Financial aid administered by the Financial Aid Office at Helena College is based on an evaluation of academic accomplishments, financial need, and availability of resources. Students may qualify for Helena College scholarships and grants or state and federally sponsored grants, work-study, and loans. Information about eligibility, applying for and accepting aid, and types of aid are outlined in this section. Some general points:

Scholarships are offered for each academic year.

• Offers are usually made in the spring for the following academic year.
• Helena College does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, religion, sex, marital status, color, age, physical disability, national origin, service in federally or state defined uniform service, veteran status, political ideas, genetic information, gender identity, gender expressions, sexual orientation or physical or mental disability in the administration of its scholarship all aid programs.
• Most scholarships administered by the College are divided evenly between the fall and spring semesters.
• Scholarships are not normally offered during the summer session.
• Recipients of selected offers must inform the donor and/or the Financial Aid Office of their acceptance.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is used to establish a student’s eligibility for need-based aid and serves as a cap on the total amount of aid a student can receive in a given academic year. It includes both direct costs owed to the school, like tuition and fees, and indirect costs such as transportation, which the student may incur, but are not owed to the school. As a result, the COA is an amount greater than what the student will be charged. The cost of attendance is determined by the College in October of each year for the following academic year.

The following is an example of how financial aid is determined:

The cost of attendance is determined by the College in October of each year for the following academic year. The direct cost of attendance for 2026-2027 is as follows: 

If a student has applied for federal aid, Helena College accesses the student aid index (SAI) information electronically from the federal processor. If Helena College is not indicated on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a school that should receive the FAFSA summary report (FSR), the student must submit a copy of the FSR to the Financial Aid Office or correct their FAFSA by adding the code for Helena College. The College’s code is 007570.

Helena College subtracts the SAI amount from the cost of attendance (COA). The resulting amount is the financial need per federal eligibility guidelines.

• Financial Aid Cost of Attendance: $23,203
• Less: Calculated SAI (assume $2,000): $2,000
• Calculated Financial Need: $21,203

Financial aid offers are developed using information available at the time of packaging and may be revised if enrollment status and/or financial status change.

Eligibility Requirements for Federal Aid

• Acceptance to Helena College as a certificate/degree-seeking student.
• Priority is given to students with FAFSA results submitted to Helena College by December 1.
• Possess either a high school diploma, GED, HiSET, or completed a state recognized home school curriculum.
• Completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submitted as soon as possible after the first business day in October. The information should be sent to Helena College, Title IV Code 007570. A FAFSA must be completed each year the student desires to receive financial aid.

Note: Submitting a FAFSA ensures a student will be considered for all financial assistance from Helena College as well as the state and federal government.

• The student should review the FAFSA Summary Report (FSR) sent by the processing center and submit necessary corrections directly in your FAFSA application online.

Note: The FAFSA application for the 2027-2028 year will be available in October of 2026. The application will be based on the student’s (and parent’s or spouse’s) 2024 income tax information. This is to assist students in preparing for the financial responsibilities of attending college. The Financial Aid Office will be available for assistance with this process.

Financial Aid Notification

Students who have been accepted for admission as a certificate/degree-seeking student and for whom the College has received results of the FAFSA on or before December 1 will receive a need-based financial aid packages in February. The aid offers will contain all financial aid offers by and through Helena College with directions on how to accept and receive the offers. After February, students will receive financial aid offers as they are admitted to the College and the results of the FAFSA become available.

Approximately 10% of all FAFSA applicants are selected for a process called verification by the U.S. Department of Education. In this process, Helena College will be comparing information from the FAFSA with IRS Federal tax transcripts (and/or parent’s/spouse’s), W-2 forms, or other financial documents. The law requires the College verify this information before disbursing federal financial aid. If there are differences between the FAFSA information and supplied financial documents, Helena College will make corrections electronically and notify the student in writing.

Verification must be completed no later than 14 days prior to the end of the spring semester of enrollment, the aid year for which a FAFSA was filed. A student’s failure to complete verification will result in the cancellation of all federal and institutional need-based aid. In addition:

• No financial aid will be released until verification is completed.
• Students employed under the federal or state work-study programs cannot work without completing verification.

Helena College must review the requested information, under the financial aid program rules (34CFR, Part 668).

In some cases, the Financial Aid Office will re-evaluate financial aid offers based on special circumstances. If a student or student’s family have special needs or have recently experienced unusual financial circumstances, they should contact the Financial Aid Office. A Special Circumstance/Professional Judgment form is available on the Financial Aid Forms and Policies page of the College website.

Financial aid is not available for audited or challenged courses.

A student may not receive financial aid to repeat a course more than one (1) time for courses previously passed. According to federal regulations for financial aid purposes, a grade of “D” is considered passing.

Accepting Financial Aid

• A postcard and email notification stating financial aid is ready to be accepted will be mailed to accepted students beginning in February or after Helena College receives FAFSA information.
• The student should acknowledge acceptance of the financial aid by accepting and submitting offer preference on their MyHC account online and should promptly return all required documentation requested. Student’s aid offer will not be finalized until all completed paperwork is submitted and processed.
• Financial aid will be disbursed 7-10 business days after the 15th instructional day for each semester.
• Financial Aid, except for work-study offers, will be credited directly to the student account in Business Services on the aforementioned disbursement dates.

Note: Students who are first-time loan borrowers will not receive their first loan disbursement until 30 calendar days after the start of the first term of attendance.

Student Responsibilities

Upon acceptance and receipt of financial assistance of any kind, it becomes the student’s responsibility to notify the Financial Aid Office in writing of changes in financial and/or enrollment status. A change in enrollment and/or financial status may result in revision of financial aid offers. Changes include:

• Change in the number of enrolled credits;
• Change in name, address, or telephone number;
• Change in financial status, including any additional scholarships, grants, or other benefits received; and
• Withdrawal from the College. Students who withdraw from Helena College during a semester may be responsible for repayment of all or a portion of any financial aid received for the semester. Return of federal fund procedures is federally regulated. Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for additional information.

Helena College Scholarships & Offers

Listed below is a partial list of scholarships available to Helena College students. A complete and up-to-date list can be found on the Financial Aid Scholarship page on the College website. Some scholarships are offered by the College and others are offered by community organizations, business firms, endowment funds, etc. For more information, students should contact the Financial Aid Office.

• Boeing Access to Education
• Everett D. Potter Scholarship
• Gianforte Manufacturing Scholarships
• Harold Hamm
• Helena College Foundation Scholarships
• Intermountain Children’s Home
• Montana Food Distributors Association
• Opportunity Bank of Montana
• Peter Nelson Scholarships
• Reach Higher Montana
• Soroptimist Training Program
• Soroptimist Vocational Technical Scholarships

Private Scholarships

Many private organizations provide financial assistance to Helena College students. Scholarship information may be obtained by contacting civic, professional, religious, or other community organizations in addition to high school guidance offices and the internet. Listing of web resources is available on the Financial Aid Scholarship page on the Helena College website. One such website is Reach Higher Montana. Private scholarships are generally applied one-half to each successive semester after the funds are received unless otherwise noted.

Tuition Waivers

The Montana Board of Regents has authorized the waiver of either full or partial tuition for certain categories of students.

These categories include:

• American Indian
• Montana Veterans
• War Orphans
• Dependents of Prisoners of War
• Senior Citizens
• Surviving Dependents of Montana Firefighters or Peace Officers
• Faculty and Staff
• MUS Employee Dependent
• MUS High School Honors
• Montana National Guard

Applications for tuition waivers must be completed within 14 days of the start of the semester in which the student wants to utilize the waiver. For more information and applications, see the Montana University System Award Montana website. 

Federal Financial Aid

Students should complete the FAFSA on or shortly after October 1 and request the FAFSA Summary Report (FSR) be sent to Helena College, Title IV Code 007570. It takes approximately 4 to 6 weeks for a paper FAFSA application to be processed. Applications submitted via the StudentAid.gov website take considerably less time. Students (and parents, if applicable) must have a Student Aid.gov ID, which will be comprised of a user-selected username and password, to electronically sign the FAFSA. Students must re-apply for federal aid each year. Delays in receiving financial aid are often the result of late or incomplete submission of the FAFSA. Priority date for Helena College is December 1.

Eligibility for the below indicated federal financial aid resources depends on submission of the FAFSA. The FAFSA Summary  Report (FSR), resulting from the FAFSA, provides a Student Aid Index (SAI), which is used to determine eligibility for federal need-based financial aid.

1. Federal Pell Grants and Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are offered to students with exceptional financial need.
   1. Note: Pell grants are limited to 12 full-time semesters. FSEOG funds are limited.
2. Full Pell Grants will also be awarded to students whose parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died as a result of service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. The grant offer is equal to the amount of the maximum Pell Grant for the academic year, not to exceed the cost of attendance for that academic year. Offer amounts are subject to change based on federal funding.
3. Work-study employment opportunities are available through the need-based Federal Work Study (FWS) as well as the need-based and non-need based State Work Study (SWS) programs. Limited funds are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, in accordance with Helena College policy. Offers are usually between 10 and 15 hours per week. Available jobs are listed on the Work Study Opportunities webpage. These funds are not offered within the financial aid offer. If students are interested in work-study, they need to contact the Financial Aid Office.
4. Loan monies at federally regulated interest rates are available to students and their parents. Federal loans are offered on a need and non-need basis as documented through the FAFSA.
   1. Federal Direct Loan – available to students on either a need (subsidized) or non-need (unsubsidized) basis. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest upon disbursement or while the student is attending college at least half-time. The federal government subsidizes the interest burden. Subsidized loan eligibility is limited to 150% of the student’s program of study. Unsubsidized loans do accrue interest upon disbursement. Unless the student pays the interest while in school, the interest will capitalize on top of the principle amount upon repayment status. Interest rates are set annually in accordance with federal regulations.
   2. Federal PLUS (Parent) Loan – for parents of dependent students who want to borrow to help pay for their student’s education. Interest rates are set annually in accordance with federal regulations.

College-Related Federal Tax Provisions

Helena College students and families may be eligible for selected education-related tax provisions of the Federal Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, including:

• American Opportunity Tax Credit provides a maximum $2,500 per year tax credit (non-refundable) each eligible student for up to four years and up to $1,000 of the credit can be refunded if your credit is more than you owe in taxes. Qualifying expenses include tuition, fees and required course materials.
• Lifetime Learning Tax Credit provides a maximum $2,000 per year tax credit (non-refundable) per family. This cannot be combined with the American Opportunity Tax Credit.
• Student Loan Interest Deduction provides a non-refundable deduction (not credit) of interest on qualified education loans used to finance qualified education expenses. The maximum deduction each taxpayer is permitted equals $2,500.
• Tuition and fees deduction – taxpayers may be able to deduct up to $4,000 paid toward qualified tuition and related expenses as an adjustment to income.

Note: Students are advised that there are numerous eligibility requirements and other specifics contained in the tax provisions and should contact their tax advisor before making decisions. More detailed information can be found on the IRS.gov website.

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Requirements and Purpose

Federal regulations require that students make satisfactory progress toward attainment of a degree, diploma, or certificate objective in order to participate in federal student assistance programs. Helena College interprets federal intent of the satisfactory progress regulations as a means to prevent abuse of federal student assistance programs versus placing limitations on students.

Helena College’s financial aid satisfactory academic progress policy is provided to ensure compliance with federal regulations and to prevent abuse of federal student assistance programs while supporting students’ efforts to attain educational objectives. These standards represent minimum performance requirements based on federal statutes and regulations and do not necessarily coincide with academic program requirements. In addition to meeting these standards, a student must fulfill all other requirements to receive financial aid.

Indicators of Progress

• Financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is measured ‘qualitatively’ and ‘quantitatively’.
• Quality of work is measured by cumulative grade point average (GPA) resulting from classes completed with Helena College.
• Quantity of work is measured against a maximum time frame in which the student must complete the educational objective. The quantitative measurement requires designation of a minimum amount of work a student must successfully complete (credit hours earned) by the end of designated periods of enrollment (full-time equivalent semesters). The quantitative measure is cumulative for all periods of enrollment and for all transfer credits, including periods of enrollment in which students did not receive federal student financial assistance.

Enrollment Status

Student status is based on the following:

• Full time (FT) – Attempting 12 or more credits
• Three-quarter time (QT) – Attempting 9-11 credits
• Half-Time (HT) – Attempting 6-8 credits
• Less-than-half-time (LTHT) – Attempting 5 or fewer credits

For financial aid offering and satisfactory academic progress purposes, enrollment status is based on credit hours for which the student is enrolled as of the published date considered to be the 15th instructional day of the term for the majority of students. Financial aid will be adjusted to reflect less-than full-time status if the student is not registered for at least 12 credit hours on that date. Students who are registered for a class on the first day of the term but never attend the class cannot include those credits in determining enrollment status for financial aid purposes. Financial aid will be adjusted if students are reported as never having started attendance in one or more of their classes. All summer sessions jointly are considered one term.

Students Subject to SAP Measurement

Students currently enrolled and readmits are subject to SAP measurement. In most instances, a financial aid offer will be provided before grades are posted. If SAP standards have not been met, the financial aid offer is voided, pending appeal.

New students, including transfer students, while subject to SAP, are not measured for satisfactory academic progress until first semester grades at Helena College are posted.

SAP Measurement Date

SAP measurement is made after completion of each semester.

Measurement Standards of SAP

Qualitative Measurement

A student must possess a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher resulting from work at Helena College only. Grades and grade point averages are calculated as outlined in the Academic Information section of this catalog.

Quantitative Measurement

Remedial and repeated course work for which a student received credit multiple times is treated as any other course work. If repeating a course, the most recent grade shall be the one counted in computing GPA. Incompletes are considered  failed for GPA until completion of the course and a letter grade other than F has been assigned.  Withdrawn courses do not count in computing GPA; however, the course is deemed as attempted and the credits are calculated in the quantitative measurement of SAP. A student must meet the qualitative standard in addition to the quantitative standards as previously defined.

Duration of Eligibility

Students are expected to complete their program of study within a reasonable time period. A student’s maximum time frame is based on the total credit hours attempted at Helena College plus any transfer credits accepted towards the program of study. These limits apply regardless of whether or not the student has previously received financial assistance. Students are eligible to receive aid for up to 150% of the published number of credit hours required for a program of study (See program descriptions in the College catalog).

Example: If a program of study requires 60 credit hours to graduate, the maximum credit limit a student could take and receive financial aid would be 90 credits (60 X 150 percent). All credit hours attempted are counted.

At the end of each semester, the total number of attempted credit hours will be counted to determine if the student has reached the maximum number of credit hours for their program. All credit hours are counted and includes:

• Credit hours attempted in semesters student did not receive financial aid.
• Credit hours attempted prior to a change in program of study if those hours are applicable to student’s new degree/certificate. A student will be allowed to change their program of study prior to receiving a degree/ certificate and must inform the Financial Aid Office of each change.
• Credit hours transferred from another institution into student’s program of study at Helena College.

Consequences

Financial Aid Warning

A student will be placed on financial aid warning if he/she either:

• Fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 - or -
• Fails to complete 70% of cumulative attempted credit hours.

Helena College determines the student should be able to make satisfactory academic progress during the subsequent semester and meet the College’s satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the semester

During a warning semester, the student may still receive financial aid. The student’s future financial aid eligibility is dependent upon how well the student does during the warning semester. If the student completes the required number of credit hours to reach the 70% cumulative pace measure and has a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher, the student will be removed from financial aid warning status and restored to good standing. If, however, the student again fails to meet one or both of those requirements, the student will have their financial aid terminated.

Financial Aid Termination

A student will have their financial aid terminated if he/she:

• Fails to meet both qualitative and quantitative SAP requirements and has been determined unable to make satisfactory academic progress during the subsequent semester.
• Fails to meet the academic progress requirements at the end of a warning semester.
• Has been determined to have exceeded the maximum time frame OR has been determined unable to mathematically finish the program in the maximum time frame.

Student Notification of SAP Decisions

The Financial Aid Office will, in most instances, measure SAP after developing a financial aid offer for a student. In this case, the student will be notified in writing if he/she has not met SAP standards and that the financial aid offer is cancelled. At the same time, the student will be notified of the appeal process (described below).

Exceptions/Appeals

A student who is notified of failure to meet SAP standards may appeal the conclusion reached by the Financial Aid Office and/or request that he/she be granted an exception to the policy. The Executive Director of Enrollment Office must grant academic reinstatement to students on academic suspension before the Financial Aid Office will consider an appeal for financial aid eligibility reinstatement.

Appeal Requirements

The student must respond in writing to the notification of failure to meet SAP standards. The response must be directed to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee at Helena College. The response must describe in specific terms why Helena College should grant an exception to its established SAP policy. At a minimum, the response must include the following:

1. A typed personal statement, plus supporting documentation, as appropriate, explaining the circumstances that led to failure to meet established SAP standards.
   1. Overall experience:
      1. What most contributed to your not meeting the necessary standards the last time you attended? What steps have you taken to alleviate those issues moving forward?
      2. Did course load contribute to your lack of success? Would taking fewer credits/classes allow you to be more successful?
      3. What percentage of class periods did you miss? What caused these absences? Were you proactive in contacting your instructor regarding these absences?
      4. How many hours a week have you dedicated to your schoolwork? Do you have a study routine? Explain that routine.
      5. How often did you meet with your instructors to seek help the last time you attended?
   2. Tutoring and other campus resources:
      1. Have you used tutoring services on campus? If so, name the tutoring services used and how often.
      2. How often did you utilize the online tutoring service?
      3. How often do you utilize the library?
      4. How often do you have your writing efforts proofread?
   3. Other factors:
      1. Do you have a preferred learning technique? If so, what is/are your preferred learning techniques?
      2. How often did you meet with your advisor during the semester you were unsuccessful?
      3. How many times a week do you check your Helena College email account?
      4. What device do you use to interact with Canvas?
      5. When on campus, where do you prefer to study?
      6. Are you familiar with your course(s) syllabus?
      7. Do you utilize the Student Code of Conduct Handbook as a resource for policies and potential departments or individuals to contact for assistance? If so, who have you contacted, or what policy(ies) have you referred to?
2. The statement should also include a typed academic plan outlining how the student expects to meet the SAP standards, as well as the time frame in which the student expects to be back in compliance with such standards.
   1. What are your goals for the semester? (Or what do you plan to do to get off probation?) Include measurable objectives and methods. It is not enough to write, “I will study more.” (ex. When will you study? How will you study? Where will you study?)
   2. While we are here to help you, you will be held accountable for your own academic progress and success.
      1. What will you do to ensure the successful completion of your degree? (ex. What resources or services will you seek out? X hours spent with a tutor or completing work. Meet with advisor X times during the term.)
3. Copy of student’s unofficial Helena College transcript.
4. Copy of student’s loan debt from the National Student Loan Database System.

Appeal Deadlines and Processing

Appeals for financial aid eligibility reinstatement must be received in the Financial Aid Office no later than two weeks prior to the start of the term for which the student desires aid. Appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee on a case-by-case basis as soon as possible and may take two weeks or more for an answer depending on the appeal volume at the time submitted. There will be no appeals accepted for financial aid reinstatement for the summer term.

The Executive Director of Compliance & Financial Aid and Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the student’s response to make a decision on the appeal. Two actions may result on the appeal:

1. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may deny the appeal. The Executive Director of Compliance & Financial Aid is the final authority regarding SAP decisions. The student will be notified, in writing, of action on the appeal in a timely manner.
2. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may approve the appeal. If so, the student will receive written notice of the approval along with conditions to be met in the future, if appropriate. A student may be approved in one of two statuses:
   1. Probation: Helena College determines that the student should be able to make satisfactory academic progress during the subsequent semester and meet the College’s satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the semester.
   2. Academic Recovery Plan: The Financial Aid Appeals committee refers the student to an academic coach. The student and advisor develop a plan that, if followed, will ensure the student is able to meet the institution’s satisfactory academic progress standards by a specific point in time prior to completion of program.

Students approved for an Academic Recovery Plan will complete and sign a contract with an academic coach. A copy of this document will be recorded in the Financial Aid Office and will be monitored by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee after every term. If a student is not academically progressing as planned, financial aid will be terminated.

The Academic Recovery Plan will require students to meet with their academic coach on a regular basis, as well as require certain activities. These activities could include, but are not limited to tutoring, limiting credit load, career counseling, attending workshops, or completing a financial literacy workshop and/or training. The purpose of the plan is to support the student in a holistic manner to promote academic success and provide a clear pathway to completion.

Requalification for Federal Student Financial Assistance after Failing to Meet SAP Standards

A student who is disqualified from participation in college, state, and federal student financial assistance programs may regain eligibility by satisfying the established SAP standards. This can be done by attending college without financial assistance. If a student is deemed not to be making satisfactory academic progress, but later meets the standards, their eligibility for aid is reinstated. The other option is the student can pay for and pass at least 6 credits on their own and re-submit a Financial Aid Reinstatement Appeal. This, however, is not a guarantee of financial aid reinstatement. A student may be paid for the semester in which they regain satisfactory academic progress, but may not be paid for any semesters in which the student did not meet the standards.

Additional Information

• Additional Degree: Students who have obtained an Associate degree and wish to return to Helena College for a subsequent degree may not necessarily be eligible for Financial Aid. Changes from A.A.S. to A.S. or A.A. degrees will receive consideration as they are separate and distinct degree programs. The request for a subsequent degree must be submitted to the Executive Director of Compliance and Financial Aid with a degree audit from the Executive Director of Enrollment. If approved for a new degree or certificate, the student will be required to take only courses required for the new degree or certificate. It is the student’s responsibility to only take courses for the program. Failing to do so may result in financial aid termination.
• Challenged Courses: Students may not receive financial aid for credits they successfully challenged.
• Changed and Late Grades: The student must notify the Financial Aid Office of grade changes, including updates for incomplete or missing grades. Grades must be officially changed in the Registrar's Office before financial aid will be reviewed.
• Evaluation Time Frame: Helena College will evaluate a student’s satisfactory academic progress at the end of each semester: fall, spring, and summer. A student placed on financial aid warning or termination will be notified via U.S. mail to the current mailing or permanent address on record. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure addresses are correct via MyHC.
• Incomplete: An incomplete course is one for which no term credits were earned. It is construed as an “F” until a positive letter grade is recorded by the Registrar's Office. A student who is placed on warning or termination because of incomplete credits may request the Financial Aid Office to review their status upon course completion.
• Remedial Courses: Certain sub-100 remedial courses, which do not apply toward graduation requirements, may be included as part of a credit load for determining enrollment status each term. These courses can total no more than half the credit load per term and cannot exceed 30 credits.
• Return of Federal Title IV Funds: Federal regulations require colleges to recalculate a student’s financial aid for those who officially or unofficially withdraw from classes prior to completing 60% of a semester to determine the amount of aid that was earned and unearned. The unearned portion will be returned to the Department of Education.

Return of Federal Title IV Funds Policy

Purpose

The purpose and intent of this policy is to provide guidance as to how Helena College will calculate the amount of Federal Title IV funds to be returned for a student who has withdrawn from all classes, inform interested parties of the methods and procedures used to calculate the amount, provide a fair and equitable policy, and provide a policy that conforms to federal regulations and its intent.

This policy governs the return of Federal Title IV funds disbursed for a student who completely withdraws from a term, payment period, or period of enrollment. It does not apply to a student who has dropped some classes but remains enrolled in other classes with Helena College. The general assumption is that a student earns aid based on the period of time he/she remains enrolled.

The Process – General

1. The student meets with an advisor to discuss withdrawal and to complete a withdrawal form. The advisor sends the student with the withdrawal form to the Financial Aid Office.
2. The Financial Aid Office calculates the amount of funds to be returned.
3. The Financial Aid Office notifies the student and Business Services of funds Helena College must return and the amount the student must return to the Department of Education.
4. The Financial Aid Office returns its share of unearned Federal Title IV funds within 30 days after it determines the student withdrawal process is complete. The student must repay their share either by (1) paying loans in accordance with the terms and conditions of the promissory note or (2) repaying grants directly or under a payment arrangement through the College.

Note: In addition to calculating a return of Federal Title IV funds for students who notify Helena College of a withdrawal, the College must also make a calculation for students who do not “officially” withdraw. The Financial Aid Office reviews final semester grades to evaluate students with all “F” grades to determine if the student stopped attending all classes. If so, the last date of academic activity is obtained. To facilitate the process, the Executive Director of Enrollment has requested faculty to indicate last date of attendance for all students awarded an “F” grade.

The Details

Earned aid: During the first 60% of the term, a student “earns” Federal Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time they remain enrolled. That is, the percentage of time during the period the student remained enrolled is the percentage of disbursable aid for the period the student earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid for the period.

Note institutional costs play no role in determining the amount of Federal Title IV funds to be retained or returned. In addition, aid is “disbursable” if the student could have received it at the point of withdrawal.

The institution will disburse any funds that result in a credit balance on a student’s account after the Return of Title IV Calculations have been completed. These funds will be sent to the student as soon as possible, but no later than 14 days after the date of the calculation (i.e. the date of the Return of Title IV Calculations was performed.)

Unearned aid: The amount of disbursed Title IV aid that exceeds the amount of Title IV aid earned under the required formula. Unearned Federal Title IV funds, other than Federal Work Study, must be returned.

Percentage of period enrolled: The number of days the student remained enrolled divided by the number of days in the period. Calendar days are used, but breaks lasting more than five days are excluded from both the numerator and denominator. The number of days used to determine the enrolled percentage normally includes weekends; however, scheduled breaks are measured from the first day of the break to the next day that classes are held.

Repayment of unearned aid: The responsibility to repay unearned aid is shared by the institution and the student in proportion to the aid each is assumed to possess.

• The institution’s share is the lesser of:
• The total amount of unearned aid; or
• Institutional charges multiplied by the percentage of aid that was unearned.
• The formula assumes that Federal Title IV funds are directly disbursed to a student only after all institutional charges have been covered, and that Title IV funds are the first resource applied to institutional charges. Institutional charges comprise the amounts that had been assessed prior to the student’s withdrawal, not a reduced amount that might result from an institution’s refund policy.

The institution’s share is allocated among Title IV programs, in an order specified by statute, before the student’s share. After the student’s share is fully allocated among the Title IV programs, any amount owed to a grant program is reduced by half. Students return their share of unearned aid attributable to a loan under the terms and conditions of the promissory note.

Time Frame for Returning Funds

The institution must return its share of unearned Federal Title IV funds no later than 30 days after it determines the student withdrew.

The student must repay their share either by:

1. paying loans in accordance with the terms and conditions of the promissory note, or
2. repaying grants directly or by a payment arrangement with the College or the Department of Education.

Late Disbursements

A student who earned more aid than was disbursed prior to withdrawal is owed a late disbursement. Only the difference between earned aid and aid already disbursed may be disbursed late. Thus, conditions under which unearned aid must be returned and conditions under which a late disbursement is required are mutually exclusive.

The institution may credit late disbursements towards unpaid institutional charges. Authorizations for current year charges remain valid for late disbursements; authorizations for prior year charges become invalid.

Any portion of a late disbursement not credited to the student’s account must be offered as a cash disbursement to the student (or parent in the case of a Federal PLUS Loan).

Withdrawal Dates

Unofficial Withdrawal

For students who withdraw without notifying the institution, the institution must determine the student’s withdrawal date within 30 days after the expiration of the earlier date of the:

• Payment period or period of enrollment;
• Academic year in which the student withdrew; or
• Educational program from which the student withdrew.

The withdrawal date for unofficial withdrawals is the student’s last date of attendance at a documented “academically-related activity” in lieu of any other withdrawal date. “Academically related activities” include activities confirmed by an employee of the institution, to include exams, tutorials, academic advisement, turning in a class assignment, and attending a study group assigned by the instructor. Eating at institution provided food services and participating in off-campus study groups not assigned by the institution are not “academically related activities”.

The only exception would be if the student left without notification because of circumstances beyond their control. The institution may determine a withdrawal date related to the circumstances. The Executive Director of Compliance and Financial Aid is responsible for making such a determination, along with the Executive Director of Enrollment.

Official Withdrawal

The withdrawal date for official withdrawals (student notified the institution they were withdrawing) is the date the student completed the institution’s withdrawal process or officially notified the institution of intent to withdraw, except the institution may, at its option, use the student’s last date of attendance at a documented “academically-related activity” in lieu of any other withdrawal date. “Academically-related activities” include activities confirmed by an employee of the institution, to include exams, tutorials, academic advisement, turning in a class assignment, and attending a study group assigned by the instructor. Eating at institution-provided food services and participating in off-campus study groups not assigned by the institution are not “academically-related activities.”

The withdrawal date for a student who officially withdrew is the later of:

• The withdrawal; or
• The date of the student’s notification to the institution.

For a student who unofficially withdrew (withdrew without notifying the institution), this date is the date the institution becomes aware the student ceased attendance. The “date of institution’s determination that a student withdrew” is used for the following purposes:

• It provides the dividing date between disbursed aid and late disbursements; and
• It starts the clock for the period of time within which the institution must return federal funds.

Suspension/Withdrawal

If a student is withdrawn based on a school-initiated suspension during a period of enrollment, the date used for the withdrawal date is as follows:

• If the student is given the option to appeal the suspension and does not appeal within the time frame allowed, the date of the initial suspension letter is used in the calculation.
• If the student does not appeal and can attend classes during the appeal process (regardless of whether they attend or not), the official date on the appeal denial letter from the College will be used for the calculations rather than the initial suspension letter date.

Incarcerated Students

A student is considered to be incarcerated if they are serving a criminal sentence in a federal, state, or local penitentiary, prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, or similar correctional institution. A student is not considered to be incarcerated if they are in a half-way house or home detention or are sentenced to serve only weekends.

Incarcerated students are not eligible to receive federal student loans but are eligible for federal Pell Grants and federal supplemental educational opportunity grants (FSEOG) if enrolled in a prison education program approved by the U.S. Department of Education.