Financial Aid

The White Earth Tribal College Financial Aid Office is located in the Student Services Office at 107 North Main Street, Mahnomen. The Financial Aid Office hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions concerning financial aid, please contact Doreen Stone at (218) 936–5731.

Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance at White Earth Tribal and Community College is comprised of several components and based on residency status and enrollment status. Estimated financial aid budgets for a full–time student are computed for a full year based on an average of 24 credits/year.

Components included in the total budget are tuition, fees, books, transportation costs, childcare expenses, room and board, and miscellaneous expenses. Additional components may be included in the total budget depending on each individual student´s circumstances. If a student has circumstances that may require an adjustment of the cost of attendance, a statement regarding the circumstances must be written and submitted to the aid administrator to be considered by the Financial Aid Office.

Applying for Financial Aid

Students seeking financial aid should apply to all possible sources. Information about financial aid and application forms are available from the Financial Aid Office. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA www.fafsa.ed.gov) or the Renewal Application for Student Financial Aid and authorize WETCC to receive the data by using our school code: 039214. Additional documentation including signed tax returns, W–2´s and the Institutional Verification Worksheet may be requested during the review process. Students are required to also complete the Institutional Financial Aid Application, American Indian College Fund Application, and a MN State Residency Verification Form. Preferred deadlines for completed paperwork is 30 days before the start of the semester.

Students who are enrolled members of the White Earth Band of Chippewa should also complete an application for funding to the White Earth Scholarship Program. Students who are enrolled members or descendants of any Tribe should complete an application for funding from the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program. All of these forms are available in the Financial Aid Packet available in the Financial Aid Office. Priority deadlines are May 31st prior to the next academic year.

Students must meet eligibility criteria for each of the programs. Private scholarships and outside agencies such as Department of Rehabilitation Services, Veteran´s Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs establish their own individual guidelines for student eligibility. Federal assistance such as Federal Pell Grants require that students:

• Demonstrate financial need
• Have a high school diploma or equivalency
• Be enrolled as a regular student in a degree program
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non–citizen
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress
• Provide a valid social security number
• Register with Selective Service Administration, if a male over 18
• Not have a drug offense conviction
• Be in good standing on previously received financial aid (not in default or overpayment)
• Enroll each term in courses eligible for financial aid

Aid applications should be completed and submitted as early as possible after January 1 to assure fullest consideration for the next financial aid award year July 1–June 30th. Students must apply each year.

FAFSA paper forms are available from high school counselors, from any college including WETCC, or the FAFSA can be done online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Returning students will receive a Renewal Application for Federal Student Aid or a PIN number to sign the renewal FAFSA on the web.

Verification

The federal processor selects some student financial aid applications (FAFSA applications) for verification. Students selected are required to submit a copy of student and/or spouse and parent federal tax return information (usually the prior year tax return), a verification worksheet, and documentation of untaxed income. Other documentation may be required depending upon database match results the federal processor conducts. The Financial Aid Office will send notification to students of all required documentation. Processing of a student financial aid file and awarding will take place once all required documentation is received.

Aid Awards and Renewals

The academic period for awarding is one financial aid year (July 1–June 30th) including Fall/Spring and Summer semesters. Students will normally be awarded for Fall/Spring semesters with any remaining eligibility awarded for summer.

Initially, awards will be based on the estimated enrollment selected on the FAFSA and will be adjusted according to the registered number of credits at the close of the Last Day to Add/Drop for each semester. Financial aid will be adjusted for dropped classes and withdrawals as well as late–starting classes.

All students receiving financial aid awards are notified with an institutional award letter. The letter contains the following information:

• Student´s cost of attendance
• Total expected family contribution
• Student´s unmet financial need
• Name of award program
• Amount of award for each semester
• Total amount of award the academic year
• Annual Federal Pell Grant entitlement figures for full–time, 3⁄4 time, 1⁄2 time and less than 1⁄2 time enrollment
• Decline column

A student´s total award package may not exceed the individual student´s financial need. Financial need is calculated as follows:

• Annual Cost of Attendance – Total Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need

The student should review award letters carefully. If the student wants to decline an award, the decline box next to the appropriate award (s) should be checked and returned to the Financial Aid Office.

To accept the award as listed on the award letter, it is not required to return the award letter. If the office does not receive notice to reduce or cancel awards, it is assumed that the student accepts all awards.

Enrollment Levels for Financial Aid Purposes

Full–time – 12 or more credit hours (15 credit hours for MN State Grant)

3⁄4 time – 9–11 credit hours

1⁄2 time – 6–8 credit hours

Less than 1⁄2 time – Less than 6 credit hours

Any courses for which there is an "I" grade on your transcript for a previous enrollment period will not be counted toward your level of enrollment for a current semester for financial aid. An "I" grade means you agreed to complete the course by the specified date without re–enrolling.

Disbursement of Financial Aid

Financial aid program disbursements are applied to tuition fees and book charges on students´ accounts before overages are given to students. The student must sign a certification statement located on the Institutional Aid Application that allows WETCC to apply Federal Title IV funds and other funds to tuition fee and book charges.

One–half of the full semester Pell grant award will be distributed within 14 days of the Last Day to Add/Drop each semester. The second half will be available within 14 days of the withdrawal deadline for each semester. Other grants and scholarships will be distributed as they are received from outside sources after applied to students´ accounts.

For applications received after the semester begins, disbursements will be made upon file completion, verification, if required, and eligibility of the student for disbursement. Eligibility for each program varies.Remaining funds will be issued to students within 14 days of the disbursement by the Business Office and will be mailed to all students using the address on file with the Financial Aid Office. It is the student´s responsibility to ensure that the address on file is always current.

Complete Withdrawals

Students who completely withdraw from a semester and receive Federal financial aid may have to repay some or all of the aid received (see Return of Title IV funds). Withdrawals may also affect availability of future financial aid (see Satisfactory Academic Progress). Contact the Counseling department and the Financial Aid Office before withdrawing to determine the effects of the withdrawal.

Dropping Classes

Students are responsible to formally drop classes for which they do not wish to attend.  Failure to drop may result in charges to the student account.  Contact the Registrar Office for add/drop dates for each semester.

Federal Return of Title IV Funds

Students receiving Title IV funding (Federal Pell Grant) who completely withdraw from classes are required to have earned aid evaluated through the federal formula established in the federal financial aid reauthorization. Unearned aid is returned to the federal financial aid programs. Students not receiving Title IV federal financial aid who paid for all expenses out–of–pocket will receive a refund based on institutional policy. The amount of federal funds returned to the federal programs will be determined based on the date the withdrawal process begins, the last date of attendance, or the last college activity participated in. Return of federal Title IV funds will not be computed after the 80% point of the semester. All complete withdrawals from the College are processed in the Registrar Office. Examples of this policy are available in the Financial Aid Office upon request.

Reporting Additional Financial Aid Resources

Students are required by federal regulations to report all sources of financial aid assistance to the Financial Aid Office. All resources of aid must be included in the student´s financial aid award package to ensure an over award has not occurred. Failure to report additional sources of financial assistance may result in repayment of part or all aid received for the payment period for the academic year.

Late Financial Aid Awards

Awards made by the Financial Aid Office or notification of additional aid by the student or an outside source after the initial award letter is mailed may result in the adjustment of awards. Adjustments are made to ensure compliance with individual program requirements and to avoid over awards in the total award package. Revised award letters are mailed as adjustments are made.

Aid for Attendance at Two Institutions Simultaneously

Students attending two institutions simultaneously may only receive federal and state financial aid at one institution for the same payment period. Generally, the school granting the degree is the school providing the financial assistance. A consortium agreement will need to be signed by the student as well as the financial aid departments of both schools in order to get full financial aid assistance for the total amount of credits.

Personal Student/Parent Documentation

All paperwork submitted to the Financial Aid Office is held in strict confidence under the guidelines of the Privacy Act. Required personal documentation must be maintained in the student files according to current federal regulations. Students should retain a copy of all documents for their own records. If the student requests a copy of documentation from their file, a signed request by the student is required for student information and a signed request by the parent is required for parent information.

Summer Financial Aid

A separate summer application is required for financial aid. Summer financial aid is considered a part of the preceding academic year and a complete aid application for that year must be on file. Students who did not receive their full Pell or Minnesota grant during the academic year may be eligible for the remainder during the summer term. Full–time enrollment for summer remains at 12 credit hours (15 for the Minnesota grant).

Types of Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant

Eligible undergraduates may receive up to $4,050 per year from the Federal Pell Grant program. Determination of eligibility is not made by the college but through the FAFSA Application. These awards are pro–rated depending on the actual enrollment level of the student per semester. This is an entitlement program from which all students who meet requirements will receive an award.

Minnesota State Grant

Minnesota residents who enroll at WETCC may qualify for and through the Minnesota Grant Program from the MN Higher Education Office with eligibility for up to four years of full–time equivalent enrollment. Awards are prorated when enrollment is less than 15 credits per term. Students must apply annually. Students must verify residency. This program is designed to be a supplement to the Federal Pell Grant.

Student Loans

WETCC does not participate in the student loan program; however, students are ineligible for other aid if in default on a student loan from a previous college.

White Earth Scholarship Program

Students enrolled in the White Earth Band of Chippewa Indians may be eligible for the White Earth Scholarship Program through the White Earth Reservation Tribal Council. Students are responsible for submitting all required information to the scholarship program. WETCC submits a budget sheet when award letters have been completed. Application materials and guidelines are available in the financial aid package of WETCC. Please contact White Earth Scholarship Program for questions: 218–983–3285.

American Indian College Fund

The American Indian College Fund (AICF), a fundraising organization supporting Tribal colleges became fully operation in September 1989. WETCC receives a yearly allocation from AICF to be used for Indian and non–Indian scholarships according to specific guidelines they give. The application necessary is in the WETCC financial aid packet.

Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program

Native American students who are 1⁄4 or more Indian ancestry or enrolled in any tribe may apply for funding through the MISP. White Earth enrollees must also apply for White Earth Scholarship funds in order to be eligible for this program. There is a maximum amount for undergraduates of $4,000 per year.

Other Scholarships

Private scholarships, foundations, employers, and other agencies may provide scholarships. It is the student´s responsibility to apply for any and all scholarships possible to complete their financial aid need. Some web sites, which are good sites to search for need–based and merit–based programs, are:

• www.fastweb.com
• www.finaid.org
• www.collegenet.com/mach25/

 

SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS

Standards of academic progress are established to require students to progress satisfactorily and timely toward the completion of their degree, diploma, or certificate.  Additionally, federal and state regulations require that recipients of federal and/or state financial aid make satisfactory academic progress towards a degree, diploma, or certificate to remain eligible for aid.  In compliance with federal regulations, the college has established and will apply the following standard of academic progress to all students.  The qualitative and quantitative standards of this policy are cumulative and include all periods of enrollment, whether or not a student received financial aid.  The Registrar’s Office is responsible for implementing and monitoring the satisfactory academic policy.  SAP will be evaluated for all students at the end of each semester, fall, spring, and summer.  Any non-standard session courses shall be evaluated during the semester in which they are transcripted.

Students are responsible for their academic progress and for seeking assistance when experiencing academic difficulty.  Students are encouraged to work closely with their advisor or Emma, Outreach/Retention/Tutoring Coordinator.

Qualitative Measure

All students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Grades of A, B, C, D, and N/C shall be included in the GPA calculation.

Quantitative Measure

All students are required to successfully complete a minimum of 67% of cumulative attempted credits.  Successfully completed credits include A, B, C, D, and P.

Maximum Time Frame

Students whose cumulative attempted credits exceed 150% of the credits required to complete their intended degree are not eligible for financial aid.  Up to 15 remedial and developmental credits shall be excluded from maximum time frame calculation.  Maximum time frame for students with a program change, students enrolled in consecutive programs or with previous degrees may be based on specific curricular requirements on an individual basis as defined by the Academic Dean or advisor and the Registrar’s Office.

Failure to Meet SAP (Probation and Suspension)

If a student has failed to meet either the qualitative or quantitative requirements at the end of the semester, the student will be placed on academic and financial aid probation for one semester.  They will remain eligible to enroll and eligible for financial aid during this probationary period.  At the end of the probationary semester, their SAP will be calculated again, if they still fall below the requirements, they will be placed on academic and financial aid suspension for one semester.    The student is not eligible to register or receive financial aid for that semester.  They may reenroll the following semester.  The second suspension lasts for one academic year.  The third suspension shall be permanent.

Failure to Meet SAP (Suspension)

If at the end of a semester, a student has reached the maximum time frame measurements, the student shall be suspended from financial aid eligibility immediately upon completion of the evaluation.

Appeal Process

Financial aid suspension status may be appealed to the Office of Financial Aid.  Appeals are made on the basis on extraordinary or mitigating circumstances (major illness, death in the family, serious accident, etc.), or the successful completion of additional coursework.  Each case is reviewed individually by the Appeal Committee.  The appeal committee consists of the financial aid administrator, one faculty person, the retention counselor, and a person from the business office.  Upon written request for an appeal with sufficient documentation, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated for one term with continued financial aid eligibility contingent upon the student’s satisfactory completion of terms established by the Financial Aid Appeal Committee.  A decision on written appeals with adequate documentation must be made within 7 business days.

Academic suspension status for insufficient GPA may be appealed to Academic Affairs.  The review will be handled by the Academic Dean.

Students not satisfied with an adverse decision may submit their appeals to the Board of Trustees.

Notification

Students who fail to meet the minimum standards will be notified by letter when they are placed on probation or suspension. 

Treatment of Grades

*Credits attempted:  the number of credit hours for which a student is officially enrolled at the end of the free drop/add period each semester.  Credits with grades of N/C, I, W count as credits attempted.

*Credits earned:  grades designated as A, B, C, D (including pluses and minuses).  Credits with grades of N/C, I, and W do not count as credits earned.  Remedial and development classes are given Pass (P) or Fail (F) designations and are not included in the SAP calculations.

*GPA calculation:  includes grades of A, B, C, D, and N/C and pluses and minuses associated with a letter grade.

*Percentage completion is calculated by dividing the number of earned credits by the number of attempted credits (cumulative).

*Repeated courses:  Students who repeat a course may receive financial assistance more than once for enrollment in the same course.  Each enrollment is included in calculating the percentage of successfully completed credits at the end of the semester, and the total number of attempted credits is used to determine length of eligibility.  Repeating a grade results in the removal of the previous grade.  When a course is repeated more than once, only one previous grade can be removed from the GPA calculation.  If a student receives anything higher than a D, they course may not be retaken for a higher grade.

*Transfer credits:  Transfer credits accepted and applied toward a student’s program or degree do not count toward calculation of cumulative completion percentage or in calculating cumulative GPA, but they do count in the maximum credits attempted calculation.

Remedial classes (any classes before the 100 designation) are included in the attempted credits, however, they will not be included in the GPA.

Reestablishing Eligibility for Financial Aid After Suspension

Students who have been placed on probation or suspension may only retain or regain eligibility through the appeal process or when they meet the SAP policy (qualitative and quantitative).  Paying for classes out of pocket or sitting out a period of time in and of itself is not sufficient to re-establish a student’s financial aid eligibility