Policies & Resources

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Stevenson Resources

External Resources

There are a variety of helpful financial aid resources available below online. Direct access to their websites is available through the links listed:

How Your Financial Need Is Determined

Financial aid programs were created by the federal government and based on the premise that the primary responsibility for paying for college rests with the student and his or her family. Need-based financial aid is available to families who demonstrate a need for additional resources to help pay college costs.

The formula used to determine need is: Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Need

Use our Net Price Calculator to estimate your eligibility for financial aid from SU.

Determining Need

Cost of Attendance (COA)

  • Cost of Attendance (COA or budget) represents a reasonable estimate of the cost of attending school for a 9 month academic year (fall and spring semesters). The Financial Aid Office determines student budgets every year as a basis for awarding financial aid funds. The student’s budget includes direct costs: tuition and fees, room and board; and indirect costs: allowances for books, supplies, transportation and personal/miscellaneous expenses. Direct costs are charges for which you will be billed directly by Stevenson. Indirect charges are costs you may incur as a result of going to school, but not necessarily billed for by SU. Actual charges vary depending on your choice of program, enrollment, and living arrangements (for example, apartment vs.double occupancy or living off-campus). The University is not allowed to award aid that exceeds your cost of attendance. A breakdown of direct charges for Stevenson University is available on the Tuition & Fees page.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

  • The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is an amount that your family is expected to pay towards your cost of attendance; it is not your bill, is not the amount of federal aid you will receive, and it is not the amount you will pay. It is a number used by your school to calculate how much financial aid you are eligible to receive.
  • The EFC is derived from a formula created by the federal government and is calculated based on the information provided on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Your family’s taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits (e.g., unemployment and Social Security) all could be considered in the formula. Also considered are your family size and the number of family members who will attend college or career school during the year. The EFC is part of the information on the Student Aid Report you received after you complete your FAFSA.

Need

  • Need for financial aid is the difference between the cost of attendance and your EFC. The University is not allowed to award aid that exceeds your need.

Information for Parents

We understand the financial challenges facing families with college students.

Whether you’ve been saving since the day your child was born or you’re just starting to think about how to pay for college, financing your child’s education is certainly on your mind. We believe that we owe our students a quality education at an affordable price. We offer a variety of financial aid packages that combine merit-based aid with state and federal assistance. In fact, roughly 90 percent of SU students receive some sort of financial aid. We want to support you and your family as you explore your financial aid options.

Setting Yourself up for Success

  • Talk with your student about paying for college. Students and parents often have very different ideas about how tuition, bills, and other expenses will be paid. Set and communicate clear expectations for your child if you want them to contribute by working a part-time job during school or sticking to a strict budget.
  • Learn about financial aid options, including parent loans. Depending on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and other factors, your student may qualify for other programs such as grants and scholarships. Visit our Scholarships and Financial Aid page to learn more.
  • Help your student gain financial independence. Involve them in discussions and decisions related to paying for their education. Encourage them to make smart financial decisions.
  • Be aware of tax benefits for families with a student in college.
  • Understand the privacy of student records. It is important that you and your child be aware of and the policy that governs your access to your child’s records at Stevenson University. For more information, please read The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Parent’s Access to Student Records and the University’s FERPA policy.

Every student applying to the University for admission is encouraged to apply for assistance through the Financial Aid Office. We will determine if your child qualifies for federal, state or institutional grants, federal work-study or federal student loans, or for University scholarships and grants, and we are here to help your family evaluate the financial aid package offered by the University and to help you through the potentially confusing process of financing your child’s education.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

(Effective July 1, 2021)

Financial aid recipients are required to be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree requirements. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to define successful completion of coursework to maintain eligibility for federal financial aid. Federal regulations require the SU Financial Aid Office to establish, publish, and apply standards to monitor a student’s progress toward a degree. Satisfactory academic progress, as described below, is evaluated annually (end of the spring semester) and cumulatively by the Financial Aid Office and regardless of whether financial aid was received at the time. Progress is determined quantitatively (credit hours versus hours earned and maximum time frame) and qualitatively (grade point average). Failure to maintain satisfactory progress may result in the suspension of federal financial aid eligibility. The Financial Aid Office will notify students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress by mail and by email to their Stevenson University email account.

Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal financial aid eligibility should not be confused with the University’s academic progress policy. These are two distinct and totally separate policies that students must be aware of. It is entirely possible to fail to meet minimum standards of one policy and pass the minimum standards of the other.

Undergraduate Students

Quantitative Standards

  • Undergraduate students receiving financial aid must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) and make steady progress toward the completion of their degree as listed below. The maximum time frame for program completion of a degree program is defined as 150% of the credits required to complete the degree. For example, a typical Bachelor’s degree at SU requires 120 credits: 120 x 150% = 180. Therefore, 180 credits is the maximum that can be attempted and receive financial aid.
  • Students must complete a minimum of 67% of the cumulative courses attempted to remain eligible. Transfer credits accepted by Stevenson University will be included in the progress completion requirement as well in the maximum attempted credits. Please note, students must graduate with a cumulative 2.0 GPA. The completion percentage is determined by calculating: credits passed / credits attempted = % completed.
  • Attempted credits include the following:
    • Graded credits (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, F, FX, P)
    • Incomplete credits (I)
    • Withdrawn credits (W, WF)
    • Repeat credits (if taken to replace failing grades)
    • Audited courses
    • Transfer credits
  • Remedial courses may be taken up to a maximum of 24 credits only.

Qualitative Standards

A student must have a minimum grade point average for specific numbers of credits attempted.

1-18.5 credits attempted1.7 minimum grade point average
19-29.5 credits attempted1.9 minimum grade point average
30+credits attempted2.0 minimum grade point average

Financial Aid Suspension

  • Students who fail to meet all of the minimum standards listed above at the time of review will have their federal financial aid eligibility suspended. Students who have been suspended cannot merely skip a semester to regain eligibility. No federal financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters for students on suspension. There are 2 ways for a student to regain eligibility:
    • The student submits a written appeal (see Appeals Process below) in accordance with the appeals process and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee approves the appeal. The student is then placed on financial aid probation, allowing one additional semester in order to bring the academic requirements up to minimum standards.
    • The student attends Stevenson University during the suspension semester, pays for tuition and fees without the help of financial aid, and does well enough to satisfy all SAP academic standards.

Appeals Process

  • Appeals of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Suspension must be made in writing to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. This committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing of their decision.
  • The appeal letter must address the extenuating circumstance(s) as to why satisfactory academic progress was not made, and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow them to now demonstrated satisfactory progress after the probation semester. Extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to, illness, death of a family member, family difficulties, financial difficulties, etc. In addition, students must meet with a staff member from SU Academic Advising to create an academic plan. This plan must also be presented with the appeals letter.
  • If the appeal is approved, students will be reinstated for financial aid on probation for one semester. A review of the student’s academic performance in that semester will be reviewed to determine the status for the upcoming semester. Only if the student is meeting the overall requirements for satisfactory academic progress or successfully following his/her academic plan, will the student be permitted aid for the upcoming semester. Students who fail to meet the conditions outlined in their academic plan during the probationary semester will be able to submit a subsequent appeal.

Potential Outcomes

  • Students who now meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines will have their eligibility reinstated.
  • Students who fail to meet all conditions set in their Academic Plan will forfeit their eligibility to receive further financial aid. They can apply to be reinstated once they meet the University’s standards. Students who have been given a second chance to receive aid are expected to meet all requirements set forth in their Academic Plan. Appeals will only be accepted from students who experienced a one-time, unexpected, serious event that precluded them from meeting the conditions of the Academic Plan.
  • Students who met all the conditions of their Academic Plan but still do not meet the University’s regular academic standards may be allowed to continue with financial aid. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may make changes to the student’s original Academic Plan based on any changes in the student’s situation. Students who meet all conditions of their current Academic Plan will be allowed to continue to participate in the aid programs on a semester by semester basis.

Graduate Students

Quantitative and Qualitative Standards

  • To be eligible for financial aid, you must enroll in a graduate degree program and:
    • Maintain a 3.0 minimum cumulative grade point average, and
    • Earn your degree within the first 54 attempted credits based on a maximum time frame of 150 percent. All semesters and credit hours attempted including all repeated courses, failed courses, withdrawals, courses taken from a change in major, and transfer credits will count as credit hours attempted toward the maximum time frame.

Financial Aid Suspension

  • Students who fail to meet all of the minimum standards listed above at the time of review will have their financial aid eligibility suspended. Students who have been suspended cannot merely skip a semester to regain eligibility. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters for students on suspension. There are 2 ways for a student to regain eligibility:
    • The student submits a written appeal (see Appeals Process below) in accordance with the appeals process and the Financial Aid Appeals Committee approves the appeal. The student is then placed on financial aid probation, allowing one additional semester in order to bring the academic requirements up to minimum standards.
    • The student attends Stevenson University during the suspension semester, pays for tuition and fees without the help of financial aid, and does well enough to satisfy all SAP academic standards.

Appeals Process

  • Appeals of Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Suspension must be made in writing to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee. This committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing of their decision.
  • The appeal letter must address the extenuating circumstance(s) as to why satisfactory academic progress was not made, and what has changed in the student’s situation that would allow them to now demonstrate satisfactory progress after the probation semester. Extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to, illness, death of a family member, family difficulties, financial difficulties, etc. In addition, students must meet with a staff member from SU Academic Advising to create an academic plan. This plan must also be presented with the appeals letter.
  • If the appeal is approved, students will be reinstated for financial aid on probation for one semester. A review of the student’s academic performance in that semester will be reviewed to determine the status for the upcoming semester. Only if the student is meeting the overall requirements for satisfactory academic progress or successfully following his/her academic plan, will the student be permitted aid for the upcoming semester. Students who fail to meet the conditions outlined in their academic plan during the probationary semester will be able to submit a subsequent appeal.

Potential Outcomes

  • Students who now meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines will have their eligibility reinstated.
  • Students who fail to meet all conditions set in their Academic Plan will forfeit their eligibility to receive further financial aid. They can apply to be reinstated once they meet the University’s standards. Students who have been given a second chance to receive aid are expected to meet all requirements set forth in their Academic Plan. Appeals will only be accepted from students who experienced a one-time, unexpected, serious event that precluded them from meeting the conditions of the Academic Plan.
  • Students who met all the conditions of their Academic Plan but still do not meet the University’s regular academic standards may be allowed to continue with financial aid. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee may make changes to the student’s original Academic Plan based on any changes in the student’s situation. Students who meet all conditions of their current Academic Plan will be allowed to continue to participate in the aid programs on a semester by semester basis.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Parent’s Access to Student Records

What is FERPA?

  • The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) requires institutions to protect a student’s educational record; however, Stevenson University students can choose to allow other people access to certain areas, otherwise known as “granting proxy access” (the person getting access is referred to as the “proxy”). Students can grant access to parents, guardians, or spouses. A student is also able to designate multiple proxies and to specify the type of access each proxy may have.

What happens when someone is given proxy access to your student record?

  • Once the student assigns proxy access, the proxy can see the specified information and the University is authorized to speak regarding this information to the proxy. Please remember, the proxy access is determined by the student. If the student gives proxy access only to Student Finance, then the proxy will not be able to view grades.
  • Parents of current Stevenson University students who wish information about their child’s grades, student accounts, financial aid, or other information must have given proxy access to the person requesting the information. PRIOR TO ENROLLMENT, parents may have access to their dependent’s financial aid information if they can provide the information requested below and if their child has not denied access to the information. An applicant is deemed a student for FERPA purposes once the applicant is enrolled and the deadline for adding a course in the applicant’s first semester or session has passed.

What happens if you need to contact the Financial Aid Office about your student record?

  • Students: All students are required to provide identification when meeting with us in-person. A current SU photo ID card with student number is acceptable, or the student may be required to provide their social security number, date of birth and permanent mailing address.
  • Parents: In an effort to keep all student information safe and secure, we require identification from parents when requesting information from the Financial Aid Office. Only those whose information is found on a student’s current FAFSA will be able to attain student information from our office. When contacting our office, please make sure to have either the student’s Stevenson University ID number or SSN, and the student’s permanent mailing address. In addition, we will require confirmation of the last four digits of your SSN and full name.

We urge you to discuss FERPA with your student. Open communication is the best way to ensure they have a positive experience at Stevenson and that their account is kept current

For additional information, see our FERPA policy.

Financial Aid Census Date and Disbursement Information

Funds will post to your student account after the financial aid census date. The census date typically marks the end of the add/drop period for the semester. This is the date we take a “snapshot” of all students’ enrollment to establish the “official enrollment” for reporting purposes and financial aid eligibility.

The classes for which you are registered as of the census date determine the amount of financial aid you will receive. We will compare your enrollment as of the census date with the ENROLLMENT STATUS on your SU AWARD LETTER to determine if you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for each of the aid programs listed. If a revision is warranted, we will notify you by email at your campus address. It is possible your aid will increase, decrease, or even be cancelled.

Your financial aid could be adjusted if you…

  • Increase or reduce your credit load before the census date (to match your enrollment level). If your aid is reduced and it creates a balance due on your SU account, you will be responsible for payment.
  • Take courses that begin after the census date. For example, if you are enrolled in a traditional undergraduate program and taking a class that starts after the census date, the Federal Pell Grant will not be disbursed until after the LAST drop date for which you are enrolled. If you fail to begin attendance in all classes, the grant will be reduced accordingly. Loans will disburse when you reach half-time enrollment.
  • Submit your FAFSA information or corrections after the census date.

Your financial aid will NOT be adjusted if you…

  • Add credits after the census date.

Important Reminders

  • Review your Award Letter Carefully
    • To avoid delayed or unexpected revisions to your financial aid, be sure to review the Enrollment and Housing Status on your Award Letter upon receipt.
    • Your award is based on the enrollment status indicated on your Award Letter. Make sure this information is correct. If your enrollment plans change, it is crucial that you notify Financial Aid in writing immediately.
    • Whether you will be living in SU housing or commuting, your award is based on information provided by the SU Residence Life Office or your FAFSA. Review the housing status on your Award Letter for accuracy. If your housing plans change, you must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing, and if applicable, Residence Life, immediately. The email address for the Financial Aid Office is financial-aid@stevenson.edu. We will promptly recalculate your award.
  • Grant and Scholarship Changes
    • SU need-based grants may be reduced by the addition of later awards from the State of Maryland or other sources. If any outside funds affect your current financial aid award, you will be notified of all changes.
    • State awards post upon receipt of the funds from the State of Maryland; November for the fall semester, March for the spring semester.
  • Scholarship, Grant, and Work-study Earnings & Credits
    • Work-study earnings are not posted to your student account. You will receive a bi-weekly paycheck directly from your supervisor.
    • Private scholarships and any other awards you may be receiving from independent sources will be credited to your account upon receipt of these funds by the SU Student Accounts Office. Often times, private scholarship funds are sent to the university in one check and therefore, posted to your account as a single disbursement for the fall semester.
    • State aid recipient refund checks may be delayed due to the receipt date of these funds.
    • Credit Balance: If you have a credit balance from your financial aid, you will receive a refund check from the Student Accounts Office. No refund checks will be issued until your aid is posted to your student account.
    • Book Voucher: Under certain circumstances, you may be able to take a credit against your financial aid in the form of a Book Voucher to purchase required books and supplies from the University Store. Your loans must be certified, and your total aid combined with any other form of payment on your student account must exceed your total charges. To find out if you are eligible, contact the Student Accounts Office at 443-334-3500.
  • Summer Financial Aid
    • You may be eligible to receive funds for summer enrollment depending on enrollment and the amount of aid you received during the previous academic year. An application for summer aid is required. Please contact the Financial Aid Office to check on your eligibility.

Money Management and Financial Literacy

At every stage of your life you will need to understand the financial aspects and impact of your actions. The resources you use to pay for you education can have significant impact (positive or negative) on your financial status for years. It is to your benefit to know as much as you can about managing your finances.

You may also find the site http://www.mymoney.gov useful.

Drug Conviction and Financial Aid Eligibility

Under the Higher Education Act, a student may become ineligible for federal student aid upon conviction of any offense involving the possession or sale of illegal drugs while receiving Title IV federal financial aid. Federal aid includes Federal Direct Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, and Perkins Loans.

Penalties for Drug Convictions

Possession of Illegal Drugs

  • First Offense: Ineligible to receive aid for 1 year from the date of conviction
  • Second Offense: Ineligible to receive aid for 2 years from the date of conviction
  • Third and Subsequent Offenses: Indefinite ineligibility from the date of conviction

Sale of Illegal Drugs

  • First Offense: Ineligible to receive aid for 2 years from the date of conviction
  • Second and Subsequent Offenses: Indefinite ineligibility from the date of conviction

How to Regain Eligibility

A student can regain eligibility for federal student aid funds by successfully completing a drug rehabilitation program. To be sufficient to reinstate financial aid eligibility, the program must include at least 2 unannounced drug tests AND be recognized as a Federal, State, or local government agency program. A student will regain eligibility on the date of successfully completing the program.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Question 23 on the FAFSA form asks if the student has ever been convicted of a drug-related offense. Failure to answer this question will automatically disqualify the student from receiving Federal aid. Falsely answering this question, if discovered, could result in fines up to $20,000, imprisonment, or both.

Convictions During Enrollment

According to the United States Department of Education, if a student is convicted of a drug offense after receiving Federal aid, he or she must notify the Financial Aid Department student will be ineligible for further aid and required to pay back all aid received after the conviction.

Drug and Alcohol Policy at Stevenson University

Stevenson University’s policies on alcohol, drugs, and tobacco can be found here.