Policies

Eligibility

Generally, students are eligible for financial aid if they meet the following conditions:

• Enrolled in an eligible program at Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) for the purpose of obtaining a degree or certificate.
  • Note: students who must complete prerequisites or are conditionally accepted into a program are not eligible for federal and state grants; these students should check with the Financial Aid office to see what other types of aid for which they may be eligible.
• Citizens of the United States or an eligible non-citizen.
  • Non-citizens may apply for State Aid using the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) if they meet certain conditions. See Types of Aid for more information
• Making satisfactory academic progress as defined by LWTech's Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy (see below).
• Not be in default on any student loans, or owing a refund on any grants.
• A high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED diploma or certificate) is generally required to receive aid; however, students without a high school diploma or equivalent may receive aid under certain conditions if they are otherwise eligible and meet "Ability to Benefit" requirements (successful completion of at least six regular program credits).
• ABED and ELL (formerly ESL) classes are not eligible for most federal and state financial aid at LWTech. Some lab classes are also not eligible; see the Financial Aid office for details.
• Students with a bachelor's degree are not eligible for state or federal and state grants. (This includes a bachelor's degree or the equivalent earned in a country other than the U.S.) Students with a bachelor's degree may still receive federal Direct Student Loans, Work-Study, scholarships, and institutional aid if otherwise eligible.
• Students may receive aid only for course work that is part of their program. 
• Ethical Requirements: Students receiving financial aid must comply with all applicable federal and state financial aid regulations. Information supplied on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to the Financial Aid office must be truthful and accurate to the best of the student's knowledge at the time the information is provided. Students purposely giving false or misleading information may be subject to institutional penalties as well as federal and/or state penalties, including fines of up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both. Financial aid must be used for direct or indirect educational purposes only, and may not be used for non-educational expenses such as purchase of a car or other vehicle, vacations, or recreational purposes, etc.

Enrollment Status

Because of limited funds, students will be awarded as full time (12 or more credits) initially. If there is a change in enrollment status, the Financial Aid office will adjust the student's award accordingly. 

• Students who drop from classes after aid has been disbursed before or on the tenth business day of the quarter may owe a refund or repayment. The Financial Aid office cannot increase any awards for adding classes after the tenth business day of the quarter.
• Students awarded a Washington College Grant may not receive funds in excess of their tuition and allowable fees. Washington College Grant Awards must be reviewed and adjusted, if needed, each quarter.

Aid will be awarded or pro-rated (reduced) according to the following enrollment levels:

• Full time: 12 credits or more
• Three-quarter time: 9-11 credits
• Half time: 6-8 credits
• Less than half time: 1-5 credits

Conditions of Award

By accepting state financial aid, you agree to the conditions listed below. If you have questions, please contact the Financial Aid office.

1. You must meet the requirements for Washington State Residency.
2. You do not owe a repayment to any state grant or scholarship nor are you in default on a state student loan.
3. You must be enrolled in an eligible program and not be pursuing a degree in theology.
4. If you hold a bachelor's degree or the foreign equivalent, you are not eligible to receive state grant funds.
5. If you do not attend or if you withdraw from your classes, you may owe a repayment of all or part of any state funds you have received.
6. You must maintain satisfactory academic progress (see policy below) in order to receive additional state aid.
7. There could be other circumstances that would require a repayment or reduction in your current award amounts.
8. You must meet all eligibility requirements for the state aid program(s) awarded.
9. The offer of this financial assistance is subject to, and conditioned upon, the availability of funds. The Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) and Lake Washington Institute of Technology reserve the right to withdraw, reduce, or modify the awards due to funding limitations or due to changes in circumstances that affect your eligibility for the program. 
10. If you fail to cash your check containing state funds and they are returned to the college by the close of the academic year, the funds shall be returned to the program at WSAC and treated as funds declined by you.

You may choose to voluntarily make financial contributions to the Washington Student Achievement Council in recognition of the assistance that you received. All voluntary contributions will be used to provide financial assistance to other students. Please contact financialaid@wsac.wa.gov for more information.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students receiving financial aid are required to make satisfactory academic progress. Since satisfactory progress is a financial aid eligibility requirement, all quarters and all credits must be considered regardless of whether financial aid was received. The Financial Aid office's satisfactory progress requirements for financial aid, worker retraining, training completion aid, and most veterans' benefits recipients are summarized below.

Qualitative Measure

All students must be in good standing with the college and maintain a minimum quarterly and cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.0. Students failing to meet this standard will be placed on "warning" status for one quarter.

Quantitative Measure

Students must complete the minimum number of credits required for the enrollment level they attempt each quarter. Enrollment levels at LWTech are:

• 12 credits and more: full time
• 9 through 11 credits: three-quarter time
• 6 through 8 credits: half time
• Less than 6 credits: less than half time

Students who complete at least 50%, but less than the minimum number of credits required for the enrollment level attempted in a quarter, will be placed on "warning status" for one quarter. Students who complete less than 50% of credits (or all credits for less than half-time students) for the minimum enrollment level attempted in a quarter will be placed on suspended status and are ineligible for further aid.

Pace of Progression Measure

Students must complete at least 67% of credits attempted, measured cumulatively, to meet pace of progression requirements. Pace of progression is based on the total cumulative credits completed versus cumulative credits attempted for the student's program.

Pace of progression is evaluated at the end of each quarter and is based on the cumulative credits completed divided into the cumulative number credits attempted. Students must meet a minimum 67% completion rate for their program. Students who fail to meet the pace of progression standard will be placed on "warning" status for one quarter.

Maximum Time Frame Measure

Students have a maximum time frame for completing a program of study:

• For both degree and certificate programs, the student must complete their program in no more than 150% of their program credits for federal aid, or 15 quarters for state aid.
• Students who mathematically cannot complete their program in at least 150% of the federal maximum time frame allowed for their program are no longer eligible for aid. Students who have received 15 quarters of state aid (at any institution in any number of programs) are no longer eligible.

Satisfactory Progress Measurement Requirements

• Grades of .7 to 4.0, "S", "P", are counted as passed or completed credits for Department of Education standards.
• Grades of less than .7 and letter grades of "I", "IP", "Y","N", "V", "U", "W" and "Z" do not count as completed credits. Students may receive federal or state financial aid for a previously passed course (0.7-3.9) one additional time, if it was funded by federal or state aid. Students may continuously receive aid for a previously failed course that is repeated (0.0-0.6, or letter grades of "I", "IP", "Y", "V", "U", "W" and "Z"); however, students must still meet the maximum time frame measure as reference above.
  • Veteran benefits; however, cannot be certified for repeated classes that are already successfully completed for graduation requirements.
• Remedial classes are included in GPA, qualitative, pace of progression, and maximum time frame requirements.
• Transfer credits are not included in GPA, qualitative requirements or pace of progression requirements, but are included in maximum time frame requirements if applicable to the student's program.
• Repeated classes, incompletes, and withdrawals/dropped classes are included in all measurements. ABED and ELL (formerly ESL) classes are excluded from all measurements and are not eligible for financial aid.

Satisfactory Progress Limitations

Students failing to meet satisfactory progress requirements as noted above will be placed on warning or have their aid suspended. Students on warning or probation must meet all applicable satisfactory progress requirements in the next quarter to regain good standing.

Students are no longer eligible for aid at LWTech when one of the following occurs:

1. Two consecutive quarters of unsatisfactory progress ("warning" status) have occurred.
2. Less than 50% of credits for the minimum enrollment level attempted (or all credits for less than half time) in a quarter are completed.
3. The maximum amount of eligibility is attempted (150% of credits for federal aid, 15 quarters for state aid) towards their degree or certificate has been used.
4. A student cannot complete their program in the 150% maximum time frame (for federal aid) allowed due to pace of progression requirements.
5. A student placed on probation after an appeal is approved fails to meet satisfactory academic progress. Or a student placed on an academic plan fails to meet the requirements of the plan.

*Students receiving aid are subject to federal and state refund and repayment regulations, as well as the college's own refund policy.

Students withdrawing partially or totally may be required to repay part or all of their financial aid.

A student who has not attended any class is not eligible for aid in that quarter.

Reinstatement of Aid

Aid may be reinstated for students on suspension under the following conditions:

• For students whose aid has been suspended after two quarters on "warning" status from qualitative (GPA), or quantitative (credits completed in a quarter) requirements, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after the student has completed a quarter, at their own expense, at the level (full time,half time, etc.) they were enrolled in during the quarter that their aid was canceled.  
• For students failing to meet pace of progression standards, financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after students have completed the number of credits, at their own expense, needed to raise their pace of progression to the required 67%.

The credits required for reinstatement must be completed at LWTech and the student must meet all applicable satisfactory academic progress requirements (including qualitative, quantitative, pace of progression, and maximum time frame) during the make-up period. Awarding of financial aid for students whose aid is reinstated is on a funds-available basis only. 

Appeals

Students who fail to meet minimum satisfactory progress standards may be ineligible for financial aid. In some cases, there may be extraordinary circumstances (beyond the student's control) that may be considered. A written petition, along with supporting documentation, must be submitted to the Financial Aid office to appeal a satisfactory academic progress suspension. Students must identify the unusual or extraordinary circumstance beyond their control, and how the situation has been resolved in their petition.

Students whose petition has been approved will be placed either on probation or an academic plan. Students on probation who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress, or a student on an academic plan who fails to meet the conditions of the plan, will be placed on suspended status and are no longer eligible for aid. The Financial Aid office reserves the right to determine continued eligibility. Appeal decisions are final. Awarding of financial aid for students whose appeals are approved is on a funds-available basis only.

Refund and Repayment

Students who do not complete all classes funded by aid in a quarter are subject to satisfactory academic progress requirements and federal and state refund and repayment regulations for financial aid, as well as the college's own refund policy. Students must attend classes funded by financial aid. If attendance cannot be documented for the minimum enrollment level funded, aid may need to be re-calculated and the student may owe a repayment to an aid program.

*For students who have received federal or state aid and have withdrawn before 60% of the quarter has been completed, aid eligibility must be reviewed and re-calculated on a pro-rated basis as appropriate. Students are also subject to the college's own refund policy.

DUE TO THIS REQUIREMENT, STUDENTS WHO WITHDRAW EARLY MAY OWE A REFUND OR REPAYMENT OF AID. 

Refunds for dropping individual classes funded by aid are determined by the college's tuition refund policy and regulatory requirements. A copy of the Financial Aid office's refund policy is available upon request.