Financial Aid

Scholarships

Installment Payment Plan

The university offers a semester installment payment plan that divides the charges for tuition, fees, room, and board into multiple installments each semester. Information on this plan is available from the Student Accounts website at: www.lander.edu/installment-plan

Mail and Email
The Financial Aid Office uses the official Lander email address for communications with students about awards, requirements, and most other aid-related issues. On occasion, letters may be sent to the address of record. Students are responsible for checking their Lander email regularly (at least once per week) and maintaining their email accounts and mailing addresses consistent with University policy. Failure to receive an email or a mailing sent by the Financial Aid Office is the responsibility of the student.

Return of Title IV Funds
Federal regulations require each educational institution to have a written policy for the refund and repayment of federal aid received by students who withdraw during a term for which payment has been received. This policy is effective only if the student completely terminates enrollment (i.e., cancels his/her registration, withdraws, or is dismissed) or stops attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period. All returned funds will be distributed back to the aid programs in the order prescribed by law. The amount of refunded fees for students who withdraw will be calculated based on the percentage of the aid earned before separation as outlined in federal law. Students who may be eligible for post-withdrawal disbursements will be notified in writing. Students may contact the Student Accounts Office for details or visit https://www.lander.edu/about/offices-departments/finance-administration/student-accounts/index.html.

Student Work Programs

Many part-time student jobs are available each year from the Federal Work-Study Program and Lander’s student assistant work program. Students interested in seeking employment on campus should check employment postings and procedures at www.lander.edu/studentemployment.
Graduate students may also apply for a graduate student assistantship. Graduate assistantship opportunities are listed on the Financial Aid website at https://www.lander.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/graduate-assistantship-opportunities.

Summer School Aid
Aid for summer school is based on unused eligibility from the academic year immediately preceding summer enrollment. Students who wish to be considered for summer aid must have a current FAFSA on file and must complete a separate, one-page application in the Financial Aid Office. Summer Aid applications are available by March 1 each year and are processed in the order in which they are received. Students should plan to reserve aid eligibility if they know they must attend summer school. Most summer aid eligibility requires enrollment in at least six (6) hours over the course of the summer for undergraduates and (3) hours for graduate students. Students are not eligible to receive aid for enrollment at another institution (limited exceptions for study-abroad apply). Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information regarding aid for summer school. For additional information visit: www.lander.edu/summeraid.

Types of Aid

Scholarships and grants are gift aid and do not require repayment. Work programs allow the student to work part-time and receive payment for hours worked. Loans must be repaid, but students are not required to do so until six months after they drop below half-time or cease to be enrolled (note that while payments are not required until after graduation for unsubsidized student loans, interest accrues while the student is in school unless it is paid). In order to qualify for federal funds, a student must meet the eligibility criteria listed on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In addition, students must be enrolled at least half-time for most programs. The FAFSA can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. A brief description of the federal programs can be found on the FAFSA website. A more detailed description of the financial aid process and programs is available online at https://studentaid.gov/.

The most common programs for graduate students at Lander University are:
1. Graduate Assistantships
2. Federal Work-Study
3. Federal Direct Student Loans (Unsubsidized)
4. Lander Foundation and other University Scholarships
5. VA Benefits

Information about Lander University’s graduate assistantships is available online at https://www.lander.edu/admissions/tuition-financial-aid/graduate-assistantship-opportunities

Satisfactory Academic Progress

In addition to maintaining all general federal aid requirements, students receiving all federal funds and most state funds must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to receive these funds. Certain programs have more stringent requirements than those listed such as MSN Clinical Nurse Leader. In order to maintain satisfactory progress and continue to receive assistance, a student must meet the criteria in three distinct areas listed below.

1. Quantitative Evaluation (Completion Ratio)
The quantitative evaluation requires that all students pass a percentage of ALL attempted hours. *The percentage is calculated by dividing the overall passed hours by the overall attempted hours. (Passed ÷ Attempted = Ratio). Passed hours include transfer hours for which a student may, or may not, receive earned hours toward graduation at Lander. This standard is designed so students may reasonably complete their degree within the required maximum time frame. The minimum standard for graduate students is a completion ratio of 67%.
*Attempted hours include Pass/Fail courses, withdrawals, repeated courses, and failed courses. Summer hours are included. All transfer hours attempted from all institutions (including withdrawals or failing grades) and hours for which a student did not receive financial aid are counted. Courses that are dropped during the regular Drop/Add periods and are not reflected on the academic transcript are not counted.

2. Qualitative Evaluation (GPA)
The qualitative evaluation requires that all graduate students maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.

3. Time Frame Evaluation
The time frame evaluation limits the length of time that students can receive federal and state funding to complete degree requirements. Graduate students must complete all degree and graduation requirements within 54 credit hours. A student who cannot mathematically finish their program within the maximum time frame is not eligible for aid. For example, a transfer student has attempted 30 credit hours but still needs 30 hours to complete their degree requirements at Lander; they are not eligible because they only have 24 credit hours remaining before reaching the 54 maximum.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Evaluation Procedure
Evaluation is conducted after spring grades are official each academic year. Satisfactory Academic Progress evaluations must take into consideration ALL periods of enrollment, including periods in which the student did not receive financial aid. Students who do not meet the criteria at the end of an academic year will no longer be eligible for aid – THERE IS NO WARNING PERIOD. Students who fail to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards are not eligible for federal or state aid until such time as they meet the standards. Students who fail to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards will be notified by the Financial Aid Office. Information on the appeals process will be included with the notification.

Evaluation for the Time Frame criteria will be conducted throughout the year. Students will be notified if they are not eligible to receive funds in future terms or warned if they are approaching the time frame limits. Transfer grades and credits are evaluated at the time of receipt for students transferring into Lander University. ALL transcripts from ALL prior institutions must be received and articulated before any financial aid or Satisfactory Academic Progress appeals can be processed. Transfer students must meet the above Satisfactory Academic Progress standards to be considered eligible for aid.

Appeals to Satisfactory Academic Progress Decisions
All students who are denied aid due to failure to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress may appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Office. Completed appeal forms must be received by the date specified in the notification to the student. If the Financial Aid Office determines that mitigating circumstances prevented a student from maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress and those circumstances have been resolved, the student may be allowed to continue eligibility for one probationary term at a time or until the student is making satisfactory progress.
All appeals must include an academic plan (signed by an advisor) detailing an anticipated graduation timeframe and in some cases may restrict students to specific courses or enrollment loads.

Adjustments to Aid
Lander University reserves the right to adjust any aid awarded based on verification of eligibility or enrollment status. Further, at any time that new, corrected, or additional information becomes available, Lander University reserves the right to review any aid for accuracy and eligibility and to adjust as necessary. If transcripts received after the beginning of the term cause students to not adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, the student will be liable for any aid already received for that term. Total aid (including scholarships, grants, loans, and Federal Work-Study) is limited to the student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) as determined by the Financial Aid Office.