Frequently Asked Questions

We encourage both new and returning students to submit the FAFSA for consideration for financial aid as soon as you can. You can get started on completing the application here.

We understand the importance of reviewing your full financial aid package when choosing which college to attend, and we will continue working with your family to be as flexible as possible. In an effort to work around the delays currently being experienced we are asking admitted and returning students to do the following to receive your aid estimate from Rollins’ Financial Aid office as soon as possible.

For steps on obtaining an aid offer estimate visit: https://www.rollins.edu/scholarships-aid/fafsa/

When a financial aid recipient withdraws from a semester or unofficially withdraws by ceasing to attend classes, federal regulation requires a Return of Title IV Aid (R2T4) calculation to determine if any federal Title IV aid must be repaid. Federal Title IV aid includes Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Direct Loans, and PLUS loans.

The amount of federal Title IV aid to be repaid is calculated based on the percentage of time completed within a semester, which involves calculating the amount of Title IV aid earned by the student and the amount of institutional charges for that semester. Please contact us at finaid@rollins.edu prior to withdrawing in order to determine the impact on your financial aid.

When unearned federal Title IV funds are repaid, they are returned by the program and up to the disbursed amount for each program. Unearned federal Title IV aid will result in a reduction to each aid program in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Direct Loan
• Subsidized Direct Loan
• PLUS Loan
• Pell Grant
• SEOG

Additional reductions may be made to the Florida Student Assistance Grant, Effective Access to Education Grant (EASE), and Bright Futures according to state regulations.

You will be notified by mail no later than 45 days after the determination that you withdrew during the semester. Your notification will provide detailed information on the aid programs which were repaid. If the notification includes eligibility for a post-withdrawal disbursement, you will have fourteen days to respond to accept or decline the award. The return of these funds typically results in additional charges to your student account that is the student's responsibility to pay.

Withdrawing from the semester may impact future eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid. See the section on Satisfactory Academic Progress for specific information.

Federal, state, and institutional aid is awarded to students based on projected or actual enrollment. Subsequent monitoring is required to determine if the student remains eligible. If you drop courses after receiving federal, state, or institutional aid, you may be required to repay those funds and/or you may jeopardize your future financial aid eligibility. Prior to dropping any classes, please contact us at finaid@rollins.edu to request information on the impact to your financial aid.

In general, your Federal Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Effective Access to Education Grant, Florida Student Assistance Grant, and Rollins awards are based on your enrollment level at the end of the last day to drop a class without penalty (approximately two weeks after classes begin). If your enrollment level drops below full-time (at least 12 credit hours) on this date, your awards will be reduced and may be removed depending upon the requirements for the specific financial aid program. Please contact our office if your enrollment will be less than 12 credit hours.

Note to Bright Futures recipients: Your Bright Futures award will adjust all semester if you drop any course. The amount of your Bright Futures Award is dependent upon the number of credit hours you complete. If you drop any courses and are a Bright Futures recipient, please review your student account for your balance due as a result of the reduction to your Bright Futures award.

No matter what the immediate impact to your financial aid is, please keep in mind that dropping courses now may have an impact on your future financial aid eligibility. See the section on Satisfactory Academic Progress for specific information.

If you are a financial aid recipient you have certain rights and responsibilities:

You have the right to:

• Confidentiality - the privacy of your file is protected
• Appeal financial aid decisions about your application. Written appeals should be submitted to the Student Aid Appeals Committee in care of the Office of Financial Aid.
• Information about the terms and conditions of financial aid programs. This information is provided in the Rollins College Catalogue and in the Student Aid Award Notice enclosures.
• Inspect your education records and request amendment of those records, if you believe them to be inaccurate, by contacting the Dean of your program.
• File a complaint with the Department of Education if you believe your right to confidentiality has been compromised.
• Defer Direct Loan payments for Peace Corps or certain other types of volunteer service after you graduate.

You are responsible for:

• Submitting accurate applications and forms before the deadlines.
• Following instructions for application, renewal of aid, or resolving problems. Providing the Dean of Students Office with accurate permanent and local addresses and telephone numbers.
• Notifying the Office of Financial Aid if a change in your family financial situation occurs, or if you receive assistance from an outside source.
• Reading the provided information about the terms and conditions of all aid programs.
• Requesting special assistance when it is needed.
• Maintaining satisfactory academic progress according to the policies established for financial aid recipients.

In order to receive financial aid at Rollins, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). These standards apply to federal, state, and institutional need-based aid; however, merit-based scholarships (including Bright Futures and Rollins Scholarships) may require higher renewal criteria.

SAP Monitoring

The Office of Financial Aid monitors SAP annually at the end of each spring term. Notifications are mailed and emailed to students who are not meeting SAP any later than June 1st each year. You may also view your status from MyRollins.

Qualitative Standards

GRADE-POINT-AVERAGE: Undergraduate students must successfully achieve a cumulative 2.0 GPA and graduate students must successfully achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Courses that are taken outside of Rollins (with the exception of Rollins affiliated study abroad courses) do not count towards your Rollins cumulative GPA.

Quantitative Standards

COMPLETION RATE: Students must successfully complete 67% of coursework in order to meet SAP standards (defined as completion rate or pace). Transfer hours accepted into Rollins count as both hours attempted and hours completed. Incompletes and withdrawal grades count as attempted hours, but not toward completed hours.

Completed Hours / Attempted Hours = Completion Rate

Please note: if you have transfer hours, add the accepted transfer hours to Earned Hours and Attempted Hours in the calculation.

Example: If Student A attempted 20 credit hours in the fall and completed 12 credits plus attempted 15 credit hours in the spring and completed 8, then the completion rate would be 57% (20 completed hours divided by 35 attempted hours). In this example, Student A would not meet the Completion Rate SAP standard.

MAXIMUM TIMEFRAME: Students must complete degree requirements within 150% of the published semester hour length of the academic program. Undergraduate degree requirements are 140 credit hours and, therefore, the maximum degree completion time frame is defined as 210 credit hours attempted.

Financial Aid Suspension

Students must meet all of the Qualitative and Quantitative Standards as outlined above in order to receive financial aid. If you do not meet one or more SAP requirements, a letter will be mailed to your permanent address on file as well as an email to your Rollins account. A notification in your Foxlink account will also appear.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid Eligibility

What Happens: If your GPA is less than a 2.0
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your GPA to at least a 2.0 or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.

What Happens: If you do not have an overall completion rate of 67% or higher
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your completion rate to least 67% or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.

What Happens: If both your GPA is less than a 2.0 and your overall completion rate is less than 67%
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: Raise your GPA to at least a 2.0 and your completion rate to at least 67% or appeal if you have mitigating circumstances.

What Happens: If you attempt over 150% of your program of study (major)
Your Financial Aid Status: Suspended. You are not eligible for financial aid.
What You Need To Do: you can appeal one time if you have mitigating circumstances.

1. If you successfully complete coursework that improves your Rollins GPA and/or completion rate, please notify the Office of Financial Aid once grades are available. As noted earlier, you are evaluated on an annual basis. However, you may request an SAP review at the end of any semester of enrollment. Please note that if approved, need-based grants and scholarships may only be reinstated for the upcoming semester. Loans may be available for the entire academic year.

2. You may submit an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid. Information on how to submit an appeal will be provided in the email and letter notification. Download Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Instructions (PDF).

• Please provide a typed personal statement explaining the mitigating circumstances and what actions you are taking to ensure future academic progress.
• Provide any relevant documentation to support your appeal.
• If approved, you will be placed on financial aid probation for the upcoming semesters. Your SAP probation letter will outline the requirements needed to continue receiving financial aid in subsequent semesters.

SAP Appeal Reviews

The committee will review your appeal within 10-15 business days after receipt of your completed appeal form and the required documentation. Decisions are made after a careful review of your circumstances, federal regulations, and Rollins guidelines. You will be notified of the outcome via your Rollins email account. Regularly monitor your Rollins email for additional information.

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee approval of aid eligibility. As such, the earlier you submit your appeal, the sooner you will know if your aid can be reinstated. Decisions are made after a careful evaluation of your unique circumstances, Federal Title IV regulations, and Rollins guidelines. You will be notified of the committee's decision via your Rollins email account. During this time, you will be responsible for any and all charges on your account (including late fees). We encourage appeals to be submitted no later than one month prior to the beginning of classes in order to receive a timely decision. You may submit an appeal after that time; however, you may not know the outcome of your appeal prior to the end of the 100% refund period which may result in charges.

Deadlines:

• Appeals should be submitted no later than one month prior to the beginning of classes.
• July 1st: appeals received after this date are not eligible for summer financial aid.
• November 1st: appeals received after this date are not eligible for fall financial aid.
• April 1st: appeals received after this date will not be reviewed for the current academic year.

Rollins Scholarships and Florida programs (Florida Student Assistance Grant, Effective Access to Education Grant, and Bright Futures) have separate renewal criteria. Contact financial aid to learn more.