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SP 4-24a – Colorado Student Merit Aid Awarding Procedure

Colorado Community College System / System Procedure

SP 4-24a

APPROVED: May 14, 2014
EFFECTIVE: May 14, 2014
REVISED: April 29, 2016

APPROVED:

/ Nancy J. McCallin /
Nancy J. McCallin, Ph.D.
System President

APPLICATION

The procedure applies to the Community Colleges within the Colorado Community College System.

BASIS

The System President shall implement the process by which the Colleges award the Colorado Student Merit Aid Awards beginning with the 2014-2015 award year.

PROCEDURE

The individual Colleges will establish guidelines for awarding Colorado Student Merit Aid using the following minimum criteria for students. Prior to awarding the aid, Colleges must submit their plan to the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs at the System Office for review and approval.

MINIMUM CRITERIA

To receive a Colorado Student Merit Aid Award, a student must be enrolled as an undergraduate for at least six (6) credit hours in a Title IV eligible program, meet all Title IV eligibility requirements and may not currently be in default or overpayment status on any Federal Title IV funds.

New students must have a high school diploma, completed homeschooling at the secondary level, or earned a high school equivalency diploma on a test approved by the Colorado Department of Education. The high school graduate must have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher.

Returning students must have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher and demonstrate academic progress according to the published policy regarding Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Transfer students must submit academic transcripts (official or unofficial) from their prior institutions that document a grade point average of 2.75 or higher and demonstrate academic progress according to the published policy regarding Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress.

For returning and transfer students, GPA is based on college-level coursework. Developmental coursework grades do not count in the calculation of GPA.

Developmental coursework may be included in the term enrollment and used to determine the minimum six (6) credit hours of enrollment.

Other criteria such as community service or exceptional talents (music or art) may be used for consideration, but not the sole consideration.

AWARDING PROCEDURE

  • Students meeting the minimum requirements of eligibility may be awarded (or packaged) manually or by an automated process via Ellucian Banner packaging process.
  • Awards are based on the availability of funding from the Colorado Student Merit Aid Program.
  • Students will be notified of the award based on the school’s official communication method.
  • Documentation of the student’s eligibility will be scanned and stored as part of the student’s electronic record.

REVISING THIS PROCEDURE

CCCS reserves the right to change any provision or requirement of this procedure at any time and the change shall become effective immediately.