Recipients of federal and institutional financial aid must also maintain good academic progress as a condition of aid receipt. This is also measured by reviewing a student’s quantitative and qualitative progress toward their degree goals. In general, a student must follow the chart below in order to receive federal aid.

Academic progress for federal aid is checked at the conclusion of the spring semester. Academic progress for institutional aid is reviewed after two consecutive semesters of enrollment. Students who are not meeting SAP are notified in writing that there academic progress has been revoked. The federal guidelines used to determine Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):

For Undergraduate Students:

A student who is not considered in good academic standing for financial aid purposes may submit a SAP Appeal Application. This application, along with any supporting documentation including a letter from the student explaining the reasons for poor academic performance, must be submitted to the Office Financial Aid Administration.

Appeals are reviewed on a case by case basis; generally, regulations dictate that the appeal should be granted for a one-time failure to meet standards for an otherwise academically successful student. Extenuating circumstances might include death of a family member or friend, illness of the student, or other circumstances that prohibited the student from successfully completing his/her coursework.

If a Federal Waiver Application is approved students are notified in writing that the application has been approved and is given the criteria to be eligible to receive Federal Financial Aid in the future. This consists of the student passing all his/her courses in the semester the waiver is applicable to. Therefore, students are notified that they cannot receive a grade of a ‘W’, ‘I’ or ‘F’ in addition to having to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Exceptions may be made on a case by case basis at the with the Director of Financial Aid’s approval.

Applicants whose waivers are denied are also notified in writing of the decision and are notified to contact the Office of Financial Aid Administration to discuss alternative options to help fund their education.

To receive state scholarships or grants, a student must be in good academic standing. For financial aid purposes, good academic standing consists of two components:

• Pursuit of Program – a requirement that a student receive a passing or failing grade in a certain percent of courses each semester.
• Satisfactory Academic Progress – a requirement that a student accumulate a specific cumulative grade point average each term.

The minimum standards vary, depending upon the number of state payments a student has received. Students who have received two or more full years of state financial aid must maintain a 2.0 average.

TAP Satisfactory Academic Progress Table:

TAP Chart Higher Education Opportunity Program:

A student who is not considered in good academic standing for financial aid purposes may apply for a one time TAP waiver. This appeal, along with any supporting documentation, must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid Administration and should explain the reasons for poor academic performance. Appeals are reviewed on a case by case basis, and the student will be notified, in writing, of the decision.

Generally, regulations dictate that the appeal should be granted for a one-time failure to meet standards for an otherwise academically successful student. Extenuating circumstances might include death of a family member or friend, illness of the student, or other circumstances that prohibited the student from successfully completing his/her coursework.

Students who do not meet satisfactory academic progress have two options:

1. Attend college at their own expense without the use of Title IV funding and work towards regaining eligibility.
2. Submit a SAP appeal to the Financial Aid Administration office (see instructions below).

Federal SAP Appeal Instructions

• Complete a Federal SAP Appeal form. Submit the form to the Financial Aid Administration office. Students will be contacted if more information is requested. The appeal decision will be emailed to the student’s Manhattan College account.

The Federal SAP Appeal Form will request supportive documentation to help support the following claimed circumstances: family illness or death, personal illness or serious injury, or other unusual mitigating circumstances. The Federal SAP Academic Plan must include: specific outcomes of how Federal SAP can be established and maintained, a list of courses needed, and certification by the student and advisor.

Federal SAP Appeals Process

If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on probation which means aid eligibility will be extended for one semester only. Students on probation status will have their eligibility reviewed again after that initial term, in accordance with the terms of their approved Academic Plan. If a student fails to meet the terms of the plan after the probationary term, they will be ineligible for student aid. Students in this situation cannot have federal financial aid reinstated and have already submitted an appeal during the prior term, thus, exhausting their right to appeal. Resolution of all deficiencies is the only mechanism through which a student may again be considered eligible for federal financial aid.

If the appeal is denied, students are not eligible to receive federal aid and can choose to attend at their own expense.

The appeal decision of the Financial Aid Administration office is final and cannot be overridden.

Exit counseling is required when you do one of the following:

• graduate
• withdraw
• drop below half-time attendance (even if you have an approved leave of absence and plan to re-enroll at Manhattan College, or transfer to another school).

Required information:

During exit counseling, you will need to provide the following information which will be included as part of your loan records. Make sure you have this information available with you when you start your exit counseling session.

• names, addresses and phone numbers for your next of kin
• two references who live in the United States
• your future employer (if known)
• driver’s license number (if you have a driver's license)

Why is exit counseling required?

• To help you understand your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.
• To provide useful tips and information to help you manage your loans.
• Because it is a mandatory federal requirement. A related hold (preventing future registration and release of transcripts) will be placed on all relevant accounts until official proof of completion is received.

About this Exit Counseling

• Take your time to carefully review the information in each section. There will be a series of short quizzes that you will be required to complete before continuing to the next section.
• You must complete the entire session once you begin. If you exit the counseling before completing the session and return later, you will need to start over from the beginning.
• The entire session takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

Federal Student Loan Types

This counseling session covers the following federal student loan types:

• William D. Ford Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans
• Direct Subsidized Loans
• Direct Unsubsidized Loans
• Direct Graduate PLUS Loans (for graduate/professional students)
• Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loans (for graduate/professional students)

Perkins Loan Exit Counseling

About this Exit Counseling

• Please note that this loan is no longer available. You are more than welcome to submit an appeal for additional aid to the Office of Financial Aid Administration.  
• You will first need to register as a new user.
• Once logged in, select and complete E-Exit.
• After completing the online exit counseling, sign electronically to have results automatically routed to the Office of Financial Aid Administration within 24 business hours.

Remember, as you were informed in your Federal Perkins entrance interview, this loan is different from others:

• Your timely repayment of your Perkins Loan means that Manhattan College can continue to make Perkins funds available to future students! It’s like recycling money, in a sense.
• Your Perkins Loan has a nine-month grace period. If you pay back your loan during that grace period, you do not have to pay interest.
• There are opportunities for deferment and cancellation of your Perkins Loan. 

TEACH Grant Exit Counseling

Students who have the TEACH Grant must complete Exit Counseling at studentaid.gov. We will receive electronic notification in 1-2 business days.

If you have questions related to TEACH Grant obligations, please contact us to meet with a financial aid counselor.

1. Manhattan College does not participate in any revenue-sharing arrangements with any FFEL or Private Educational Loan Programs as lender, guarantor or servicer operating in the capacity as lender, guarantor, or servicer.
2. Manhattan College does not permit any employee involved in the administration of education loans to accept any gifts of greater than a nominal value from any lender, guarantor or servicer.
3. Manhattan College does not permit any employee involved in the administration of education loans to accept any fee, payment or other financial benefit (including a stock purchase option) from a lender or affiliate of a lender as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or contract to provide services to a lender or on behalf of a lender relating to education loans.
4. Manhattan College does not permit any employee involved in the administration of education loans to accept anything of value from a lender or guarantor in exchange for service on an advisory board, commission or other group established by such a lender or guarantor. Manhattan College does allow for the reasonable reimbursement of expenses associated with employees' participation in such advisory boards, commissions or groups.
5. Manhattan College does not assign a lender to any first-time borrower through financial aid packaging or any other means.
6. Manhattan College recognizes that a borrower has the right to choose any lender from which to borrow to finance his/her education. Manhattan College will not refuse to certify or otherwise deny or unreasonably delay certification of a loan based on the borrower's selection of a lender and/or guarantor.
7. Manhattan College will not request or accept any offer of funds to be used for private education loans to students from any lender in exchange for providing the lender with a specified volume of Title IV loans or private loans, or a preferred lender arrangement for Title IV loans or private loans.
8. Manhattan College will not request or accept any external assistance with call centers or financial aid office staffing from a lender, with exception to those services allowed under The Higher Education Opportunity Act, such as professional development training, providing educational counseling materials (as long as the materials identify the lender that assisted in preparing the materials), or short-term, nonrecurring staffing assistance during disaster or emergencies.

Financial Aid Types:

• Federal Aid
• New York State Aid

What You Can Do Now:

• Follow the Student Aid Alliance on Facebook to stay in the know.
• Visit the NY Student Aid Alliance to share how New York state aid (TAP, HEOP) has helped you.
• Learn how to manage your money and make better informed financial decisions. 

Advocacy Organizations and Related Resources:

• Complete College America
• Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (cIcu)
• National Association of Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)
• National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
• Higher Education Loan Coalition
• New York Student Aid Alliance
• The Project on Student Debt
• Student Aid Alliance
• Student PIRGs (Public Interest Research Groups)