US Student Aid

Maintaining Eligibility

Important: As per regulation #34 CFR 600.51(d), students taking online courses are not eligible to receive US Direct Loans through Bishop’s University

Course load

Students must be registered full-time (12-15 credits per semester) to maintain loan eligibility. A student may drop to a minimum half-time status (7.5 credits) and still maintain eligibility, however for immigration purposes, international students are expected to maintain full-time status.

If you will be registered less than full-time, contact The International Office to ensure there will be no difficulties with your immigration status. https://www.ubishops.ca/future-current-students/international-students/immigration-procedures/

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) – recipients of US Direct Loan Funds

The US government regulations (Satisfactory Academic Progress for Financial Aid Eligibility, Federal Regulation – 34 CFR 668.34) stipulate that students must maintain certain academic standards in order to remain eligible for all types of US Direct Loans.

The Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP) applies to all students applying for US Direct Loans under Title IV of the US Higher Education Act. These types of loans include Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), Direct Parent PLUS and Direct Grad PLUS loans.

All students will have their academic progress reviewed at the end of each academic year. Students who have not fulfilled the SAP requirements will not be eligible for US Direct Loan funds for the subsequent academic year(s). Once the academic results are available (generally early May or at the end of August if a student registers for courses in the Summer semester), a student’s academic records are verified to ensure s/he has met SAP.

• If a student has not met SAP and was on US Direct Loans, s/he is notified, within 30 days of academic results being available.
• If a student who has never been on US Direct Loans applies and has not met SAP in the previous year, the student is notified, via email, once the US Direct Loan application is submitted.

To maintain US Direct Loans eligibility, students must fulfill these 3 requirements:

• Complete 67% of all credits attempted, and
• Maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher, and
• Complete your degree within 150% of the published length of your degree completion time (in credits or in years, as applicable).

Bishop’s University Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (SAP)

It is a student’s responsibility to read and understand the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy!

Evaluation of US Direct Loans Eligibility

Satisfactory Academic Progress is evaluated once each year, at the end of the winter term. However, students taking summer classes will be re-evaluated at the end of the summer term.  SAP requirements are defined as follows:

• Qualitative component: a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.0;
• Quantitative component (or pace): completion of at least 67% of all credits attempted each academic year;
• Timeframe component: students must finish their degree within 150% of the published length of degree completion time (in credits or in years, as applicable).

Incompletes, Withdrawals, Repeated Courses, Transfer of Credits (including Inter-University transfers) for the purpose of US Direct Loans

Incomplete and deferred grades:

• are considered attempted but not included in the CGPA calculation until being replaced by a final grade.
• are counted in the pace calculation. Withdrawals are not counted towards the attempted credits.

Repeated courses grades are included in the CGPA as per faculty regulations and included in the pace calculation.

Credits transferred from other programs or degrees are included in the SAP evaluation as per faculty regulations.

Maximum Time frame Eligibility

A student is considered to not have made SAP for maximum timeframe once the school has become aware that the student will not complete within the maximum timeframe and therefore, become ineligible for US Direct Loans at Bishop’s University for that degree.

For undergraduate programs, must be no longer than 150% of the published length of educational program as measured in credit-hours.

For graduate programs, school defines the maximum time frame based upon the length of the program as measured in credit-hours or years, as applicable.

For undergraduate students and graduate students (non-thesis based):

For example:

• Degree program requires 120 credits for completion:
  • 120 x 150% = 180 attempted credits maximum time frame.
• For graduate students (thesis-based):

• Examples of 67% Completion Rate Chart for Successful Progression toward a Degree

• Completion Rate Calculation Formula
• Completed Rate = Total credits completed in an academic year / Total credits attempted in an academic year
• Students who are not meeting SAP requirements:

SAP Appeals

Students not fulfilling SAP requirements will receive an e-mail at their Bishop’s e-mail address only. Upon receiving notification, a student may appeal within ten business days from the date of the e-mail. The appeal submission must include:

• A letter from the student explaining:
  • the student’s circumstances/reason(s) for not meeting SAP requirements;
    • please note: an appeal may be on the basis of a student’s illness or injury, death of a relative, or other special circumstances
  • what will change that will allow the student to satisfy SAP requirements in the future;
  • any other relevant information.
• Supporting documentation relevant to the appeal.

The appeal must be submitted in writing to:

ASAP Appeals Committee
C/O Hans Rouleau – Registrar
2600 College Street
Sherbrooke, Quebec  J1M 1Z7

Only complete files will be reviewed. The decision made by the ASAP Appeals Committee will be sent to the student’s Bishop’s email address. The appeal decision may be:

• a reinstatement of eligibility for US Direct Loans, or
• a financial probationary period with conditions, or
• a denial of US Direct Loans.

Any conditions pertaining to the financial probationary period status will also be listed in the email. Examples of conditions may include raising the CGPA by the end of the next semester, meeting with an Academic Advisor to develop an academic plan to ensure future academic success, etc. At the end of the subsequent semester, SAP will be re-evaluated according to the SAP policy and any conditions stipulated in the appeal decision. Failure to meet the SAP requirements or any appeal conditions will result in denial of US Direct Loans.

Students cannot appeal SAP in the same year on different grounds if eligibility was not re-established after the first appeal.

Students may submit an appeal each time they are notified they have lost eligibility for US Direct Loans for reasons of SAP.

Students Denied US Direct Loan

If a student is denied US Direct Loans after an appeal but in subsequent years meets SAP requirements, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Scholarships and Student Aid Office that SAP requirements have been met and to apply for US Direct Loans. The Scholarships and Student Aid Office will verify SAP requirements have been met prior to originating any US Direct Loans.

Return to Title IV Policy

US federal aid regulations mandate a Return to Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation when a student receiving Title IV financial aid (US Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized), Parent PLUS loans or Grad PLUS loans) withdraws from the University. If a student ceases enrollment, or withdraws from all courses in the semester and the student received US federal financial aid, the college must determine if these funds are required to be returned to the US government. If a student never attends, the loan is cancelled and all funds are returned to the Department (no R2T4 calculation).

Definitions

• Withdrawal date: the date on which a student officially informs the University of the intention to withdraw.
  • In the absence of notification from the student, the last date the student attended is deemed to be the withdrawal date
  • If the last date of attendance cannot be determined, the University will assume a 50% attendance and will use that date as the last day of attendance
• Date the institution determines the student withdrew: the date the University becomes aware the student has withdrawn

Withdrawal and leave of absence

Approved leave of absence for R2T4 purposes.

• A leave of absence (LOA) for R2T4 purposes is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study during which a student is not in attendance (except for an institutionally scheduled break).
• An LOA must meet certain conditions to be counted as a temporary interruption in a student’s education instead of being counted as a withdrawal requiring a school to perform an R2T4 calculation. If an LOA does not meet the conditions in 34 CFR 668.22(d), indicated below, the student is considered to have ceased attendance and to have withdrawn from the school, and the school is required to perform an R2T4 calculation.
• For an LOA to qualify as approved:
  • The University has a formal written policy regarding leaves of absence requiring that all requests for leaves of absence be submitted in writing and include the reason for the student’s request.
  • The student must request and the school must approve the LOA in accord with the school’s policy
  • There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA.
  • The student is not assessed additional institutional charges
  • The LOA, together with any additional leaves of absence, must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period.
  • A student returning from an LOA must resume training at the same point in the academic program that he or she began the LOA.
  • Loan recipients must be told about the effects on their grace period if they do not return

Return of funds

US Department of Education regulations state that a school must return loan funds if a student has not completed more than 60% of the payment period. If a student received more loan funding than was “earned,” the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or the student. The amount of money to be returned is determined by a calculation (“Return to Title IV” Calculation) that includes the number of school days completed.

The R2T4 calculation may result in a reduction of the student’s US federal loan(s) if the student attended 60 percent or less of the semester. The R2T4 calculation is based on the following:

• The number of days the student attended
• The number of days in the semester
• The total amount of US Direct Loan aid awarded, accepted and/or disbursed.

Calculation of R2T4 amount, including University and student portions

1. If a student withdraws during the loan payment period, the R2T4 amount to be returned will be the amount of unearned aid. This will be determined, as at the date of student withdrawal, on the basis of the calculation formulas provided by the U.S. Department of Education
2. The percentage of aid earned in any loan payment period will be determined on the basis of the percentage of the student’s attendance.
   • The number of calendar days completed by the student in the payment period is divided by the total number of calendar days of the payment period excluding scheduled breaks of five days or more or periods for which the student has been granted leave of absence.
   • This calculation is represented by the following formula:
     • number of days completed / total number of days in loan payment period = % of payment period completed.
3. If the percentage calculated through application of this formula is greater than 60%, the amount of aid earned by the student is considered to be 100% of the applicable aid.
4. Where this percentage calculated through application of this formula is less than or equal to 60%, the amount of aid earned by the student is determined by multiplying this percentage by the total amount of the aid disbursed.
5. The unearned amount of aid will be the amount equivalent to the remaining percentage of the relevant payment period.
   • For example, if the student withdraws after completing 40% of the payment period, the R2T4 or unearned amount will be 60% of the applicable aid.
6. The University’s portion of the R2T4 amount is the percentage of the University’s allowable institutional charges for the loan payment period, equal to the remaining percentage of the payment period after deduction of the proportion completed by the student. (For example, if the student withdraws after completing 40% of the payment period, the University’s portion of the R2T4 amount will be 60% of the University’s charges for the payment period).
7. If the University’s portion of the R2T4 amount is a dollar amount less than the total dollar amount of all unearned aid, the University will return the amount of the University’s portion.
8. If the University’s portion is a dollar amount greater than the total amount of unearned aid, the University will return the total amount of unearned aid.
9. The University will notify the holders of the loans of the student’s withdrawal date via NSLDS (National Student Loan Data System).

If the amount of the loan funds returned exceed any existing credit on the student’s account, the student will owe the funds to the University. The student should make arrangements with Bishops to repay the outstanding amount to the University as soon as possible.

Funds returned to the U.S. Department of Education on behalf of a student are used to repay the current year’s loans in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized US Direct Loan
2. Subsidized US Direct Loan
3. Parent PLUS for Undergraduate students
4. Grad PLUS for Graduate students

If a student completed more than 60% of the payment period, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds the student was scheduled to receive during the period and there are no unearned funds to return.

The University will calculate the R2T4 amount, including the University’s and the student’s portion of that amount, within 30 days from the date the institution determined the student withdrew and return the University’s unearned portion of the R2T4 amount to the US government within 45 days from the date the institution determined the student withdrew.

Withdrawing from studies and Direct Loan repayments

If you withdraw from Bishop’s, you may be required to:

• Repay Bishop’s any “unearned” US Direct Loan funds that the University returned on your behalf (as stipulated by US Department of Education regulations), and/or
• Repay part or all of your loan(s) to the designated servicer
• If the amount of Title IV aid to be returned, based on the Title IV aid earned by the student, is greater than the amount for the University to return, the repayment of the student’s loans are as follows:
  • The student is responsible for repaying the difference between the Net loans disbursed to the student and the Total loans the University must return. These loans are repaid to the loan holders according to the terms of the borrower’s master promissory note (MPN).

If the student did not receive all of the funds that were earned, the student may be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement. The University will notify the student or the parent borrower of eligibility for a post-withdrawal disbursement within 30 days of the University’s determination that the student withdrew. The notice will identify the type and amount of the loan funds that can be credited to the student’s account or disbursed directly to the student or parent. The student or parent borrower may accept or decline all or a portion of the funds. The notice will also explain to the student or parent borrower the obligation to repay the loan funds whether they are disbursed to the student’s account or directly to the borrower. Please also note that the advantages of keeping loan debt to a minimum will be addressed in the notice, including the suggestion of cancelling the loan unless the recipient needs the funds to pay for cost of attendance.

Please see below for additional information on notifications and deadlines with respect to post-withdrawal disbursements:

• The University has no later than 180 days (but as soon as possible) after the date the school determined the student withdrew to process the post-withdrawal disbursement to student’s account.
• The student has 14 days from the date the University notifies the student of his/her eligibility for a post-withdrawal disbursement to respond with his/her decision. If there is no response from the borrower, no post-withdrawal disbursement can be made.
• Notification to student (or parent) of outcome of late request for a post-withdrawal disbursement to student (request received by the University after the specified period).
• Credit Balance must be disbursed as soon as possible and no later than 14 days after the calculation done by the university.

A letter from the Scholarships and Student Aid Office will be sent via a student’s Bishop’s email address indicating the type and amount of aid returned to the U.S. Department of Education on their behalf. The letter will also include a link to complete Exit Counseling which will include information about loan repayment obligations and options.

Refunds – all US loans (government and alternative)

Once a student’s tuition and ancillary fees are paid, refunds of remaining funds are available for payment of book and living expenses.

USDL Consumer Information

As per the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) of 2008, the US government requires institutions offering US Direct Loans to disclose the following consumer information. If you require any further information about the content, please contact businessoffice@ubishops.ca.

Entrance and Exit Counseling

See: https://studentloans.gov/myDirectLoan/index.action

Study Abroad and Exchange

Exchange students

Students studying on an official Bishop’s exchange are considered to be Bishop’s students for the subsidized/unsubsidized/PLUS and alternative loans. This means that:

• You pay tuition and fees to Bishop’s University
• You apply for US loans following Bishop’s University procedures
• Your exchange school is not located within the continental United States.
• All exchange schools must be Title IV approved to be eligible to get aid for the exchange. Any university that is not Title IV approved will jeopardize your aid while on exchange and future eligibility for aid.

Study Abroad students

Students participating in a Study Abroad Program are NOT eligible to receive subsidized/unsubsidized/PLUS or alternative loans through Bishop’s. You will be paying your tuition fees to the other school (abroad). You must therefore make arrangements with that school (not Bishop’s) for financial aid.

Program Limitations – Examples of Ineligible Programs

Here are some of the limitations you will need to honor:  ALL IMPOSED BY THE USA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION – THEIR REGULATIONS BUT WE HAVE TO ADMINISTER THEM.

Programs that have online classes, or non Tittle IV approved elements which deem them INELIGIBLE for US students on Federal Aid.

This could include but not exclusive to the following elements:

• Mandatory exchange program to a non Title IV approved university
• Co-op
• Mandatory work-study or teaching stage that does not meet US regulations
• Program contains courses only offered online

This list can change year to year as the University may incorporate more online elements to programs.

You cannot take any classes at an American school and have them transferred into your Degree at Bishop’s during your degree.  Advanced Credits are looked at during your Admissions process to the University and are acceptable.

Bishop’s University is affiliated with the Thomas Moore Institute: American students on Federal aid are not permitted to take classes through this affiliation due to the online nature of the courses offered.

Academic Advisors do not have access to your financial situation so they are not aware of limitations you will have because of Title IV funding. It will be your responsibility to make sure any options available to you meet the US regulations to keep your funding.

Current List of Ineligible Programs

• Japanese Studies
• Women’s Studies
• Journalism
• Education, General
• Education Leadership and Administration, General
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• Secondary Education and teaching
• Art Teacher Education
• English Language Arts Teacher Education
• Biology Teacher Education
• Chemistry Teacher Education
• French Language Teacher Education
• Teaching English as Second Language/ESL language instructor
• Public Administration
• Economics, General
• Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other
• Accounting
• Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
• Finance, General
• Human Resources Management and Services, Other
• Business Information and Data Processing Services, Other
• Marketing, Other

Default and Prevention Management Plan

Entrance Counseling
Students are required to receive the entrance counseling.

Financial Literacy for Borrowers
Students can contact the Financial Aid officer at Bishop’s University for more information.

Communication across campus
The Business Office (responsible of government financial aid programs), the Admissions office, the Records office and the Recruitment office, all work together to ensure proper information is given to students.

Exit Counseling
Exit Counseling provides students with information about repayment plans. It is mandatory for all graduating students with subsidized, unsubsidized and GRAD PLUS loans. Online Exit Counselling must be completed during the final semester of studies and prior to graduation. An acknowledgment will be sent to the University upon completion. If you withdraw from the University, you are obligated to fulfill this requirement. Students can contact the Financial Aid office at Bishop’s.

Timely and Accurate Enrollment Reporting
The University reports every two months enrolment status of students to the NSLDS.

NSLDS Date Entered Repayment (DER) Report
The DER report is validated every semester by the financial aid officer when students are coming in the Business Office to update their file.

Late Stage Delinquency Assistance (LSDA)
The University keeps in records the student information in its system after they leave the University. We make sure to update personal information until students graduate or leave the institution.

Loan Record Detail Report (LRDR) Data Review
The University financial aid officer will review the cohort default rate (CDR) at least once a year.

Analyze Defaulted Loan Data to Identify Defaulter Characteristics
The University financial aid officer meets and informs all students having US government loans of their responsibilities.