Student Financial Aid
Dart Humeston, M.S., Director
Kelley House
Telephone: 305-899-3673
Web Page: www.barry.edu/financialaid
Financial assistance is offered to eligible students to help them defray part of their educational expenses. Amounts of awards vary and depend upon the student's demonstrated financial need, academic achievement, and the amount of funds available for distribution. The financial aid award is generally a combination of federal, state and institutional grants, loans, and employment. Scholarship funds are awarded to incoming students. Students are expected to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to receive full financial aid consideration. Florida residents may qualify for the Florida Resident Access Grant. This grant is given to undergraduate students based on legal residency in the State of Florida, among other criteria. It is not a need-based grant, but the state requires the FAFSA to be completed.
Students must be aware of the following requirements for receiving financial aid:
- Standards of Academic Progress
Academic progress is reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid at the end of every semester. The first semester a student does not meet the Federal definition of academic progress, s/he receives a warning and is given only one more semester to recover. If they do not meet the standard of academic progress the second semester, financial aid is cancelled for future semesters. There is an appeal process available.
- Minimum federal definition of academic progress
- Qualitative Component
- Undergraduate Students: If attempting full-time enrollment, must complete at least 12 credits per semester. Cumulative GPA must be at least 2.0.
- Graduate and Doctoral Students: Cumulative GPA must be at least 3.0.
- Pace Component:
- Undergraduate students cannot exceed 150% of the published academic program length. Example: Standard Undergraduate degree consists of 120 credits. 120 X 150% = 180 credits. Once a student reaches 180 completed credits they cannot receive any further federal funding for that degree.
- Graduate Students: Must complete program within seven years.
- Federal financial aid is available only for credits that count toward the student’s degree. The guiding principle is that federal aid cannot be paid toward credits that do not move the student closer toward their degree. Credits must be verifiable as part of the degree requirements. If not then these credits must be ignored by the Financial Aid Office. This can impact a student’s enrollment status for financial aid purposes.
Example: A graduate student enrolls in one 3 credit graduate course but then adds another 3 credit class not part of their program in order to be considered half-time. (Half-time enrollment is required to qualify for federal student loans.) In this case, federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to ignore the class that does not advance them toward their degree, so they are not considered to be enrolled as a half-time student and thus cannot receive federal student loans.
The same regulations apply to undergraduate students. Any courses that are not officially part of their degree requirements cannot be counted for financial aid purposes. This can also include a graduate class the student is allowed to enroll in, unless it is an official part of their undergraduate degree requirements.
More information on student financial aid programs can be obtained through the Office of Financial Aid.
