Financial Aid & Scholarships

Apply for Financial Aid

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year by visiting StudentAid.gov. Students submitting a FAFSA for the first time or who last applied before May 2015 must create a StudentAid.gov account. The StudentAid.gov account is used every year to electronically submit the FAFSA. Financial aid offers are determined using the information provided on the FAFSA.

The following documents are needed from FAFSA Contributors to complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA:

 Dependent Students:

• Student’s 2022 IRS Form 1040, including all schedules
• Student’s 2022 W2(s)
• Student’s social security number, driver’s license/state ID number
• Student’s StudentAid.gov username and password (if FAFSA previously completed)
• Parent(s)/Stepparent 2022 IRS Form 1040, including all schedules
• Parent(s)/Stepparent 2022 W2s
• Parent(s)/Stepparent 2022 Child Support received
• Parent(s)/Stepparent social security number(s), birth date(s), marital status, and date of status
• Parent(s)/Stepparent StudentAid.gov username and password (if FAFSA previously completed)
  • Both parent/stepparents will need to have StudentAid.gov usernames and passwords if they filed separate tax returns.  This is true even if the parents are not married but living together.

For guidelines to help determine whose information should be reported, go to Who is My Parent? When I Fill Out the FAFSA Form?

Independent Students:

• Student/Spouse (if married as of today) 2022 IRS Form 1040, including all schedules
• Student/Spouse (if married as of today) 2022 W2s
• Student/Spouse (if married as of today) 2022 Child Support received
• Spouse social security number, birth date, marital status, and date of status
• Spouse StudentAid.gov username and password if the tax return was filed separate from student

Am I an Independent or Dependent Student?

 Your answers to questions on the FAFSA form determine whether you are considered a dependent or independent student.  If you answer yes to one or more of the following questions, you are independent.  If you answer no to all of the following questions, you are dependent.

• Were you born before January 1, 2001?
• As of today, are you married? (answer No if you are separated)
• For 2024-2025, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate degree?
• Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces for purposes other than training?
• Are you a veteran of the U.S. armed forces?
• Do you have children or other people who live with you (other than spouse) for whom you provide more than 50% support now and between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025?
• At any time since you turned 13, were you an orphan?
• At any time since you turned 13, were you a ward of the court?
• At any time since you turned 13, were you in foster care?
• Are you a legally emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• Are you in legal guardianship (not custody) with someone other than your parent as determined by a court in your state of residence?
• At any time on or after July 1, 2023, were you unaccompanied and either (1) homeless or (2) self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?

If an unusual circumstance prevents a Dependent Student from providing contributor information for a parent/stepparent, the student can be considered provisionally independent. To complete this process and move to fully independent, the student must complete the Unusual Circumstance Appeal Form available through the FA Online Forms Portal. A financial aid administrator will make a documented determination of independence after reviewing the unusual circumstance documentation submitted.

When should I apply? Apply as early as possible each year. The FAFSA is usually available on October 1 for the following academic year. May 1 is the annual priority date established by Sinclair. If students submit the FAFSA after the priority date, they may be required to pay up-front for tuition and books. If students receive a financial aid offer after they have paid tuition, Sinclair can arrange for students to be reimbursed up to the amount of the offer that is disbursed to the students’ accounts.

Some scholarships will require additional applications. Scholarship applications are available online at www.sinclair.edu/scholarships. The dates for these applications are as follows:

• Fall Term scholarship applications are available from June 1 to June 30
• Spring Term scholarship applications are available from November 1 to November 30
• Summer Term scholarship applications are available from March 1 to March 31

The financial aid process can take four to six weeks to complete, depending on individual circumstances and the student’s response to Sinclair’s request for verification documents.  Please plan accordingly.

Communication with Financial Aid & Scholarships Office

The Financial Aid & Scholarships office at Sinclair helps students meet their educational expenses. Sinclair will make every effort to help students meet the difference between college costs and the amount the family is able to pay. All aid offers are made on a non-discriminatory basis.

1. The Financial Aid & Scholarships office communicates with students about their FAFSA application status through their Sinclair.edu student email account. When the student’s financial aid offer has been determined, an aid offer notification will be sent via email. Students should check their sinclair.edu email and Financial Aid Portal information regularly.
2. Questions? For information, call, write, or personally visit the office:

• Call Sinclair’s Welcome Center: (937) 512-3000 or (800) 315-3000
• Email welcomecenter@sinclair.edu from student’s Sinclair.edu email account.
• Send a letter to: Financial Aid & Scholarships, Sinclair Community College, 444 West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402-1460.
• Visit the Dayton Campus Welcome Center, Building 10, First Floor, to speak with a Welcome Center representative.
• Students can also visit a Sinclair regional location for assistance.

Note: No information regarding student’s financial aid records will be provided to anyone but the student without the student’s written permission. See a financial aid representative at any campus location to complete the Authorization for the Release of Student Information (FERPA Release).

Federal Financial Aid

* A student can receive the Pell Grant only up to 12 full-time semesters or the equivalent.

** Lifetime Direct Loan Limits: Dependent - $31,000 with no more than $23,000 in subsidized; Independent - $57,500 with no more than $23,000 in subsidized.

*** Dependent students whose parents are unable to obtain a PLUS Loan due to denied credit decision may be eligible for additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Parents may also choose to obtain a credit worthy endorser. Special loan counseling is required for qualifying PLUS loan applicants who have adverse credit history as defined by the regulations.

All students using federal aid are subject to federal aid guidelines. The most up to date policies are available at www.sinclair.edu/services/welcome-center/finaid

All federal loans must be repaid. Repayment begins six (6) months after a student’s enrollment drops below six (6) credit hours, including students attending part-time, graduating, and withdrawing. Additional information regarding loan repayment and required exit counseling is available at: www.sinclair.edu/services/welcome-center/finaid

Important Note: Federal Aid received at another institution may affect the amount of aid a student is eligible for at Sinclair and it is the responsibility of the student to only accept aid for which he or she is eligible with regard to annual limits. Students should contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships office with any questions concerning aid amounts and eligibility.

Financial Aid Add/Drop Census Date Policy-Dropping, Adding, or Withdrawing from Courses

Typically, the initial calculation of Federal Pell Grants are prepared based on anticipated full-time enrollment each term. Sinclair recalculates Federal Pell Grant awards based on attendance and/or schedule adjustments up to the student census date. After the student census date, a student’s Federal Pell Grant will not be adjusted for drops or adds even if the student has been attending class. However, if the student fails to complete all of his or her scheduled courses in the term, a Return of Title IV Funds calculation is required, and an adjustment may be made by Sinclair.

Federal Pell Grant awards will be based on the number of credit hours in which a student is enrolled as of the student census date. If a student withdraws from or drops all of his or her courses on the same date, then the student census date will be the latest census date for the course(s) they dropped with record. Students are strongly encouraged to finalize their course schedule no later than the start of the term. 

Financial Aid Repeat Coursework Policy

Students may receive federal financial aid funding for one (1) repetition of a course successfully completed. The repeated class may be counted towards a student’s enrollment status and the student may be awarded Title IV aid for the enrollment status based on the inclusion of the class.

Grades of A, B, C, D, Y, P and S are considered course credit hours successfully completed. Grades of W, F, U, I, IP, N and Z are considered course credit hours not successfully completed.

Students should be aware that for Satisfactory Academic Progress, all coursework attempted counts toward GPA, PACE of completion and maximum timeframe hours used to determine eligibility for federal financial aid. To see the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, you mayvisit: www.sinclair.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress. 

Students taking repeated courses should consult with the Financial Aid & Scholarships office prior to registration to ensure repeated courses are counted appropriately for financial aid eligibility. In addition, a student may need to provide documentation from the department chairperson of their valid active program regarding the need to repeat courses.

A possible exception exists for coursework with the same department name, course number and title but whose content varies by term and is required to complete the student’s current active program. All exceptions will require the student to complete and submit a Repeat Coursework Appeal, which is available online at www.sinclair.edu/finaid or any Sinclair location.

Examples of repeated coursework include the following scenarios:

• A student is enrolled in 12 credit hours which includes a 3 credit hour course that the student passed and is repeating. The student withdraws from the course before the last day to withdraw with a full refund (withdrawals without record). The next term, the student is again registered for 12 credit hours and repeats the same 3 credit course. Twelve credits will count for financial aid eligibility.
• A student is enrolled in 15 credit hours, which includes a 3 credit hour course that the student previously passed and is repeating. The student is enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours which are not repeats, therefore, student’s financial aid eligibility will not be impacted by the repeated course.
• A student is enrolled in 15 credit hours which includes 3 credits repeating a course not yet passed. Since the student has never passed the course, the student’s financial aid eligibility is not impacted by the repeat.
• A student is registered for 12 credit hours which includes a 3 credit hour course that have been previously taken two times with grades of D and F respectively. Since the student has already taken the course one time since it was passed, he cannot receive federal aid for the second repeat of the course even though an F was earned. Only 9 credits will count for financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Student Attendance Policy

Federal regulations require that the Financial Aid & Scholarships office establish an attendance policy to govern a student’s eligibility to receive federal student aid for a given semester.  The Sinclair policy requires the Financial Aid & Scholarships office to verify that students establish attendance through academic engagement during the first 14 days of the following terms to receive federal financial aid:

•  Full Term
• A Term
• 12 Week Term
• B Term

Attendance is verified for flex sections by the final grade earned for that course. Flex sections are defined as sections that are not full-term, A, B, or the 12-Week term. Unearned grades are a grade of “Z” which equates to a student never attending, “W”, and a “U” or “F” with a last date of attendance.

Sinclair allows instructors to establish an academic attendance policy for each course they teach, which may be different from the Financial Aid Student Attendance Policy. Federal student aid is based on the Financial Aid Student Attendance Policy even if the academic attendance policy reports a different result.

Federal Pell Grant and Federal SEOG must be adjusted for students who have not established attendance in all courses through the first 14 days of the class, or in accordance with the provision for extenuating circumstances described below. Federal Direct Loans may be adjusted for students who have not established attendance in one or more classes.  Per federal regulations, Direct Loans must be removed completely if students do not establish attendance in at least one class. Students reported as non-attending are typically not withdrawn from the course.

Academic Policy Exceptions

There are exceptions to the Financial Aid Student Attendance Policy because of directives from outside entities. 

The Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC) requires attendance to be taken for all Prison Education Programs (PEP).   Our current policy determines that attendance must be established within 14 days of the first day of class.  Per the ODRC policy, we will extend this timeframe to 15 days for all PEP programs.  If the student does not begin attendance in all registered classes, the Pell Grant must be recalculated based on the student’s revised enrollment status.

The Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTA) also requires attendance to be taken for the Criminal Justice Training/Police Academy.  There are no issues with our current policy that attendance must be established within 14 days of the start of class.

The Financial Aid & Scholarships office must be notified as soon as possible by representatives from the Advanced Job Training Office (AJT) for PEP programs and from the Criminal Justice Department for the Police Academy if a student stops attending, but no later than 14 days after the student’s last date of attendance.  There are limited exceptions to the 14-day rule such as a natural disaster or the instructor has an unusual circumstance that kept them from taking and reporting attendance within a timely manner.  Per Volume 5 of the Federal Student Aid Handbook, the school is expected to have determined whether the student intends to return to classes or to withdraw after 14 days. If the student is eventually determined to have withdrawn, the end of the 14-day period begins the timeframe for completing a Return of Title IV (R2T4) calculation.

Academic Engagement

Academic Engagement includes but is not limited to:

• Physically attending a class where there is an opportunity for direct interaction between the instructor and students
• Submitting an academic assignment
• Taking an exam, an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction
• Attending a study group assigned by the school
• Participating in an online discussion about academic matters and 
• Initiating contact with a faculty member to ask a question about the academic subject studied in the course.

The definition of academic engagement does not include activities where a student may be present, but not academically engaged, such as:

• Participating in a student-organized study group
• Logging into an online class without active participation or
• Participating in academic counseling or advising.

A student’s self-certification alone is not sufficient documentation of attendance in an academically related activity; it must be supported by institutional documentation of the student’s attendance in the activity.

Attendance Reporting Change Request (Attendance Appeal)

If a student was reported as non-attending in error, it is the student’s responsibility to request their instructor to submit an electronic attendance appeal to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. In a case where the student attended the wrong section of a class, the instructor with whom the student established attendance must submit an attendance appeal form with the date the student established attendance in his/her section. The instructor of the correct section must also submit an attendance appeal with the date the student established attendance in his/her section. The electronic appeal form is available to instructors on Forms Central, accessed through the Sinclair portal.

Students Who Attended Within the First 14 Days of the Course

The instructor submits the appeal with the first date the student attended the course. The Financial Aid & Scholarships office reviews the student’s financial aid award based on the date the instructor reported the student first attended the course.

Students Who Did Not Attend Within the First 14 Days of the Course Due to Extenuating Circumstances

The instructor submits the appeal with the first date the student attended the course and enters a brief explanation of his/her knowledge of the student’s circumstance. The Financial Aid & Scholarships office notifies the student of the next steps via Sinclair email (See Extenuating Circumstances section for examples of acceptable documentation).

Extenuating Circumstances

The Financial Aid & Scholarships office considers the following extenuating circumstances to allow students to establish attendance after the 14th day of the course. The documentation provided must correspond to the attendance taking period for which the student is submitting the appeal:

• Severe illness preventing him or her from attending all classes during the first 14 days of the course and he or she provided documentation from a medical doctor or hospital, and a financial aid staff member agrees that attendance in the first 14 days of the course was not possible, or;
• Death of a close family member and provides a copy of the death certificate or obituary referencing the student’s name in relationship to the deceased, or;
• Campus closure (inclement weather or an act of God) causing the student to miss classes, and in addition, the student documents the extenuating circumstances preventing him or her from establishing attendance during the remainder of the 14 day period, or;
• Attended the wrong section of the course or changed sections but established attendance during the first 14 days of the course in that section as evidenced by the instructor for that course, even though the student was not registered in that course at the time attendance was verified, or;
• The instructor ceased teaching the course or is no longer available to submit the attendance appeal form (for example due to death, medical illness or disability, relocating out of state, etc.) and the student has been regularly attending the courses, or;
• Other documented extenuating circumstances that a financial aid staff member determines through the use of professional judgment.

Technology Errors

If a technical error occurs during the attendance reporting submission or college error prevented accurate attendance reporting, attendance verification may be updated without an attendance appeal if the instructor provides the course roster and documentation of the error to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. The director of Financial Aid & Scholarships determines if an attendance appeal exception can be approved.

Attendance Reporting Change Request Review Timeline

Attendance Reporting Change Request decisions can take up to 10 business days. Students are notified of the request decision through their Sinclair.edu email account. All request decisions are final. Attendance Reporting Change Requests for Fall and Spring Semesters must be submitted within 30 days after the end of the term for which they are appealing. Attendance Reporting Change Request for Summer must be submitted within 15 days after the semester ends. Any appeals received after the deadline for each semester will be reviewed by a Financial Aid Manager on a case-by-case basis. Note: Processing deadlines may impact Federal Direct Loan eligibility for students with requests approved after the semester ends. Contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships office for more information.

Reporting Earned Grades

Students who earned grades in a course previously reported by the instructor as non-attending may contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships office within 30 days after the semester ends to review federal aid eligibility for the completed course. Students may report grades earned for courses completed during Summer Semester to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office within 15 days after the semester ends. In some cases, attendance may be updated through other Financial Aid Processes such as Return to Title IV or Packaging if conflicting information exists.  Any requests received after the deadline for each semester will be reviewed by a Financial Aid Manager on a case-by-case basis. Note: Processing deadlines may impact Federal Direct Loan eligibility for students with requests approved after the semester ends. Contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships office for more information.

Note: Where days are addressed, Financial Aid & Scholarships office uses calendar days. 

Remedial Coursework Policy

Remedial coursework prepares a student for study at the postsecondary level. According to Federal regulations, a student may receive Federal financial aid for up to 30 credit hours of remedial coursework. Remedial coursework includes most DEV (with the exception of those listed below), ACA, BIT, and EXL courses. Remedial coursework also includes prerequisite courses that are not required for a student’s program of study, for example MAT 0200 . A course will be excluded from the determination of a student’s Federal financial aid if the total remedial credit hours, with the course included, exceeds 30 credit hours.

Remedial coursework content must be at least high school level. If a remedial course’s content is below the high school level, the course cannot be included to determine federal financial aid eligibility, and will not count toward the 30 credit hour remedial coursework limit because it does not meet the definition of remedial. At Sinclair, MAT 0050  is the only course that does not meet content standards.

Results of Financial Aid Application

If eligible for federal financial aid, Financial Aid Offers are sent to the student Sinclair.edu email account beginning in the spring for courses starting Fall 2024. The following offers must be accepted before funds will be available:

• Federal Direct Loans
• Federal Work Study

Visit your Financial Aid Portal to review your offers. If you believe the offer does not fully represent your current financial situation, you can request an appointment with a Financial Aid & Scholarships representative to discuss your options.  For information about how to schedule an appointment or for any additional questions, email finaid@sinclair.edu.

If your financial aid package includes Federal Direct Loans, you may accept or decline them on the Financial Aid Portal. The amount you have been offered may not be your full eligibility per the annual loan limit regulations.  To view annual limits, go to Sinclair’s Federal Direct Loan webpage. It is possible to request more loan funds at the time that you accept the loan, but it will be reviewed by a Financial Aid & Scholarship representative to ensure you are eligible.  You can also request additional loan funds at a later time by completing a Change of Award Form on the FA Online Forms Portal.  If you accept loans, visit StudentAid.gov to complete your loan requirements listed below:

• Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note MPN)
• Entrance Counseling

New student loan borrowers must complete Entrance Counseling before receiving a Federal Direct Loan. New student and parent Federal Direct Loan borrowers must complete a Loan Agreement (MPN) prior to receiving a Federal Direct Loan, which is valid for 10 years. First-year (less than 30 credit hours), first-time borrowers are subject to a 30-day waiting period after the start of the semester, before their loans will be disbursed

Payment of Aid: Students’ financial aid will first be credited toward payment of tuition and fees, and then for books or other educationally related expenses. Look for the amount of aid on your term statement after you have registered for classes each term.  Any federal funds over and above tuition, fees, and books, will be refunded to the student.  For Parent PLUS Loans, the parent will receive the refund unless they indicate the refund can be sent to the student. Be sure to set up your BankMobile preference for receiving refunds via direct deposit or a check mailed to the address on file with Sinclair. For more information refunds, review the Refund Policy on the Bursar webpage.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy

Process Overview and Responsibilities

Federal regulations require students receiving federal student financial aid to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward the completion of a federal aid eligible program. The following sources of federal student aid may be awarded, if a student qualifies:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Work Study
• Federal Direct Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized)
• Federal Direct PLUS Loan (parents of dependent students only)

The Financial Aid SAP Policy evaluates qualitative and quantitative components to determine federal financial aid eligibility at the end of each semester. Failure to meet both requirements results in financial aid warning status for the following semester of enrollment, if the SAP status was satisfactory in the prior semester of enrollment. If the student does not meet the SAP requirements after the warning semester, federal aid is suspended for subsequent semesters. The student may appeal for reconsideration if an extenuating circumstance prevented successful completion of the semesters in which the requirements were not met.

The Financial Aid SAP Policy applies consistently to all categories of students who have a FAFSA on file, regardless of enrollment status, program of study, or any other category of student.

“Same as or Stricter” than Requirement

Sinclair’s Financial Aid SAP Policy and Academic Progress Policy each require students maintain a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) greater than or equal to 2.0. The Academic Progress Policy applies to all students, including non-federal financial aid recipients, to ensure students meet the required 2.0 graduation requirement upon program completion.

The Financial Aid SAP Policy evaluates quantitative measures (pace of completion and maximum timeframe) to ensure students can graduate within the maximum number of credit hours required for their program of study. The Academic Progress Policy does not evaluate quantitative measures to determine satisfactory academic progress. Additionally, the Financial Aid SAP Policy imposes stricter consequences for failing to meet the requirements (see below). Therefore, the Financial Aid SAP Policy is stricter than the Academic Progress Policy.

Qualitative Measure

Students must maintain a fixed, cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 when the SAP evaluation is completed after each semester of enrollment. The financial aid GPA is computed by dividing the total number of grade points by the total credit hours in which grades were earned at Sinclair. The GPA calculation is based on grades reported by faculty to the Registration & Student Records office. Financial Aid staff initiate the SAP evaluation each semester, which systematically determines if the GPA requirement is met.

Quantitative Measure

Pace of Completion (Pace) is the quantitative measures used to evaluate students’ progress through their program of study.

The Pace component requires students to receive a passing grade in 66.67% of the total credit hours attempted to ensure students will complete within the maximum timeframe established for their program. The Pace component is evaluated at the end of each semester by dividing the total number of completed credit hours by the total number of attempted credit hours. The Pace component evaluates the percentage, not the number, of successfully completed classes, which allows students flexibility in their enrollment statuses.

Maximum Timeframe Requirement

The MTF component requires students to complete their active program of study within 150% of the published program credit hours. Maximum Timeframe is calculated by multiplying the published program credit hours by 150%. Students with unsatisfactory SAP status due to maximum timeframe are ineligible for financial aid warning, although financial aid probation status may be assigned if the student successfully appeals.

Pace

Students must receive a passing grade in 66.67% of the total credit hours attempted to ensure program completion within 150% of the published program credit hours (MTF). The Pace component is evaluated at the end of each semester by dividing the completed credit hours by the total number of attempted credit hours. The Pace component evaluates the percentage, not the number, of successfully completed classes, which allows students flexibility in their enrollment statuses.

Frequency of Evaluation

The Financial Aid SAP Standards are evaluated at the end of each payment period (Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters) for students who were enrolled for the semester and for whom Sinclair has received a FAFSA.

Note: An intersession course is combined with the following payment period. Credit hours attempted during intersessions are included in following payment period’s SAP evaluation.

Students may be reviewed outside of the evaluation period on a case-by-case basis as determined by a Financial Aid Officer or Manager.  Students will also be reviewed when a FAFSA is received to determine if they are meeting the SAP Standards prior to federal aid disbursing for the first time.

Students on financial aid probation and identified as not meeting academic plan requirements before the end of semester evaluation are notified of their option to appeal. Any such evaluation does not replace the official end of term evaluation completed for all applicable students.

SAP Status Notification

Students are emailed when their financial aid eligibility has changed due to the end of term SAP review. The notification is sent via Sinclair.edu email by the Friday after the last date of the semester.

Financial Aid Warning

Financial Aid Warning status is assigned for one semester of enrollment following an unsuccessful GPA and/or Pace evaluation. This status may be assigned if a student’s prior SAP status was Financial Aid Satisfactory (or its equivalent).

The student must meet the minimum cumulative GPA and Pace requirements at the evaluation for the warning semester to continue federal financial aid eligibility. If the requirements are not met, the student’s federal financial aid is denied until regaining eligibility by meeting the requirements through completed coursework, or by successfully appealing for reconsideration of federal financial aid eligibility.

There is no limit to the number of times a student may be placed on a Financial Aid Warning status. However, no Financial Aid Warning status may be assigned to consecutive terms of enrollment, i.e., the student must be in a Financial Aid Satisfactory status (or its equivalent) the term prior to being assigned to a Financial Aid Warning status. 

There is no Financial Aid Warning status for MTF status. Students receive an alert when 24 credit hours of eligibility remain and again when 12 credit hours remain for maximum credit hours attempted.

SAP Appeal Process

Students may appeal federal financial aid suspension if extenuating circumstances prevented academic progress during the semester(s) of unsatisfactory SAP status. Students who are not meeting SAP after the end of term evaluation are notified of their financial aid suspension and the appeal process via their Sinclair.edu email. 

The SAP appeal must be submitted to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office for review by the SAP Review Committee.  If the student is enrolled and wants to have the appeal considered for the current payment period, the appeal must be received by the B term census date.  Otherwise, probation will begin the next payment period for which the student enrolls.

The appeal must include the items listed below for initial consideration. Incomplete appeals will be rejected. The SAP Review Committee may request additional documentation or clarification if the documentation provided does not support the timeline or circumstances of the appeal.

SAP Appeal Requirements

• SAP Appeal Form
• Academic Plan Calculation Form completed by their Academic Advisor
• Personal statement addressing the extenuating circumstances that contributed to unsatisfactory academic progress during the corresponding semester(s) in which GPA/SAP requirements were not met
• Statement addressing how circumstances have changed to achieve satisfactory academic progress in the future
• Third party statements must be unbiased documentation of the extenuating circumstances. Letters from individuals must be signed, and professional statements must be signed on company letterhead.
• Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, illness, accident, grievous personal loss, employment change or relocation, or other circumstances beyond the student’s control. The following are examples of third-party documentation:
  • Obituaries or death certificates
  • Physician statements verifying extenuating circumstance described in the student’s statement
  • Written statement from college staff supporting the student’s statement
• Extenuating circumstances do not include, for example, a dislike of an instructor or mode of instruction or a circumstance for which a previous appeal was approved
• Submit SAP Appeal Form through FA Online forms.

Academic Plan Calculation Form

Contact your Academic Advisor to initiate this form. Both the student and Academic Advisor must electronically sign the form to confirm and acknowledge how many credit hours away from certificate/degree completion the student is. This must be uploaded with the appeal and is used to create the academic plan used for the probationary period if appeal is approved. 

SAP Appeal Decision Notification

Appeal decisions are sent via Sinclair.edu email typically within 7-10 days after the appeal is submitted if the Review Committee was able to make a determination.

Financial Aid Probation Status

Financial Aid Probation status is assigned when a student successfully appeals a Financial Aid Unsatisfactory or Financial Aid Maximum Time Frame status. The student is assigned an academic plan that defines the requirements to maintain federal aid eligibility for each semester of enrollment. If the academic plan requirements are not met, the student’s federal aid is denied until either regaining eligibility by meeting the requirements through completed coursework, or by successfully appealing for reconsideration of federal financial aid eligibility.

The Academic Advisor and student develop the academic plan to define the probationary period for each student. Successful completion of the academic plan results in program completion or Financial Aid Satisfactory status and continued aid eligibility.

A student may file an SAP appeal to regain federal aid eligibility. The SAP appeal may be approved if the student documents extenuating circumstances during the probationary semester. These must be different than the extenuating circumstance from previous semesters.

Academic Plan Calculation

Students with an approved appeal are placed on a Financial Aid Academic Plan as a condition of Financial Aid Probation. This plan is calculated based on remaining credit hours needed for the active program completion, which the academic advisor certifies on the Financial Aid Academic Plan Calculation Form and the student submits with the SAP appeal. Financial aid staff evaluate the program and cumulative GPA to determine if institutional graduation requirements can be achieved within the remaining program credit hours.

The academic plan includes the required GPA and Pace for each semester of enrollment to maintain federal financial aid eligibility. The academic plan states the first semester of federal aid eligibility authorized by the approved appeal, and each subsequent semester. The active program of study for which the appeal was approved is the only program authorized by the academic plan. If a student on financial aid probation changes programs, federal financial aid is suspended at the end of semester evaluation. The student may re-appeal based on the new program of study.

Revised Academic Plans

A revised Financial Aid Academic Plan Calculation Form may be submitted due to change in required courses or other necessary changes, such as admission to a limited enrollment Health Sciences Degree program. This must be completed and signed by the academic advisor and student. Revised calculation forms are reviewed by Financial Aid Officers on a case-by-case basis. It’s possible some revisions could result in suspension at the end of semester evaluation.

Academic Plan Evaluation

Academic plans are reviewed at the end of semester SAP evaluation. The evaluation first assesses satisfactory status of the cumulative qualitative and quantitative SAP components. If the cumulative standards are satisfactory, the financial aid status is Satisfactory, and the student is no longer monitored under the terms of the academic plan. If the student does not meet the cumulative standards but meets the academic plan requirements for the semester, the student remains in financial aid probation status and retains federal financial aid eligibility. If cumulative and academic plan standards are unsatisfactory, federal financial aid is suspended for future semesters. Students may appeal to regain their eligibility if they have a different extenuating circumstance for which the prior appeal was approved.

Academic Plan Notification

The financial aid academic plan is sent via Sinclair.edu email.

Regaining Eligibility

Students who are ineligible to receive federal financial aid due to unsatisfactory SAP status and did not file a successful appeal will be evaluated at the end of the next semester of enrollment if Sinclair has received a FAFSA for the corresponding year. If the cumulative SAP requirements are met, federal financial aid eligibility will be reinstated. Federal financial aid cannot be paid retroactively for a semester during which a student was ineligible to receive federal financial aid.

There is no limit to the number of appeals a student may submit; however, if choosing to re-appeal a previously rejected appeal, documentation not included in prior appeals is necessary for re-consideration, and approval is not guaranteed. For example, documentation of successful completion of college level courses since the previous rejection could be submitted to demonstrate academic progress.

If a student has had multiple approved SAP appeals, a manager may review future appeals and may require a meeting between the student and appropriate Sinclair staff based on the student’s situation to discuss terms of FA probation. 

Grade Definitions and Treatment in SAP Calculation

Institutional credit hours include college level, developmental (DEV, ACA, and EXL subject codes), and English as a Second Language (ESL subject code).

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit hours accepted from other institutions are included in both the attempted and completed credit hours calculation for Pace and MTF, but not in cumulative GPA.

Repeat Coursework

All course attempts are calculated in the pace of completion and maximum timeframe. The financial aid SAP policy abides by the College’s academic policy regarding the treatment of repeated courses and the placement of grades in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. See the complete Academic Repeat Coursework Policy for additional information. 

Dropped Courses

Attempted credits include all courses in which a student remains enrolled beyond the last day of the add/ drop period of the course, whether the student began attending or not. Courses in which the student drops after the add/drop period are given a grade of “W.” 

Fresh Start

The College’s academic amnesty policy is superseded by the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress policy when calculating the SAP status to determine financial aid eligibility.

Treatment of Remedial and English as a Second Language Courses

Remedial (Developmental) and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are included in attempted and completed hours in the Pace and MTF end of semester SAP evaluations. If a grade of pass or fail is received in a remedial or ESL course, a passing grade is calculated as a 2.0 in the financial aid GPA and a failing grade is calculated as zero.

Treatment of Consortium, Change of Major, Second Degree, and Second Major Courses 

Consortium Agreement Grades

Grades received through a consortium or contractual agreements are not included in the end of term GPA calculation. Consortium grades are included in the Pace and MTF end of term SAP calculations as attempted and completed credit hours if a passing grade was earned.

Single Program of Study Requirements

Students may not be enrolled in multiple academic programs concurrently to register for classes. If the student was granted an exception to this policy and has more than one active program of study, the active, highest-credential program with the most recent start date will be evaluated for satisfactory academic progress. The SAP standards will include all Sinclair credits and grades and transfer credits.

 A student must be enrolled in a federal financial aid eligible program before the GPA, Pace or MTF SAP calculation occurs. The student is assigned the SAP status of ineligible program (IEP) until an eligible program is declared. Federal aid ineligible programs include, but are not limited to Ohio Transfer 36, SCC graduate, and non-degree programs with program code ending in ND. Additionally, many certificates are ineligible until approved by the U.S. Department of Education, and some programs are permanently ineligible for federal financial aid. Students should contact an Academic Advisor for information on program federal aid eligibility.

Second Degree or Certificate

Second or subsequent degrees or certificates after graduating from a Sinclair program are permitted under the Financial Aid SAP Policy but are subject to the SAP evaluation requirements. There is no limit to the number of programs a student may complete, and receive federal financial aid, if eligible. If federal aid is suspended due to the SAP evaluation, the student has the option to appeal as described in the Financial Aid SAP Policy.

Change of Major

Changes of major are permitted if the student meets the SAP evaluation requirements. Students who have changed their major and have federal aid subsequently suspended may appeal in accordance with the SAP Appeal Policy. If the student is on financial aid probation and later changes their major, this may result in federal financial aid suspension at the end of term evaluation.

Policy Review

The Financial Aid SAP Policy is reviewed by the Financial Aid & Scholarships leadership staff and approved by the Director of Financial Aid & Scholarships at least annually. The online catalog and website policies are updated if policy changes occur after the annual review. In addition to the Sinclair Online Course Catalog, students may also access the SAP Policy on Sinclair’s Financial Aid & Scholarships website or obtain a copy in person at the Financial Aid & Scholarships office located in Dayton Campus Welcome Center.

Scholarships

Sinclair Community College offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for students.

Sinclair’s institutional scholarships include need-based and merit-based awards to new and currently enrolled students ranging from $100-$5,000 per year. Typically, students must have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA; for the first semester, the GPA requirement is waived for new students. Students may be eligible for more than one institutional scholarship per academic year.

Competitive scholarships are also available to students on a departmental basis. Students should contact their department to determine if scholarships are offered for their department.

High School Merit Scholarships - These scholarships are offered each year to high school seniors planning to enroll at Sinclair in the Fall semester after graduation. They range in amount from $2,000 - $3,000 per year and include the following awards for Montgomery County residents: Presidential Scholarship (3.5 minimum high school GPA required) and the Virginia McNeal Scholarship (3.0 minimum high school GPA required). A Regional Scholarship is offered to non-Montgomery County residents (3.0 minimum high school GPA required). Further information regarding those scholarships can be found at www.sinclair.edu/scholarships

Foundation Scholarships - The Sinclair Foundation annually funds scholarships through endowment earnings and cash gifts to the college. Scholarships are available to currently enrolled Sinclair students, graduating high school seniors, and adults entering college for the first time. Students with enough Pell Grant and other grants to cover tuition, books and fees are typically not considered for these scholarships.

External Scholarships–Several scholarships are awarded by agencies, clubs and organizations outside of Sinclair. Students are encouraged to periodically check the External Scholarship Resources and other scholarship resources link on the web at www.sinclair.edu/scholarships

Visit www.sinclair.edu/scholarships for additional scholarship information including application and selection details.

Student Private Loans

Sinclair provides information about private lenders who qualify to provide private loans to community college students who do not qualify for federal loan programs or who need additional financial assistance to meet educational expenses.

The yearly (or term) amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance minus other financial aid and resources. How to apply: Visit Sinclair’s FASTChoice link on the Financial Aid and Scholarships page for a list of private education loan lenders most used by Sinclair students.

These are student loans offered by private companies. They are not guaranteed by the Federal Government. Private loans are meant to help students cover education costs not met by other forms of financial aid. It is recommended that students take full advantage of all government loans available to them before considering a supplemental private loan.

Verification Process for Applicants Filing the FAFSA

Institutions are required to verify the accuracy of a student’s FAFSA to assure federal aid is awarded to those who are eligible. Approximately 20% of FAFSA applications are selected for verification each year. Sinclair may also select FAFSAs for full verification but will request additional documentation if there is conflicting information that requires resolution. Federal financial aid is not awarded until verification is completed or conflict is resolved.  If a student is selected for verification or a conflict occurs after federal financial aid is awarded, the aid will be placed on hold until verification or the conflict is resolved.

Students are notified they are selected for verification or have conflicting information that needs resolved via their Sinclair.edu email account. The email specifies the actions required by the applicant and if applicable, how to access FA Online Forms to complete the required documents. The student also receives a FAFSA processing email notification from U.S. Department of Education (ED) stating their FAFSA was processed, and a FAFSA Submission Summary was generated, which indicates their eligibility status and if they are selected for verification.

For the 2024-2025 award year the FAFSA information selected by ED that an institution, applicant and, if appropriate, the applicant’s parent(s) or spouse may be required to verify are:

• Adjusted Gross Income
• Income earned from work
• U.S. Income Tax Paid
• Untaxed Portions of Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Distributions
• Untaxed Portions of Pensions
• IRA Deductions and Payments
• Tax Exempt Interest Income
• Education Credits
• Foreign Income Exempt from Federal Taxation
• Family/Household Size
• Identity/Statement of Educational Purpose

Sinclair may select FAFSA items for verification beyond what is required by ED. If ED or Sinclair selects an applicant for verification under this policy, the applicant must complete the required actions specified or provide the requested documents/ information. Students may also review the list of required documents by logging into the Financial Aid Portal from my.sinclair.edu.  Applicants are advised to complete the required actions or submit copies of the requested documents within 14 days of the request made by the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. However, the Federal deadline for verification completion is the earlier of 120 days from the applicant’s last date of attendance or the federal deadline of September 16, 2025. This includes making any necessary corrections, submitting those corrections to the FAFSA Processing System, and receiving the new corrected FAFSA Submission Summary.

For the 2024-2025 award year, the tax information verified is for the tax year ending December 31, 2022.  If your financial situation changed since 2022 or if any other information reported on the FAFSA has changed since it was submitted, Sinclair may be able to review and possibly adjust the information to better reflect your household financial situation.  To be considered for this adjustment, you will need to complete the Special Circumstance — SAI Appeal Form on the FA Online Forms Portal and submit the requested documentation.

The following consequences occur for applicants who fail to complete verification in a timely manner:

• Applicants who do not complete verification within the required deadlines will not qualify for federal financial aid.
• No federal grant or loan funds will be disbursed.
• No federal financial aid loan will be originated.
• If a loan was originated prior to the notice of verification, any undisbursed monies will be returned to the ED.
• Student employment in a Federal Work Study job will be terminated.
• If federal grant funds were disbursed prior to being selected for verification and there was an overpayment, the monies must be returned to the appropriate federal grant programs.
• Refunds, if any, will not be available until verification is completed and corrections (if necessary) have been processed and received by Sinclair from the U.S. Department of Education.

Financial aid offers are based on the information provided on the applicant’s FAFSA. Federal need-based programs, such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), and the Federal Subsidized Direct Loan Programs have strict eligibility requirements. If the data reported on verification documents differs from the information reported on the applicant’s FAFSA, the applicant’s eligibility for funding from these programs may be affected.

If any credible information indicates that the applicant engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with their federal student aid application, Sinclair will report applicants to the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education after review.

Withdrawal & Return of Title IV Funds

Students earn federal financial aid by attending class (i.e., completing all scheduled days). Any unearned portion must be returned to the appropriate Title IV program. Federal law specifies how Sinclair must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from school. The Title IV programs offered by Sinclair that are covered by this law are: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Federal Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal PLUS Loans.

Calculating a Return of Title IV Funds When a Student Withdraws

When you withdraw during your payment period, the amount of Title IV program assistance that you have earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you received (or if Sinclair or your parent received on your behalf) less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by Sinclair and/or you to the U. S. Department of Education (ED). You will be responsible for repayment of the funds to Sinclair that it paid to ED on your behalf.

The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a prorated basis. The percentage of the period completed is determined by dividing the number of calendar days completed in the payment period, as of the day the student withdrew, by the total number of calendar days in the payment period. The number of calendar days includes all days within the payment period, except for institutionally scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days. The day the student withdrew is counted as a completed day. For example, if you completed 30% of your payment period, you earned 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of the payment period, you earn 100% of the assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period. That is, there are no unearned funds.

Withdrawing from a Course or all Classes May Affect a Student’s Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid who withdraw or stop attending, in most cases, will be required to return a portion of financial aid received. A student should submit an official withdrawal from classes to the Registration & Student Records office (RSR). Before withdrawing or stopping attendance in classes, the student should be aware of the proper procedure for withdrawing from classes and the consequences of withdrawing or stopping attendance. Official withdraw is the responsibility of the student. The Sinclair Official Withdrawal Policy is available online at: www.sinclair.edu/policies

Questions on Return of Title IV Funds may be addressed to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. Questions on withdrawal should be addressed with an Academic Advisor.

The Withdrawal Date

The withdrawal date used in the Return of Title IV calculation is the actual date the official drop is received by the Registration and Student Records office. If a student stops attending classes without notifying Sinclair, the withdrawal date will be the last date of recorded attendance at an academically related activity in a course for which attendance was established during the attendance verification period.

Post Withdrawal Disbursements

If you did not receive all funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. Sinclair will notify the student within 30 days of the date of determination of withdrawal concerning the post withdrawal disbursement.  If the post-withdrawal disbursement results in a credit balance, the credit balance will be returned to the student no later than 14 days from the date of disbursement.

If your post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, Sinclair must get your permission (or your parent’s permission for a Direct PLUS Loan) before it can disburse the funds. You (or your parent for a Direct PLUS Loan) may choose to decline some or all of the loan funds so that you do not incur additional debt. The student (or parent if a PLUS loan) must respond within 14 days of the date the post-withdrawal disbursement notification was sent. Entrance counseling must be completed before funds are disbursed. 

Sinclair may automatically use all or a portion of your post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition and fees and will apply those funds to your student account within 45 days of the date of determination of your withdrawal from Sinclair.  Sinclair needs your permission to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges.  If you do not give your permission (Sinclair may ask for this when you enroll or register), you will be offered the funds. However, it may be in your best interest to allow Sinclair to keep the funds to reduce your debt at the school. 

There may be some Title IV funds that you were scheduled to receive that cannot be disbursed to you once you withdraw because of other eligibility requirements. For example, if you are a first-time, first-year undergraduate student and you did not complete the first 30 days of your program before you withdrew, you will not receive any Direct Loan funds that you would have received had you remained enrolled past the 30th day.

Returning Unearned Federal Funds

If you receive (or if Sinclair or your parents receive on your behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, Sinclair must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of:

1. Your institutional charges multiplied by the unearned percentage of your funds, or
2. The entire amount of excess funds.

Sinclair will return Title IV funds in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan
2. Subsidized Direct Loan
3. Direct PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
6. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Act (FSEOG)

The required return of Title IV funds will be made to the Title IV programs within 45 calendar days of the date of determination of withdrawal.

In addition to returning unearned loan and grant funds due from the school to the Title IV program, Sinclair will return those excess unearned grant funds due from you to the Title IV program. You will be required to repay Sinclair for the student portion of the funds returned to the Title IV programs.

Any loan funds that you (or your parent for a Direct PLUS Loan) are eligible to keep must be repaid in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, you make scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time agreed upon by you (or your parent for a Direct PLUS loan).

Any amount of unearned grant funds that you must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant overpayment that you must repay is half of the grant funds you received or were scheduled to receive. You do not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. You must make arrangements with Sinclair to repay Sinclair the amount of the unearned grant funds paid on your behalf by the college.

The requirements for refunds and repayments of Title IV program funds when you withdraw are separate and different from any Sinclair refund policy. The institutional refund policy determines the amount of tuition and other charges owed the College and has no impact on the Return of Title IV funds calculation. Therefore, you may still owe funds to Sinclair to cover unpaid institutional charges. Sinclair may also charge you for any Title IV program funds that the school was required to return. Students are encouraged to review Sinclair’s refund of fees policy which can be found online at: www.sinclair.edu/ bursar-refund-policy or you may ask Sinclair for a copy of its refund policy.

If a credit balance exists on the student’s account after applying institutional refund policy and the R2T4 calculation, the institution will disburse the credit balance to the student no later than 14 days from the date the school performs the R2T4 calculation.

Sinclair can provide you with a copy of the requirements and procedures for an official academic withdrawal from courses or an administrative withdrawal or you can review it at: https://policies.sinclair.edu/policy/Official_Withdrawal_from_College_Policy

If you have questions about your Title IV program funds, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 4-FEDAID (800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the Web at: www.studentaid.gov

All information contained in the Withdrawal and Return of Title IV Funds Policy is subject to change based on changes to federal law, regulation, or Sinclair’s policy and procedure. If changes are made, students must abide by the new policy.  

Note: In many instances, the student will owe a balance to Sinclair based on the returns made by Sinclair to the U.S. Department of Education. Please contact the Sinclair Financial Aid & Scholarships office for additional information.