Eligibility Requirements

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Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for most types of financial aid, the student must:


  • Have completed or left high school
  • Be at least sixteen (16) years of age
  • Have earned a high school diploma or equivalent
  • Pursue a degree/diploma/certificate in an eligible course of study
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress
  • Register with Selective Service if required (STATE AID ONLY) (REGISTER ONLINE NOW)
  • Not be in default of a student loan or owe a refund on previously received grant
  • Agree to use any funds received for educationally related purposes only

Certify that they will not engage in the unlawful manufacture, distribution, possession, or use of controlled substances.

Pell Recalculation Date (PRD) Procedure

Each semester, the Financial Aid Office will set a Pell Recalculation Date (PRD) in line with guidance from the Department of Education on federal financial aid disbursements. The PRD date is sometimes referred to as the census or freeze date. The PRD is a “snapshot” of a student’s enrollment status (credit hours) for the semester at that time.

Wiregrass Georgia’s PRD is after the last day to pay for the semester. The enrollment status (credit hours) of the student is locked on the Pell recalculation date.

A student must be registered for all courses (including transient classes at another college) by this date in order to have those credit hours considered for Pell Grant funding. Any new classes added after that date will not count towards the student's Pell Grant eligibility.

Exceptions to this policy include when a student adds a class for the first time that semester (i.e. adds a part of term class that starts later in the term as their first time enrolling for the term), when a student fails to begin attendance in a class, or when the college receives an initial FAFSA for the student. In these cases, Pell must be recalculated (updated for the new hours).

For example: Student begins summer semester on May 18 in 6 credit hours and in June decides to add a 3-credit hour class for the Express Term which begins on June 1. The student would not receive additional Pell funds for the Express Term credit hours because they were added after the PRD.

The PRD date only applies to Pell. If the student has state aid such as the HOPE Grant, that grant would be updated for the added class.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal and state regulations require that students make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to continue to receive aid. SAP measures whether students applying for financial aid are in good academic standing and making progress toward completion of their programs. Satisfactory progress is evaluated at the end of each semester for all students. Not making satisfactory progress can affect your ability to receive state and federal financial aid including the HOPE Grant, HOPE Scholarship, Pell Grant and other forms of aid.

  1. Qualitative Standard: GPA Requirement
    The minimum cumulative GPA requirement is 2.0. Students falling below the minimum at the time of review will be placed on financial aid warning and will have one semester to achieve a cumulative 2.0 or higher GPA. Students who do not attain a cumulative 2.0 GPA at the end of the warning semester will be put on financial aid suspension, and their financial aid award is terminated. Students on financial aid suspension must pay for and successfully complete courses until they achieve a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a cumulative 66.66% completion rate to have aid reinstated.
  2. Quantitative Standard: Completion Rate
    Financial aid recipients must successfully earn at least a cumulative 66.66% of the credit hours attempted to remain eligible for financial aid. Students falling below the cumulative 66.66% completion rate at the time of review are placed on financial aid warning and will have one semester to achieve the required completion rate. Students who do not attain a 66.66% completion rate at the end of the warning semester are then put on financial aid suspension and their financial aid award is terminated. Students on suspension must pay for and successfully complete courses until they achieve a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a cumulative 66.66% earned rate to have aid reinstated.
  3. Maximum Time Frame
    Students must complete their educational program within a maximum time frame of one and a half (150 percent) times the length of the program in which they are enrolled. This means that students will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid once they have attempted one and one-half times the number of credit hours required for graduation in the program in which enrolled.
  4. Grades
    Grades of “I”,”IP”, and “W” are not included in calculating a student’s GPA. With the exception of "I", "IP", and "W" grades are counted as coursework attempted and will be used to determine SAP status. Students who receive "I" or "IP" grades will have those grades factored in their attempted or earned rate when a grade has been assigned. The grade must be assigned by the next semester's SAP evaluation period unless the student falls under extenuating circumstance related to a national qualifying emergency. Students who receive “I” grades will have their SAP re-evaluated when the final grade is posted by the Office of the Registrar. Grades received for Learning Support do not affect GPA, but the hours are calculated in the formula to determine the 66.66% completion rate.
  5. Termination of Financial Aid
    Financial aid will be terminated when a student is determined by the Financial Aid Office to be ineligible, if the office has evidence that the student has falsified information on the application materials, or if federal or state funds are not provided to meet the award.
  6. Appeal Process/Reinstatement of Aid
    Students have the right to appeal the denial of financial aid if they have extenuating circumstances which prevented them from making satisfactory progress. The appeal process can be started online. The student must complete the form and attach documentation to support the appeal. The appeal form is completed online for all students except dual enrollment. Students who are approved for an appeal will be eligible for financial aid for the semester the appeal was approved and future semesters as long as they remain in good standing. Financial aid will not be awarded for previous semesters. In certain situations, an academic plan may be appropriate to outline the academic rigor the student will need in order to achieve the SAP policy. The Financial Aid Committee will review the appeal and if properly documented may approve the appeal for the current semester or the next semester that the student attends. If not documented, the appeal will be denied and the student will not be awarded financial aid for the semester. Once a decision is made, students will be notified via student email. Students can start the appeal process online by following these instructions.

For more information, email financialaid@wiregrass.edu.