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Enrollment Requirements

Students are required to be enrolled for 12 or more credits per semester to receive federal and institutional financial aid as a full-time student.  Students enrolled for less than full-time may be eligible for federal grants and loans at a reduced level.  For CSB/SJU grants and scholarships, students enrolled in less than 12 credits are eligible for a pro-rated amount of institutional scholarship and/or grant aid.  For example, if a student is charged 75% of tuition, based on enrollment in nine credits, they are eligible for 75% of their normal scholarship and grant assistance.  This policy applies only to students who have not reached their 9th semester at CSB/SJU and excludes continuing education students. 

The Minnesota Grant program requires eligible students to be enrolled in 15 or more credits per semester to receive a full-time MN Grant.  MN Grant recipients enrolled for less than 15 credits will see a reduction in the amount of MN Grant awarded.

Students considering changing their credit load to less than full-time (12 credits per semester) are encouraged to consult with the financial aid staff for assistance in determining the exact changes in their financial aid package. 

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Verification of Family Income

All applicants for need-based financial aid are required to verify certain information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  In January, an institutional aid application (see below) will be sent to the parents of first, second, and third-year students asking them to provide financial information, including family size and number in college, along with copies of their federal tax returns.

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CSB/SJU Financial Aid Application

The information collected on the CSB/SJU Financial Aid Application assists CSB/SJU in fairly awarding federal, state and institutional grants, loans and on-campus employment.  The form also provides an opportunity for students and parents to explain any special circumstances such as family medical expenses or elementary/secondary private school costs for younger siblings. 

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Appeals for Special Circumstances

In preparing the financial aid award, CSB/SJU consider students for all federal, state and institutional programs for which they may be eligible.  If a family determines that more funds are needed, they may pursue additional financing through private alternative loan programs such as the MN SELF Loan program, PLUS Loan program or ND DEAL Loan .

If a change in the family’s financial circumstances occurs after the student has received the initial financial aid award, the student or parent may contact the Financial Aid Office to request a review of the financial aid award.  Examples of circumstances that may change a student’s initial financial aid would be a parent losing a job or changing jobs which results in a lower family income; unexpected medical expenses, or divorce or separation of the parents.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements for Financial Aid Eligibility

Aid Programs Covered under the Policy

Federal and state regulations require that all students maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to be eligible to receive financial aid. The purpose of this requirement is to encourage all students to progress steadily at a reasonable rate toward graduation. College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University students must meet the requirements listed below if they are to receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid.

The financial aid programs requiring recipients to maintain satisfactory academic progress include:

  • Federal College Work Study
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant
  • Federal SMART Grant
  • Federal Stafford Student Loan
  • Federal PLUS

All other federal aid programs not specifically identified here are also covered by the policy. 

State aid programs covered include:

  • Minnesota Grant Program
  • Minnesota State Work Study
  • Child Care Grant Program
  • SELF Loan Program
  • Robert Byrd Scholarships

All other state aid programs not specifically identified here are also covered by the policy. 

All CSB/SJU aid programs governed by this satisfactory academic progress requirement include but are not limited to:

  • CSB/SJU Grants
  • Scholarships (including Regents’/Trustees’, President’s, Dean’s, Merrill Lynch, Fine Arts)
  • Endowed Scholarships (such as Meinz, Hearst)
  • Annual Scholarships (such as Alliss, Halenbeck)
  • Tuition waivers (including CSB, SJU, CIC, CCCTE and TE)
  • Student Employment

All other CSB/SJU aid programs not specifically identified here are also covered by the policy.

Requirements to Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must fulfill two requirements to maintain satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes:

  • Maintain minimum Grade Point Average (GPA) as specified below

                                  AND

  • Complete minimum credits as specified below

GPA Required to Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress ( Qualitative Measure)

Students must have the following minimum cumulative GPA based on CSB/SJU credits attempted and accepted transfer credits:

  • 0-23 credits -         1.8  cumulative GPA
  • 24 credits or more 2.0 cumulative GPA

Repeating Courses:  Repeated credits will be treated as credits attempted but no additional credit will be given.  When a course is repeated, the highest grade will be the official grade used to calculate GPA.

Grades earned in remedial and ESL courses taken for credit are counted towards the GPA calculation for satisfactory academic progress.  

Note:  If a student fails all courses attempted during the semester, the financial aid staff will check to see if the student was enrolled for the entire period or unofficially withdrew from school.

The GPA earned during semesters the student did not receive any federal or state financial aid is counted in the cumulative GPA for determining satisfactory academic progress. 

Miminum Credit Completion to Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (Quantitative Measure)

The College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University require full-time students to successfully complete a minimum of 21 credits each year to be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress. 

Incompletes, repeated courses and withdrawal from courses (where a student has received a grade of “W”) are not counted as completed credits in the calculation.  Remedial and ESL courses taken for credit are acceptable toward the degree completion. As such, they also count as completed credits.  Credits taken at other institutions and transferred to CSB/SJU can be counted towards the credits needed to maintain satisfactory academic progress.  (For example, credits transferred from summer work.)

Maximum Time Frame

The maximum time frame for a full‑time student to complete a degree is six (6) years. This represents 150% of the normal time frame (4 years) to complete a degree.  Students who remain at CSB/SJU beyond the six year time frame are ineligible for financial aid. 

The maximum time frame for a part‑time student is the full‑time equivalent of six years.  (For example, a student who registers each semester as a half‑time student has a maximum time frame of 12 years.)

The maximum time frame for transfer students is established at the time they are admitted to St. Benedict's/St. John’s based on credits transferred from previous institutions and expectations for the amount of time needed to complete their intended major.

The maximum time frame applies even though a student changes majors or seeks to earn an additional degree.  Credits earned during semesters the student did not receive any federal or state financial aid are also counted towards the maximum time frame. 

If at any point in the student’s career it is clear the student will not be able to meet the quantitative standard, the student becomes ineligible for further financial aid. 

Graduate Students Maximum Time Frame  Two years is the time allowed for the completion of graduate papers, thesis, and/or comprehensives after coursework has been completed.  Students whose work on the MA degree extends 8 years beyond matriculation are subject to the degree policies in effect at the time they resume their work.  Additional credits beyond the stated degree requirements may be required at the discretion of the Associate Dean.

Definition of Enrollment Status (Full-time, part-time)

Full‑time - students enrolled for 12 or more credits per semester

Part‑time - students enrolled for less than 12 credits per semester

  • Three-quarter time – students enrolled for 9-11 credits per semester:
    • Must complete 16 credits per year and finish their degree within 8 year
  • Half-time – students enrolled for 6-8 credits per semester
    • Must complete 11 credits per year and finish their degree within 12 years
  • Less than half-time – students taking less than 6 credits per semester
    • Must complete 6 credits per year and finish their degree within 21 years    

Monitoring Progress/Probation

The student's satisfactory academic progress will be monitored at the end of each year. If the student is not making satisfactory academic progress according to the above policy, the student will be notified and allowed a probationary status during the next year.  The student will lose aid eligibility if the student is not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary year. 

Appeal Process

Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress during the probationary year are notified that they are not eligible to receive financial aid for the next semester. Students have an opportunity to appeal the decision.  Notification of aid ineligibility is made as soon as possible after grades are determined by the Registrar's Office.  Generally, fall semester notification occurs in early January; spring semester notification occurs in late May.  Students will typically have 7‑10 days after notification to appeal the decision to lose financial aid eligibility. 

The student must submit a written appeal for aid re‑instatement explaining the reason satisfactory academic progress was not achieved.  Documentation from an objective third party, (doctor, counselor) is helpful (but not required) to substantiate the student's statement.  The letter of appeal is reviewed by a committe comprised of the following individuals:  Director of Academic Advising, Executive Director of Financial Aid, Academic Dean, Assistant Director of Academic Advising, one representative from the Student Development Staff and one representative from the Counseling Staff.

In reviewing an appeal for re‑instatement of financial aid, primary consideration is given to factors which prevented the student from making satisfactory progress.  Incidences of "undue hardship" such as the death of a relative, personal injury or illness, or other mitigating circumstances beyond the control of the student are taken into consideration.  A review is also done of the student's present situation to gauge whether or not the situation has changed to the extent that the student is capable of achieving satisfactory academic progress in the coming semester.  The student is notified in writing of the outcome of the appeal.

Reinstatement of Aid

A student's financial aid will be re‑instated under the following conditions:

  • The student appeals the decision to lose aid and the appeals committee approves the aid for the coming semester.
  • The student who had incompletes, which caused the unsatisfactory academic progress, successfully completes the course work and in doing so meets the criteria for satisfactory academic progress.  In this case, the student must complete the coursework prior to the end of the term for which aid is being requested.   
  • The student having lost aid eligibility remains at CSB/SJU and achieves satisfactory academic progress during a subsequent semester.
  • The student having lost aid eligibility leaves CSB/SJU, attends another college and earns sufficient grades and credits for the Director of Academic Advising to recommend re-admission to CSB/SJU.

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Withdrawals and Return of Financial Aid

Withdrawal procedures:  A student who decides to discontinue from school during the semester must complete the proper withdrawal form with the head resident at St. Benedict or the Campus Life Office at St. John’s.  The withdrawal date is the date the student began the withdrawal process or officially notified the school of their intent to withdraw; or the last date of class attendance. 

Refunds:  If a student completely withdraws from the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, the student may be eligible for a partial refund of tuition, fees, room and board charges for the semester.  The refund schedule is posted on the Student Accounts website. 

CSB Student Accounts http://www.csbsju.edu/csbstudentaccounts/refund.htm

SJU Student Accounts:  http://www.csbsju.edu/sjustudentaccounts/deposit.htm

Financial Aid:  Financial aid recipients who withdraw during the semester and have completed 60% or less of the term are subject to the policies listed below. Students who complete over 60% of the semester prior to withdrawal may retain all of the financial aid disbursed for the semester of withdrawal.  Students should be aware that federal, state and institutional financial aid may not cover all unpaid institutional charges due to the institution upon the student’s withdrawal.

Return of Title IV Funds Policy:  Student recipients of any federal aid may lose a portion of their federal aid if they withdraw prior to completing more than 60% of the semester.  The following aid could be reduced in this situation:  Federal Pell Grants, Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, National SMART Grant, TEACH Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford (subsidized), Federal Stafford (unsubsidized) and Federal PLUS Loan. 

The institutions use a federal formula to determine how much federal aid must be returned when the student withdraws.  In general, federal and state regulations assume that a student “earns” federal and state financial aid in proportion to the number of days of the term the student attended.

Return of Title IV Funds is done in this order: 

  • Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
  • Subsidized Stafford Loan
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Federal PLUS Loan
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant
  • National SMART Grant
  • Federal SEOG
  • TEACH Grant
  • Other (if applicable) 

Non-Title IV financial aid refunds: 

If a student withdraws before completing more than 60% of the semester, a portion of the non-Title IV financial aid may also need to be returned.  Non-title IV aid includes all state financial aid (MN State Grant, SELF and other state aid) and all institutional grants and scholarships.  Outside scholarships are not subject to return.  However, CSB/SJU will notify the organization should a student withdraw during the term and allow the organization to determine if they wish to have part or all of the scholarship returned.  For state financial aid, CSB/SJU utilizes a state worksheet found in Section III, appendix 14 of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education Financial Aid Manual.  In general, any remaining refund after taking the total amount of funds paid to the student’s account (cash, financial aid) and subtracting the amount of charges the school can retain for tuition, fees, room, board and other charges and the institutional share of  Title IV refund  is prorated between Minnesota financial aid programs and institutional financial aid programs.

Procedure for returning Title IV and non-Title IV aid:  The financial aid staff at CSB/SJU will take responsibility for returning all required Title IV and non-Title IV aid to the proper fund.  The student’s account will be charged for any return of title IV and non-Title IV financial aid. 

Sample Calculation:

David was beginning his second year at St. John’s.  Several weeks into the semester, he became ill and needed to withdraw from school.  He was officially enrolled for 35 days of the 113 days in the fall semester.  Since he was enrolled for less than 60% of the term (31%), he is subject to the Return of Title IV policy and part of his financial aid must be returned.  Here was the award at the start of the semester:

Dean’s Scholarship                   $3,000

Federal Pell Grant                     $1,000

MN Grant                                $2,420

Federal Perkins Loan                 $1,000

Federal Stafford (subsidized)      $1,750

College Work Study (Federal)      $1,300

According to the refund policy, David is eligible for a 50% refund of his tuition, fees, room and board.  The refund totaled $7,437.  David’s federal aid subject to return is:

Federal Pell Grant                      $1,000

Federal Perkins Loan                  $1,000

Federal Stafford (subsidized)      $1,750

          Total                            $3,750

 

Note:  Student employment earnings are not subject to Title IV refund. 

The “unearned” portion of David’s federal aid is 69%; as such 69% or $2,588 of the aid he received must be returned.  The following aid would need to be returned:

Federal Stafford (subsidized)     $1,750

Federal Perkins Loan                $   838

Federal Pell Grant                   $       0

Non-Title IV financial aid is also subject to refund in this example.    To calculate the amount of the refund, take the total payments made to David’s account.  (He had paid $1,500 cash in addition to the financial aid.) 

Total payments:                                          $10,670

Institutional charges school can retain:         -$  7,437  

   Gross Refund                                            $ 3,233

   Return of Title IV funds                             -$ 2,588

   Remaining Refund                                      $    645

The $645 is returned to the Dean’s Scholarship fund and MN Grant program in proportion to their amount.  Dean’s Scholarship receives 55.3% or $357; the MN Grant program receives $288. 

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