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Eligibility and Requirements

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  • General Requirements

    Applicants for aid under Federal programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, and the Federal Direct Student Loan Program(s) must meet the following criteria:

    • Students must be U.S. citizens, national or permanent residents.
    • Students must be enrolled on at least a half-time basis (six hours) in a regular degree-seeking program.
    • Students may not be in default on any student loan or be obligated to pay a refund to any Federal Aid program received at any institution.
    • An applicant must be an undergraduate student who has not previously received a Bachelor's degree. Graduate students may apply for financial aid from the Federal Perkins Loan and Federal Direct Stafford programs. An applicant must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA).
    • Recipients must maintain "satisfactory academic progress" in their chosen course of study. Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress / Financial Aid Warning, Suspension, and Probation To maintain aid eligibility, federal regulations require that all federal financial aid recipients maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. Cumberland University monitors each student who receives federal aid to ensure that their cumulative GPA, completion rate, and maximum time limits for the completion of a degree meet requirements. Students should note that this standard may differ from the “good standing” policy of the University.
  • Cumulative GPA

    To be eligible for financial aid, undergraduate and graduate students’ cumulative GPA must meet at least the minimum requirements indicated in the undergraduate and graduate catalog, respectively. Only coursework taken at Cumberland University is used to calculate satisfactory academic progress. Grades will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

    The following standards of progress are used to determine good standing for Undergraduate students:

    Students must, at a minimum, complete the requirement for cumulative credit hours for which they receive Federal student financial assistance payments as follows:

    Hours Attempted - GPA

    0 – 29 semester hours attempted

    1.50 GPA

    30-59 semester hours attempted

    1.80 GPA

    60 + semester hours attempted

    2.00 GPA
  • Completion Rate

    Students must earn an “overall combined” 67% of cumulative attempted credit hours, including withdrawals, incompletes, courses repeated, and courses receiving non-passing grades, i.e., “I,”  “FA,” “FC,” “W,” “WF, ”or “F.” Course work taken at Cumberland University and transfer hours from other universities/colleges attended are used to calculate overall completion rate, even if financial aid was not awarded for those courses. Completion rate will be reviewed at the end of each semester.

  • Time Limits

    The maximum time for the completion of a first undergraduate degree is limited to 150% of the program’s published length, typically 180 credit hours. Maximum hours include all hours from Cumberland University and transfer hours from other universities/colleges attended, even if financial aid was not awarded for those courses.

  • Last Day of Attendance

    The last date of attendance for a student who withdraws is the date indicated on the withdrawal form. If a student stops attending classes the last date of attendance will be the last date of attendance as placed on the student record in the CAMS system as the instructor assigns a grade of “F” or “FA”.

    Learn more about the withdrawal process
  • Financial Aid Warning

    Students who are in “Financial Aid Good Standing” will be placed on “Financial Aid Warning” if their completion rate becomes less than the required 67%. During the semester that students are in a “Warning” status, they remain eligible for financial aid. Students will change from a “Warning” status to a “Financial Aid Suspension” status if a cumulative “overall combined” 67% is not earned by the end of the “Warning” semester.

  • Financial Aid Suspension

    Students who were previously placed on “Financial Aid Warning” and did not achieve 67% of their cumulative “overall combined” attempted credit hours will be suspended from eligibility for federal grants, loans, federal work-study employment, and Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarships and the Tennessee Student Assistance Award.

    Students may appeal financial aid suspensions if sufficient documentation can be provided to justify why satisfactory progress was not made. Please refer to the Satisfactory Academic Progress section of our catalog for more details.

  • Financial Aid Probation

    Students who have a suspension appeal approved will be placed on “Financial Aid Probation” and will be eligible for financial aid. To maintain eligibility, they are required to earn 75% of their attempted credit hours for each semester until regaining a “Good Standing” status (“overall combined” 67% or above).

Apply for Financial Aid

The FAFSA is your first step for receiving monetary assistance for your entire college career. Completing your FAFSA is one of the most important things to check off on your to-do list when applying for college. By completing the FAFSA, you’re able to apply for federal and state grants, loans and work studies, as well as school and private scholarships. Make certain to have your FAFSA sent to Cumberland University. School code: 003485

Start My FAFSA Application

Have questions? We have answers.

Check out our Financial Aid FAQs.

View FAQs

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