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Policies

Enrollment Requirements

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must meet particular enrollment requirements. All students need to be enrolled at half-time status or more to receive financial aid. Half-time status for undergraduates is at least 6 credits per semester.

If your enrollment status drops below full-time, your financial aid package and charges on your account will change. Check in with your Financial Aid Officer and/or Student Account Representative to discuss any enrollment status changes you may be making and how that will affect your account. Full-time status for undergraduate students is at least 12 credits per semester.

Students that are enrolled in a Study Abroad Program that is approved for credit by Simmons may be considered enrollment at Simmons for the purpose of applying for Title IV Federal financial aid. Students who are enrolled in a Study Abroad Home School Tuition Model Program are eligible to apply for Title IV Federal financial aid as well as Institutional financial aid.

If you have any additional questions regarding financial aid, please reach out to our Financial Aid team.

Outside Award Policy

Simmons University follows federal regulations when awarding and adjusting financial aid packages. When a student receives an outside scholarship, they are first used to meet any unmet need the student has. Unmet need is determined by subtracting the expected family contribution (EFC) from the cost of attendance.

Read more about our Outside Award Policy.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The federal government requires institutions to monitor recipients of federal financial aid to ensure that they are meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. In order to meet SAP, students must satisfy each of the following requirements.

  • Meet the minimum, cumulative GPA 
    • 2.0 for undergraduates
  • Complete the minimum required percentage of credits attempted
    • 67% for undergraduates
  • Attempt no more than maximum allowed number of credits
    • 150% of the number of credits required to complete their program for undergraduates

If a student fails to meet these requirements, they will be notified by Student Financial Services and informed of the next steps they can take in order to restore or secure their financial aid eligibility. 

Please note that SAP applies to federal, state, and institutional funding. It is not the same as an academic warning or probation. If the student still meets the program requirements necessary to remain enrolled, they may pay their costs out of pocket or borrow from a lender who does not require them to meet SAP.

Please review our full SAP policy for more detailed information on the requirements, frequency of review, resulting statuses, and potential for appeal.