Need-Based Financial Assistance
Students seeking need-based financial assistance at Centre must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA serves as an application and need-analysis document for federal and state financial aid funds (grants, loans, and student employment).
In addition to filing the FAFSA, each applicant must submit the Centre Aid Form to our Financial Aid Office by January 31st to be considered for Centre's own generous grant program. However, financial aid applications for the 2023-24 academic year can be filed beginning October 1, 2022, and we strongly encourage all Kentucky students to apply before December 1, 2022. Also, a copy of the parents’ and student’s base year’s federal income tax transcript (2021 for the 2023-24 academic year) may be requested as well as a verification worksheet.
Consideration for financial aid and scholarships is made after the student has officially been offered admission to the College. The College does not discriminate in either admission or financial assistance on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information.
All aid applicants receive consideration for federal and state programs before the College provides institutional aid. Because each need-based award reflects the financial circumstances of the student’s family, strict confidentiality is maintained concerning financial awards. Subject to the applicant’s annual eligibility status, it is our intent to continue aid to a student for the four-year undergraduate program at Centre. However, the grant, loan, and work dollar amounts of an individual’s aid package may vary from year to year depending on FAFSA data, the availability of funds and Centre’s financial aid policies.
Prospective students interested in receiving an estimate of their financial aid award may utilize the Net Price Calculator located on the Centre website.
KEES
Students who receive the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) are required to meet state-mandated minimum grade point averages in order to maintain eligibility for the scholarships. Please consult the KHEAA.com website for further information.
Federal Pell Grants
Pell recipients have a lifetime eligibility of six years maximum. (12 semesters)
Financial Aid (FA) Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy
Federal regulations require that all students who receive any federal or state financial assistance make satisfactory academic progress toward a degree at Centre College. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be required for the following types of financial aid: Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, KHEAA State Grants, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, other aid involving Title IV funds, or any other aid for which satisfactory progress is a requirement. These policies apply only to eligibility to receive financial aid and not to academic status. The Satisfactory Academic Progress of students will be monitored at the end of each spring semester. Recipients of Centre College endowment funds – other than merit scholarships – must meet the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress below. However, these funds will only be awarded for a maximum of ten (10) long terms. Failure to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards results in the loss of financial aid as outlined above.
Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured in three ways:
Students must progress qualitatively by earning the required grade point average (Achievement).
Students must progress quantitatively by completing the required minimum number of credits each year (Pace).
Students must complete their program of study within a reasonable time period (Duration).
Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress
Qualitative Measure GPA (Achievement)
Students receiving financial aid must meet the following cumulative grade point average, based on long terms (fall and spring) completed. Repeated course work grades will effect qualitative measures by looking only at the most recent grade earned.
1 long term: 1.650 grade average
2 long terms: 1.750 grade average
3 long terms: 1.850 grade average
4 long terms: 1.930 grade average
5 long terms: 1.970 grade average
6 or more long terms: 2.00 grade average
Quantitative Measure (Pace)
Students receiving financial aid must also satisfactorily complete 67% of all hours attempted. All attempted hours will be totaled and multiplied by 67% (.67) to determine the number of credit hours a student must have earned. Grades of U, WU, WP, I, W, AU, NC are counted as attempted hours and will NOT count as earned hours. Transfer credits that the Centre College Registrar approves are counted toward the student's attempted and earned hours. Repeated courses will be included in the attempted hours total. Centre College does not offer remedial courses, so they are not included in either the hours attempted or the hours earned.
Maximum Time Frame (Duration)
The maximum time frame in which a student must complete his or her degree cannot exceed more than 150% of the length of their academic program. Centre College requires a minimum of 110 credit hours to complete the degree. Therefore, Centre students can attempt up to 165 hours and still be eligible for aid. Once 165 hours are exceeded, aid would be suspended. All repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, courses taken from a change in major and transferred hours will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.
Consideration of Transfer and Incomplete Course Work
Transfer course work is considered for the quantitative (pace) calculation only with accepted credit. The qualitative (achievement) standards will be based on a transfer student’s status at Centre College based on total credits attempted on their Centre transcript (Centre courses and accepted credits transferred in to Centre.) Incomplete course work will count towards quantitative and duration calculations. If a student has lost eligibility for financial aid because of failure to make satisfactory academic progress all incomplete grades must be resolved prior to determining renewed eligibility for aid.
Due to Centre’s academic structure and graduation requirements, changes of majors do not affect the measures outlined in this policy. Pursuit of a second degree before other graduation requirements are met would increase the duration calculations based on additional course work needed for the second degree. Typically, second bachelor’s degrees are not eligible for federal or institutional aid consideration. These policies apply to all students regardless of enrollment level (full-time, part-time) and to all of our programs.
Financial Aid Suspension
Students who fail to meet the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students on financial aid suspension are NOT eligible to receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid. The mere passage of time will not restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory academic progress.
How to Regain Eligibility
Qualitative GPA /Achievement
To regain eligibility, complete courses at your own expense at Centre College and raise your cumulative GPA to the acceptable standard.
Quantitative/Pace
To regain eligibility, take courses at your own expense in a subsequent term or terms and meet the standards according to the cumulative credit hours completion ratio outlined above under the heading Quantitative Measure.
Maximum Time Frame/Duration
Students who exceed the maximum time frame are not eligible to regain eligibility.
Right to Appeal
If there were extenuating circumstances that prevented you from meeting the standards of our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy, you have the right to file an appeal with the Committee for Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals. This appeal must be a detailed appeal letter and MUST include the following:
The reasons why you did not meet satisfactory academic progress, and
dates and time periods involved, and
explanation of how your situation has changed and how these changes will allow you to make satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation.
The appeal may not be based upon the need for financial aid assistance or the lack of knowledge that the financial aid assistance was in jeopardy. Extenuating circumstances can include deaths in your family, significant emergent or emergency health issues, or other external events that negatively impacted your ability to perform academically in a given term. A student may appeal more than once if the student is placed on SAP suspension more than once. However, the basis for the subsequent appeal must be a substantially different circumstance from the prior appeal.
Appeals may be mailed to:
The FA Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee
Financial Aid Office
Centre College
600 W. Walnut St.
Danville, KY 40422
Or E-mail: finaid@centre.edu, or FAX: 859-238-8719
Appeal Decisions
Require approximately 3 weeks. Notification of appeal decisions will be emailed to the student’s centre.edu address. Decisions of the FA Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals Committee are final.
Approved Appeals and Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation
Students whose appeals are approved may be placed on a FA SAP Academic Plan or on Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation for one long term only. (Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Probation is for financial aid purposes only and is separate from academic probation.)
Students placed on ‘FA Probation’ or FA SAP Academic plan regain eligibility for financial aid if:
The student placed on FA probation meets ALL of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress by the end of one subsequent long term enrollment, or
The student has been placed on a FA SAP Academic Plan and is making progress in their academic plan after being reviewed at the end of the next long term. Subsequently, students making progress in their academic plan will be reviewed for continued progress annually at the same time that all students are reviewed for SAP. The FA SAP Academic Plan will lead to graduation and, if followed, ensures that the student is able to meet all the Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress by a specific point in time.
Students who have met the standards above will be placed in ‘Meets SAP’ status at the conclusion of the probationary or FA SAP Academic Plan review period. Students who do not meet all of the Standards of Satisfactory Academic progress or academic plan requirements while on ‘FA Probation’ will be placed on ‘FA Suspension.”
This policy is subject to change without notice in order to remain compliant with federal regulations.