Financial Aid and Scholarships
Enrollment Requirements
Unless otherwise specified as an added note on the Financial Aid Award, all financial aid and scholarship recipients are required to maintain full-time (at least three units) enrollment in courses which lead to a degree or certificate at Puget Sound. Graduate students must enroll in the proper level courses for their program of study. Enrollment is defined as the number of units registered for at the end of the “drop without record” period (the tenth day of enrollment) for fall and spring terms. If you have not enrolled in the minimum number of units your financial aid award was based on, your financial aid will be subject to changes.
^ top
Maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress
In addition to maintaining good academic standing (see the section on Academic Probation and Dismissal), a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward the degree in order to be eligible for federal, state, and University financial aid.
Satisfactory academic progress is maintained when a student successfully completes at least 75% of the units for which he/she is enrolled at the end of the drop-without-record period (first year freshmen need successfully complete only 50%). Some financial aid programs have additional eligibility requirements.
The academic records of all students attending the University of Puget Sound, regardless of their application for or receipt of financial aid, are reviewed at the conclusion of the spring term each year by the Student Financial Services Office (Jones Hall, Room 019). Grades in all courses are reviewed to determine whether the student has maintained satisfactory academic progress. The following grades are defined as successful completion: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, P (Pass) and IP (in-progress). Withdrawal (W or WF), failure (F), and incomplete (I) are defined as unsuccessful completion. Repeated classes count in the calculation of units successfully completed.
The review of satisfactory academic progress may lead to one of the following actions:
- Financial Aid Warning applies to (a) a first year freshman who successfully completes less than 75% (but at least 50%) of units, or (b) a non-freshman who successfully completes less than 75% of units in the current year but has successfully completed at least 75% of all units at Puget Sound, cumulatively. Students on “Financial Aid Warning” remain eligible to receive aid, but will be notified that improved academic performance is expected.
- Financial Aid Cancellation applies to (a) a first year freshman who successfully completes less than 50% of units, or (b) a non-freshman who successfully completes less than 75% of units in the current year and cumulatively. Such students are not eligible for further financial aid. They may, however, appeal by petition to the Financial Aid Committee which, under extraordinary circumstances, may reinstate aid eligibility.
In addition, students who begin their studies at Puget Sound as freshmen must complete their baccalaureate degrees within five academic years (10 semesters) of full-time study. Students who attend as half-time students are allowed proportionately longer to complete their degrees.
Semesters of Puget Sound financial aid eligibility for students who matriculate as undergraduate transfers are listed below:
|
Units Accepted
|
Full-Time Student
|
Half-Time Student
|
|
0-6
|
10
|
20
|
|
7-14
|
8
|
16
|
|
15-22
|
6
|
12
|
|
23+
|
4
|
8
|
Master’s degree candidates are allowed up to the following maximums: M.A.T. - two calendar years; M.O.T. - three calendar years; M.P.T.- four calendar years; M.Ed.- seven calendar years.
In addition, undergraduates must maintain a cumulative grade average of 2.00 or higher after the second year of attendance in order to be eligible for federal aid; graduate candidates must maintain a cumulative grade average of 3.00 or higher.
^ top
Washington State Programs
Both the Washington State Need Grant (WSNG) and State Work Study (SWS) programs require a review of eligibility at the end of each term prior to disbursing funds or paying employment earnings for the next term.
Washington State Need Grant and State Work Study recipients who successfully complete less than 100% but at least 50% of the units upon which the aid was based and disbursed are placed on “WSNG or SWS Probation” for the next term. Unless such students also experience “Financial Aid Cancellation” or a second term on “WSNG or SWS Probation,” they will remain eligible to receive state funds. WSNG or SWS recipients who successfully complete less than 50% of the units upon which aid was based and disbursed are not eligible to receive further disbursements, unless approved through a petition to the Financial Aid Committee.
Satisfactory academic progress records are kept in the Student Financial Services Office. These records do not appear on the student’s permanent academic record (transcript) in the Office of the Registrar. Financial aid applicants must meet the standards described above for all terms of attendance at Puget Sound, including terms when no aid is received.
^ top
Scholarship Renewal
Certain scholarships, such as the Trustee Scholarship, President’s Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, and other designated scholarships, require the maintenance of a specific Puget Sound cumulative grade average. The Scholarship Committee carefully reviews each student’s academic record and other relevant materials submitted to the Student Financial Services Office before making decisions to renew or cancel a scholarship if the student’s cumulative grade average is less than the stated minimum.
Students who do not meet the required cumulative grade average are encouraged to submit a letter of appeal describing any extenuating circumstances that should be considered by the Scholarship Committee in the renewal of their scholarship. In many cases, scholarships may be renewed so long as the student can demonstrate that he or she is actively working towards increasing the level of their academic performance and has a plan in place to be more successful academically. These plans often include working with advisors, Academic Advising, the Center for Writing and Learning, and/or other solutions that demonstrate a serious plan for improvement.
Scholarship renewal information can be found on the Student Financial Services Web site.
^ top
Financial Aid Renewal
Students must reapply for need-based financial aid each year by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Applications are available in January online at www.fafsa.ed.gov and must be submitted by March 31 for priority consideration for the following academic year. Students interested in applying for summer financial aid must submit an additional application and may be required to meet earlier deadlines. Summer applications are available from the Student Financial Services Office and on the Student Financial Services Web site.
^ top | 
