Financial Aid Policies & Procedures

In accordance with federal and state regulations and Minnesota State Policy 2.9, Anoka-Ramsey Community College shall monitor all credits for all students and shall apply the following minimum cumulative standards of progress beginning with a student's sixth (6th) attempted credit:

Qualitative: Students are expected to meet or exceed a cumulative earned grade point average (GPA) of 2.00.
Quantitative: Students are expected to meet or exceed a cumulative earned percentage of 67%.
Maximum timeframe for financial aid recipients: Students may continue to receive financial aid through 150% of the published credit lenth of the program (example: 150% of a 60 credit program equals 90 credits). All local attempted credits and transfer credits into Anoka-Ramsey Community College count towards the maximum time frame.

See satisfactory academic progress policy for additional information.

For students receiving State financial funding, the Minnesota Office of Higher Education refund policies will apply.

Federal Student Aid funds are awarded to a student based on the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which assistance is awarded. A student who stops attending class(es) must immediately withdraw from class(es), and is responsible for understanding the impact of such action on his/her student account.

Financial aid recipients who totally withdraw or stop attending classes prior to the 60% point of the term are subject to the federal Return of Title IV calculation for federal aid. The amount of unused aid to be returned is calculated by dividing the number of remaining business days by the total number of business days in the semester. Breaks of more than four consecutive business days are excluded. Examples of both calucations are available in the Financial Aid Office at the student's request.

The responsibility to repay the unearned financial aid is shared by the institution and the student. The institution's share is allocated among the Title IV programs before the student's share, in the following order: Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant and Federal SEOG. The student share of remaining unearned aid is collected from the student and allocated in the same order indicated above.

Return of financial aid calculations are performed no later than 30 days after determining the student withdrew or stopped attending classes. Funds need to be returned to the Department of Education no later than 45 days after determining the student withdrew or stopped attending classes. Students return their share of unearned aid attributable to a loan under the terms and conditions of the promissory note. Grant repayment is made to the college under the repayment guidelines identified in a notice sent to students after the recalculation is complete.

The Financial Aid Office tracks attendance/last date of activity on financial aid recipients. If it is determined a student received financial aid for a course he/she did not attend, his/her financial aid will be recalculated at the lower enrollment status.

Students may also be eligible for a partial tuition and fees refund. See ARCC's refund policy and the Federal policy website.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College will verify ALL student applications selected by the FAFSA processor. Verification documents will be requested of the student upon receipt of the FAFSA. Documents must be received and verification performed before any disbursement of financial aid will be made. If there are errors, we will update your application, recalculate your aid eligibility and send a current award letter to you. Any documents received after 180 days after the last date of enrollment (or date published by the Department of Education, whichever is earlier) will not be processed. Financial Aid Adjustments

Your class schedule must be firm and you should not make any changes after the 5th day of the semester or you risk aid reductions. It is expected that you will attend your registered courses. If you decide to add a late start course after the 5th day of the semester your Pell Grant cannot be adjusted for the increase in credits. If you drop a class and add another class that is the same number of credits after the 5th day of the semester, your aid will be negatively affected, as the add will not be recognized.

Students can receive federal financial aid for developmental work (below 1000 level) up to a maximum of 30 credits.
Students must declare an eligible major and degree intent at Anoka-Ramsey to receive financial aid.
Students may receive financial aid from no more than one college during each term or period of enrollment.
Loan Pro-ration: The loan pro-ration requirement applies to students who plan to complete a degree program or certificate program in an enrollment period that is shorter than an academic year at Anoka-Ramsey.
Financial aid is awarded to eligible students who have completed the financial aid application process and who are seeking a valid degree, diploma or certificate at Anoka-Ramsey. Applicants are awarded on the basis of financial need using data from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which must be completed annually.
Students must be accepted into a program of study (major) that leads to a degree, diploma, or certificate. Students who have not declared a major or have not been accepted into a program of study are not eligible for financial aid. In addition, ineligible majors or courses include, but are not limited to, customized training courses and any programs that are less than 16 credits.
Applications are evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis beginning in spring of the calendar year prior to the fall semester start and on a rolling basis thereafter. Summer session is considered a trailer or the third semester of the academic year. Financial aid is awarded after the student registers for summer courses.
Anoka-Ramsey reserves the right to change awards based on availability of funds, changes in enrollment, academic progress, and/or changes in student eligibility.
In compliance with federal regulations, our office is annually audited by an independent third-party auditor. Our office also completes self-auditing of our programs to ensure accuracy in our processing.
Due to federal regulations our policy states that students can only repeat a passed course once and still be covered by financial aid.
If a student or parents’ (for dependent students) financial situation changes after the completion of the FAFSA, the Financial Aid Office may be able to help. Please see the Financial Aid Office for additional information. It is our policy to select all students applying for a consideration of special circumstances for verification. You will be notified after a decision has been made.
A student who does not meet the federal criteria for independent status as listed in the FAFSA may have his/her status changed under extreme circumstances. If the student feels that the parent information is not relevant or the parents are unable to be located, the student may apply for a dependency override with proper documentation. Minimum documentation includes:
- A detailed letter explaining the situation, including why the student feels s/he is unable to obtain parental information. The letter should contain any other information that may be relevant such as when the student last lived with the parent and/or received any financial support from the parent.
- A written statement from two individuals who have first hand knowledge of the situation, such as clergy, school administrator, social worker, or counselor. Letters from family members may be accepted but only if accompanied by a second letter from a non family member.

None of the following conditions, either singly or in combination, will qualify a student for a dependency override:

Parents refuse to contribute to child’s education.
Parents are unwilling to provide information on the financial aid application or for verification purposes.
Student demonstrates self-sufficiency.

You will be notified after a decision has been made.