In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education regulations, financial aid recipients must maintain satisfactory academic progress towards the achievement of a degree or certificate. The student’s academic progress will be evaluated at the end of each semester.  The information below is the policy for Leeward Community College (Leeward CC) and refers to enrollment at Leeward CC.

Award Year

• From August to May

Enrollment Levels

• First year: 0 to 24 credits
• Second year: 25 credits or more

Eligibility Requirements

• Student must be enrolled in a classified degree or certificate program of study which is at least sixteen credits and fifteen weeks in length approved for Title IV funding by the U.S. Department of Education
• Student must successfully earn at least 67% of all cumulative credits attempted by the end of each semester
• Student must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0.

Eligibility Limitations

• Students will be allowed an equivalent of 150% of the number of credits required for their degree.

  Example: An Associate of Arts (AA) or an Associate of Science (AS) degree requires 60 credits.
  A student is eligible to receive aid for a total of 90 credits.

• Students who are seeking an AA degree and already have earned an AA/BA/BS degree are not eligible for financial aid. Students who are seeking an AS degree and already earned an AS degree are not eligible for financial aid (please check with the Financial Aid Office for more information).
• Eligibility for a student with a previous degree or certificate will be determined based on the number of remaining credits needed towards their current major (the type of financial aid will be limited once credits already earned for the previous degree have been applied to the degree the student is currently seeking).  The student needs to have their transcripts from all other institutions evaluated to determine the credits which will be accepted toward the second degree.
• All semesters of previous enrollment, including summer classes, at Leeward CC will be considered in calculating the number of remaining semesters of eligibility whether or not a student had previously received financial aid.
• Transfer credits earned at another school which are accepted by Leeward CC will be used to calculate remaining credits required for completion of the degree or certificate.
• The following grades will be considered as credits attempted but not earned: F, NC, N, W, I, RD.  The student needs to inform the Financial Aid Office if there is any grade change and when it is posted to the student's academic record.
• Repeated classes are counted toward the semesters of eligibility and considered as credits attempted but not earned.  If a student received a passing grade for a class, the student can repeat the class only once for financial aid eligibility.
• A partial withdrawal will be considered as credits attempted but not earned if the withdrawal was done after the withdrawal deadline.

IMPORTANT: Students who completely withdraw during a semester will be based on credit completion requirements of their original enrollment.

• Students who have earned sufficient credits applicable to their degree will not be eligible for aid, even though they may not have used the maximum credits allowed for their major.
• A student who changes their major will have all credits previously attempted be counted toward their maximum timeframe.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students will not be eligible to receive financial aid for any of the following reason(s):

• Fail to earn at least 67% of all cumulative credits attempted by the end of each semester, and/or
• Cumulative GPA is less than 2.0.

Financial aid cannot be reinstated for students who have attempted (including transfer credits) 150% of the credits required for their program.

Appeal of Financial Aid Suspension

Students may appeal a decision by the Financial Aid Office regarding their initial or continuing financial aid eligibility. Appeals should be done in writing on the Academic Progress Eligibility Appeal Form and should explain in detail:

• The specific reasons which contributed to the student's lack of progress, and
• The steps being taken to ensure academic progress if reinstated.

The student is also required to meet with an academic advisor to develop an Academic Plan and to learn of the resources available to assist the student in succeeding in school. Appeal forms are available at the Financial Aid Office and on-line at www.leeward.hawaii.edu/finaid-docs-forms.  The Academic Plan must determine that you are able to successfully earn at least 67% of all cumulative credits attempted and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 within the financial aid timeframe.

The student will be notified in writing of the decision. Thereafter, any further appeals must be made in writing to the Dean of Student Services. The decision of the Dean of Student Services is final.

Financial Aid Probation

Students who were suspended and submitted an Academic Progress Appeal Form which was approved, will be placed on financial aid probation for subsequent semesters based on their Academic Plan.  While on financial aid probation, students are still eligible to receive financial aid.

IMPORTANT:  During the probationary semester, students must adhere to the terms of their Academic Plan.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

To be reinstated for financial aid eligibility, a student must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress without financial assistance from the Financial Aid Office. The student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at Leeward CC and successfully earn at least 67% of all cumulative credits attempted at Leeward CC.  After satisfactory progress without aid, the student may apply for reinstatement through the Financial Aid Office.