ADMISSIONS

ADDITIONAL NAVIGATION

FAITH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

3504 North Pearl Street
Tacoma, Washington 98407

FINANCIAL AID

FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID ADMINISTERED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

FIU is designated as an eligible institution by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for participation in the following programs of federal student aid (FSA):

Federal Pell Grant: This federally funded grant is based upon financial need and is limited to students enrolled at least half-time in their first undergraduate degree program.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan: Direct loans are made by the U.S. Department of Education. Subsidized loans are need-based and are available to students enrolled at least half-time in an undergraduate degree program. Unsubsidized loans are non-need-based and are available to students enrolled at least half-time in either undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

Loan limits and eligibility are determined by Federal guidelines. Repayment begins six months after graduation, when a borrower ceases to be enrolled at least half-time, or when a student ceases to make satisfactory academic progress.

To apply for federal student aid under the above programs, a student needs to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit https://www.wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at loanadvocate@wsac.wa.gov.

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION PROCESS & INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Complete the FAFSA for the academic year in which you plan to begin enrollment. The financial aid academic year runs from July 1 to June 30, so if you plan to enroll Summer or Fall quarter 2026, complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA.

Be sure to enter the Faith International University School Code 036894 when prompted on the FAFSA. One of our former names may pop up in the box with this code (Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, or Faith Evangelical College and Seminary). You may select any name that pops up with this code.

You will also need to give consent for the FAFSA to connect with information from your prior-prior year’s IRS Tax Return (for example, it will connect to your 2024 tax return for the 2026-2027 FAFSA). All contributors of information to your FAFSA, such as a parent or spouse (if needed), will also need to give consent. The online FAFSA will guide you as to which contributors you may need to complete your FAFSA.

First Time Users

You will first need to create a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID), which consists of an applicant-created username (or email) and password. The FSA ID is used to sign your FAFSA electronically. If you are under age 24, the Department of Education considers you a dependent and one of your parents (or both) will also need to apply for a FSA ID. PLEASE SAVE YOUR FSA ID IN A SAFE PLACE FOR FUTURE USE.

Students Who Have Previously Applied for Financial Aid

Use the same FSA ID you created previously when filing your renewal FAFSA. If you forgot your FSA ID, you may request a duplicate or a new FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/landing.

The FSA ID login is used not only for completion of the FAFSA, but also for all Dept. of Education student and borrower-based websites.

STEP 2: Complete “Loan Entrance Counseling” and “Master Promissory Note” (MPN)

This step is for subsidized and unsubsidized student loans borrowers. If you want only Pell Grant, you do not need to complete this step. Go to https://studentaid.gov/ and select these two items from the drop-down menu of the “Loans and Grants” tab.

Note: If you are a dependent student, your parents may authorize a credit check if they wish to apply for Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). If approved, they must complete the PLUS Entrance Counseling and MPN at https://studentaid.gov/. If your parent’s credit is declined, the Financial Aid Office will determine your unsubsidized loans based on independent status.

STEP 3: Complete “Verification” (if required) and Provide Needed Documents Through Your Student Portal at RegentEducation.net

Some FAFSA’s are randomly selected for a process called “Verification” as part of the Department of Education’s fraud prevention initiative. If your FAFSA is selected for this process, you will be asked to verify certain information you put on your FAFSA. This can be done online through your financial aid Student Portal (see below).

AFTER you have registered for your first classes at Faith International University, you will receive email notification from the school’s financial aid servicer on how to set up your financial aid Student Portal on our servicer’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) at RegentEducation.net, where you can complete verification (if needed) or upload required documents.

STEP 4: Accept Your Student Loan Offer

You may accept, decline or lower the amount of student loan money you take through your financial aid portal at RegentEducation.net (https://ufasstudentxprod.regenteducation.net).

NSLDS DISCLOSURE

Students and parents of students are advised that if they enter into a Title IV, HEA loan, the loan data will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system (HEOA 489 amended HEA Sec. 485B). This disclosure information is publicly disclosed and made available through appropriate publications, mailings or electronic media.

The NSLDS Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) may be accessed at https://www.ed.gov/media/document/opepd-2025-pia-nslds-109950.pdf.

COST OF ATTENDANCE AND NET PRICE CALCULATOR

A school’s cost of attendance (COA) sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive for purposes of the Direct Loan program, and is one of the basic components of the Pell Grant calculation.

ESTIMATED QUARTERLY EXPENSES (STANDARD TUITION)

The table below shows the COA for a typical full-time student for one quarter of attendance.

The types of costs that may be included in the COA are the same for all FSA programs. These include:

The tuition and fees normally assessed for students carrying the same academic workload
Allowance for books, materials, or supplies required of all students in the same course of study
Allowance for transportation
Miscellaneous personal expenses
Allowance for housing, and food allowance (off campus or living with parents)
For a student with dependents, an allowance for costs expected to be incurred for dependent care that will allow the student to attend school
For students receiving loans, the fees required to receive them (for example, the loan fee for a Direct Loan)

Estimate your cost of attendance for one academic year with the Net Price Calculator: https://netprice.simpleapply.com/Faith/NPC/Summary.

Please Note: The estimates above apply to full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate students only.

These estimates do not represent a final determination, or actual award, of financial assistance or a final net price; they are only estimates based on cost of attendance and financial aid provided to students in previous years. Cost of attendance and financial aid availability change year-to-year. These estimates shall not be binding on the Secretary of Education, the institution of higher education, or the State.

Not all students receive financial aid. Students may also be eligible for student loans. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to determine their eligibility for federal financial aid that includes federal grant or loan assistance. For more information on applying for Federal student aid, go to http://studentaid.gov.

CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID

Awards for each of the Federal Student Aid programs are based on some form of financial need. Need is determined by considering Faith International University’s cost of attendance minus the Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by federal methodology, minus any other form of gift aid the student may receive, including institutional tuition reduction awards.

PELL GRANT ELIGIBILITY

Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate, or professional degree.

A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. You may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time. Award amounts can change yearly.

2026–27 Award Year
The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2026–27 award year (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027).

The amount you get, though, will depend on

your Student Aid Index (2026-27 FAFSA form),
the cost of attendance (determined by your school for your specific program),
your status as a full-time or part-time student, and
your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less.

In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150 percent of his or her scheduled Pell Grant award for an award year.

For example, if you are eligible for a $3,000 Pell Grant for the award year and are enrolled full-time for three quarters in the academic year (the summer, fall and winter terms), you’ll likely receive $1,000 in the summer, $1,000 in the fall, and $1,000 in the winter. However, you may be eligible to receive up to an additional $1,000 for attendance in an additional term within that award year (such as Spring term). You might hear this situation being referred to as “year-round Pell.” For details, contact your school’s financial aid office.

If you’re eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, you’ll receive the full amount you qualify for—each school participating in the program receives enough funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education to pay the Federal Pell Grant amounts for all its eligible students. The amount of any other student aid for which you might qualify does not affect the amount of your Federal Pell Grant, unless you receive your full COA covered by other scholarship funds.

FEDERAL LOAN LIMITS

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized student loans have both annual and lifetime aggregate limits determined by federal regulation.

Federal Student Loan Schedule of Reductions Starts 7/1/2026

Starting July 1, 2026, any student enrolled less than full-time will receive loan disbursements in direct proportion to their enrollment intensity on an annual basis. This is known as the Schedule of Reductions (SOR).

FIU is a four-quarter school. The financial aid award year runs from July 1 to June 30, and consists of Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.

Any student loan disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, will be reduced according to the formula below:

For more information on Federal Student Loan changes, please refer to OBBBA Updates section.

DISBURSEMENT PROCESS

By institutional policy Federal Student Aid disbursements normally occur within 30 days after a quarter start date, contingent on the student’s completion of verification (if needed) and provision of any needed documents.

Per student’s authorization (or parent’s if the student is a dependent), Faith International University will use Federal Student Aid proceeds to credit the student’s account to pay all educational charges at the institution by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) near the beginning of each quarter in which the student is enrolled. Notification of disbursement of any FSA funds to the student’s account will be sent upon payment.

After all the institutional charges have been paid, any credit balance will be issued to the student by paper-check no later than 14 days from the date the credit balance occurred.

CANCELING A FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT

You can request that the entire amount of your financial aid be cancelled for an upcoming quarter or quarters. To request this, it is advisable to email the Financial Aid Office (finaid@faithiu.edu) at least two weeks prior to the start of the quarter for which you wish to cancel your financial aid.

FINANCIAL AID RENEWAL

Financial aid must be renewed once your current loan period has ended. A loan period represents the quarters included in your financial aid award package and is usually awarded for three or four quarters at a time. Faith International University has an academic year that runs concurrent with the Department of Education’s FSA award year, which is from July 1 of any given year through June 30 of the following year. Loan periods are generally contained within an award year. If you attend school year-round, your loan period will typically be for all four quarters of the award year. For example, Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters may represent one loan period. You will not need to renew your financial aid during this time.

Be aware of the dates of your current loan period so you can reapply for financial aid before the loan period ends.

If you are renewing your federal financial aid application from one award year to the next, you can do so by choosing the FAFSA Renewal on the FAFSA website. Selecting this option will speed up the application process by populating certain fields of the form with information from your previous year’s FAFSA.

VERIFICATION PROCESS

Each year the US Department of Education randomly selects students for a process called “Verification” to check the accuracy of information submitted on the FAFSA, with the information contained in official documents, such as federal income tax returns, Social Security statements, Driver’s License, and/or any other necessary documents.

Students selected for verification must submit requested documentation before official financial aid eligibility can be determined. When a student is selected for verification, the student will be notified as follows:

The financial aid office of Faith International University will notify the student via email. The email will outline what documents are required for the student to submit, one of which will be a Verification Worksheet (an online version of which will be provided).
All documents submitted must be hand signed, or electronically signed if completed online through the student’s financial aid portal.
Please upload all verification documents directly to your student financial aid portal or mail them to Faith International University, 3504 N. Pearl St., Tacoma, WA 98407. The financial aid office will check the documents for accuracy.
The student will continue to receive email requests from the financial aid office until the documents have been received.
Verification documents must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office within 45 days from the date the request was submitted, otherwise the Financial Aid Application may be cancelled.
No Financial Aid Funds will be disbursed until verification is complete.

Faith International University will report any suspected fraud or falsified information (on the part of the student, parent, or related parties) to the US Department of Education and all other related parties for immediate action.

MAXIMUM CREDITS

Federal Financial Aid will fund up to 150% of the number of “attempted” credits required for a degree program, with the approval of the registrar. If you change programs, your attempted credit count will not start over. All previously attempted credits will count toward the maximum allowed for your new program of study. Transfer credits from other colleges that are accepted for use toward the Faith International University degree will also be counted.

FINANCIAL AID SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGESS POLICY

Academic standards are implemented to achieve educational excellence, meet accreditation requirements, and ensure compliance with federal regulations for financial aid. All students are required to meet minimum academic standards as laid out in the school’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. To receive Federal Financial Aid under the programs authorized by the Department of Education guidelines, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress during the course of study they are pursuing.

SAP will be monitored after each quarter for all students. All periods of enrollment count toward SAP including when a student does not receive further Title IV payments. Satisfactory

Academic Progress is measured by three components.

The student’s cumulative grade point average (CGPA)
The students rate of progress toward completion (ROP)
The maximum time frame (MTF) allowed to complete the academic program (150% for all programs).

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA)

Undergraduate students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA (CGPA) of at least 2.0,

Graduate students are required to maintain a CGPA of at least 2.5, and Post‐Graduate students are required to maintain a CGPA of at least 3.0. A student must maintain minimum CGPA requirements to be eligible for federal financial aid. Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured for all students after each quarter. After one quarter of failing to meet the minimum CGPA requirement, a student will be placed on academic warning for one quarter. If the student receives financial aid, he/she will be on Financial Aid Warning for one quarter. The student will receive written notice of warning status from the office of the Registrar or the Financial Aid Office. If the student fails to raise his/her CGPA to the minimum standard after one quarter of warning, the student will lose financial aid eligibility.

A SAP Committee, consisting of a representative from the Registrar’s office, the Dean of Student’s office and the Financial Aid office, will meet on the Monday following the Friday deadline for professors to submit grades. All incomplete grades will be counted against a student’s cumulative GPA at the end of the quarter when the SAP Committee performs the process of determining SAP. When the incomplete grade is changed to an actual grade, the student’s file will be re-evaluated. Transfer credits are not included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA but are included in the student’s rate of progress (ROP) and Maximum Time Frame (MTF).

When retaking a class, the second attempt at the course is used to calculate the cumulative GPA. If the class is failed a second time and must be retaken a third time, the both attempt’s failing grades will be included in the CGPA. All classes taken, however, whether they are first attempts or retakes, will count toward the ROP or MTF calculation. This includes classes that are taken during periods when no federal financial aid is received.

GPA Maintenance & Requirements
Program: Bachelor of Arts / Satisfactory Progess: 2.0 / Graduation: 2.0
Program: Master of Arts / Satisfactory Progess: 2.5 / Graduation: 2.5
Program: Master of Divinity / Satisfactory Progess: 2.5 / Graduation: 2.7
Program: Doctor of Strategic Leadership / Satisfactory Progess: 2.5 / Graduation: 3.0
Program: Doctor of Ministry / Satisfactory Progess: 2.5 / Graduation: 3.0

Cumulative 67% Rate of Progress (ROP) Rule

This component measures the rate of progress (ROP) towards completion. Students must complete and satisfactorily pass 67% of all credit hours attempted at Faith International University. This ensures that students will complete enough hours to finish their program within the maximum time frame. Quantitative progress is determined by dividing the number of credit hours completed by the number of credit hours attempted. Credit hours attempted include completed hours, transfer credits, W’s, WX’s, F’s and repeated courses. After one quarter of failing to meet the minimum ROP requirement, a student will be placed on financial aid or academic warning for one quarter. If the student fails to raise his/her ROP to the minimum standard after one quarter of warning, the student will lose financial aid eligibility. Dropping classes after the first week of each quarter will affect the cumulative ROP rate. Dropping a class during the first week’s census add-drop period, however, does not affect the completion rate.

Cumulative 150% Rule or PACE

The maximum time frame (MTF) for completion of all programs below the master’s level is limited by federal regulations to 150% (this measure is also known as PACE). To remain eligible for Federal Financial Aid, the MTF needed to complete a program of study cannot exceed 150% of the published length of the program measured in credit hours attempted. For example, if the published length of required credit hours for a program is 180 hours, the maximum attempted credits must not exceed 270 (180 x 1.5) attempted credit hours. If the published length of required credit hours is 72 hours, the maximum must not exceed 108 (72 x 1.5) attempted credit hours. Students must complete enough hours to finish their program of study within the maximum time frame. Maximum time frame pace must be measured at each evaluation. Remedial courses are not to be included when determining MTF. To determine the MTF progress, divide the cumulative number of credit hours completed by the cumulative number of credit hours attempted. When calculating MTF, transfer credits will be counted if they apply toward the current program.

Program: BA / Regular Hours: 180 / Max. Hours: 270 / Max. Years: 6
Program: GCL / Regular Hours: 24 / Max. Hours: 36 / Max. Years: 2
Program: MA / Regular Hours: 72 / Max. Hours: 108 / Max. Years: 4
Program: MDiv / Regular Hours: 136 / Max. Hours: 204 / Max. Years: 6
Program: DSL / Regular Hours: 80 / Max. Hours: 120 / Max. Years: 5
Program: DMin / Regular Hours: 48 / Max. Hours: 72 / Max. Years: 5

Substantive Online Interaction Guidelines
The institution requires students to participate by regularly logging into their enrolled course(s), substantively interacting with fellow students and instructors through group discussions, and submitting all course work in a timely fashion. Substantive interaction involves a sustained, interactive communication, usually of three or more posts to the course Discussion Forum, that contains a central idea, independent response or opinion. The purpose of substantive interaction on the Discussion Forum is to promote understanding of a topic and its relevant themes to all participants, which will enrich the educational experience. In addition, it opens the lines of communication with fellow classmates and instructors.

Changing Programs of Study
A student transferring from one program to another must withdraw from one program first and then enroll in the second program. A student may be awarded transfer credits for the common courses among the program a student has withdrawn from and the program a student will be joining. All in-house credits are included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. Additionally, the in-house hours are counted toward the 150% Maximum Time Frame.

This process requires the student to submit a completed “academic program change” form with all appropriate signatures. If a student changes their program after the quarter begins, it will only take effect the following quarter.

Enrolling in a Second Program of Study
If students wish to obtain a second degree of the same level (e.g. a second Bachelor of Arts after completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree), Pell Grant and Subsidized loans are not available for a second Bachelor of Arts degree. If students wish to obtain a degree of a greater level (e.g. a Master of Arts degree after completion of a Bachelor of Arts degree), they shall be treated as transfer students for determination of remaining financial aid eligibility. All Faith International University courses within the same level, regardless of when they were attempted, will be used to calculate students’ CGPA. All course work will be reflected on the academic transcript. SAP-status will be applied in continuation, but maximum time frame (150%) of each program level will be counted separately.

Retakes
If a student receives a failing grade in a class that is required for the student’s program of enrollment, that class must be retaken. If the student receives a passing grade in the retaken class, the first failing grade will be replaced by the higher grade, and the first failing grade will not count towards the calculation of the cumulative GPA. The failed class will count, however, as attempted credits toward the ROP and MTF calculation. If the retaken class is failed for a second time, both failing grades will count toward the calculation of the cumulative GPA, as well as attempted credits toward the ROP and MTF calculation.

If the student received Federal Financial Aid funds (Title IV) for the failed class, the school will approve FFA funds one more time for any repeat class. If a student fails a class two times and wishes to repeat the class a third time, the student may have to find alternative funding for that class. An exception to this rule may be made if the student failed a class more than once due to extreme circumstances that can be documented.

Warning, Probation, Suspension of Financial Aid, and the Appeal Process

When a student does not meet the standards as stated above, the following process will take place:

Financial Aid and Academic Warning
After the first quarter of not meeting the minimum standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), a student will be placed on Academic/Financial Aid Warning status. A notification will be sent to inform the student that he/she is not making Satisfactory Academic Progress. The school will reinstate eligibility for aid for one payment period (one quarter) without a student appeal. The Warning status will continue through the following quarter of enrollment. If the student successfully completes classes and reaches minimum SAP standards upon completion of that quarter, the Warning status will be removed. All students who receive a warning notification are encouraged to seek help academically from the Dean of Students and their class professors.
Financial Aid Probation
If after one quarter of Academic or Financial Aid Warning the student is still not meeting SAP standards, the student will lose financial aid eligibility. A letter of explanation will be sent to the student. Loss of federal aid due to not making SAP will also result in the loss of all FIU funded scholarships. If the student was unable to meet minimum SAP due to mitigating circumstances, or if the student feels that he/she has unfairly lost financial aid eligibility, the student may file an appeal and submit it to the Office of the Dean of Students or the Registrar’s Office. The appeal will be reviewed by the school’s SAP Committee and, if approved, the student’s financial aid eligibility may be reinstated for one quarter in Probationary status. The student will be required to speak with an academic counselor or the Dean of Students to establish an academic plan, with the goal of helping the student re-establish minimum academic standards. The student will remain on Probation status for at least the following quarter, with the student not regaining full eligibility until it is determined that he/she is once again meeting the minimum SAP standards or meeting the specific requirements of an Academic Plan. The Academic Affairs office will communicate with the Financial Aid Office and financial aid may be re-established on a quarter-by-quarter basis, as long as the student is continuing to make progress toward meeting SAP on the new academic plan. No financial aid disbursement will be made, however, until it is determined that the student is actively following the new academic plan.

An example of a student earning a probationary status might be as follows: a student has a 1.93 CGPA at the end of the Fall quarter, whereas SAP standards require a minimum CGPA of 2.0. An Academic/Financial Aid Warning notification is sent to the student. The student is placed on Warning status and the school re-instates financial aid eligibility for one quarter so the student can work to improve their SAP standing. The student will be on Academic/Financial Aid Warning status for the whole of the subsequent Winter quarter. At the end of the Winter quarter, the CGPA has fallen to 1.85. The financial aid student then loses eligibility for receiving any more federal financial aid and FIU funded scholarships.
The student submits an appeal (see below) to continue studies at FIU, stating extenuating circumstances for not meeting minimum SAP. The appeal is reviewed by the school’s SAP committee and is approved. The student is placed on Probation status and allowed to re-enroll in the subsequent Spring quarter, with one quarter of financial aid eligibility. The student is required to follow an Academic Plan established by the Academic Affairs office and must be meeting the requirements of the plan throughout the Spring quarter. Upon SAP re-evaluation at the close of Spring quarter, the student’s CGPA is back up to a 2.2. In the next quarter of enrollment, after re-establishing SAP, the student’s Probation status is removed and financial aid eligibility is restored.

SAP Appeal Process
Students will have the opportunity to appeal the loss of financial aid eligibility and request one more quarter of continued financial aid for the purpose of improving SAP. An appeal will only be granted for mitigating circumstances such as a death in the immediate family, a prolonged illness that is documented by a physician, or an equally serious circumstance that interfered with the student’s ability to meet the standards of SAP (please see the Academic Appeal form for more information about mitigating circumstances). The appeal form must be completed and turned in to the Registrar or Dean of Students, along with supporting documentation if appropriate, so that the SAP committee can determine if the appeal should be granted. If an appeal for continued financial aid is granted, the appeal will only be valid for one quarter. The student must meet with someone in the Academic Affairs office to complete a well-documented written plan stating the student’s goals for the quarter. This academic plan must ensure that the student can meet SAP standards by a specific point in time. A copy of the plan will be on file in both the Academic Affairs office and the Financial Aid office. All decisions of the SAP committee are final. SAP will be checked again at the end of that quarter to determine if the student is once again making adequate progress. Deadline for filing an appeal is before the start of the next quarter of enrollment. Only two probations are allowed per program of study.
Academic Suspension
A student who does not reach the program minimum standard after a quarter of academic probation may be placed on academic suspension for two quarters. The student will be notified of academic suspension status by letter.
Re-admittance and Dismissal
The student may reapply for admission after the suspension period. To do so, the student is required to make an appointment with a designated counselor for appropriate advising. A new application form may be required along with a completed Suspension Appeal including a substantive letter outlining a corrective academic action plan. This letter can be composed with the assistance of the student’s academic counselor. If reinstatement occurs, the student will be issued a letter of probational reinstatement. Special conditions may be established by the dean of students. If the student fails to meet those conditions during the probationary quarter(s) following the suspension, the student may be dismissed from the institution.
Suspension/Dismissal Appeals
A student placed on an Academic Suspension or Academic Dismissal may appeal such action by filing a written appeal with the dean of students no later than 10 working days after the date of the written (or email) suspension or dismissal notice. The appeal shall include a brief outline of the reasons why the appeal should be granted. The decision of the dean of students shall be final.

Note: When a student has been placed on Academic Probation, Academic Suspension, or Academic Dismissal, such action may be permanently indicated on the student’s academic (transcript) record.

Immediate Academic Discipline
The academic warning and/or probation steps may be bypassed for any one or more of the following reasons: if a student’s quarterly GPA falls below 1.0; if the student receives more than one “F” during any quarter; or if the student is placed on academic warning or is administratively withdrawn more than one time over a four-quarter period. Such students are subject to immediate academic discipline or suspension. In such cases, the student’s entire cumulative ROP, CGPA and MTF calculation will be taken into consideration.

Administrative Withdrawal (WX)
A student who is inactive the first two weeks of a quarter or who is inactive for three consecutive weeks during a quarter is subject to Administrative Withdrawal (WX). If a student receives a WX for all courses during a single quarter, the student will be automatically placed on academic and/or financial aid warning. Any subsequent, similar occurrence may result in dismissal from the institution.

Grade Changes
Only those grade changes that are processed prior to the SAP appeal deadline shall affect students’ satisfactory academic progress status. Students who replace a course grade by transferring in credits shall not be able to alter their satisfactory academic progress status.

International Students Satisfactory Academic Progress
Nonimmigrant/international students having F-1 Visa status who do not maintain the minimum MTF and CGPA will be subject to Academic Warning and Academic Probation but will not be allowed a period of Academic Suspension. This is an academic policy, not a federal financial aid policy.

NOTE: Certain academic programs have stricter satisfactory grade and/or GPA requirements. Federal regulations state that the stricter requirements must be upheld or appropriate termination for federal funds must occur. See Academic Programs.

SAP Monitoring Procedures
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) monitoring is an institution-wide activity. The first line of defense is the professor. Professors are asked to contact individual students who seem to be lagging behind. It is an institution requirement that professors ask for some kind of class participation from students within the first two weeks of each quarter. It is also required that professors of distance education classes document at least three to four substantive interactions with each of their students during the quarter.

Compliance Officers
The school has designated compliance officers who check the academic activity of each individual student on Canvas, using the Analytics and Gradebook features. All students will be checked in Canvas at least once by the end of the third week of the quarter. The officer will record activity for each week of the quarter up to the point that a check is done. Students who have not participated in their classes by the third week of the quarter run the risk of Administrative Withdrawal. Inactive or under-active students will receive an email notification from the Compliance Officer and possibly a phone call from the Dean of Students to communicate this risk and to offer assistance.

Compliance Officers will re-check all students’ class activity within the next three weeks of the quarter, meaning that all students will receive at least two (2) activity monitoring checks within the first six (6) weeks of the quarter. Any student who consistently lags behind in class participation should be brought to the attention of the Dean of Students.

If a student is Administratively Withdrawn due to non-participation, they will receive a notification from the Dean of Students with the date of and the reason for the forced withdrawal, along with instructions on how the student can appeal this decision. If the student has received Federal Financial Aid, an R2T4 shall be completed to determine if any funds need to be returned to the Department of Ed. If so, funds shall be returned within 30 days of the Date of Determination for Administrative Withdrawal.

Quarterly Review
The Financial Aid Office or the Compliance Officers will give all students a SAP review at the end of each payment period (quarter) to determine if the student has successfully met minimum SAP standards. If not, the student shall be notified with either an Academic Warning letter, an Academic Probation Appeal, or a Suspension notification (see Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy).

HOW WITHDRAWAL AFFECTS FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY & RETURN TO TITLE IV POLICY

Federal regulations require Title IV financial aid funds (grant or loan) to be awarded under the assumption that a student will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal assistance was awarded. When a student withdraws from all courses for any reason, including medical withdrawals, he/she may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that he/she was originally scheduled to receive. The return of Title IV funds (R2T4) is based upon the premise that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled. A pro-rated schedule is used to determine the amount of federal student aid funds he/she will have earned at the time of the withdrawal. Once 60% of the quarter is completed, a student is considered to have earned all his/her financial aid and will not be required to return any funds. Students who do not begin attendance must repay all financial aid disbursed for the quarter.

FIU is required to determine the earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid as of the date the student ceased attendance based on the amount of time the student spent in attendance. Federal law requires schools to calculate how much federal financial aid a student has earned if that student:

Completely withdraws
Stops attending before completing the quarter, or
Drops below ½-time enrollment status during the payment period

Important:

Academic policies on official withdrawal procedures are available online in the Academic Catalog.
The FIU’s tuition/fee refund policy is separate from the federal regulations to repay unearned aid. Whether a student receives a tuition/fee refund has no bearing on the amount he/she must repay to the federal aid programs.

How the Earned Credit is Calculated
Students who receive federal financial aid must “earn” the aid they receive by staying enrolled and participating in classes. The amount of federal financial aid assistance the student earns is on a pro-rated basis. Students who withdraw or do not complete all registered FIU classes during the quarter may be required to return some of the financial aid they were awarded.

FIU is required to determine the percentage of Title IV aid ‘’earned” by the student and to return the unearned portion to the appropriate aid programs. Regulations require schools to perform calculations within 30 days from the date the school determines a student’s complete withdrawal. The school must return the funds within 45 days of the withdrawal. The R2T4 calculation process and return of funds is completed by the Financial Aid Office.

The following formula is used to determine the percentage of unearned aid that must be returned to the federal government:

The percent earned is equal to the number of calendar days completed up to the withdrawal date, divided by the total calendar days in the payment period (less any scheduled breaks that are at least 5 days long).
The payment period for students is the entire quarter.
The percent unearned is equal to 100 percent minus the percent earned.

Determining Institutional Charges
Institutional charges are used to determine the portion of unearned Federal Student Aid that FIU is responsible for returning. Title IV program funds are used to pay institutional charges ahead of all other sources of aid. The institutional charges used in the calculation are always the charges that were assessed the student for the quarter prior to the student’s withdrawal. Application fees are excluded from institutional charges because they are not an educational cost. Students’ institutional charges are generally defined as charges for tuition and fees, room and board and other educational expenses that are paid to the school directly.

FIU does not include books, supplies, equipment, and materials as institutional charges because students can purchase these materials at convenient locations not affiliated with FIU and FIU provides financial aid funds in a way and at a time that makes it possible for students to purchase the materials in a timely manner.

Generally, the higher the institutional charges, the greater the amount of unearned aid that is to be returned by the school in the event of an R2T4.

Example of a R2T4

In the following example, the student’s institutional charges will be adjusted by the amounts that must be returned to the Title IV programs. Please note that award amounts used in these examples may not reflect true awards.

Example: Student A is a dependent student who started in the Fall Quarter. The quarter starts 09/26 and runs to 12/9. The student’s withdrawal date is 11/1. Her financial aid package consists of:

Pell: $1,938.00
Federal Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan: $2,000.00
Federal Subsidized Direct Stafford Loan: $1,167.00
Total Aid: $5,105.00
Amount refunded to student: $0.00

Student “A” withdraws on 11/1. This is day 36 out of 68 days in the quarter.

36/68 = 0.53% of Title IV funds earned by the student
Title IV funds = $5,105.00
$5105.00 X 0.53% = $2,705.65 in Title IV funds earned
Title IV funds to be returned: $5105.00 – $2705.65 = $2,399.35

The school would return $2,000.00 to Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan Program and the remaining $399.35 to the Subsidized Direct Loan Program.

If funds are returned to Title IV, the order of funds returned is as follows:

PLUS Loan
Unsubsidized Loan
Subsidized Loan
Pell Grant

PROFESSIONAL JUDGMENT (PJ)

Section 479A of the Higher Education Act (HEA) gives Financial Aid Administrators (FAAs) the authority to make case-by-case adjustments of the data items used to calculate a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI), based on adequate documentation to address current circumstances not reflected on a student’s FAFSA. A Professional Judgment (PJ) adjustment may be warranted if a family member experienced a significant change of income, either upward or downward. For example, for an individual who has lost a job or has taken a significant salary cut since January 2023, the FAA may use the income for the 12-month period following the reduction in income (2023) instead of the prior-prior year income (2022) that was initially used in the SAI calculation. Alternatively, the FAA may choose to use more recent income that the FAA believes more accurately reflects the family’s current financial circumstances.

This notice is to remind students that they may request a Professional Judgment to adjust financial aid eligibility based on the student’s special circumstances, including for recently unemployed individuals who may not know that their changed circumstances could make them eligible for Federal Pell Grants and other need-based student aid. All Professional Judgment requests will be considered by the school, though all may not be awarded, depending on the student’s circumstances.

How to Request PJ
Students must request professional judgment adjustments in writing, and the request must be fully documented.

For example, to document a decrease in income, a student may present a copy of a termination letter from an employer and unemployment income pay stubs. A confirmation stating that the student has applied for unemployment is NOT sufficient.

Areas Where PJ May Apply
Special circumstances where a PJ request may be appropriate shall be conditions that differentiate an individual student from a class of students rather than conditions that exist across a class of students. Adequate documentation for such adjustments shall substantiate such special circumstances of individual students.

Special circumstances may include:

Recent unemployment of a family member or an independent student;
A student or family member who is a dislocated worker (as defined in section 101 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998);
Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school;
Medical, dental, or nursing home expenses not covered by insurance;
Unusually high childcare or dependent care costs;
A change in housing status that results in an individual being homeless (as defined in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act); or
Other changes in a family’s income, a family’s assets, or a student’s status.

Areas Where PJ Does Not Apply
Financial aid administrators are not allowed to use PJ in certain areas. A financial aid administrator cannot use PJ to:

Change a student’s dependency status from independent to dependent;
Create a new category of costs in the cost of attendance (COA);
Make a “bottom-line” adjustment directly to the SAI;
Change the Federal Methodology (FM) formula itself or the values in the tables used to calculate the SAI;
Make across-the-board changes;
Make an otherwise ineligible student eligible for Title IV aid, such as using PJ to waive general student eligibility requirements;
Circumvent the intent of the law or regulations;
Include expenses related to post-enrollment activities in the student’s COA, except on a onetime basis for the cost of obtaining a first professional credential for a student in a program requiring credential or license.

How to Contact Your FAA for a PJ Request Form
If you feel you have special circumstances that may qualify you for a professional judgment adjustment on your FAFSA, please contact your financial aid office at finaid@faithiu.edu , or call 253-752-2020, ext. 119 or ext. 138.

OBBA FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN UPDATES (as of July 1, 2026)

Important changes to federal student loan programs are coming!

Legislation recently passed by Congress, known as the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3) Act, will result in significant modifications to the Federal Direct Loan program, effective with the 2026–2027 academic year (beginning July 1, 2026). For more information on OB3 changes, please visit https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/big-updates .

If you plan to utilize federal loans to finance your education in 2026–27 or later, we encourage you to review these updates carefully to understand how they may impact your financing plan.

Will these changes affect my Pell Grant?

No. There are currently no changes scheduled for the 2026-2027 academic year in the way that Pell Grants are awarded and disbursed.

What changes in student loans should I expect?

The main changes in federal student loan policy concern the following four areas:

A Schedule of Reductions in loan disbursements for less-than-full-time enrollment.
Changes in federal loan aggregate limits
Elimination of the Graduate PLUS loan program
Changes in federal loan repayment options

We will address all these changes in this email.

FIU is a four-quarter school. The financial aid award year runs from July 1 to June 30, and consists of Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring quarters.

Any student loan disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, will be reduced according to the formula below:

How will this affect me if I am an Undergraduate student?

Full-time for an Undergraduate student at FIU equals 45 credits per academic year.

If, for example, you take two classes each quarter for four quarters of the academic year, your total annual enrollment would be 40 credits. Your Schedule of Reductions formula would be as follows:

If your full-time award for a subsidized loan for the year is $3,500, you would receive 89% of the full-time award, or $3,115 in subsidized loan. The same reduction would occur for your unsubsidized loan.

In the example above, the reduction can be avoided if the student takes one additional class (worth 5 credits) during one quarter of enrollment, which brings the annual enrollment up to 45 credits. That would entitle the student to receive 100% of their full-time award.

As always, undergraduate students MUST be enrolled in at least two classes to receive any student loans for that quarter.

How will this affect me if I am a Graduate student?

Full-time for a graduate or doctoral student at FIU equals 24 credits per academic year.

If, for example, you take one class each quarter for four quarters of the academic year, your total enrollment for the year would be 16 credits. Your Schedule of Reductions formula would be as follows:

If your full-time award for an unsubsidized loan for the year is $20,500, you would receive 67% of the full-time award, or $13,735 in an unsubsidized loan.

If the student’s intended enrollment status changes during the year (e.g., a class is dropped or added), any needed adjustments will be made in the subsequent quarter.

Federal borrowing limits are tightening.

Starting on July 1, 2026, the borrowing limits for certain types of federal student loans will change. The new rules will be:

Graduate students: Up to $20,500 per year with a lifetime limit of $100,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans, not including undergraduate loans
Professional students (i.e., Medical Doctor/Lawyer): Up to $50,000 per year with a lifetime limit of $200,000 in Direct Unsubsidized Loans
Parent borrowers: Up to $20,000 per year per student, with a lifetime limit of $65,000 in Parent PLUS loans

The borrowing limits for Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans for undergraduate students will mostly remain unchanged. However, part-time students will see their borrowing limits reduced based on their enrollment status. For loan limits, please visit https://studentaid.gov/articles/subsidized-vs-unsubsidized-loans/.

What does this mean for current borrowers?

If you already have student loans, you will have access to the previous borrowing limits for three years or until the time you complete your program. That means graduate and professional students can still borrow up to $20,500 per year with an aggregate limit of $138,500.

Parent borrowers can also keep borrowing under the old rules (up to their child’s cost of attendance, minus any other financial aid received) for three years or until the student finishes their program with continual enrollment.

If the student in question changes programs, or takes a leave-of-absence, the new loan conditions will apply.

Grad PLUS loans are being eliminated.

The OB3 has also eliminated the Grad PLUS loan program after July 1, 2026. These loans allowed graduate and professional students to borrow up to their school’s cost of attendance with a minimal credit check. It will no longer be a financing option for graduate and professional students looking to borrow for the first time after that date.

If your federal financial aid package does not cover your full cost of attendance, you may consider other financing options, such as scholarships, grants, savings, income from a part-time job, or private student loans.

What does this mean for current borrowers?

If you already have a Grad PLUS loan, you can continue to borrow Grad PLUS loans for three years or until you have finished your program, with continual enrollment. I you change programs, or takes a leave-of-absence, the new loan conditions will apply.

Starting on July 1, 2026, the federal student loan system will have a much narrower set of repayment options for new loans. If you borrow after that date, you will have two repayment plans to choose from:

Standard Repayment Plan: This plan features fixed monthly payments and spans 10 to 25 years, depending on your loan amount.
Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP): This plan offers an income-driven approach, setting your payments at 1% to 10% of your adjusted gross income (or a flat $10 per month if your income is less than $10,000 per year). It can end in forgiveness if you are still carrying a balance after 30 years of repayment.

What does this mean for current borrowers?

If you borrow before July 1, 2026, your repayment plan options are not disappearing — at least not yet. You can continue to access three existing repayment plans: the 10-year Standard Plan, 10-year Graduated Repayment Plan, and 25-year Extended Plan.

You can also use these current income-driven repayment plans — Pay as You Earn (PAYE), Income-Contingent Repayment (ICR), and Income-Based Repayment (IBR) until they expire in 2028. At that point, you will need to switch to a different plan (more on this below).

Current income-driven repayment plans are being phased out.

Currently, federal student loans are eligible for various income-driven repayment plans, including PAYE, Income-Contingent Repayment, and Income-Based Repayment. For loans disbursed after July 1, 2026, however, the new RAP option will be the only income-driven repayment plan.

What is more is that PAYE and ICR will be sunset by July 1, 2028. IBR will remain available, but only for loans disbursed before July 2026.

What does this mean for current borrowers?

This change may or may not affect you, depending on what plan you are on:

If you are on PAYE, ICR, or the now-defunct SAVE Plan: You will need to switch to IBR or RAP by July 1, 2028. If you do not switch, your loan servicer will auto-enroll you in one of those plans.
If you are on IBR: You can stay on IBR or change to RAP after July 1, 2026.

Parent borrowers

Parent PLUS loans will not be eligible for the new Repayment Assistance Plan. Currently, the only income-driven plan available to Parent PLUS borrowers is Income-Contingent Repayment — and only if you consolidate your loans first.

If you want to access an income-driven plan moving forward, you will need to consolidate your Parent PLUS loans before July 1, 2026, and enroll in a qualifying IDR plan.

The SAVE Plan has been shut down.

The SAVE Plan has been blocked in the courts for a while now, but it was dealt its final blow in late 2025 when the Trump administration announced a proposed settlement with the state of Missouri.

If approved, this settlement will cause the plan to end sooner than its initial expiration date in 2028. The Department of Education will no longer enroll new borrowers in SAVE and will begin transitioning SAVE borrowers into alternative plans.

If your loans have been on pause due to the SAVE Plan litigation, it is time to explore your other repayment options. The Federal Student Aid Loan Simulator tool can help you compare costs on alternative plans.

Parent loans will no longer qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program forgives federal student loans for eligible public servants after 10 years of service. It also requires that you make 120 payments on an income-driven repayment plan while working for a qualifying nonprofit or government employer.

However, Parent PLUS loans issued on or after July 1, 2026, will not be eligible for the RAP, the sole income-driven option for loans disbursed after that date. As of now, parents who borrow Parent PLUS loans in the future will not have a pathway to Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

What does this mean for current borrowers?

If you already have Parent PLUS loans and are working toward PSLF, do not despair — you should be able to get on the Income-Based Repayment plan if you switch before July 1, 2028. And if you are not on IDR yet, you will need to consolidate your Parent PLUS loans before July 1, 2026, and apply for a plan.

Deferment and forbearance options will be more limited.

New federal student loans will no longer be eligible for economic hardship or unemployment deferments, which let you pause payments when you could not afford them. This applies to loans issued on or after July 1, 2027, a year later than most other changes.

Forbearance will be limited to a maximum period of nine months during a two-year period. Currently, forbearance lets you pause payments for up to 12 months at a time.

Student loan forgiveness could become taxable again.

The American Rescue Act of 2021 exempted student loan forgiveness from federal taxation through the end of 2025. It is unlikely that this exemption will be extended, so borrowers who receive forgiveness in 2026 or following may have to pay taxes on the forgiven amount.

This applies to forgiveness from an income-driven repayment plan. You do not have to pay federal taxes on loan cancellation from Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Student loan management made easier.

FIU partners with IonTuition to help students manage both federal and private loans. With this platform, you can take control of your student loans and get the help you need to find a repayment plan that works for you, including income-driven options. For more information, click on the link in blue print, above.

There are multiple changes coming for federal student loans in 2026, but they affect new borrowers and existing borrowers differently. Either way, here are steps you can take to prepare:

Review your current repayment plan: If you are already in repayment, identify what plan you are on. That way, you will know if you must change repayment plans ahead of the 2028 deadline.
Compare future repayment options: Your choices will depend on whether your loans were issued before or after July 1, 2026. It is worth choosing a plan yourself; letting your servicer pick one for you may not be cost-effective or align with your financial goals.
Write down key deadlines: There are several important dates to keep track of, so write down any deadlines that may apply to your loans.
Plan for tighter borrowing limits: If you are planning for graduate or professional school next year, consider how you will cover costs if your federal financial aid falls short.
Assess your strategy as a parent borrower: Parent borrowers may need to act quickly if they desire to access income-driven plans or become eligible for PSLF.
Consider tax implications: If you will be receiving a loan discharge from an income-driven plan in 2026 or after, prepare yourself for a potential tax bill on the amount.
Update your contact information: Ensure that your loan servicer has your most up-to-date details so that you do not miss any important communications about plan transitions and deadlines.

2026 will bring a major restructuring to the federal student loan system. The best way you can prepare is by staying informed about the changes and making proactive choices before any deadlines arrive.

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