Information for USA Students

Students accessing US William D. Ford Direct Loan (Direct Loan) funds are evaluated for satisfactory academic progress (SAP) at the end of each academic term. Students must maintain a minimum of half-time registration in each academic term (7.5 credit hours) if they are receiving US Financial Aid. Students accessing direct loans are not permitted to enroll in any online courses at St. Francis Xavier University or any other post-secondary institution during any term of study. A student who takes an online course will cause his or her entire program to become ineligible for Direct Loan funds.   

The SAP evaluation takes into account both a qualitative (Cumulative GPA) and a quantitative (credits completed and the pace at which they are completed) review of the student’s studies and failure to meet either component may result in the student losing eligibility.

Undergraduate Students must maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 60%. If the Cumulative GPA drops below 60%, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. While on US Financial Aid Warning, the student must obtain a Term GPA of 60% or higher in their next immediate term to continue to be eligible for US financial aid.

Grades earned during the spring or summer terms, whether completed at StFX or on letters of permission elsewhere, will also be included in the student’s Cumulative GPA calculation for the term in which they were completed. Only those transfer credits that count towards the student’s program of study at StFX will be included when evaluating SAP.

For maximum timeframe, it must be no longer than 150% of the published length of time as measured in credit hours. For example, if a program is 60 credits to receive a bachelor’s degree, the maximum timeframe a student can earn will be 90 credits. If the student goes over 90 credits, they are ineligible for Title IV funding. A normal two-year degree will need to be finished within a three-year time period, a normal four-year degree will need to be finished within a six-year time period. 

To remain eligible to receive Direct Loan funding, students in a two-year Bachelor of Education program or any of the eligible four-year bachelor programs must successfully complete a minimum of 67% of credit hours attempted during the academic year (Sep-Aug). Credits completed during the spring or summer terms, credits completed elsewhere on letters of permission and credits associated with repeated courses will all count towards satisfying this quantitative requirement for SAP. Attendance periods at other post-secondary institutions, periods during which students do not receive Title IV aid and periods during which students withdraw from courses, repeat courses or suspend their academic studies will all count as time used towards the maximum allowable time frame. 

A student who does not meet the SAP requirements will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the period of the next academic term and will continue to be eligible to receive funding for that period only. At the end of the term, the student will be re-evaluated for SAP and must meet the qualitative and quantitative requirements to return to regular funding eligibility status in the next term of study. If the student does not meet the requirements after spending a term on Financial Aid Warning, the student is no longer eligible to receive Title IV funding. Students will receive an e-mail at their StFX email address only notifying them of this. It is possible for students to receive more than one warning period during their academic career. However, students cannot be placed on a Financial Aid Warning period in two consecutive terms. 

Students who have their eligibility suspended may appeal this if one or more of the following circumstances exist: 

• Death of an immediate family member. 
• Extended illness of the student – illness that causes the student to be absent from class at least 15 days or more -- medical documentation required. 
• Extended illness of a family member that places hardship on the student -- medical documentation required. 
• Mitigating circumstances as determined by the Financial Aid Officer. 

All appeals must be received in writing within fourteen days of receipt of the email notification. The appeal must explain not only why the student did not meet SAP but also what has changed to allow the student to meet SAP going forward. The decision of the SAP Appeal Committee to grant or deny the appeal is final and will be communicated promptly to the student, in writing through email, and will be retained in the student’s Financial Aid file.

If a student’s appeal is approved, they can be placed on Financial Aid Probation. Conditions may apply to the probation status, such as raising the GPA by the end of the next semester or meeting with the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs to explore supports that may be available to help the student.  At the end of the next semester, SAP will be re-evaluated according to the SAP policy and any conditions stipulated in the appeal decision. If the evaluation is favourable, the student’s eligibility for Title IV funding will be reinstated. If the student does not meet SAP at this time, then they will no longer be eligible.  A student can regain their eligibility if they meet SAP at a later point in time. 

A second option that may be used for the student if an appeal is successful is to place them on Financial Aid Probation with an Academic Plan. An Academic plan comes into effect when a student will need more than one term to come into compliance with SAP. The student may only regain eligibility for Title IV aid after he or she has come back into compliance with the university’s SAP policy. 

If a student’s appeal is not successful, they remain ineligible for funding until such time as they have come back into compliance with the SAP requirements. If this occurs, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the Financial Aid Office and request that their eligibility be reviewed. Please note that students who have exceeded the 150% time limit in their program cannot be reinstated. 

The refund policy for St. Francis Xavier University may be found at Financial Services. The following is an appendage for students who are accessing US William D. Ford Direct Loan (Direct Loan) funds. If a student receiving Direct Loans withdraws from the institution during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the university must determine the amount of title IV funds that the student earned as of the student's withdrawal date.  StFX utilizes the US Department of Education’s Return of Title IV Funds Policy for this calculation (§668.22 Treatment of title IV funds when a student withdraws). If it is determined that Direct Loan funds must be returned to the Department of Education, the distribution of these Funds will occur in the following order: 

1. Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
2. Federal Direct Subsidized 
3. Federal Direct Plus Loans 

If StFX is required to pay Direct Loan funds on your behalf to the US Department of Education as a result of your early withdrawal you will be required to repay those funds to St. Francis Xavier University. In addition, you may also be required to repay Direct Loan funds directly to the US Department of Education.

We recommend you contact the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible if you are considering early withdraw to discuss the options and potential implications. To view the full Return of Title IV Funds policy as issued by the US Department of Education, click here.

All International Students are required to participate in the Students’ Union Health and Dental Plans. The coverage includes benefits specifically designed for student needs. Information concerning both the Health and Dental plans and associated benefits can be found here.