For more information on your financial assistance and how to stay in good standing, review the following policies. If you have additional questions, contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance at (630) 942-2251 or email financialaid@cod.edu.
Applying for Financial Assistance with a Bachelor’s Degree
Once you have earned a bachelor’s degree or your first professional degree, you are no longer eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. You may be eligible to apply for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans if you have not borrowed your maximum loan eligibility.
Students entering College of DuPage with a Bachelor’s Degree must appeal to receive loans and/or work study due to the maximum time frame standard associated with the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
According to the policy, students must complete their degree or certificate program within 150 percent of the credit hours required for their degree/certificate. Since College of DuPage only offers certificate and associate degrees, students that have already earned a bachelor’s degree have exceed the maximum time frame for their degree at College of DuPage students with a bachelor’s degree can still apply for scholarships without doing the appeal process.
Eligible Degree and Certificate Programs
To be eligible for Title IV aid, a student must be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program that is approved by the Department of Education.
Payment Policy
College of DuPage requires all students not fully covered by financial aid or military benefits to enroll in a payment plan or pay their account balance by the payment due date. If you have not enrolled in a payment plan or paid your account balance by the payment due date, you may be dropped from your classes for the amount owed. For more information, contact the Cashier's Office.
Pell Lifetime Eligibility
The amount of Federal Pell Grant funds a student can receive over his or her lifetime is limited by a new federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive each year is equal to 100 percent, the six-year equivalent is 600 percent.
Refunds
College of DuPage provides notification via email to students when refunds are issued on a student's account. Student account refunds may be issued via direct deposit, credit card or paper check. For more information, contact the Cashier's Office.
Repeat Classes
According to federal regulations, financial aid (including grants and loans) cannot pay aid to students for courses that have been repeated more than once, when a grade of D or higher has already been earned.
Rights and Responsibilities
Applicants and borrowers of financial aid should be aware of their rights and responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities include filing a FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 and enrolling in a College of DuPage payment plan at the time of registration.
Return of Title IV Aid
If you withdraw from College of DuPage, any refundable tuition and fees must be returned to the appropriate financial aid provider .Federal law requires the College to refund any credit balance from a student account that was created through Title IV financial aid.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
The College is required by Federal regulations and State policy, to monitor academic progress toward a degree or certificate for all financial aid applicants. Satisfactory Academic Progress standards ensure that only those recipients demonstrating progress toward the completion of their education continue to receive financial aid. This policy is applied consistently to all students regardless of enrollment status.