The Financial Aid Office at Western Iowa Tech Community College has completed the review of your financial aid application. This information has been prepared to provide you with options to help finance your education at WITCC.
Read the following sections in this document:
Important information regarding late start classes and aid lock dates for 2020-21.
Financial aid for late start classes may not be applied to your account until the class has started. Student loan and Pell refunds will be delayed until attendance is verified.
Be sure to read the section on Aid Lock Dates.
If you have questions about the financial aid process, please contact Student Financial Services at 712.274.6402 or 800.352.4649, ext. 6402. Related general information is also available at www.witcc.edu.
For information specific to your financial aid award, go to my.witcc.edu; log into MyWit; click on the "my financial aid" tab under "FINANCES".
All early awards are made on the assumption of full time attendance for fall and spring semesters. Actual award amounts (grants and loans) will be adjusted to your enrollment status as appropriate. If you enroll for less than full-time, some of your aid will be adjusted to coincide with you enrollment and charges. The amount listed on your award notice is the annual award amount. To determine the semester amount divide the total by 2.
Grants and scholarships will be directly credited to your charges as scheduled. If you were awarded Work Study or are interested see the Work Study section in this document. If you plan to borrow a student loan, refer to the Loan Information regarding student loans and how to apply for a loan.
Aid Lock Date: For financial aid purposes, your official enrollment status is determined by the number of credit hours for which you are enrolled on the aid census date. Therefore, the addition of coursework after the census date will not increase your aid. The aid census date for fall 2020 is September 7th for spring 2021 the date is January 28th and Summer 2021 is June 7th. For an initial registration after the lock date, your award will be calculated and locked simultaneously. Failure to participate in a class may change your enrollment status and result in a reduction of awards.
Once you have registered, you are responsible for related tuition, fees, and other expenses (books, supplies, housing and meal plan). Payment using grants or processed student loans or the FACTS plan is due on the first day of class. Failure to make payment or payment arrangements will result in disenrollment from classes and/or removal from college housing.
You may pay your full balance in person, by phone, or online by clicking on the "my account" tab located on MyWit under "FINANCES". Payment may be made with cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover at any of the four WITCC campuses.
Western Iowa Tech Community College has a tuition payment plan option to accommodate the financial needs of students. It is not a loan program; therefore, you have no debt, there are no interest or finance charges assessed, and there is no credit check. The only cost to budget monthly payments through FACTS is a $25.00 per semester non-refundable FACTS Enrollment Fee. The FACTS payment plan is available on my.witcc.edu under "FINANCES". FACTS will accept payments by Automatic Bank Payments from checking or savings accounts, or by Discover, MasterCard, or American Express. Additional information regarding the on-line application is provided by the Student Accounts office at WITCC (712.274.8733 ext. 1210 or 1.800.352.4649 ext. 1210).
Withdrawal from the College means withdrawal from all classes for a semester. The student must initiate the withdrawal process by going online to my.witcc.edu under the "ACADEMICS" tab, or by completing the withdrawal form in a Registration Center, or by calling a Registration Center. Refer to the Add/Drop/Withdrawal Policy in the College Catalog or online.
The Institutional Refund Policy applies to all students. Students who stop attending and fail to officially withdraw will NOT receive a refund of tuition and fees under the Institutional Refund Policy.
A schedule for refunding of tuition and fees is published each semester online.
A student receiving federal financial assistance may have financial aid adjusted based on the date of official or unofficial withdrawal.
The federal and state taxpayers and Western Iowa Tech have entered into an agreement with you by investing tax dollars in grants and loans for your education at Western Iowa Tech. According to the agreement with the federal and state taxpayers and Western Iowa Tech this investment places a serious responsibility on you to successfully complete your education in a timely manner.
Satisfactory academic progress is calculated for all students at the end of each semester during the regular academic year. Students attending summer sessions are evaluated at the end of the second session. Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards apply to all work attempted even though a student may not have been receiving financial aid. Your academic progress will be evaluated at the time of awarding and before disbursement of aid.
Federal and state regulations require students receiving financial aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress. These standards are applicable to recipients of the following programs.
A student must complete his/her diploma or degree program while attempting not more than 150% of the credits required for a diploma or degree.
A minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average for ALL course work at WITCC is required. In addition, a student must successfully complete 67% of ALL credit hours attempted at WITCC. However, a student whose cumulative credits earned is zero (0.00) will be suspended immediately.
Credit hours completed are:
Incomplete credit hours are:
"F" grades
"W" withdrawal
"AW" administrative withdrawal
"I" incomplete
"NP" not passing
"O Grades" Academic Renewal
"X" replaced
Grades A student is placed on financial aid Warning when he/she fails to maintain a 2.0 cumulative grade point average or fails to complete 67% of all hours ever attempted or has attempted 80 credit hours or 84% of the hours required to complete a diploma or degree. A student on financial aid Warning continues to receive financial aid.
If a student does not meet the minimum levels by the end of the Warning semester or has attempted 96 credit hours or 150% of the hours required for a diploma or degree, the student is placed on suspension and therefore ineligible to receive further financial aid.
A student who is on suspension has the opportunity to appeal for reinstatement of eligibility. An appeal must be made in a format provided online at my.witcc.edu under "my financial aid" and include any appropriate supporting documentation related to injury or illness, the death of a relative, or other special circumstances and an Academic Plan. Your Academic Plan should be prepared with the assistance of your advisor. An Academic Plan should include the courses you plan to take by semester through the completion of your program. Be sure the plan is reasonable and achievable since any future appeals will be measured against your Academic Plan. If a student's appeal is granted they must be making satisfactory academic progress to have any future appeals considered. Keep a copy of this plan for your records.
Appeals are referred to an Academic Progress Review Committee. The decision of the Review Committee is final. Results of your appeal will be sent to your my.witcc.edu e-mail account.
A student may return to satisfactory status when he/she regains a 2.0 cumulative GPA AND a completion rate of at least 67% of all hours ever attempted at WITCC and has attempted less than 80 total credit hours. After returning to satisfactory status, a student must continue to maintain the appropriate cumulative grade point average AND completion rate according to the provisions of his/her Academic Plan or he/she will return to a Not Eligible status.
Transfer students may be evaluated for satisfactory progress prior to the first disbursement of financial aid funds. Cumulative GPA for transfer students is based on WITCC academic work only. However, credits attempted at other institutions may be used to evaluate academic progress. Transfer credits must be considered in evaluation of program completion within the 150% time frame.
A student who withdraws from WITCC and re-enrolls at a later date will return with a financial aid academic progress status as determined at the end of the semester in which he/she withdrew from WITCC.
The Financial Aid Office will notify any student receiving financial aid that does not meet the minimum financial aid satisfactory academic progress standards and is being placed on Financial Aid Warning or Not Eligible status through his/her my.witcc.edu e-mail.
Initially, students receiving any Department of Veterans Affairs Education or Training Benefits are held to the same standards (GPA and Completion Percentage) and procedures (Filing an Academic Progress Appeal) listed above for Financial Aid Recipients. Students will be notified at the end of each semester or summer term if they are in a Warning or Not Eligible status.
In addition, the Department of Veterans Affairs regulations require a period of non-enrollment at the point a student is determined to be Not Eligible. Students have the right to appeal. If the Academic Appeal Review Committee grants your appeal, you may continue to enroll and receive benefits. You must notify the VA School Certifying Official to have your VA record reactivated.
However, should you chose not to appeal or if your appeal be denied, VA regulations require you to sit out an enrollment period, interpreted by VA to be at least an academic semester or quarter. You may not continue to enroll, even at your own expense.
VA will be notified of your Not Eligible status. This status can affect your eligibility at a new school.
To be readmitted after a period of non-enrollment, the student must:
If your return appeal is granted, you must notify the VA School Certifying Official to have your VA record reactivated.