Financial Aid Changes
Q. I was notified I have been cited for not meeting Satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Does this mean I cannot receive financial aid?
If you have been cited for SAP, you cannot receive federal aid.
First, check your "Active Messages" on FlashLine. To do this, follow these steps
- Log into FlashLine and select the "Student" tab from the main menu
- Under Financial Aid click on "Financial Aid Status"
- Select the current aid year and click "Submit"
- Review any unsatisfied "Student Requirements" and click the "Instructions" box for further information, if applicable.
- Review any "Active Messages"
Complete the form indicated in the active message and submit any required documentation to support your appeal. Within 4-weeks of receiving the appeal, the SAP committee will review the appeal and you will be notified of the decision via FlashLine, under "Active Messages". If you attend a regional campus, please send your appeal form to that campus.
If the financial aid was awarded prior to the citation, the aid will not be applied unless the SAP appeal is approved. If the financial aid was not awarded prior to citation and the SAP appeal is approved, the financial aid will be awarded when the approval is complete.
Q. What if my family has a special circumstance that will affect how much we can pay?
Students who have special circumstances (i.e. loss of income, high medical expenses, etc.) should contact the One Stop for Student Services or your Regional Campus representative. Each inquiry at Kent State University will be reviewed for any allowable changes that may help you and your family afford the cost of education.
Q. What if I never attended?
Students are required to engage in at least one academically related activity in order to be eligible for financial aid. For more information on this policy, view our Academic Engagement Verification Roster information. Kent State University is required by federal law to review the enrollment activity of its federal (Title IV) financial aid recipients. A student is considered a Title IV financial aid recipient if he/she has received any of the following federal awards: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Federal PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) loans.
If you never attend the courses registered for in a given semester, you are considered to not have academically engaged. In this case, all Title IV, state and institutional aid will be returned to the appropriate programs. Students are notified within 30 days of the end of each semester as to their appeal process and date at which aid will be returned to the federal programs.
If a student is a recipient of federal financial aid, never attending classes at the University may result in the student having to repay programs from which financial assistance was received. A student is not eligible for a refund until all Federal Title IV programs and other grants and scholarships are reimbursed as required and all outstanding balances with the University has been cleared.
Q. What if I need to exit in the middle of a semester?
Kent State University is required by federal law to review the enrollment activity of its federal (Title IV) financial aid recipients. A student is considered a Title IV financial aid recipient if he/she has received any of the following federal awards: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans and Federal PLUS (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) loans.
Federal financial aid eligibility is based upon student attendance. Therefore, if you stop attending the University and do not complete the official withdrawal process through the Registrar’s Office, you are considered to have unofficially withdrawn from the University and are subject to the Title IV refund policies based upon the last date of attendance at an academically-related event. If the last date of attendance is not known, then the midpoint of the semester will be used as the withdrawal date.
The student and the school are both responsible for returning unearned federal financial aid to the federal government. Kent State University will return funds on the student's behalf to the appropriate federal programs and subsequently will bill the student for any balances owed back to Kent State University as a result of the return of Title IV funds. An email reflecting the adjustment(s) to the student’s Title IV funds and the remaining student account balance will be sent to the student within 30 days.
Q. I have a grade level change. After the fall semester, I will be a sophomore. Can I receive additional loans?
The University Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will evaluate your eligibility for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans based on your grade level and degree program. This also applies for changing grade level from sophomore to junior level.
If you have a grade level change mid-year, you must complete the Federal Direct Loan Change Request Form - Increase in order to be evaluated again. This must be your official grade level in FlashLine.
Q. If I drop a course, how will this affect my financial aid?
Students who add or drop courses during the 100% refund period for that term will see their tuition charges and aid adjust based on their registered classes.
Students who drop courses during another refund period (80% -60%) may be subject to still pay for a portion of a dropped course based on the date the drop was processed. Your financial aid (including scholarships) may be reduced or cancelled depending on your new enrollment status.
Withdrawing from a class can also adversely affect your financial aid status. Grades of W can affect your aid for future terms or years. Carefully review the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress to ensure you are staying on track to retain aid eligibility. Students who become eligible to receive financial aid or accept aid after withdrawing from a course will have their aid adjusted based on their remaining course enrollment.
You can also visit the How to Withdraw page.
Before dropping a course, contact the One Stop for Student Services or your Regional Campus representative.