Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress •
Financial Aid Refund Policy •
Code of Conduct
Please understand that Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress is also different than NCC’s Academic Standards, and different from the required academic standards that may be set by your specific program.
Federal regulations require Northwest Iowa Community College to establish satisfactory academic progress standards for student financial aid recipients. These standards ensure that only those recipients demonstrating satisfactory progress toward the completion of their educational programs continue to receive financial aid. Your entire NCC record will be reviewed for satisfactory academic progress, including terms for which you did not receive financial aid.
Any grade forgiveness granted from the Academic Restart Program does not apply to the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards. When calculating a student’s satisfactory academic progress for financial aid, all grades earned from all previous enrollment periods will be considered.
Whether a student is considered to be making satisfactory academic progress depends on:
- successful completion of courses (credit hours earned)
- cumulative grade point average (GPA)
- maximum time limits to complete his or her course of study
Students must meet all of these requirements to maintain satisfactory academic progress. To read the complete Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
click here.
The law (Section 485 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998-P.L. 105-244) specifies how NCC must determine the amount of student financial aid assistance that is earned if you cease to attend.
If you receive federal financial assistance and fail to complete your education, your financial aid may be adjusted based on the date of the official or unofficial withdrawal. The amount of financial assistance you have earned is determined on a pro-rated basis using the number of calendar days completed divided by the number of calendar days in the payment period. Once you have completed more than 60 percent of the payment period, you earn all your financial assistance.
The adjustment of aid may cause you to owe money to the U.S. Government and/or NCC. If NCC is required to return Title IV funds, the amount returned will be billed to the student. If the repayment of funds is not made to NCC within the designated deadline, the student will be turned over to the U.S. Department of Education for collection or a collection agency, depending upon the funding source. Anyone in a repayment situation will remain ineligible for federal aid until the repayment is resolved. Students will remain ineligible for federal aid until the College receives notice from the Department of Education or collection agency that the student has reestablished his/her eligibility.
Iowa Code Section 261E.2 and Sections 487(a)(25) and 487(e) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, require the development, administration, and enforcement of a code of conduct governing educational loan activities. Officers, employees, trustees and agents-including the alumni association, booster club and other organizations associated with Northwest Iowa Community College, agree to the provisions of this Code of Conduct and will refrain from:
- Denying a Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) borrower his or her choice of a FFELP lender or guarantor. Loans issued under the FFELP are the federal Stafford, parent PLUS, Grad PLUS and Consolidation loans.
- Packaging private educational loans in a student’s financial aid award, except under certain conditions.
- Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor. Northwest Iowa Community College may accept certain services, materials or other items of a nominal value.
- Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the lender, lender servicer, or guarantor.
- Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
- Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
- Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
- Requesting or accepting competitive rates on private educational loans in exchange for a specified amount of loan activity or in exchange for endorsing the lender’s FFELP loans.
Northwest Iowa Community College is committed to providing the information and resources necessary to help every student achieve educational success. To accomplish this goal the financial aid staff will consider each student’s individual needs. A comprehensive
Code of Conduct detailing permissible and impermissible activities has been provided to all Northwest Iowa Community College officers, employees and agents affiliated with this college.
For more information: