course work to factor into a student’s cumulative G.P.A. (qualitative) SAP standing, while reserving the right, on a case by case basis, to include only the highest grade earned for a repeated course as part of a student’s exclusion appeal. This approach is premised on the understanding that, generally, a course may not be double counted toward a student’s degree completion requirements.  However, all attempts by a student, even repeated attempts, will be counted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance as part of the student’s pace/max time-frame (quantitative) SAP standing.

Incomplete Course Work-

Course work that results in a status assessment of “incomplete” will have no impact upon a student’s qualitative SAP component until grades have been attached to that course work. However, all course work with a unit value associated to it will be counted as part of a student’s quantitative SAP component – irrespective of whether a status of “incomplete” has been attached to the course work at the conclusion of the term or not.

Withdrawal from Course Work-

Withdrawals from course work on or after the census date for a given term are counted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance as part of the student’s quantitative SAP evaluation. Conversely, if a student is withdrawn from a course prior to the term census date, that course will not count toward the student’s quantitative SAP evaluation.

The Office of Student Financial Assistance reserves the right, on a student-by-student basis and as part of a successful exclusion SAP appeal, to exclude specific withdrawals from a student’s quantitative SAP evaluation where legitimate, mitigating circumstances gave rise to the student’s course withdrawal after the term’s census date.

Course Work with Non-punitive Grade Assignments –

Course work with non-punitive grade assignments such as audited courses or credit/no-credit grading schemes will be counted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the quantitative component of a student’s SAP evaluation.

English as Second Language (ESL) and remedial course work –

ESL and remedial course work will be counted by the Office of Student Financial Assistance within the quantitative component of a student’s SAP evaluation.

K) Treatment of Transfer Units, Multiple Degrees, and Changes in Program of Study

Where a student’s eligibility for federal, Title IV, student financial assistance is threatened by the accumulation of units earned, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will endeavor to establish whether the time frame to completion has been artificially inflated due to one of the following:

• transfer units counted that are not applicable to the student’s program of study or
• units counted that are applicable to the simultaneous pursuit of more than one program of study or
• units counted that are applicable to a completed program of study plus an in progress program of study or
• units counted where the student has changed his/her program of study

In resolving SAP eligibility issues such as noted above, the Office of Student Financial Assistance may utilize such resources as access to the student’s academic department/college, communication with the student, and/or utilization of a degree audit tool.

Where transfer units from other post-secondary institutions have been recorded, but are not applicable to the student’s program of study, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will endeavor to re-set the student’s SAP status to reflect only the completion of units applicable to the student’s program of study.

Where a student may be working toward the completion of more than one program of study simultaneously, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will endeavor to re-set the student’s SAP status to more accurately reflect an appropriate time frame. For example, a student simultaneously pursuing an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and an undergraduate degree in business is not likely to complete both programs of study within the time frame associated with a single undergraduate program of study.

Similar to the above scenario, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will also endeavor to re-set a student’s SAP status to address situations where a student has already successfully completed one program of study but is currently pursuing an additional program of study. An example of such a situation is observed where a student is actively pursuing the completion of a program of study having already successfully completed an earlier program e.g. working toward a second bachelor’s degree.  

Where a student has changed his/her program of study, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will endeavor to re-set the student’s SAP status to reflect only those units attempted/completed that are applicable to the student’s most current pursuit of his/her program of study.

L) Academic Fresh Start GPA and Academic Forgiveness GPA

Although K-State offers two academic amnesty/renewal procedures known as “Academic Fresh Start GPA” and “Academic Forgiveness GPA,” federal student aid regulations make no provisions for such institution-based academic renewal programs. In consequence, K-State’s Office of Student Financial Assistance must determine a student’s SAP status premised on all historical units attempted, units completed, and grades earned that are applicable to a student’s program of study irrespective of the student’s admission into one of these two K-State academic amnesty/renewal programs.