Office of Student Financial Aid

Financial Aid Academic Status Notification: Maximum Hours

Dear $SUBSCRIBER.FIRSTNAME,

Based on United States Department of Education regulations, Illinois Student Assistance Commission rules, and University policy, students who apply and/or receive federal, state and most university aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress regardless of whether they have previously received aid. 

After grades were posted for the previous semester, your financial aid academic status has been updated to terminated for maximum hours. The U.S. Department of Education requires that a student must complete his or her degree program within 150% of the published program length of the program. A student is placed in termination status after exceeding 150% of the published program length.

Attempted hours include all SIUE courses as well as accepted transfer credit. Once a student has reached the maximum timeframe, he or she is ineligible for financial aid. 

What can I do if my financial aid is terminated for maximum hours? 

• Be Re-Evaluated for Maximum Hours
  • If there was a change if your program (additional required prerequisites added, etc.) your eligibility can be re-evaluated. A Request for Review must be completed in the Office of Student Financial Aid. 
• File an Appeal for Re-Evaluation for Maximum Hours
  • If you have exceeded your maximum hours because you have changed your major and believe some of the completed coursework does not apply to your current major OR if you have a double major or other required courses (in addition to the published required courses for your degree program), you can file an Appeal for Re-Evaluation for Maximum Hours (Grad Plan). 
  • The Appeal for Re-Evaluation for Maximum Hours (Grad Plan) form may be found in the Office of Student Financial Aid. 
  • You will need to submit a completed Grad Plan form, a letter explaining why you have gone over the 150% hours allowed for your major, and a transcript that has been reviewed by your academic advisor. Your advisor will be checking your transcript for classes you have taken that do not pertain to your current major. Any classes that do not pertain to your current major should be clearly marked with an "N/A." These hours may be subtracted from your total attempted hours. 
  • Once the appeal is reviewed by your advisor and all necessary documentation has been submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid, the appeal will be reviewed. For approved appeals, students will be awarded aid based on the terms listed in the appeal. For denied appeals, students will be responsible for any balance owed to the University. 

You can view your Financial Aid Status in CougarNet by following these instructions: 

• Visit CougarNet
• Click on either Enter CougarNet with your e-ID or Enter CougarNet with your University ID 
• Click on Financial Aid from the Main Menu page
• In the Financial Aid menu, click on Financial Aid Status
• Click on the current award year in the drop-down box and click Submit
• Current Financial Aid Academic Status will appear

Additional Information

• Students are responsible for knowing the standards and applying them to their academic history. In addition, students are notified on CougarNet of their current standing and are responsible for reviewing that information and understanding how it affects their financial aid eligibility. 
• This policy applies to undergraduate and graduate students. Some academic programs and financial aid awards may have stricter requirements which would supersede this policy. 
• This policy applies to all Federal Title IV programs, all state and most institutional programs. The policy does not apply to graduate assistantships. Alternative loans and many private scholarships may also be exempt from these requirements. 
• Attempted courses are those that remain on the academic transcript after the end of the first two weeks of the term. 
• Completed courses are those in which a grade of A, B, C, D, or P is received. Courses in which a WP, WE, WF, W, US, PR, I, AU, E, F, no credit, or blank is received are considered not completed. 
• Financial aid may be received only for the first 30 attempted developmental hours (courses numbered below 100). 
• Students must be enrolled in a program of study leading toward a degree offered by the institution. Students cannot continue receiving financial aid for the same program in which they have already received a degree. 
• The policy is cumulative and regulations state very clearly that they apply to any financial aid applicant/recipient regardless of prior financial aid history. Past performance is often indicative of future performance and we are unable to award federal, state and/or institutional funds to a student who has not performed well in past terms. 

Please contact us if you have additional questions concerning your aid and eligibility.