Policies, Forms and Resources

As part of the Alma Commitment for on-time graduation, students may qualify for up to a term of free tuition if, through no fault of their own, they are unable to graduate on time, based on the degree and major they are pursuing. Depending upon the major selected, the college’s commitment to on-time graduation may apply to either a 4-year or a 4.5-year academic program.

Please review the full Graduation Commitment Policy for details. If you feel you meet the requirements listed in the full policy, complete the Alma Graduation Commitment Application

Submit completed forms to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@alma.edu or

Alma College Financial Aid Office
614 W. Superior St.
Alma, MI 48801

Financial aid is calculated on the total cost of attending Alma College, including the cost of room and meals. A portion of every student’s merit award is applied to tuition and the remainder to room and meal costs. Any change in status including credit standing and residential living policies will impact the total amount of aid received to lower the overall cost of attendance at Alma College. Merit awards are adjusted for living off campus per the chart below.

2023-2024 Academic Year

Full or Partial Tuition Awards

Students receiving full or partial tuition merit awards are required to live on campus. If a student was approved by housing to live off campus they would see an adjustment of $6,564 for the 2023-2024 academic year as this portion of the award was designated for room and board expenses. This will adjust annually.

Policy applies to: ACES Alma College Community Engagement Scholarship, Tuition Exchange programs, Detroit Future Scholarship, and Distinguished Presidential Scholarship.

Exempt from Adjustment

• A student who has graduated with a bachelor’s degree but is now seeking a second bachelor’s degree and is receiving an Alma College scholarship or grant for attendance in the program.
• The term a student is completing student teaching – verified by the Education Department.

How Financial Need/Aid is Calculated
Financial need is calculated by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution, taken from the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), from the cost of education.

Independent and Married Students
Independent students, by definition, are expected to be self-supporting. Therefore, they (and their spouses, if married) are expected to contribute to the cost of education through summer savings and earnings during the year.

Students 23 years of age or under applying as independents must submit additional documentation to verify independent status claims.

Disbursement of College Aid and Billing Procedures
With the exception of funds received through campus employment, all aid will be applied directly to the student’s account, split equally between fall and winter semesters. Itemized bills will be available approximately three weeks prior to the beginning of each term. Please refer to the Alma College academic catalog for a detailed explanation of payment of tuition and fees and deferred payment plans.

Other Important Notes:
The Tax Reform Act of 1986 requires that scholarships and fellowships exceeding the amount of tuition, fees and books will be subject to tax reporting for degree candidates. Detailed information may be obtained from the IRS .

Certain approved internships where coursework is incorporated may allow students to take federal and state financial aid. Federal aid is available for only one term of overseas/off-campus course work. Further information about overseas and off-campus programs can be found in the Alma College academic catalog.

Federal regulations require that students make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards the completion of their degree and further for the student to sustain good academic standing. Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, risk losing their eligibility for federal and state financial aid, and external scholarships/grants/loans.

SAP Breakdown (Qualitative and Quatitative)

SAP is assessed both qualitatively (by cumulative grade point average) and quantitatively (by earned credit hours). Progress is assessed at the end of each semester to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility for future enrollment periods. Students not meeting these SAP standards are notified by the Financial Aid Off (both by mail using their self-reported permanent address and through their Alma College email account) that they have become ineligible for future financial aid eligibility and the process for appeal.

Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of (undergraduate students):

• Semester 1: 1.4
• Semester 2: 1.6
• Semester 3: 1.8
• Semester 4+: 2.0

Progress toward degree completion is measured by two components: (1) maximum time frame and (2) completion percentage. Both are necessary components to ensuring that the student is making progress toward degree completion and both standards must be met to be making satisfactory academic progress. Both standards and guidelines are provided below:

• Maximum Time FrameFull-time and Part-time. Students must complete their program within 150% of the program length. Program length = 136 credits x 150% maximum time frame = 204 attempted credits.Students who exceed 204 attempted credits will be deemed not making satisfactory academic progress and will lose their eligibility for financial aid. Students may appeal this decision.NOTE: All college level attempted hours are included in the Maximum Time Frame calculation to determine Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) including: (a) MTH099, ACP100, ENG100; (b) Repeated, incomplete, and transfer credit hours; (c) Withdrawn credit hours; and (d) Credit hours attempted for which the student did not receive financial aid.
• Pace (Percentage Rate 67%)Pace is measured by the following scale:Pace = Cumulative number of hours (credit hours) that you have successfully completed Cumulative number of hours (credit hours) that you have attempted.

Maintain minimum percentage of earned credit hours for all attempted credit hours (undergraduate students)

Financial Aid Warning

The first time a student does not meet SAP standards they will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the next semester. This means they are one term away from losing their financial aid eligibility but are still eligible for financial aid for the subsequent semester.  Failure to meet SAP standards in the semester in which the student is on Financial Aid Warning will result in Financial Aid Denied.

Financial Aid Denied

If after a semester on Financial Aid Warning and the student still does not meet SAP standards, they are immediately placed on Financial Aid Denied status. The student will not receive federal or institutional financial aid.

Petition Options 

If you are denied, the student may appeal this status by completing the SAP Petition Form submitting necessary documents.

Financial Aid Probation

If the student has successfully appealed a Financial Aid Denied status, they will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one term. This means the student can then receive financial aid for the next semester.  If the student does meet the SAP standards at the end of the Probation term, their SAP Status will reset back to meets SAP. If they do not meet the SAP standards at the end of the Probation term, they will be placed back into Denied status.

Academic Plan

Students on Financial Aid Warning and Financial Aid Probation will be expected to obtain a 2.0 grade point average for the following semester and take a minimum of 12 credit hours without withdrawing from any courses by the end of that semester OR if necessary, be placed on an individualized academic plan that ensures SAP is met and that the student gets back on track toward graduation. Failure to meet the academic plan standards and/or SAP standards the student will be placed back into Financial Aid Denied status.

View the full SAP policy for complete details.

Registrar’s Academic Progress Policy

Financial Aid policies are not directly related to policies for academic admission. Reinstatement to the College after academic suspension or dismissal does not ensure that a student’s financial aid will also be reinstated. SAP is separate from the Registrar’s Academic Progress Policy. Be sure to contact the Registrar office for more questions or visit the Academic Catalog.

In the event you withdraw officially or unofficially (see Return of Funds Policy for definitions), we will determine the amount of Alma Aid and Federal Aid (Title IV Aid) you have earned up to that point in the term. See the chart below to determine how much your Alma Aid will be reduced:

Title IV Aid

The requirements for federal Title IV aid when you withdraw are separate from Alma College’s institutional refund policy. Therefore, you may still owe funds to Alma College to cover unpaid institutional charges. Alma College may also charge you for any Title IV aid that we were required to return. Also view the Return of Funds Policy. Alma College’s institutional Student Account Refund Signature Page is available on the Financial Services Office page.

If you are considering withdrawing from Alma College, please contact the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. Additionally Academic Support and Disability Services can assist you with the process. Please do not hesitate to contact our office with any questions or concerns.

Other Fees Affected
There are other items on your bill that you are currently being charged that will be affected by your early withdraw.

• Tuition and Activity Fee – costs will be prorated based upon the withdraw chart seen above.
• Meal Plan – costs will be prorated to equal the number of meals and Munch Money used.
• Room – no refund, full room costs for the remainder of term in which the departure occurs. Effective with the 2022 – 23 Academic year:  Student is responsible for all housing and dining costs unless they formally withdraw from the college or receive a residency exemption.  If the student withdraws or receives a residency exemption, room and dining costs will be prorated to the date of departure, or formal withdrawal or residency exemption approval, whichever is later.  No future term charges will apply.
• Class Fees – no refund.

The Alma College Financial Aid Office encourages all financial aid recipients to read this policy carefully. Any student thinking about withdrawing from all classes in one term should contact our office to determine how withdrawing will affect their financial aid for that term and what the impact will be for future eligibility. Withdrawing can affect students academically as well as financially.

DEFINITION OF R2T4
According to Section 484B of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) students who withdraw or are withdrawn from all classes in a term may be required to return all or part of their  Title IV aid * received for that term. These policies apply only to students who completely terminate their enrollment or stop attending classes before completing more than 60 percent of the enrollment period (term). This policy does not apply to students who withdraw from individual courses, unless all courses are eventually dropped.

• The return of funds is based upon the concept that students earn their financial aid in proportion to the amount of time in which they are enrolled.
  • A student who withdraws in the second week of classes has earned less of his/her financial aid than a student who withdraws in the sixth week.
  • Once 60% of the semester is completed a student is considered to have earned all of his/her financial aid and will not be required to return any funds.
• Title IV aid is awarded to a student under the assumption that he/she will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded.
• When a student withdraws from all of his/her courses, for any reason including but not limited to medical withdrawals, he/she may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that he/she were originally scheduled to receive.

*Title IV Aid Includes:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
• Direct Subsidized Loan
• Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Parent PLUS Loan
• TEACH Grant

IMPORTANT NOTE:   The Return of Title IV Funds regulation does  not dictate the institutional refund policy . The calculation of Title IV funds earned by the student has  NO  relationship to the student’s incurred institutional charges. Institutional policy can be found in the academic catalog  under “Academic Policies” section, this policy is only applied to institutional grants, scholarships, awards, and charges.

Withdrawal and Return Process

Determining the withdrawal date

A student’s withdrawal date is used to calculate the amount of financial aid to be returned. The withdrawal date is defined as the earlier of 1) the date the student began the withdrawal process or officially notified the institution of the intent to withdraw or 2) the student’s last date of documented attendance at an academically related activity.

Official Withdrawal  – The withdrawal date used in the return calculation of a student’s federal financial aid is the actual date indicated on the withdrawal form. If this date is in question the financial aid office will then reach out to faculty to verify last class activity/attendance.

Unofficial Withdrawal  – If a student stops attending, and fails to officially withdraw from classes, the student is considered to be unofficially withdrawn.

• To determine unofficial withdrawals we obtain a report from the registrar’s office at term end which identifies students who have no passing grades. We determine the last date of attendance by contacting faculty to see if they can provide the last date of attendance or academic activity for their class. This will be the date used. If a last date of attendance can’t be determined, the school will use the midpoint of the term as the withdrawal date.
• If there is no proof of attendance beyond the 60% point of the term, the student is considered unofficially withdrawn and a refund calculation is performed.

Section 484B (c) of the HEA makes it clear that the determination of a student’s withdrawal date is the responsibility of the institution. Therefore, the institution, not the student, must document a student’s attendance at an academically related activity. A student’s certification of attendance that is not supported by documentation by the institution would not be acceptable documentation for the student’s last date of attendance at an academically related activity.” (section 668.22 (c) in the Discussion, Federal Register 34 CFR Part 668, 6682, and 685, Student Assistance General Provisions and FFELP and Direct Loan Program, Final Rule)

Refunds on all institutional charges

This includes tuition and fees, will be calculated using the refund policy published in the Alma College Catalog and will be calculated and determined by the Student Financial Services Office.

Title IV aid earned

THis prorated up to and including the 60% point in the semester.  After that point in time Title IV aid is considered 100% earned.

• EXCEPTION:  If the course or courses are not for the full length of the semester (ex. 1 st  7 weeks class in fall term), see the section regarding Module Courses)

 It is Alma College’s responsibility to return to the appropriate Title IV fund(s).

If the student did not earn 100% of their Title IV aid, the returned amount will be billed to their student account.

Please review the  full R2T4 policy  and understand how a complete withdrawal affects eligibility for Title IV aid.

1. You have the right to reject or accept any college award. Students should review their offer letter and indicate acceptance or rejection of their federal loan awards through their student portal. Students may also contact the Financial Aid Office if they wish to reject any other type of award. Acceptance of grants/scholarships is automatic.
2. You have the responsibility to report to the Financial Aid Office the type and amount of any aid you have received from any source other than your parents.
3. Financial Aid awards are based on projected receipt of funds and may be subject to change or adjustment.
4. Because Alma College is required to follow federal, state and institutional regulations in the awarding of financial aid, any errors made in determining eligibility for the amount of aid will be corrected.

Alma College grants, scholarship, and awards CANNOT be applied to these programs unless the student is paying Alma College tuition*. (*exchange programs and WLC majors completing language programs, per the criteria below)

Any external aid, including federal aid or external (non-Alma) scholarships, may be used for off-campus study with the exception of state aid. State aid may only be applied for those students paying Alma College tuition (exchange programs and WLC majors completing language programs, per the criteria below).

For the purposes of state and federal financial aid, you will continue to be enrolled as a full-time student at Alma while you are off-campus on an approved program. Alma College scholarships and grants (including tuition exchange) may only be applied to a declared Modern Language major – see below for details.

World Languages and Cultures Majors:

If you have declared a language major and you are planning to study off-campus to fulfill your program’s off-campus study requirement, you may opt to either:

• Pay Alma College tuition for your semester abroad and apply any Alma College scholarships and grants, as well as state financial aid
• Pay the tuition of the program of your choice, without applying Alma College scholarships and grants or state financial aid

Federal financial aid, may be applied to off-campus study in either case.

Alma Aid Programs
2023 – 2024
2022 – 2023
2021 – 2022
2020 – 2021
 2019 – 2020

• Probation for any reason, academic or disciplinary, shall be considered justifiable cause for the withdrawal of scholarships and/or need-based awards.
• If you are moving off campus, discontinuing your meal plan, or withdrawing from Alma College, it is your responsibility to understand the impact to your financial aid. Be sure to review the withdraw policy and living off campus sections above.
• All Alma Aid is renewable for a maximum of up to three years (6 semesters total) or to the point where the student has completed degree requirements for their first bachelor’s degree; whichever comes first. Undergraduate students who graduate in less than 8 semesters forfeit their remaining scholarship eligibility.
• Students receiving a full tuition scholarship, grant or award from Alma College or an outside provider are not eligible to receive standard Alma College merit, competitive, or additional scholarships, grants or awards. These are replaced by the full tuition award being received. This includes but is not limited to the Yellow Ribbon Program, ROTC, Detroit Promise, Kalamazoo Promise and Alma College’s Distinguished Scholar Award (up to full tuition), Distinguished Presidential, and ACE . Non-College financial aid will be adjusted in accordance with the rules and regulations applicable to those programs.
• Full-time students who are ineligible to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and receive no Alma College institutional financial aid; therefore, paying the full-time full tuition rate, will have the fee for room and board waived if they live on Alma’s campus. This waiver is available to students only during their first 8 semesters on campus. Students will receive no credit or reimbursement if they are eligible for this waiver and live off campus or if they are not charged a fee for any reason. The waiver applies to standard room and board fees only (set each year by the Board of Trustees). Additional fees associated with premium housing and/or special meal plans are not included.

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 requires that scholarships and fellowships exceeding the amount of tuition, fees and books will be subject to tax reporting for degree candidates. Detailed information may be obtained from the IRS .

* Additional Cost Information

• Books and vehicle permits are an out of pocket expense
• You may have lab and course fees
• These costs are estimated and could be different based on each student situation.
• Less than full time will be billed at $1,474 per credit hour

Financial Services Office is responsible for all billing, payments/payment plans, refund requests, account holds, and tax forms. Although similar in name, our two offices are separate.

Monitor your email at mail.alma.edu for a notification. Once recieved, view information available on your student portal  where you can view billing statements and/or make payments. Payments can also be made at www.alma.edu/paymybill.

If your account is on hold

• You may need to make a payment or secure an additional loan.
• Your account balance may still be too high
• You might need a payment plan agreement.
• Graduating? Your account may not be paid in full.

Late Fees & Account Hold Policies
See the current Academic-Catalog for official policies.

CARES Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

CARES Student Grants Reporting

• CARES Act Student Reporting Form Template
• Report 1 – May 18, 2020
• Report 2 – October 6, 2020

CARES College Grant Reporting

• Report 1 – October 16, 2020

CRRSAA Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act

CRRSAA and ARP Student Grants Report 1st Quarter

CRRSAA and ARP Institutional Portion Report 1st Quarter

CRRSAA and ARP Student Grants Report 2nd Quarter

CRRSSA and ARP Institutional Portion Report 2nd Quarter

CRRSSA and ARP Institutional Portion Report 3rd Quarter

ACE American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

This funding was approved by Congress on Tuesday, March 9, 2021.

Do I qualify for funding?
You DO NOT need to apply for these cash grants. Alma College will distribute funding to all students who meet the following:

• Attended Fall 2020 or Winter 2021 Terms
• You must have filed a FAFSA for the 2020-2021 academic year as of June 1, 2021.
• Funding amount is based on a per term amount
• Students with an EFC of $12,000 based on the 2020-2021 FAFSA who attended all year full time (defined as 12 credit or more per term) will receive additional funding beyond the standard per term amount.
• The amount each student will receive is based on a student’s financial need as well as level of enrollment so this amount will not be the same for every student and is not negotiable.
• Funding cannot be applied directly to the student account without their permission. It will be distributed directly to the student. You may pay it back onto your student account if you wish to do so.

How will I receive the funding?
Grant funding will be distributed directly to the student by a mailed check or direct deposit. If you have opted in to direct deposit for any reason it will go directly to the account you setup. If there is no direct deposit information on file it will be mailed to your preferred mailing address on file.

• If your address needs updated, please contact the financial aid office at finaid@alma.edu
• If you need to update or add direct deposit information, please do this through self-service.
  • For assistance, please e-mail financialservices@alma.edu
• If you have questions about the grant itself please contact the financial aid office at finaid@alma.edu

IMPORTANT: All address and direct deposit changes must be completed by July 16, 2021. Checks and direct deposits will be processed on July 23, 2021.

How do I apply funding to my student account?
You may apply funds you receive to your account by making a payment through your self-service student finance account or at www.alma.edu/paymybill. Remember student accounts with a balance of a $1,000 or more will be unable to register for winter 2022 classes.