16. Financial Aid Eligibility Requirements

Policy Number: 16
Date Developed:
Date Revised/Reviewed: 04/01

Doctor of Chiropractic Program:

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires that each student maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to receive Federal Title IV financial aid.  At Palmer College these standards are also applied to state and internal and institutional aid programs.

The Palmer College Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards for financial aid apply to all students who want to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility.  The standards apply to a student’s entire academic record at Palmer College whether or not the student received any type of financial aid for previous academic terms of enrollment.

The standards require that students complete a specific number of credit hours each academic term (two academic terms) and maintain the minimum required grade point average defined by the Qualitative Academic Progress Eligibility Scale.  All terms of attendance, regardless of financial aid received, will be counted toward the maximum time frame and the qualitative component of the Academic Progress Scale.

Students who are candidates for the Doctor of Chiropractic Degree must meet the following minimum qualifications for Title IV financial assistance:

Minimum quantitative eligibility criteria based on “loan periods”:

Minimum qualitative eligibility criteria based on trimesters enrolled:

** G.P.A. requirements for advanced standing apply to the academic term in which you are placed, not the term you begin your studies at Palmer College.

Students on academic probation, academic suspension, or academic management contract at any time are not eligible for any type of Title IV financial aid.

Before disbursing any financial assistance for payment period and before certifying a Title IV loan, the student’s eligibility for that aid is verified by reviewing prior academic year course work.

Note:  Full-time academic load is 17 credit hours with half-time status being 9 credit hours.

Financial Aid Suspension: 

In the event that a student fails to successfully complete courses at the minimum levels outlined on the academic progress chart, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension.  Financial Aid Suspension means the termination of all financial aid. 

Note:  Financial aid satisfactory progress and any resulting financial aid suspension is a distinct procedure separate from other academic policies.

Students on Financial Aid Suspension will be considered for reinstatement after the grade point average and credit hour requirements have been satisfied.

Any student who has been terminated from financial aid has the one-time opportunity to appeal such action to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  A written appeal may be submitted to the Financial Aid Department.  Directions on the procedures for an appeal are supplied to the student by the Financial Aid Department.  An appeal must be made to the committee chair by the tenth day of the following academic term.  To appeal, a student will indicate in a typed letter to the committee chair the reasons why they did not achieve the minimum academic requirements, the reasons why their financial aid should not be terminated, and mitigating circumstances, which must be documented.  The committee chair will forward and present the student’s typed appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee.  The decisions of the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final.  Appeals cannot be made for academic probation or management contract.

Undergraduate Studies:

Same as Doctor of Chiropractic except for the quantitative and qualitative eligibility criteria, which is as follows:

Quantitative and qualitative eligibility criteria based on “loan periods”:

Note:  Full-time academic load is 12 credit hours with half-time status being 9 credit hours.