Understanding Your Financial Aid

Table of Contents

General

  • Contact the Office of Financial Aid
  • Student Financial Aid
  • When to Apply for Financial Aid

Eligibility

  • Your Family Contribution
  • Sibling Enrollment and Verification
  • Special Circumstances or Concerns
  • Future Financial Aid

Standard Cost of Attendance

  • Educational Expenses for 2023-2024
  • Notes on Educational Expenses
  • Tuition for Part-time Students
  • Fees
  • Health Insurance
  • Room and Board
  • Transportation
  • Disbursement of Financial Aid and the Billing Statement
  • Change of Resident Status
Grants and Scholarships
  • Grants and Scholarships

Self Help Resources: Work and Loans

  • Federal Work Study
  • Loan Resources
  • William D. Ford Federal District Loan Program 
  • Other Loan Options (Federal and Alternative)
  • Other Financing Options

Study Away From Campus

  • Study Away From Campus

Enrollment Status

  • Course Load requirement

Satisfactory Academic Progress

  • Definition
  • Cumulative Grade Point Average Standard
  • Pace of Progression
  • Maximum Timeframe
  • Appeal Process

Withdrawal from the College

  • Institutional Tuition Refund Policy
  • Return to Title IV Funds
  • Eligibility on Return to College

Helpful Websites

  • Outside Scholarship Information
  • Loan Entrance and Exit Counseling

Solutions at ECMC

  • Solutions at ECMC

Office of Financial Aid

Staff:

Elizabeth Keuffel
Assistant Vice President for Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid

Patricia Brunton
Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid

Shari Trabucchi
Associate Director

Christine Biron
Financial Aid Counselor

Jill Coletti
Financial Aid Operations Specialist

Sherri Uhlmann
Financial Aid Coordinator

Contact:

E-mail: financial_aid@anselm.edu

Phone: (603) 641-7110

Fax: (603) 656-6015

Tuition & Financial Aid Home


 

Student Financial Aid

Saint Anselm College recognizes that, in many instances, students and their families are not able to meet the entire cost of their education. To help defray the cost of a Saint Anselm College education, the Office of Financial Aid administers federal, state, and institutional assistance.

 

When to Apply for Financial Aid

Financial Aid Application Deadlines

December 1 – Deadline for Early Decision applicants

December 1 – Preferred deadline for Early Action applicants

February 15 – Deadline for freshmen applicants

April 15 – Deadline for returning students (rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors). However, preferred deadline March 15 with the FAFSA as the only required document; other documents will be requested according to individual situations.

The Office of Financial Aid must receive all required documents by the deadline.

Late applicants will lose a percentage of institutional, need-based financial aid (5% per 30 days past the deadline).

 


Eligibility

Your Family Contribution (FC)

How we determine your Family Contribution (FC)

  • We expect you and your family to contribute to your educational expenses.
  • A methodology estimates your family’s ability to contribute to your education.
  • Determining factors include income, assets, family size, and number of dependent children in college.
  • If your parents are not married, we include a contribution of the parent (and, if remarried, the step-parent) with whom you live.  For students first enrolled at Saint Anselm College prior to Spring 2022, we also include a contribution of the non-custodial parent.
  • When determining your need-based aid, we consider both your cost of attendance and your family contribution.

 

Sibling Enrollment and Verification

The concurrent enrollment of siblings affects the family contribution. We use the federal definition of sibling enrollment for financial aid. For students first enrolled at Saint Anselm College prior to Spring 2022, we use an institutional definition for Saint Anselm need-based aid.

Federal Definition: Siblings concurrently enrolled at least half-time in a Title IV eligible program leading to a college degree in 2023-2024.

Institutional Definition: Siblings concurrently enrolled as full-time undergraduate students in 2023-2024 excluding siblings that fall into the categories listed below:

  • Receiving grant-in-aid benefits to cover direct educational costs such as:
    • Athletic scholarships
    • Academic scholarships
    • ROTC scholarship
    • Employee benefit
    • Other full-tuition benefit
    • Receiving federal aid as an independent student
    • Enrolled in service or military academy

The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right to confirm sibling enrollment with the student and/or with the school that the sibling is enrolled in.

If we find inconsistent information or we find that the sibling meets one of the excludable conditions listed, we will revise your financial aid. In general, a decrease in the number in college will almost double the reported FC and reduce the amount of aid proportionately. Because siblings’ college plans may change, it is important that you notify us immediately of any changes.

 

Special Circumstances or Concerns

If in the past year your family has experienced extenuating circumstances that limit their ability to contribute toward the cost of your Saint Anselm College education, notify the Office of Financial Aid in writing. We will evaluate your circumstances and request additional documentation according to the dictates of your situation. We will assist you regarding alternative financing options, or, if appropriate, reassess your financial need.

 

Future Financial Aid

Saint Anselm will assist students with financial aid that reflects previous funding assuming the student meets the following conditions:

  • Completes the financial aid application by posted deadline;
  • Meets or exceeds the minimum CGPA requirement. This information can be found under “Required Documents and Critical Messages” on the Anselmian Aid financial aid portal accessed via MyAnselm;
  • Maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress;
  • Enrolls with comparable course load (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time);
  • Remains in similar residency status (on-campus, off-campus, commuter); and
  • Demonstrates similar need as the previous year.

Saint Anselm College is committed to providing comparable grant aid to students each year based on their demonstrated need. The source of the grants or scholarships may change according to eligibility and availability. Loans will increase based on federal eligibility. If your family income and/or resources increase or decrease substantially, you may see an increase or decrease in your financial aid package. Changes in sibling enrollment generally change eligibility for need-based aid.

 


Standard Cost of Attendance

Educational Expenses for 2023-2024
Cost Residential Budget Off-Campus Budget Commuter Living with Family Budget
Tuition (Full-time) $45,360 $45,360 $45,360
Standard Fees $1,450 $1,450 $1,450
Food and Housing (standard double) $16,520 N/A N/A
Transportation $350 $3,184 $3,184
Books $1,000 $1,000 $1,000
Personal/Miscellaneous $3,142 N/A $1,412
Living N/A $15,360 $1,500
Loan Fees $68 $68 $68
Total Costs $67,890 $66,422 $53,974

 

Notes on Education Expenses

For the purposes of calculating a financial aid budget, we use a comprehensive cost of attendance. We assume that you will be a full-time residential student unless you indicate otherwise.

Please notify the Office of Financial Aid immediately if you change your enrollment and/or residency status. Changes may result in an adjustment to your financial aid.

 

Tuition for Part-Time Students

Tuition is assessed on a per-credit basis when students take fewer than twelve credits each term. Each credit costs $1,120 each.

 

Fees

Note on fees: beyond standard fees based on residency, a student’s fees are driven by course selection. Given the core requirements, most freshmen fees are approximately $1,790:

Description of Fee Cost
Standard Fee: Full-time Students $1,450
Standard Fee: Part-time Students $670
Clinical Fee, Upper Classmen, per semester $2,260
Nursing Fee, Sophomore, first semester only $670
Clinical Fee, Sophomore, second semester only $670
First-Year Experience Fee $340
Summer School Registration Fee $75
Admission Application Fee $50
Enrollment Deposit $750
Returning Room Deposit $300
Late Payment Fee $125
Return Payment Fee $30
Study Abroad Fee $900- $1,800
Individual Music Instruction Fee $400
Audit Fee (per credit) $190

 

Health Insurance

The college requires all full-time students to be covered by health insurance. During the summer, Student Financial Services will send information about the insurance program. Please note: citizens of countries other than the USA are required to purchase the college’s health insurance.

 

Food and Housing

We assume the standard housing and food cost for living in a residence hall in a double room with a Saint Anselm College meal plan for the purposes of financial aid. Students with higher-cost housing may discuss loan options to cover the additional expenses.

If a student is required to live in more expensive housing or is charged mandatory fees not covered in the standard cost of attendance, the student should contact the Office of Financial Aid to inquire about a budget increase, if necessary. The cost of attendance cannot be increased for elective courses or for the choice to live in more expensive housing than a standard double room.

 

Transportation

We use an average cost based on local New England travel. Your costs may vary depending on the distance between your home and Saint Anselm College. For students who live outside New England, we will adjust this amount based on the distance from your home state and an estimated cost for two round trips home.

 

Disbursement of Financial Aid and the Billing Statement

Financial aid as it appears on your offer letter is applied to your student account in two different ways, as “pending” or as “disbursed” aid.

 

Pending Financial Aid

(reflects funds and amounts regardless of missing documents):

  • All grants or loan aid appear on your statement for the first few billing cycles each semester.
  • The disbursement of your financial aid is dependent upon receipt of all documents per federal or institutional guidelines. The most common missing documents are:
  • FAFSA Signature(s)
  • Copies of parent or student taxes (if requested)
  • Copy of parent or student W2 (if requested)
  • Signed Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note
  • Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling
  • IRS tax transcripts (if requested)

 

Disbursed Financial Aid

(reflects funds and amounts for completed financial aid applicants)

  • Loans will be disbursed to your account when you have completed all necessary requirements for the loan funds and payment is received by the college.
  • Outside scholarships will be disbursed to your account when the funds are received by the college.
  • Grants and scholarships will be applied to your account once you have completed all requirements for your financial aid application.
  • Verifications (and other documents as required if your financial aid offer was conditional) must be completed before financial aid can be disbursed to a student’s account.
  • Federal Work Study (FWS) will not appear as pending or disbursed aid. FWS is paid directly to a student once the student has worked and submitted a time sheet.

NOTE: Students have the right to return any or all portions of disbursed loan funds within 120 days of disbursement or any future disbursements. A written request from the student to return or cancel funds must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid.

 

Change of Residency Status

For incoming students, we use the residency choice reported on your application for admission. As a returning student, for the purposes of offering financial aid, we will adjust your budget according to the residency you reported on the FAFSA. If your residency changes after filing the FAFSA, please contact our office. The Office of Residence Life also notifies us of residence changes; however, it is best for the student to keep us informed of any changes in residency so that aid is accurately reflected on the billing statement.

  • In general, your aid is reduced proportionately if you move off-campus. Because need based aid cannot exceed a student’s demonstrated need, some students have aid decreases of greater than 25% or are not eligible for need based aid at all when moving off-campus. Please see the Office of Financial Aid about your particular situation.
  • For students wishing to live with their parents or relatives, the college will review the student based on the established commuter budget.
  • Students who move off-campus will have their need based aid re-evaluated and reduced proportionately.

 


Grants and Scholarships

Merit Scholarships: The Office of Admission offers merit-based scholarships to eligible freshmen and transfer students upon admission to the college. These scholarships include: Chancellor’s, Presidential, Dean’s, Abbey, Abp. Rummel Transfer, and Talent Achievement and range in amounts according to criteria reviewed in the admission application. These scholarships are renewable annually (8 semester maximum) provided the student maintains the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) designated in the Admission letter (ranging from 2.0 to 2.5).

Non-need Based Aid: Tuition Remission, Family Grant, Legacy Award, Order of Saint Benedict Grant, Bradley NH High School Catholic Grant, Abbott Dolan Catholic High School Grant, and Community Grant are offered to eligible students and range from $2000 to full tuition. Most range from 2.0 to 2.5 CGPA requirement.

  • The college will incorporate these non-need-based funds into a need-based financial aid offer according to institutional parameters.
  • The Bradley NH High School Catholic Grant is available to students who graduate from the six private Catholic high schools in NH.
  • The Abbott Dolan Catholic High School Grant is available to eligible incoming students who graduate from any non-NH Catholic high school.
  • Beginning with students enrolling for the first time in fall 2021, non-need based resources such as Family Grant, Legacy Award, Bradley NH High School Grant, and Abbott Dolan Catholic High School Grant may be offered above merit scholarships up to a $6000 combined maximum total for students other than recruited athletes. These grants may be offered for a combined total of up to $4000 for recruited athletes.
  • All merit and non-need-based aid will be offered for a maximum of eight semesters.
  • Some aid may be available in the semester a student studies abroad. Refer to “Study Away from Campus” for further details.

Athletic Scholarships: The college provides a limited number of athletic scholarships for all NCAA Division II eligible sports. The college offers 10 full scholarships to each of the men’s and women’s basketball teams. The coaches in collaboration with the administration select the scholarship athlete recipients based on the student’s talent and their athletic aid budget. Students eligible for these funds must abide by college and NCAA policies and maintain the required CGPA. Because of our limited athletic funding, we encourage athletes to complete the financial aid process.

Saint Anselm College Need-based Grants: The Office of Financial Aid offers need-based grants according to academic standing and the donor’s wishes. Many grants offered by Saint Anselm College are funded in part by generous donations from alumni and friends of the College. If your offer is funded by a donor, we will notify you of the name of the fund and ask you to write a thank you note to the donor for College Advancement.

Federal Pell Grant: The Federal Pell Grant is gift assistance for undergraduate students; it does not need to be repaid. The U.S. Department of Education determines a student’s eligibility for this grant each year after the student completes the FAFSA. Full-time offers for 2023-2024 range from $767 to $7,395. Eligible students may receive this grant regardless of their course load.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): FSEOG is gift assistance that does not need to be repaid. Federal regulations mandate that students with exceptional need receive this grant. A student must be enrolled at least half-time to receive the grant.

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program: This federal program provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families. TEACH Grant recipients must sign a contractual agreement with the Department of Education to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field serving low-income students. Failure to complete the service requirement will result in the TEACH Grant converting to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest accruing from the date the grant(s) was disbursed. If you are interested in further information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

State Grant: Very few state grants are portable from a student’s home state. Historically, VT has offered grants to Saint Anselm students. Check with your home state about eligibility and deadlines. Once we are notified of amount and student eligibility is certified, the state grant will be added to the student’s financial resources.

New Hampshire Governor’s Scholarship: Eligibility requirements include New Hampshire residency, graduation from a New Hampshire high school or a NH high school equivalency. Continual Full-time enrollment is required. Recipients must also qualify for the Federal Pell Grant and funding is based on availability. Two categories of scholarships include:

  • Designated New Hampshire Scholars will receive $2,000 per year and must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA to renew their scholarship for up to four years; and
  • Non-New Hampshire Scholars will receive a $1,000 scholarship and must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA to renew their scholarship for up to four years.

 


Self Help Resources: Work and Loans

“Self help” is a term used to describe a student’s effort to finance his or her education through work and/or loans.

 

Federal Work Study (FWS)

The Federal Work Study program offers students with demonstrated need the opportunity to meet some of their indirect costs by working part-time on-campus or off-campus at an approved nonprofit agency for at least minimum wage. Students are authorized to earn up to a specified amount; however, they are not guaranteed employment to that level. Although the college assists students with their job search, it is the student’s responsibility to locate a job. Most students work six to eight hours per week. If you choose not to work during the academic year, there will be no change to your remaining financial aid; however, you will need to make up that resource from another source.

All students who want to work on campus must complete paperwork with the Office of Human Resources prior to starting a payroll or work study job at the college. Students eligible for Federal Work Study will receive authorization forms from the Office of Human Resources at the beginning of the fall semester once all outstanding financial aid documents are received by the Office of Financial Aid.

 

Loan Resources

Most Saint Anselm students will borrow from the federal student loan programs. Approximately 73% of the 2022 graduating class borrowed an average of $25,026 of Federal Direct student loans over their four years.

To help meet the Family Contribution, parents may borrow through the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) program or private parent loans. In the 2021-2022 academic year, 8% of parents borrowed through the parent loan programs with a median loan of $21,862.

In addition to the federal student loans and parent loans, some students borrow alternative loans to cover their Family Contribution. 17% of 2021-2022 graduates borrowed through an alternative loan program with a median loan of $19,380.

We will disburse your federal loans and most alternative loans once a semester, based on your enrollment plans. You must complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling for Direct Loans (see www.anselm.edu/aid-offer). In most cases, loan origination fees are withheld when your loans are disbursed. Therefore the amount of loan disbursed is less than the amount noted on the financial aid offer.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans: The Direct Loan Program provides low-interest loans from the US Department of Education for students and parents. Students are offered a Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan based on their eligibility. Loan limits and repayment terms are the same for both loans. With the Direct Subsidized Loan, the federal government pays the interest while the student is in school; whereas, the federal government does not pay the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The accrued interest is the responsibility of the borrower. Students may choose not to pay the interest while they are in school. However, capitalizing the interest will increase the overall loan principal in repayment.

The maximum annual loan amounts are:

     First academic year – $3,500
     Second year – $4,500
     Third, fourth, and fifth years – $5,500

All students are eligible for $2,000 of Direct Unsubsidized Loan each year in addition to the amount based on year in school.

  • Origination fees will be deducted from the loan amount at the time of disbursement.
  • For Direct Subsidized loans disbursed on/after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024, the interest rate is fixed at 5.5% during in-school, grace, deferment, and repayment periods.
  • For Direct Unsubsidized loans disbursed on/after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024, the interest rate is fixed at 5.5% during in-school, grace, deferment, and repayment periods.
  • Payments are not required until six months after graduation or separation date or six months after a student drops below half-time.
  • The minimum payment amount is $50 per month. However, flexible payment plans are available upon request to the Department of Education.
  • All borrowers must complete the Informed Borrower Confirmation process each year prior to loan disbursement
  • All borrowers sign a Master Promissory Note, which can be used for your entire collegiate career at Saint Anselm.

Additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan Eligibility: If a parent is denied the Direct PLUS Loan or you are an independent student, you may borrow additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan according to your eligibility:

     First and second academic years – $4,000
     Third, fourth, and fifth years – $5,000

Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS Loan): This is a federally funded, credit-based loan for parents of dependent, undergraduate students. Parents with adverse credit may be able to utilize a credit-worthy endorser to obtain approval for a Direct PLUS Loan. Parents may borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial aid for which the student is eligible. The interest rate for Direct PLUS Loans disbursed on/after July 1, 2023 and before July 1, 2024 is fixed at 8.05%. We strongly recommend the PLUS program before considering other loan options.

 

Other Loan Options

Alternative Loan Programs: (Student Initiated and School Certified): Saint Anselm College works with many different loan companies. Alternative loans are generally taken in the student’s name. If the student pursues this option, the college strongly recommends the student take an alternative loan with a parent cosigner (generally required in the freshman year) to obtain the best rate. Eligibility and interest rates for these loans depend on the borrower and cosigner’s creditworthiness.

To ensure that students are clearly informed consumers of private education loans, federal law requires the student and the lender to complete several steps prior to disbursing the loan. Generally speaking the following steps will occur before a private loan can be disbursed.

  • Students complete the loan application (usually online).
  • First disclosure will be sent to student providing general terms of the loan.
  • Student must complete Self-Certification Form (provided by lender).
  • Second disclosure will be sent to student upon approval of the loan; student acknowledges and accepts the terms provided.
  • Office of Financial Aid must certify the loan.

Due to the multiplicity of requirements for processing private student loans, we encourage you to apply for your financing as soon as possible and before first semester payment is due to alleviate any problems with finalizing your payments prior to the beginning of the semester. Further information concerning the alternative loan process will be provided to you over the summer.

Direct-to-Consumer Alternative Loan Programs (Student Initiated, Not School Certified): Some loan companies offer Direct-to-Consumer Loans to students. These loans are processed based on information provided to the lender by the student to be used for educational expenses. The school does not certify the loan; however, the loan must be considered as a resource. We strongly caution students when considering this loan option. In general the interest rates are much higher than any student-initiated, school-certified alternative loan. We encourage you to speak with a financial aid administrator before pursuing a Direct-to-Consumer Loan to avoid potential unintended consequences including the loss of grant aid, subsidized federal loans and/or eligibility for Federal Work Study. Students will be required to do a self-certification statement as a part of any alternative loan.

 

Other Financing Options

Monthly Payment Plan (MPP): In the Spring, parents of freshmen and returning students will receive information about the Saint Anselm College Monthly Payment Plan through Nelnet.

Outside Scholarships or Loans: We encourage students to apply for as many outside scholarships as possible. Outside aid is first used to reduce unmet need, then need-based self-help (loans and/or Federal Work Study), and finally gift aid. Any scholarships (tuition reimbursement or employee benefits) awarded over the amount of unmet need and self-help may result in a reduction of Saint Anselm College need-based grant or scholarship aid. It is a federal requirement that you notify the Office of Financial Aid as soon as you receive outside aid (scholarships or loans).

VA Educational and Non-Educational Benefits: Veteran’s Administration (VA) benefits are not included as educational resources and will not affect a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid; however, students are encouraged to use this resource to reduce or eliminate loan debt. VA benefits will be included when determining a student’s eligibility for institutional aid and total resources shall not exceed the cost of tuition and fees. This may result in proration of merit scholarship funds.

Yellow Ribbon Program: Saint Anselm College has entered an agreement with the VA to fully fund tuition and fees for students who are eligible for Yellow Ribbon benefits. These costs are covered through GI Bill funds and contributions from Saint Anselm College. The VA will cover costs up to the yearly maximum benefit. The remaining amount will be evenly split between the college and the VA; however, will not exceed full tuition and fees benefit. Students receiving Yellow Ribbon benefits are not eligible to receive merit or other non-need based aid.

 


Study Away from Campus

We encourage students to study in any of the Saint Anselm approved programs. Saint Anselm has two options: Tuscania, Italy and non-Anselmian study away with a host institution. Students wishing to study in the Tuscania Program will pay tuition, the study abroad fee and room. Students studying with a host institution will pay Saint Anselm College tuition and the study abroad fee when studying on approved semester-long programs. (Students enrolling in approved study abroad programs with a higher tuition cost than Saint Anselm’s will be responsible for the additional cost.)

Institutional aid will be portable based on a residential budget for Tuscania and an off-campus budget and pro-rated aid calculation for other study abroad programs. Students wishing to receive institutional financial aid must complete the full financial aid application by March 15. The following resources are intended for use at Saint Anselm: aid for resident assistant grants; athletic aid; debate and year-book scholarships; and any full-tuition remission scholarships from any of the tuition remission programs. However, tuition remission recipients may apply for need-based aid for study abroad by submitting all required documents by the March 15th deadline.

All students must complete required paperwork to transfer their resources to the host institution and must meet with a member of the financial aid staff the semester prior to studying away from Saint Anselm.

 


Enrollment Status

Course Load Requirement

The number of courses a student takes affects direct cost and ultimately the financial aid offered. Enrollment status for financial aid purposes is predicated on the courses required to complete the degree. A student whose enrollment status drops below full time after the first two weeks of the semester will be considered full time for billing and financial aid purposes. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Office of Financial Aid.

Full-Time Status: In order to receive full-time aid, Saint Anselm College requires eligible students to take a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester. Eligible students will be considered for institutional grants, state and federal grants, loans, and work study.

Three-Quarter-Time Status: Eligible students who enroll in 9 credit hours per semester will receive part-time aid. Eligible students will qualify for prorated institutional grants, a Pell Grant at a per class amount, FSEOG, state and federal grants, loans, and work study.

Half-Time Status: Eligible students who enroll in 6 to 8 credit hours will receive half-time aid that constitutes an offer with institutional grants at a prorated amount, a Pell Grant at a per-class amount, FSEOG, and the Federal Student Loan.

 


Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require students to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their educational program in order to maintain eligibility for financial aid.

SAP is evaluated independently from the Academic Standing Committee and it is possible for a student to be in good academic standing with Saint Anselm College but not be making satisfactory academic progress.

All recipients of veteran educational benefits must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress.

The Office of Financial Aid reviews SAP once a year, after the Spring semester and a student’s eligibility is determined. If a student is determined to not be making SAP at the time of the review, but subsequently has a change to his/her transcript during the course of the year that would affect eligibility, the student may request the Office of Financial Aid to re-evaluate SAP to determine if he/she is now eligible.

SAP is defined by the following three criteria: (1) Meeting a minimum cumulative grade point average requirement (Grade Point Average Standard), (2) Earning a minimum number of units for credit per semester (Pace of Progression), (3) Completing the degree objective within a maximum number of semesters enrolled and a maximum number of units attempted (Maximum Time-Frame Allowance). Students who do not meet one or more of the above criteria will be considered ineligible for federal financial aid or other financial aid which requires a student to be making SAP, such as Veteran’s Benefits.

 

Cumulative Grade Point Average Standard

Saint Anselm College has one cumulative grade point average standard for students enrolled in the Nursing program and another, separate standard for all other students.

For qualitative purposes, SAP requires a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.4 for Nursing students. For all other students, a 1.8 CGPA is required for students who have attempted less than 32 credits and 2.0 for those who have attempted at least 32 credits.

Credits or Years Completed Non-nursing major minimum CGPA* Nursing major minimum CGPA
0-31 attempted credits (Freshman) 1.8 2.4
32+ attempted credits (Sophomore, Junior, Senior) 2.0 2.4

*Only grades earned at Saint Anselm are used in calculating a CGPA.

**If a student repeats a course, the higher grade will be used in the CGPA. If a student repeats a course that had previously had a NP, LP, P, or HP designation, the actual grade rather than the Pass equivalency will be used in the GPA calculation.

The designations A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, HP, LP, and P are counted as earned credits. For SAP purposes HP equates to A-, P equates to B-, LP equates to C-, and NP equates to F.

 

Pace of Progression

Saint Anselm College determines the Pace of Progression by examining the number or percentage of credits completed in relation to those attempted. The number of courses completed with grades is divided by the number of courses attempted. The designations A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F, HP, LP, P, NP, I, W, and WF are all counted in attempted credits.

The Pace of Progression must be at least 67% in order to be making SAP. Included in the count are courses a student repeats.

Under the SAP policy, a student is allowed to repeat a course one-time. In the event of a repeat, the highest grade earned will be counted in the Grade Point Average Standard and both the original course and the repeated course will be counted in the Pace of Progression.

Incompletes are counted as attempted credits. Incomplete grades do not affect a student’s Grade Point Average Standard.

All credits attempted at Saint Anselm College are considered during the SAP review, regardless of change of major.

SAP determinations are made once a year, if a student has a grade change, it is the student’s responsibility to ask for SAP to be re-evaluated.

AP, dual enrollment, and transfer credits count as both attempted and completed credits. AP, dual enrollment, and transfer credits will not be counted in the Grade Point Average standard.

Military credits do not count in the SAP calculation.

 

Maximum Timeframe

For undergraduate students, Federal Student Aid funds cannot be paid to a student who exceeds 150 percent of the published length of the degree program therefore, a student at Saint Anselm College who attempts greater than 192 credits is not making SAP.

 

Appeal Process

A student denied federal financial aid due to substandard SAP may appeal the decision by writing to the Director of Financial Aid within 30 days of receiving notification and by meeting with an Academic Dean. The appeal must include the following:

  • A letter written by the student that includes:
  • An explanation of the extenuating circumstances indicating the reason why the student did not meet the CGPA requirements (for example, death of a relative, injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances) AND what has changed so that the student will now be able to make SAP at the next evaluation. Supporting documentation may be required.
  • An Academic Plan designed to help the student achieve SAP and persist to graduation. The student will meet with a Dean to develop this personalized plan. The academic plan must assist the student in producing academic success at each of the stipulated checkpoints and milestones of the academic plan, while the long-term goal of the academic plan must be to restore the student to proper SAP standards at a specified future point in time.
  • A letter from an Academic Dean endorsing the Academic Plan.

Once the student’s appeal is complete the Director of Financial Aid will review it. The student will be notified of a decision and additional requirements (if needed) within three weeks of receipt of the appeal letter and Academic Plan.

A student may re-appeal if circumstances have changed since the original appeal was submitted.

If a student’s appeal is granted, the student is required to sign and return the Saint Anselm College Satisfactory Academic Progress Academic Plan Contractual Agreement form. This form will be provided when the student is notified that the appeal was granted. A student’s financial aid will not be disbursed to their student account until this document is completed and returned to the Office of Financial Aid. The student will be placed on Financial Aid probation for the semester.

 


Withdrawal from the College

If you plan to take a leave of absence or withdraw, you should meet with a Student Financial Services staff member to discuss the financial implications of that decision. Withdrawing from Saint Anselm during the semester may entitle you to a partial refund depending upon the date of departure. The total amount of your refund will be determined according to college, federal (Title IV), state, and outside refund policies. We must return all unused money to the appropriate agencies according to their policy. If you withdraw, you could owe money to Saint Anselm College.

 

Saint Anselm College Institutional Refund Policy

In the event of a student’s withdrawal from the College or change in status, Tuition, Room and Board will be refunded as follows:

Week Refund
1-2 80%
3 60%
4 40%
5 20%

Institutional aid will be reduced at a percentage commensurate with the refund percentage. For the purposes of paying the costs that Title IV federal aid will not cover, all allowable state and outside aid will apply.

Contracted aid such as Athletic Scholarship, Debate Scholarship, Resident Assistant Grant and Yearbook Grant are prorated on a per diem basis if a student ceases involvement in any one of these programs. The aid will be prorated in the semester the student ceases involvement and will be calculated from the first day of the enrollment period to the day the student stops the program.

 

Return to Title IV Funds

Financial aid dollars will be returned to the various federal programs based on the percentage of aid earned. The number of days attended will be divided by the number of days in the payment period to determine the percentage of the enrollment period that was completed. The percentage, up to 60%, will be the percent of aid earned. All aid in excess of that amount will be returned to the various federal programs in the following order: Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Direct Subsidized Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Pell Grant, FSEOG, and TEACH Grant.

If the college has refunded federal dollars to the student prior to his/her withdrawal, the student will be required to return those funds. The student must return all federal loans according to the repayment terms of the loans. The amount returned from the grant programs will not exceed half of what was originally disbursed.

If the percentage of program completed is greater than 60%, then aid earned is 100%. As long as a student has completed all appropriate paperwork, aid may still be disbursed even if it had not been prior to the student’s withdrawal from Saint Anselm College.

If you are not enrolled in college at least half-time, you must begin repaying your Direct Loan six months (and your Perkins Loan nine months) after leaving school. For example, if you leave school in December, having decided to take the spring semester off, you must begin repaying the Direct Loan in June, even if you plan to return to Saint Anselm full-time the following fall. You will use up your six-month grace period and will not receive another grace period. However, you will be eligible to defer payments once you enroll again at least half-time.

 

Eligibility on Return to College

If you leave the college (Withdraw or Leave of Absence) and subsequently return to the college, you may receive financial aid as long as you have completed the financial aid application process and continue to be eligible. Contact the Office of Financial Aid at least six months before the expected date of return to initiate the process.

 


Helpful Websites

Outside Scholarship Information

Saint Anselm College does not endorse any particular scholarship program. We offer the following as a place to begin your search. Scholarship searches should be free of cost; be wary of anyone charging you a fee to provide scholarship information.

Apply early in the cycle. Most scholarship applications are due by May 1 or earlier for the following fall semester.

Scholarship Website

Scholly

www.myscholly.com

Nelnet/Peterson’s

www.petersons.com

Big Future by The College Board

www.collegeboard.com/paying

FastWeb (Financial Aid Search Through the Web)

www.fastweb.com

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

www.nhcf.org

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

www.hsf.net

Dollars for Scholars *

www.scholarshipamerica.org

*Saint Anselm College is a Collegiate Matching Partner in the Dollars for Scholars Program. We will match up to $1,000 of scholarship when we receive the appropriate Dollars for Scholars Matching Grant Form.

 

Loan Entrance and Exit Counseling

Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan

Entrance and exit counseling will be completed through the Department of Education website. You will find a link for Entrance and Exit Counseling on our website at www.anselm.edu/loans.

 


Solutions at ECMC

Saint Anselm College has teamed up with Solutions at ECMC to answer student loan repayment questions. Solutions is a service of the non-profit organization ECMC and is dedicated to helping students manage educational loans. Their loan and financial literacy resources are available to students free of charge. To contact a Solutions Student Loan Repayment Advisor at www.ecmcsolutions.org or call them at1-877-331-3262.