Vanguard University

To receive federal, state and most institutional aid administered through the Financial Aid Office at Vanguard University, you must:

• Be admitted to an eligible degree, certificate or credential seeking program at Vanguard University.
• Have a high school diploma, GED or equivalent to receive federal student aid. More information on other documents equivalent to high school completion is available here.
• Be a citizen, permanent resident of the United States or other eligible non-citizen as detailed in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) instructions for federal, state and university funded financial aid programs. If you have been instructed to submit documentation of your citizenship status, you are required to bring the original documentation that verifies your status to the Financial Aid Office. Documentation provided by eligible non-citizens must not expire prior to the start of the academic year. The Financial Aid Office will submit copies of the documentation for eligible non-citizens to the Department of Homeland Security for confirmation. Detailed information on eligible categories and required documentation is available here.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) according to SAP policy for financial aid recipients.

• Not be enrolled beyond eight semesters. Students who require enrollment to complete a Bachelor’s degree beyond eight semesters (4 years) are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and Federal Direct Student and Parent Loans. Students must appeal to be considered for other types of aid beyond 8 semesters. The maximum semesters for transfer students will be based on the number of units accepted for transfer. For example a transfer student for whom 60 units (junior grade level) are accepted will be considered to have completed 4 semesters and will have 4 remaining semesters of eligibility.

• Be enrolled full-time at Vanguard University to receive most forms of university funded financial aid or at least half-time for federal and state funded financial aid programs. Eligible students may receive federal and state aid for enrollment via a consortium agreement that has been approved for Vanguard University transfer credit. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information about consortium agreements. Students who enroll less than half-time are only eligible for the Federal Pell Grant. Repeating a course that has already been passed for a second time will not count towards enrollment for federal aid programs.
• Federal student aid rules permit students to receive financial aid from only one school at a time (excluding the Direct PLUS Loan).
• Drug convictions prohibitions waived. In December 2020, the FAFSA Simplification Act was enacted into law as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. One of these changes is the elimination of the prohibition on receiving Title IV aid for students with drug-related convictions. For the 2021-2022 award year and beyond, the drug conviction questions will remain on the FAFSA. However, having a drug conviction while receiving federal Title IV aid will no longer impact a student’s Title IV aid eligibility, and a student who has a drug conviction may be eligible to receive Title IV aid if they meet all other eligibility criteria.
• Not owe a refund to any federal grant or loan or be in default on any federal loan.
• Not be incarcerated. Incarcerated students are not eligible for FSA loans, but are eligible for SEOG and FWS. They are also eligible for Pell grants if they are not incarcerated in a federal or state penal institution. A student is considered to be incarcerated if he or she is serving a criminal sentence in a federal, state, or local penitentiary, prison, jail, reformatory, work farm, or similar correctional institution (whether it is operated by the government or a contractor). A student is not considered to be incarcerated if he or she is in a half-way house or home detention or is sentenced to serve only weekends. Students who are currently incarcerated or who might be incarcerated during their current term of attendance must identify themselves to the Financial Aid Office to determine their financial aid eligibility.

Unusual Enrollment History

The U.S. Department of Education has established new regulations to prevent fraud and abuse in the Federal Pell Grant Program by identifying students with unusual enrollment histories. Most students who have an unusual enrollment history have legitimate reasons for irregular enrollment in multiple institutions. However, such an enrollment history requires the Financial Aid Office to review your student aid records in order to determine future federal financial aid eligibility. If selected by the Department of Education (via the FAFSA) to verify unusual enrollment history, you must resolve your unusual enrollment status before you can receive financial aid.

The specific pattern the Department of Education uses to select students includes those students who have received a Federal Pell Grant or Federal Direct Loan (not including a Direct Consolidation Loan or Parent PLUS Loan) at multiple institutions during the past four academic years. Once the Department of Education identifies that a student has an unusual enrollment history, the Financial Aid office must then take action and review the academic history prior to determining federal financial aid eligibility for that student.

If selected, our office will notify you of what is required. We will check your financial aid history at your previous institutions that you attended during the previous four years. You are required to have received academic credit at any institution you received the Federal Pell Grant or Federal Direct Loan (not including a Direct Consolidation Loan or Parent PLUS Loan) while enrolled during the relevant academic years. Our office will verify the academic credit was received at each institution during your period of enrollment and your unusual enrollment history status will be complete. If you failed to receive academic credit at any institution where you received a Federal Pell Grant during the relevant award years, your federal financial aid application will be denied and you will be notified in writing. You will also receive notification that you can provide a statement explaining why you did not receive academic credit.

For more information on academic requirements, review the current Vanguard University Catalog.

Students receiving institutional financial aid (academic, merit, talent and athletic scholarships) must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their degree program in order to retain their institutional aid. These standards are separate and distinct from the University's Academic Probation and Disqualification Policies as stated in the University Catalog. Each student’s academic history will be evaluated at the end of the academic year, after grades are posted in the spring in accordance with the following regulations:

Qualitative Measure: All undergraduate and graduate institutional financial aid recipients are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA as defined by their institutional scholarship program in order to maintain eligibility. See your program director or scholarship contract for program specific information.

Undergraduate Academic Scholarships: Students are required to maintain certain cumulative GPAs in order for their academic scholarship to be renewed each year. Cumulative GPAs are reviewed annually after the spring term. If your cumulative GPA does not meet the minimum requirements for your academic scholarship, you will be awarded an academic scholarship that matches your GPA for the subsequent academic year.

The cumulative GPA requirements for undergraduate academic scholarship renewal are as follows:

Please note that if your cumulative GPA falls below a 2.0, you will not be eligible to receive any academic scholarship while you are a student at Vanguard University. If your GPA exceeds the minimum requirement, your academic scholarship cannot be increased.

Quantitative Measure: Full-time institutional financial aid recipients must make progress toward a degree as follows:

Undergraduates = 24 units per academic year (12 units/term)

Graduates = 18 units per academic year (9 units/term)

Students who are enrolled less than full-time must complete the number of units for which financial aid was approved and funded.

Maximum Timeframe: Students entering college for the first time are eligible for a maximum of four-years (eight semesters) of institutional aid. Transfer students are eligible for a maximum of three-years (six semesters) of institutional aid before eligibility is exhausted. Graduate and credential students have shorter time limits depending on program length.

IF YOU WITHDRAW OR TAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE AND PLAN TO RETURN:

Institutional aid recipients who withdraw or take a leave of absence from the University for a maximum of one semester will have their institutional aid reinstated upon their return.

Institutional aid recipients who withdraw or take a leave of absence for more than one semester lose eligibility for any grants or scholarships previously awarded, and are not guaranteed any institutional aid in the event that they return to the University. Students who are approved to return to Vanguard will be evaluated for institutional aid opportunities as a transfer student.

Please note: In order to graduate within four-years, full-time enrollment will need to consist of a minimum of 15.5 units per semester for undergraduate students.

All Students receiving financial aid, which include Title IV and non-Title IV aid programs, must demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their degree program. These policies apply to all aid recipients in all programs regardless of full-time or part-time enrollment. These standards are separate and distinct from the University's Academic Probation and Disqualification Policies as stated in the University Catalog. Each student’s academic history will be evaluated at the end of each semester after grades are posted, in accordance with the following regulations:

Qualitative Measure: All undergraduate financial aid recipients are required to maintain a minimum 2.00 Cumulative GPA. Please note that merit scholarships may require a higher minimum GPA in order to maintain eligibility. All credential and graduate financial aid recipients are required to maintain a minimum 3.00 Cumulative GPA.

Quantitative Measure: Students must successfully complete at least 67% of all units attempted. Classes for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, F, W, WF, WP, CR, I, are P are considered attempted. Classes for which a student receives a letter grade of A, B, C, D, CR and P are considered complete.

Full-time undergraduate = 16 units per academic year (8 units/term)

Full-time graduate = 12 units per academic year (6 units/term)

Students who are enrolled less than full-time must complete the number of units for which financial aid was approved and funded.

Please note: In order to graduate with a Bachelor’s degree within four-years, full-time enrollment will need to consist of a minimum of 15.5 units per semester.

Maximum Time Frame for Completion: A student may not receive federal aid for more than 150% of the normal time frame required to complete their degree program. For undergraduates that is a maximum of 186 total units (including repeated courses and units transferred into Vanguard) or 12 full-time semesters, whichever comes first. Graduate and credential students may not exceed 150% of their program length, in units or semesters, based on the program length as published in the university catalog.

A student fails to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements (and is ineligible for federal student aid) when it becomes mathematically impossible for them to complete their program within 150% of its length if it is an undergraduate program or within the maximum time frame established by the school if it is a graduate program.

Important: The maximum time frame to complete degree requirements does not override institutional, federal or state financial aid programs that have a maximum period of eligibility. For example, University funded undergraduate scholarships and the Cal Grant are available for a maximum of eight semesters. Student should refer to their Academic Degree Requirements for information on the recommended course load required their degree requirements in eight semesters (four years).

The following grades meet the satisfactory academic requirements for both graduate and undergraduate students: A, B, C, D, CR and P. The following grades do not meet the academic requirements for both graduate and undergraduate students: W, WP, WF, F, I and AU.

Incompletes (I) Grades: For SAP purposes, incomplete grades count as attempted but not earned credit. Therefore, it will not be counted towards meeting the minimum GPA or credit completion and may result in Financial Aid Warning or Suspension until the grade has been posted.

Withdrawals (W, WP, WF, F): Students who withdraw entirely from a semester or withdraw from a course(s) in which financial aid was received, are counted to have used eligibility towards the maximum time frame limit for degree completion.

Transfer Course Evaluation: Transfer students are evaluated based on the number of units accepted at admission to determine their maximum timeframe to receive financial aid.

Repeated Courses: A student who receives federal financial aid (Title IV funds) must follow Repeat Coursework rules in order to be considered as meeting enrollment requirements for financial aid eligibility and satisfactory academic progress. The federal regulations are listed below:

• A student may repeat a previously passed course once.

• A student may repeat a failed course until the student passes the course.

• A student, who passes a course but does not meet the grade requirement established by the college or school, may only repeat the course one time.

• A student who earns a passing grade in a course and chooses to retake the course a second time earning a grade of "F" or "W" may not take the course a third time and that course be considered as enrollment of federal financial aid programs.

• A student may repeat a course as an independent study, special topics, film genre, etc., as long as the subject matter is different for each course

• Courses already taken and for which credit has been granted do not count towards the completion of the quantitative measure of completing 24 units for the year; however, they do count towards the qualitative measure of meeting the minimum GPA requirement of a 2.0 and count towards the maximum time limit.

Failure to meet minimum standards to maintain financial aid eligibility (SAP) will result in being placed on Financial Aid Warning for the following semester. While on Financial Aid Warning, students retain financial aid eligibility and receive normal financial aid awards. At the end of the warning semester students are expected to have brought their academic standing up to meet the minimum SAP requirements. Failure to meet the minimum standards for a second time will result in Financial Aid Disqualification, (immediate termination) of financial aid eligibility. This includes all Federal, State and Institutional financial aid. Students completing the maximum number of semesters allowed for their degree program will be terminated from future financial aid.

Students will be notified if they fail to meet the minimum SAP requirements at the conclusion of each semester by 1) email notification, and 2) a status update within their financial aid self-service portal.

Appeal Process: Students may appeal Financial Aid Disqualification by completing the required appeal forms available in the Financial Aid Office. All appeals must be submitted in writing, and include the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form, with supporting documentation attached, to the Financial Aid Office. Acceptable documentation for each circumstance must be stated in the appeal letter and supporting documentation must be attached, such as medical records, death certificates and any documentation that supports the student’s mitigating circumstances. The Financial Aid committee will approve or deny appeals as they are submitted. Results of an appeal will be sent to the student in writing. Any student whose appeal is denied by the Financial Aid Committee has the right to appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. The Director of Financial Aid will use the same criteria in rendering its decision.

Only appeals for the following reasons will be accepted:

·   A death of an immediate family member of the student.

·   Medical/hospitalization of the student.

·   Mitigating circumstances beyond the student’s control that affected their       academic progress

If the Financial Aid Committee approves a SAP appeal, students will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and their financial aid will be reinstated the following semester. The Financial Aid Committee may require benchmarks that are to be met before reinstatement will be granted beyond the initial semester. If the Financial Aid Committee denies a SAP appeal the student must meet all minimum SAP standards before any further financial aid may be awarded as long as the student hasn’t reached the maximum units.

Reinstatement of Financial Aid: To reinstate financial aid a student must have an approved Financial Aid Appeal or must meet the financial aid satisfactory academic progress cumulative qualitative, quantitative, and maximum timeframe standards. Neither paying for classes out of pocket, nor sitting out a period of time is sufficient in and of itself to re-establish a student’s financial aid eligibility.

Federal, state and institutional aid recipients must verify that they have completed high school or it's equivalent by providing one of the following:

• A copy of the student’s high school diploma.

• For students who completed secondary education in a foreign country, a copy of the “secondary school leaving certificate” or other similar document.

• A copy of the student’s final official high school transcript that shows the date when the diploma was awarded.

• A state certificate or transcript received by a student after the student passed a State-authorized examination that the State recognizes as the equivalent of a high school diploma (GED test, HiSET, TASC, CHSPE or other State-authorized examination).

• An academic transcript that indicates the student successfully completed at least a two-year program that is acceptable for full credit toward a bachelor’s degree.

• For a student who was homeschooled in a state where state law requires the student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschooling (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a copy of that credential.

• For a student who was homeschooled in a state where state law does not require the student to obtain a secondary school completion credential for homeschooling (other than a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent), a transcript, or the equivalent, signed by the student's parent or guardian, that lists the secondary school courses the student completed and includes a statement that the student successfully completed a secondary school education in a homeschool setting.

• TRANSFER STUDENTS APPLYING FOR CAL GRANT: Students who transfer to Vanguard University from a California Community College and who may qualify to receive a Cal Grant award must provide a copy of their California High School Transcripts or Diploma AND a copy of their California Community College Transcripts. See the Cal Grant section in Grants and Scholarships for more information.

• VETERANS: A copy of DD Form 214 (DD-214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) is acceptable only when a primary document (high school diploma, GED certificate, etc.) is unavailable. The DD-214 must indicate the student is a high school graduate or its equivalent, which is noted on Question 15b on Member Copy 1, 2, or 4.

   

A student who receives federal financial aid (Title IV funds) must follow Repeat Coursework rules in order to be considered as meeting enrollment requirements for financial aid eligibility and satisfactory academic progress. The federal regulations are listed below:

• A student may repeat a previously passed course once.

• A student may repeat a failed course until the student passes the course.

• A student, who passes a course but does not meet the grade requirement established by the college or school, may only repeat the course one time.

• A student who earns a passing grade in a course and chooses to retake the course a second time earning a grade of "F" or "W" may not take the course a third time and that course be considered as enrollment for federal financial aid programs.

• A student may repeat a course as an independent study, special topics, film genre, etc., as long as the subject matter is different for each course

• Courses already taken and for which credit has been granted do not count towards the completion of the quantitative measure of completing 24 units for the year; however, they do count towards the qualitative measure of meeting the minimum GPA requirement of a 2.0 and count towards the maximum time limit.

Students have the right to appeal their financial aid award at any time while they attend Vanguard University. If you believe you have special circumstances that warrant a second review of your financial aid application, please contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@vanguard.edu to discuss your particular situation. The following are examples of appeals that may warrant special consideration from the Financial Aid Office:

• Special Circumstance or Appeal for Additional Federal Aid
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal
• Maximum Timeframe Appeal
• Dependency Status
• Cost of Attendance increase for special school related expenses, such as the purchase of a computer

Continue to monitor Self-Service as additional documentation may be requested during the review of an appeal. Appeals can take up to 30 days to review once all documentation has been received. If you have any questions, contact the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@vanguard.edu.

Per Federal Regulations, prior to the awarding of Federal Financial Aid, the student may be required to submit a copy of their original citizenship document to the Financial Aid Office.

Your Student Aid Report (SAR) may indicate you must submit proof of citizenship status to the Financial Aid Office at your school. You must appear in person in the Financial Aid Office with your original documents in order to satisfy this eligibility requirement.

Acceptable Documentation

Student's Rights

Replacing Lost DHS Documents

Financial Aid for Double Majors

Federal and state regulations governing the Federal PELL Grant, Federal SEOG Grants and the Cal Grant limit these awards to students who have not yet earned a baccalaureate or professional degree. Similarly, the university limits awards of institutional aid to students who have not yet earned their first bachelor's degree.

Students who are planning to double major should carefully plan their academic course work with their academic adviser to ensure that they maximize their eligibility for federal, state and university financial aid. The best approach is to make sure you complete the requirements for both degrees or majors simultaneously in the same semester. Once the requirements for one major/degree have been satisfied, a student will only be eligible for limited financial aid (Federal Direct Loans and Federal Work-Study).

Financial Aid for a Second Bachelor's Degree

Students who are pursuing their second bachelor's degree are eligible for a limited number of financial aid programs, specifically Federal Work-Study and Federal Direct Loan programs. Parents of dependent students may also borrow Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans.

The U.S. Department of Education requires colleges to disclose a variety of information for any financial aid eligible program that “prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation”. Information on these disclosure forms are presented based on Department of Education guidelines and survey methods.

Total program costs reflect 2021/22 tuition and fees and may change in future academic years.

Gainful Employment Programs

Early Childhood Certificate - Professional Studies

Federal and state financial aid can only be received for study abroad programs approved by the US Department of Education to participate in Federal Student Aid (FSA) Programs.

The types of aid you can and cannot use to assist with study abroad tuition are listed below. For more information about study abroad, contact Global Education & Outreach.