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.

Award Year

From August to May

Enrollment Levels

• First year is -0- to 24 credits
• Second year is 25 credits or more

Eligibility Requirements

• Students must be enrolled in a classified degree or certificate program of study which is at least 16 credits and 15 weeks in length.

• Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0

• A student must complete at least 67% of all credits attempted at the end of each semester.

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) 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.

• 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).

• All semesters of previous enrollment 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 Community College 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. An "I" will be calculated as no credit until it reverts to a letter grade and is posted to the student's academic record. (A partial withdrawal will be considered as credits attempted but not earned if the withdrawal was done after the withdrawal deadline.). Repeated courses will also be considered as credits attempted but not earned.

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 Probation

Students who do not meet the minimum standards of academic progress will be placed on financial aid probation for the following semester. A student will be on financial aid probation for any of the following reasons:

• Earned at least 50% to 66% of the credits enrolled in for the semester and has a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0

IMPORTANT: During the probationary semester, students must earn ALL credits attempted and maintain or achieve a semester GPA at the level of which they will have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 at the end of the second year.

While on financial aid probation, students are still eligible to receive financial aid. At the discretion of the Financial Aid Office, students may have their probationary period extended beyond one semester if they met the terms of probation.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students will not be eligible to receive financial aid for any of the following reasons:

• Fails to achieve at least a 2.0 semester GPA or does not earn ALL credits attempted during the probationary semester.

• Earns less than 50% of the credits enrolled in for the semester.

• Cumulative GPA is less than 2.0.

Financial aid cannot be reinstated for students who have earned 150% of the credits required for their program.

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 enroll for at least six or more credits required for their degree, earn ALL credits attempted and maintain a semester GPA of at least 2.0. After satisfactory progress without aid, the student may apply for reinstatement through the Financial Aid Office.

Appeal of Financial Aid Suspension

Except for a suspension due to a failure to meet the terms of probation, students may appeal a decision by the Financial Aid Office regarding his/her initial or continuing financial aid eligibility. Appeals should be done in writing on the Academic Progress Eligibility Appeal Form and should explain in detail (1) the specific reasons which contributed to the student's lack of progress, and (2) the steps being taken to ensure academic progress if reinstated. The student is also required to meet with an academic advisor 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 http://www.lcc.hawaii.edu/files/finaid0607/Appeal_for_Special_Circumstances.pdf.

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.

For more information, please visit the links on the left or contact us at
Leeward Community College Financial Aid Office
96-045 Ala Ike Pearl City, Hawaii 96782

Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
In person: AD-210
Telephone: (808) 455-0606
Fax: (808) 454-8804
email: lccfao@hawaii.edu
Federal School Code: 004549