Reasons Why Your Offer May Be Adjusted
Changes in Funding
Your financial aid offer is based on projected funding from Federal, State, and Hawkeye sources. If the projected funding is more than the actual funding available, your financial aid offer will be adjusted to reflect these changes.
Changes in Federal Regulations
All federally funded programs are subject to change at any time as a result of legislative action.
Scholarship and Grant Eligibility Requirements
Scholarships and grants listed on your offer may require you to maintain a specific grade point average or other academic or performance benchmarks. If these requirements are not met, you may not be eligible to continue receiving this funding.
Receiving Financial Assistance from Sources Not Included on your Offer Letter
If you receive any additional funds from outside sources, including scholarships or private loans, that were not included on your financial aid offer, please contact the Financial Aid office as soon as possible so we can include the funds in your offer. This is required by federal regulations.
If the amount of funding from the outside source changes from what is listed on your offer, please contact the Financial Aid office immediately so we can adjust your offer accordingly.
We will make adjustments to your offer as necessary to ensure that you do not receive more financial assistance than you are eligible to receive according to state and federal regulations.
Change in the Number of Credit Hours in which you are Enrolled
The amount of your financial aid offer depends on the number of credit hours you are taking. Your initial offer is prepared based on full-time, full-year enrollment. If you are not enrolled in at least 12 credit hours or do not plan to come back to Hawkeye for the spring semester, your offer will need to be adjusted to reflect these changes.
Before you make a change to the number of credit hours you are enrolled in, please contact the Financial Aid office. A change in credit hours can affect your financial aid offer even after you have accepted the offer. This will also make sure your financial aid is properly disbursed. It is your responsibility to notify us of any changes in the number of credit hours you are taking.
Developmental Courses
Students admitted into an eligible program are able to receive federal aid for up to thirty credit hours of developmental classes (this includes failed and/or withdrawn classes). Hawkeye’s Financial Aid Office will send emails to students notifying them when they are close to or have exceeded the number of developmental courses eligible for financial aid funds.
Developmental courses are those classes that you may need to take as a class prerequisite and/or admission requirement for your program based on assessment scores such as the ACCUPLACER. These classes are designed to provide you with the necessary skills to be successful in your college credit classes. These classes all start with a 0 in the numerical part of the catalog number (e.g. MAT-063). There are developmental courses for computers, preparatory science for health careers, writing, math, reading.
Developmental courses do show on your transcript, but they do not transfer, and do not count towards graduation of a program.
Repeated Courses
Federal regulations state that a student may receive federal financial aid to repeat/retake a course only once, if the course was previously passed (defined as receiving a grade of ‘D-’ or higher) and financial aid was received for it (this includes transfer credits).
Whether you pass or fail your second attempt (includes ‘F’ or a passing grade), and you received financial aid for it, it will count as your second attempt for financial aid purposes.
If you decide to retake a class that you already have taken for your two attempts, federal financial aid will not cover the cost of that course for any future attempts/retakes.
Repeated courses are included in the completed and attempted credit hours for Satisfactory Academic Progress calculation purposes.
Taking Coursework Not Required for your Current Hawkeye Program
A student may only receive financial aid funds for courses that count towards their current Hawkeye degree/certificate. To comply with this regulation, Hawkeye must track the courses that a student is registered for and ensure that they count towards their current Hawkeye degree, diploma, or certification program. Check your Degree Audit often to track your program progress.
Class Attendance
You must attend class to receive your financial aid. Your instructors will report attendance after the first 14 calendar days of a 16-week semester, or the first seven calendar days of a non-16 week semester. This date is also known as the financial aid lock date.
If you are reported as not attending, we cannot include the course credit hours in your financial aid offer. The reduced number of credits may reduce the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive. As instructors report your attendance, you will see your offer being adjusted.
To check your attendance, visit Self-Service > Grades > Term.
If you have not been attending class but wish to start attending, see Changing Your Enrollment Verification Status.
Special Circumstances
Please contact the Financial Aid office if you have a special circumstance come up during the semester. A special circumstance may include involuntary loss of employment, high medical expenses, or other things that impact your financial situation. See Special Circumstances Appeals for more information.