In order for NC State students to keep their financial aid, there are certain standards they must adhere to and uphold to retain the aid that they are receiving.
Depending on the funding agency, there are different requirements that students must meet to keep their aid. Most of NC State’s financial aid awards require undergraduate students to be enrolled in at least twelve credit hours, which is classified as a full-time student. Most financial aid packages also requires students to maintain a GPA of at least 2.0, which is the minimum GPA allowed for students to graduate.
Krista Ringler, the director of scholarships and financial aid, discussed how the credit hour requirement can reduce student loans.
“If a student only takes 12 credit hours each semester, they will not complete a degree in four academic years, and — particularly with the students with financial need — the best way that you can reduce your personal student loan debt is to graduate on time.”
Shannon Greene, a first-year studying psychology, receives financial aid in the form of multiple grants, including the Pell Grant. She is expected to take at least 12 credit hours each semester in order to keep her financial aid, but she is currently taking 17 credit hours.
“I feel like the requirement to have 12 credit hours is kind of a good thing,” Greene said. “It gives an incentive for students to get out in four years and not waste their money.”
Greene is also paying for college herself and must work 20 to 30 hours per week in order to pay for the rest of her college tuition not covered by the grants.
“It’s really stressful,” Greene said. “It really takes a toll on me. I feel like I work really hard and my grades aren’t as good as they could be, and nothing really shows for how hard I work.”
Selma Okyere-Badoo, a life sciences first-year student and a Goodnight Scholar, is required to take 12 credit hours and must keep a 3.0 GPA. Okyere-Badoo said that she feels that these requirements are reasonable and do not get in the way of other activities and organizations in which she participates.
“Usually I would take 15 hours or more, so I am fine with the 12 credit hour limit,” Okyere-Badoo said. “Since the classes are not that bad, because I am just a freshman and a lot of them are intro classes, I don’t feel it taking time away from my day to do other things that I love.”
Ringler advises students to be aware of the deadlines to apply for financial aid as students may not get the financial support they desire if they apply at a later date.
“We start by doing as much as we can to educate students about how to apply and about meeting important deadlines, and we do that through social media, email communications and we share that with parents as well,” Ringler says.
While it is very important for students to keep up with the requirements for their financial aid, students that are struggling to meet these expectations can request an appeal.
“We try to set a reasonable bar,” Ringler says. “To keep students on track to graduate within at least six years is the idea, but of course we would like students to move more quickly. We try to keep realistic expectations that align with federal requirements. However, if a student, for example, who works full time fell short of that measure, they would have an appeal opportunity. That’s where a student would share with us what they may be going through with having to work and having difficulty keeping up.”
Additionally, students can apply for scholarships through Pack ASSIST for the upcoming 2019-20 academic year. Those applications are due Feb. 15 for priority consideration.
For more information on financial aid at NC State and to keep up with deadlines, visit their website.
