Financial Aid Policies

Vermont Grant Application – VSAC

Vermont residents should also complete the Vermont Grant application through the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC). Any Vermont resident who plans to attend or is enrolled in an approved post-secondary institution in an undergraduate degree program and who has not already received a bachelor’s degree is eligible to apply. Students may apply for this grant online at www.VSAC.org. Non-residents should check with their home state higher education agency for state grant information. 

The Financial Aid Office may request additional information to determine your eligibility. Notification of financial aid eligibility will be emailed to all students advising them to go to the VTSU portal to review their financial aid package. The student should respond to any request for additional information as soon as they are able. Failure to do so may result in loss or delay of financial aid. 

Financial Aid offers are packaged for accepted new students and to registered returning students. Returning students must be registered or intend to register for the period of time for which they are requesting aid.  

The types of financial aid awarded are:

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Academic Standing for Financial Aid Purposes

To be eligible for financial aid at Vermont State University, a student must be in good academic standing and must be making satisfactory progress (SAP) toward completion of a degree.

1. GPA (Qualitative) Standard 
   Students academically dismissed from their academic program are automatically recognized as failing to meet Vermont State University’s SAP standards. Otherwise, as a student progresses through their academic program, their cumulative GPA must meet the following standards as recorded and documented by the Registrar’s Office. 
   • Students with fewer than 30 earned credits must maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.75 
   • Students with 30 earned credits or greater must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 
   • Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.
2. Pace (Quantitative) Standard 
   Students must successfully complete 67% of their attempted courses as recorded and documented by the Registrar’s Office. Dropped courses will not be included. Courses withdrawn from after the end of the add/drop period will be counted as attempted credits. 
3. Maximum Time Frame Standard 
   A student’s maximum time frame for completion of their academic program must not exceed 150% of the published program length, measured in credit hours. For example: AA or AS degrees require 60 credits, therefore the maximum time frame allowed is 90 credit hours. BA or BS degrees require 120 credits, therefore the maximum time frame allowed is 180 credits hours. Graduate degree time frames are determined by program. 

Students who do not meeting satisfactory academic progress have the opportunity to appeal the loss of federal aid eligibility. If an appeal is approved, then federal aid will be reinstated for one academic probationary period. Satisfactory academic progress will be reviewed each semester until the student is once again meeting SAP.  

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Adjustments to Financial Aid Awards

Financial aid awards may need to be adjusted if a student exits the college during a semester. Federal regulations govern the return of Title IV funds for students eligible for federal financial aid. The university is guided by those regulations with regard to the return of institutional aid as well. Other aid, such as state grants and outside scholarships, will be returned as specified by the grantor. If a student stops attending all classes and does not complete an Exit Notification and/or Leave of Absence Form at that time, their Title IV funds may be adjusted or canceled, and the student will then be personally responsible for their bill. If Title IV funds need to be returned, they will be returned in the following sequence:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
• Federal Graduate Plus Loan
• Federal Direct PLUS Loan
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

Employment through the federal work-study program is terminated on the date the student withdraws. Awards from sources other than the university and Title IV funding are adjusted according to the source agency’s own policy. 

Vermont State University Online follows the same refund policies as noted above.  

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Withdrawal and Title IV Financial Aid Policy

A withdrawal is defined as a student’s formal decision to stop attending a course or academic program. In accordance with federal regulations, when a recipient of Title IV federal grants or loans withdraws during a payment period or period of enrollment in which they began attendance, Vermont State University is required to determine the amount of Title IV aid the student earned as of their withdrawal date.

Determining the Withdrawal Date

As Vermont State University is not required to take attendance, the official withdrawal date will be the date the student provides official notification by completing the withdrawal form. This date is used to determine the amount of earned Title IV aid.

Although financial aid is typically disbursed at the beginning of the payment period, it is considered earned progressively as the student completes the term. If a student withdraws before completing more than 60% of the payment period, the amount of Title IV aid earned is proportional to the number of days completed. Once a student completes more than 60% of the payment period, they are considered to have earned 100% of their financial aid, and no adjustment is required.

Return of Unearned Title IV Funds

If the total amount of Title IV aid disbursed to the student exceeds the amount earned as of the withdrawal date, the unearned portion must be returned to the Title IV programs. No further disbursements will be made for the term.

Timeframe for Returns: Title IV funds must be returned within 45 days of the university determining that the student has withdrawn.

Order of Return: Unearned funds will be returned in the following order, as required by federal regulation:

1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans (excluding PLUS loans)
2. Federal Direct Subsidized Loans
3. Federal Direct PLUS Loans
4. Federal Pell Grants
5. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
6. Federal TEACH Grants
7. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant

Calculation of Earned Aid

Vermont State University uses U.S. Department of Education software to perform all Title IV refund calculations. A copy of the completed calculation worksheet is retained in the student’s financial aid file.

The amount of earned aid is calculated by multiplying the percentage of the payment period completed by the total amount of Title IV aid disbursed (or that could have been disbursed) as of the withdrawal date. If the withdrawal occurs on or before 60% of the term is completed, the corresponding percentage of aid is considered earned. After the 60% point, the student is eligible for 100% of their Title IV aid.

Vermont State University uses the same methodology to determine the amount of institutional aid a student has earned for the payment period

Programs Offered in Modules

For payment periods or enrollment periods where courses are offered in modules:

• A student is not considered withdrawn if they provide written confirmation at the time of withdrawal that they intend to return to a future module within the same payment or enrollment period.
• Students may change their confirmed return date, provided they do so in writing before the original return date.
• If the student fails to return as scheduled, they will be considered withdrawn as of their original withdrawal date.
• If a student withdraws but re-enters the same program prior to the end of the payment or enrollment period, they remain eligible for previously awarded Title IV funds, including any funds that were returned due to the withdrawal, provided their enrollment status supports the full amount of aid.

Refund vs. Return of Title IV Funds

It is important to note that the Title IV return policy is separate from any institutional charges policy at Vermont State University. As a result:

• A student may owe a balance to the University for unpaid institutional charges even after Title IV funds are returned.
• The University may bill the student for any Title IV funds that were returned to the federal government on the student’s behalf if they now owe because of a refund they received.

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Federal Pell Grant Pell Recalculation (Freeze date) Policy

Federal Pell Grant awards are initially based on full-time enrollment. If a student enrolls in fewer than 12 credit hours (less than full-time), the Pell Grant is prorated accordingly. Each semester, the University establishes a “Pell Recalculation Date” (also referred to as the “freeze date”) to determine final enrollment status for the purpose of awarding Pell Grant funds.

Pell Recalculation Date Policy

Each semester a designated Pell Recalculation Date (freeze date) will be used to lock a student’s enrollment status for Pell Grant eligibility. The number of credit hours a student is enrolled in on this date determines the Pell Grant award for the semester.

• Courses added or dropped after the Pell Recalculation Date will not affect Pell eligibility for that semester – unless the student withdraws completely from all courses or never attends a class.
• Students must have submitted a valid FAFSA to VTSU by the freeze date for their enrollment to be considered in Pell eligibility. A completed FAFSA means the U.S. Department of Education has calculated a Student Aid Index (SAI).
• If the FAFSA is completed after the freeze date, then the Pell Grant will be based on the enrollment at the time the completed FAFSA is received.
• All short-term courses scheduled for the semester must be added prior to the Pell Recalculation Date to be included in aid eligibility. This includes second half of the semester courses.
• Students who completely withdraw are still subject to the Withdrawal and Return to Title IV (R2T4) policy.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure proper registration each semester.

25-26 Pell Recalculation (Freeze) Dates

The freeze date is the day after the end of the add/drop period for each term.

Standard Programs

Term	Start Date	End of add/drop	Freeze Date
Fall 2025	August 25, 2025	September 8, 2025	September 9, 2025
Spring 2026	January 20, 2026	February 2, 2026	February 3, 2026

Licensed Practical Nursing (LPN) Program

Term	Start Date	End of add/drop	Freeze Date
Fall 2025	August 25, 2025	September 7, 2025	September 8, 2025
Winter 2025-26	December 8, 2025	January 6, 2026	January 7, 2026
Spring 2026	April 20, 2026	April 27, 2026	April 28, 2026

Resort and Hospitality Management (RHM) Program

Term	Start Date	End of add/drop	Freeze Date
Fall 2025 RHM	September 8, 2025	September 12, 2025	September 13, 2025
Winter 2025-26 RHM	December 15, 2025	December 19, 2025	December 20, 2025
Spring 2026	March 23, 2026	March 27, 2026	March 28, 2026

Guidelines for Pell Recalculation

• Enrollment status (i.e., full-time, half-time), not specific course enrollment, is locked on the Pell Recalculation Date.
• Students may swap future-starting courses within the term after the freeze date if their overall enrollment status does not change.
• If a student received Pell Grant funds in a prior term, they must be registered for Pell-eligible coursework by the recalculation date of the current term.
• If a student enrolls for the first time in the academic year during a later portion of the term, their Pell eligibility is based on enrollment as of the date of first registration.
• For students who were enrolled in previous terms but did not receive Pell (due to pending verification), the Pell eligibility for that term will be based on enrollment as of the date the Pell Grant is first awarded. These students must be enrolled by the recalculation date of any subsequent term to receive Pell for that term.