The Office of Financial Aid, located on the third floor of the Joseph Henry Apple Academic Resource Center, administers federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. Financial aid representatives can be reached by phone at 301-696-3411 or by email at finaid@hood.edu.
Hood College administers the following types of aid: loans, grants, scholarships, and assistantships
In order to be eligible for federal loans, a student must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen, be accepted or enrolled in a graduate degree or certificate program; for a minimum of 3 credits each semester and be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate from Hood as described below. To apply for a federal loan, a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with the Hood College school code of 002076 at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
International students, although not eligible for federal loans, may apply for loan assistance from private educational loan programs if they have a credit-worthy cosigner who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Additional information can be obtained by visiting the ElmSelect resources website at https://www.elmselect.com/v4/
Some programs offer teaching and graduate assistant positions to support graduate students through tuition waivers and/or small stipends. Students may inquire about this possibility with the appropriate program director and/or through the Graduate School at gofurther@hood.edu.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
In accordance with the U.S. Department of Education, the Office of Financial Aid at Hood College monitors graduate students after the spring semester each academic year for successful completion of satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards. For financial aid eligibility, terms are defined as fall, winter, spring and summer. All students are measured on qualitative (grade-based) and quantitative (time-based) standards. Students who fail to meet SAP standards are not eligible for any financial aid unless an appeal is approved. Students are not limited to one appeal.
Graduate programs range from 30 to 60 credits with most master's programs at the 36-credit level, and a 3.00 cumulative average is required to complete the degree. Students are considered to be making satisfactory progress toward degree completion for financial aid purposes by adhering to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy outlined below.
Students who are not meeting the SAP standards at the end of the spring semester are notified in writing via email to their Hood College email address.
Cumulative GPA
The qualitative standard measures a student's quality of performance in terms of GPA. Graduate students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of the spring semester in each academic year in order to meet this requirement. If a student fails to meet this requirement, ,the student will be suspended from financial aid but will have the opportunity to submit an appeal.
Cumulative Completion Rate (Also referred to as pace)
In order to maintain financial aid eligibility, the U.S. Department of Education requires a student to successfully complete 67 percent of the credits for which he/she attempted as shown in the example below:
Hood College Office of Financial Aid calculates the pace at which a student is progressing by dividing the cumulative number of credits successfully completed by the cumulative number of credits attempted. All periods of enrollment count when assessing quantitative standards, even periods in which the student did not receive aid.
Pace=Cumulative number of credits successfully completed/Cumulative number of credits attempted
Maximum Timeframe
The maximum timeframe in which a graduate student is expected to complete their degree is 150 percent of the published length of the program measured in years. Students will become ineligible for any type of financial aid if the maximum timeframe for completion is not met. For example, if a published length of a graduate academic program is 2 years, the maximum period must not exceed 3 years. The maximum timeframe in which a student is expected to complete their additional or dual degree is 150 percent of the published length of the program measured in years.
The maximum timeframe for Hood College programs is as follows:
- Certificate programs: - 2 years
- Master’s degree - 3 years
- Doctorate degree- 6 years.
(Note: the SAP policy is separate from the time-to-completion Graduate School policy which allows up to seven years to complete a degree program.)
Students who fail to meet the maximum timeframe requirement towards completion of their degree will have their financial aid canceled. Students may appeal this suspension.
Treatment of W, INC, AU, F, S and U Grades and Repeated Coursework
- Course withdrawals (W or WX) after the drop/add period are not included in the GPA calculation but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework.
- Incomplete (INC) grades are not included in the GPA calculation but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the incomplete grade is replaced with a permanent grade and academic progress can be reevaluated.
- An audit (AU) grade is not considered attempted coursework. It is not included in the GPA calculation or completion rate determination.
- A satisfactory (S) grade is treated as attempted credits earned, but it is not included in the GPA calculation.
- An unsatisfactory (U) grade is treated as attempted credits that are not earned, but it is not included in the GPA calculation.
- A failing grade (F) is treated as attempted credits not earned; it will be included in the calculation of the GPA and the minimum completion rate.
- All grades earned for a repeated course will be recorded on the transcript and the highest grade received will be included in the GPA calculation; however, every repeated attempt will be included in the completion rate determination.
- Transfer credits and/or credits for prior learning given at the time of enrollment will be counted in the total number of credits attempted and the maximum timeframe standard.
Students can only receive financial aid for a repeated, previously passed course one additional time. If the student registers for a previously passed course the third time, the course is ineligible for financial aid.
Students may only receive financial aid for courses which are required for their program of study.
Due to flexibility provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), attempted courses will be excluded from the qualitative component if the credits not completed was a result of the COVID-19 national emergency.
Financial Aid Suspension
Students are placed on financial aid suspension if they do not meet all of the SAP standards. Hood College monitors SAP annually at the end of the spring semester and students are notified accordingly with an email to their Hood College email account. Students are not given a warning period since the process is monitored once per academic year. Students have the option to appeal for financial aid once they are on suspension.
Financial Aid Probation
If the appeal is granted, students will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester and are expected to meet SAP standards by the end of the semester. If at the end of the probationary period the student still does not meet the standards set forth in this policy, eligibility to receive financial aid will be suspended.
If it is determined that the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards at the end of one semester of enrollment, the student will be placed on an academic plan for multiple semesters. If the student is placed on an academic plan as a condition of the appeal and is meeting the requirements of the plan, the student shall remain eligible for financial aid during the semesters specified in the academic plan. The academic plan may only be modified with prior approval of the academic advisor and/or relevant student services office.
Reinstatement of Aid
Reinstatement of financial aid may be achieved as follows:
- The student submits a written letter of appeal in accordance with the appeals process and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee approves the appeal. The student is placed on financial aid probation for one semester or on an academic plan, and is allowed to maintain their aid eligibility. SAP will be reviewed at the end of that semester; or
- The student enrolls in courses at Hood College, pays for tuition and fees without the help of student aid and does well enough in the coursework to satisfy all of the satisfactory academic progress standards. The student must notify the Office of Financial Aid if they are planning to attend Hood College without the assistance of financial aid; or
- The student may enroll in summer courses to eliminate the deficiency in credits or GPA. The student must notify the Office of Financial Aid if they are planning to take classes during the summer to eliminate the deficiency. Students can only take classes at Hood College and cannot take classes at another institution to resolve a GPA deficiency.
A student whose eligibility has been suspended may regain eligibility at the end of any term after which they meet the above criteria.
Students who have been placed on suspension cannot skip a semester to regain eligibility. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters for students on suspension.
Appeals Process
Students on financial aid suspension may appeal in writing to the Office of Financial Aid. Appeals must be submitted by August 1 in order to be reviewed for the upcoming fall semester. The written appeal must include the following:
- A description of the extenuating circumstances that prevented the student from meeting the SAP standards. The student must demonstrate that they understand the reason behind failure to meet the SAP standards.
- A description of the course of action and/or change in situation that will allow the student to meet the SAP standards by the end of the next semester or at the next SAP evaluation period. Include specific plans to rectify the SAP suspension status.
- Documentation which supports the statements made in the appeal.
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may request that the student submit an academic plan signed by the student's academic advisor if the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards by the end of the next semester of enrollment. The Office of Financial Aid will notify the student by email if such documentation is needed for the appeal.
The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will review the appeal and notify the student by email within ten business days of the decision. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final.
If the appeal is granted, students will be placed on financial aid probation for one semester and are expected to meet SAP standards by the end of the semester. If, at that time, the student does not meet SAP standards, the student will be suspended from financial aid and may appeal based on extenuating circumstances. If the student is successful, the student will be removed from probation and placed in good standing for financial aid eligibility.
If the student is placed on an academic plan as a condition of the appeal and is following the plan, the student shall remain eligible for financial aid during the semesters specified in the terms and conditions of the academic plan. The academic plan may only be modified with prior approval of the academic advisor and/or relevant student services office.
Appeals should be delivered to the Office of Financial Aid in person (3rd floor of Apple Resource Center), or by:
- Email: finaid@hood.edu
- Fax: 301-696-3812
if students are unable to fax or email appeals, they may submit all required documentation by postal mail to:
Office of Financial Aid
Hood College
401 Rosemont Ave
Frederick, MD 21701
Maryland State Scholarship Program
The Maryland Higher Education Commission offers several need-based grants, scholarships, and loan repayment programs for Maryland residents. The scholarships and grants most frequently awarded to Hood students include, but are not limited to the Cybersecurity Public Service Scholarship Program, Workforce Shortage Student Assistance Grant Program, Senatorial Scholarship, and Delegate Scholarships. I order to be considered for Maryland State aid, students must file the FAFSA by March 1. In addition, some state scholarships may require a separate application. For more information regarding the State aid programs, please contact the Maryland Higher Education Commission-Office of Student Financial Assistance at 800-974-0203 or https://mhec.state.md.us.
Veterans’ Educational Benefits
Hood College serves as a liaison/informational resource to veterans by providing Veterans Administration forms and certifying military students for benefits. Hood College Office of Financial Aid provides services to veterans and dependents of veterans eligible for education benefits. To initiate or continue benefits, veterans must contact the Office of Financial Aid, 301-696-3411, at the beginning of each semester to complete the required paperwork, in compliance with the policies and procedures established by the Office of Financial Aid and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Information and application forms may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid or via the Hood College Financial Aid web page, under forms. Educational benefit programs include:
- Chapter 30, Montgomery GI Bill
- Chapter 31, Vocational Rehabilitation
- Chapter 33, Post-9/11 GI Bill [Forever GI Bill]
- Chapter 35, Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance
- Chapter 1606, Selected Reserve
Hood College participates in the Department of Veterans Affairs Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon GI Educational Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. Participating students remain in the Yellow Ribbon program throughout their enrollment at Hood College and remain eligible or Yellow Ribbon program scholarship as long as each of the following applies: Hood College continues to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, the students remain in good academic standing, and the students have remaining VA Educational Benefits entitlement.
For information on each of these programs, current payment rates, availability of benefits or approvals call the local Regional VA Office at 1-888-442-4551.
VETERAN ENROLLMENT
Per Public Law 115-407 (Section 103), veterans who have submitted and been approved for education benefits may enroll in, attend, and participate in courses while payment for those courses is still pending.