Financial Aid Policies
Check out our institutional policies related to financial aid.
Withdrawal Policies
Withdrawing from a course or from the college may be in your best interest; however, you need to be aware of how withdrawing will affect your financial aid and tuition charges.
- You will receive a full refund of tuition charges.
- The class or classes will not be recorded on your transcript.
- The class or classes will not be counted when Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is calculated.
- Your aid will be adjusted based on your new enrollment level.
All aid at the federal, state, and institutional level will be canceled.
- Lose eligibility for Federal Loans, Federal Work-Study, PA State Grant, Federal SEOG Grant
- Receive an email to complete Exit counseling to select your repayment plan if you previously borrowed federal student loans.
- Enter the grace period or repayment on your prior loans. Please refer to your loan servicer, found at StudentAid.gov for more information.
- Please check with the tuition refund policy for schedule of tuition refund.
- For Financial Aid purposes there will be no change to your aid or enrollment status.
- Your attempted class (es) will count towards the calculation of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
- The class (es) will be recorded on your transcript with the grade of “W”.
- Students who wish to completely withdraw from their courses must officially withdraw at the Registration office by completing a withdrawal form—and notifying the Financial Aid office.
- Students who completely withdraw at or before 60 percent of the term will be processed through a federally mandated Return of Title IV Funds Calculation.
- This calculation determines the percentage of financial aid the student has earned based on the number of days the student attended divided by the number of days in the enrollment period.
- The student will be responsible for paying any unpaid institutional charges incurred by the institution having to return Title IV funds.
- The student will also be responsible for returning a percentage of unearned financial aid. This amount will be the difference between the amount of Title IV aid due from the school and the amount of Title IV aid to be returned.
- The school must return funds to the following sources, in order, up to the total net amount from each source: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, PLUS, Pell Grant, Federal ACG, Federal SEOG, and any other Title IV programs.
- The student will return loan amounts in accordance with the terms of the promissory note.
- If the student owes tuition and fees, the student will receive an invoice from the school.
- The Financial Aid office will notify the student of the amount of any federal grants that must be repaid by the student.
- If there is a reduction in tuition, students receiving the Pennsylvania state grant may be required to return a portion of what was received. You will be notified by Financial Aid if any amount of the state grant must be repaid.
- Financial aid is available to eligible students who enroll at the institution for a specific period and for a specific number of courses. Students who stop attending classes as reported by the faculty will have financial aid adjusted to reflect the student's unofficial withdrawal from classes.
- Students who are reported by the faculty as stopped attending classes will have their financial aid adjusted if the student has stopped attending classes during the institution's refund period. The institution will retain the full tuition and fees of students who stop attending classes and may report these students as enrolled for state appropriations. This procedure parallels the manner in which the institution adjusts students who officially withdraw from classes.
- Students who are reported by the faculty as stopped attending classes after the institution's refund period (unless the student has stopped attending all classes) will not have financial aid adjusted but will be expected to make satisfactory academic progress according to the federal guidelines established for financial aid recipients. The institution will retain the full tuition and fees of students who stop attending classes and may report these students as enrolled for state appropriations. This procedure parallels the manner in which the institution adjusts students who officially withdraw from classes.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The Department of Education requires Financial Aid Offices to establish a policy that monitors degree progression and consistently apply it to all students. NPRC reviews SAP at the end of each Spring, Summer, and Fall term.
SAP is a cumulative figure, meaning this metric is based on every course you've attempted or transferred into NPRC.
Students must complete their degree within 150 percent of the number of credits required for graduation. Students will immediately receive a Max Time Frame Status when it becomes mathematically impossible to graduate within the Max Time Frame allotment.
Example: Associate degrees require 60 credits to graduate; therefore, federal aid would be limited to 90 credits. The calculation is 60 x 150% = 90.
Also, terminated or suspended students will immediately receive a Max Time Frame Status when it is mathematically impossible for them to regain Pace Rate within the Max Time Frame allotment.
Students must earn a cumulative minimum of 67 percent of the credits attempted.
Example: 9 credits completed ÷ 12 credits attempted = 75% Pace RateGPA - Students must maintain a cumulative grade-point average of a minimum 2.00 and a term GPA of 2.0.
A, B, C, D Grades (college level and prep/developmental classes):
All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted and completed. All credits are included in the cumulative GPA calculation.
F or I Grades (college level and prep/developmental classes):
All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted but do not count as completed. For cumulative GPA, F or I grades count as zero points earned.
Repeat Classes:
Financial Aid may be used to pay for a repeated class one time. All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace, all credits count toward attempted, but only the repeat credits count as completed, presuming the grade is a D or higher. For GPA, the new grade will replace the old grade in the GPA calculation.
Pass/Fail Grades:
All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted and completed. They are not included in the cumulative GPA calculation.
Withdrawals (Including Medical Withdrawals):
All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted but do not count as completed. For cumulative GPA, these grades are not included in the calculation.
Transfer Credits:
All credits count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted and completed. For cumulative GPA, these grades are not included in the calculation.
Change of Program of Study:
NPRC students are only in one active program at a time. A change of program does not restart the Max Time Frame. All credits from all programs count toward Max Time Frame. For Pace Rate, they count as attempted and completed. All grades from all programs are included in the cumulative GPA calculation.
Paid Out of Pocket: All periods of enrollment are considered when calculating SAP, regardless of whether or not prior federal financial aid was received for those credits.
Academic Forgiveness:
Being granted Academic Forgiveness through the Registrar’s Office does not change the SAP calculation. All attempted and earned credits are used when calculating Max Time Frame, Pace, and GPA.
Status definitions are determined at the end of each term.
Satisfactory - Meeting the SAP Standards.
Warning - Failing to meet Pace Rate, GPA or both SAP Standards. Students on Warning are still eligible to receive federal aid. The student will return to Satisfactory if the SAP Standards are met after the next grading period.
Suspended - Failing to meet Pace Rate, GPA or both SAP Standards immediately following a warning semester. This status is specific for students that have already used their one-time appeal. They are ineligible for federal aid, which includes Pell Grants, SEOG Grants, Direct Loans, and Work-Study.
Probation - Suspended students that are granted their one-time appeal will be placed on Probation and granted a specific number of credits to complete within a defined number of terms. Federal aid will be reinstated, and SAP will still be monitored at the end of each grading period. During the Probation term(s) students are to work with their advisors to determine course load, repeats and tutoring opportunities to progress towards SAP. Each term is reviewed and emailed to them with their updated SAP status and federal aid eligibility. Students who do not meet the probation plan will be notified of a Suspended status and will have to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress without federal aid eligibility.
Max Time Frame - Met or exceeded 150 percent of the number of credits required for graduation in their program. This status is ineligible for federal aid, which includes Pell Grants, SEOG Grants, Direct Loans, and Work-Study.
Students may re-establish eligibility for one of three reasons.
1. A student may re-establish eligibility for Title IV aid by paying for and passing credits and/or improving cumulative GPA that was below the minimum. Once the student has resolved, they can notify the Financial Aid Office by completing the Academic Progress Exception Form link form that they would like to be re-evaluated for Title IV aid.
2. Alternatively, a student may also have grades posted for incomplete coursework or study abroad or have a grade changed. In these cases, a student must complete an “Academic Progress Exception Form” link form and send a copy of their final transcript to the Financial Aid Office. If coursework was completed outside NPRC, the student must include a copy of that grade transcript as well. The deadline for submitting this exception form is October 15th following the initial year of unsatisfactory progress.
3. Lastly, students can also be re-established through a written appeal. Appeals will be granted only in extreme circumstances due to events beyond the student’s control, such as – death of a student’s relative or the injury or illness of student. If such a circumstance has occurred, the student should submit an SAP Academic Appeals Form link form, along with all required documentation.
Examples of circumstances include the following.
Family Circumstances
- Marriage Certificate
- Birth Certificate
- Divorce Papers
- Court Documents
- Police Reports
- A copy of plane tickets
Medical Concerns
- A copy of medical bills
- Letter from Doctor
- Verifying illness
- Verifying treatment
- Supporting your ability to handle an academic course-load
Work Circumstances
- Letter from Employer
- Verifying unemployment
- Verifying reduced hours
Death
- Death Certificate
- Obituary
- Memorial Service Bulletin
Emotional Concerns
- Letter from a counselor/therapist
- Verifying treatment
- Supporting your ability to handle an academic course-load
Accident
- Original police report
- Medical documentation
- Car repair bills
Any incomplete forms through a written appeal and requests without proper documentation will be returned to the student for completion. The appeal must include:
- An explanation of why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress.
What has changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation. - The completed appeal and the required documentation must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal form and the required documentation will then be forwarded to the Financial Aid Appeal Committee for review. The decision of the Appeal Committee is final and may not be appealed. Students will receive email notification of the committee’s decision.
- If an appeal is approved, the student is placed on a “financial aid probation” status when it is assumed they can meet SAP within one term and “financial aid academic plan” if the student is not able to improved their grades to a 2.0 GPA and 67 percent in one term, Title IV aid eligibility is reinstated for the next payment period or term, with possible requirements specified by the school. If the student does not make satisfactory progress or meets requirements of the academic plan by the end of the next payment period or term, the student will unfortunately lose eligibility for Title IV aid again.
2nd or Subsequent Appeal
What happens if I am granted a first appeal and then fail to meet the requirements of the academic plan or probation?
- If a student appeals and is placed on academic probation or plan and does not meet the terms of the agreement, the student must complete six credits that apply toward graduation on their own and obtain at least a 2.0 term GPA before the student can appeal for federal financial aid again.
- If GPA was also a limitation and the student was placed on academic probation or an improvement plan and did not meet the terms of the agreement, students must obtain at least a 2.3 term GPA and complete six credits that apply toward graduation. The bill for the make-up term must be paid in full before the subsequent appeal will be renewed.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a requirement for the Pennsylvania State Grant (PASG) program, which is administered by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). SAP refers to the successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. Students must make satisfactory academic progress for each academic year to remain eligible for the PASG.
- PHEAA SAP requires students to complete at least 12 credits for every academic semester that they receive a full time PA State Grant and at least six credits for every academic semester that they receive a part time PA State Grant.
Consumer Information
To comply with the Higher Education Act of 1965, we are required to disclose specific consumer information about the university and the availability of student financial aid to prospective and current students.
The Student Consumer Information page provides students, parents, and the communities we serve with the needed information about the College. Head there for more information regarding NPRC's policies.
See What Our Students Have to Say
“It was a wonderful experience here at NPRC. I learned so much and my instructor was amazing. He was knowledgeable and made sure that everything we need is uploaded online and communicates well with us. He also held us accountable to make sure we were learning and ready. I enjoyed working alongside my amazing classmates and all the different experiences they brought to the course. Everyone in our class was eager to learn and was proactive about staying up to date on what is being asked of us.”
- Marie, NPRC EMT Graduate
“Attending NPRC was truly life-changing for me and provided a foundation to pursue my passion for early childhood education. I gained the knowledge and skills needed to excel in this field. But it was bigger than just academics; my professors taught me valuable life lessons and instilled important values that have shaped who I am today. Overall, my college journey has not only prepared me for a successful career but has also equipped me with the mindset and tools to make a positive impact on the lives of young children.”
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"NPRC’s faculty, staff, and professors do everything they can to see the students succeed and provide us with exactly what we need to do our best both inside the classroom and out. The early childhood education program is phenomenal. It was a school that aided me in balancing class, schoolwork, and my career. From the start and throughout my time, NPRC made me feel like I was at the right place.”
- Savannah, Early Childhood Education Graduate
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