Financial Aid

A student must properly withdraw from the College in order to qualify for any credit or refund. Credit for tuition, room, and board charges are as follows: 90% during the 1st week, 80% during the 2nd, 70% during the 3rd, 60% during the 4th, 50% during the 5th, and no credit or refund for tuition and room after the 5th week.

Withdrawal procedures for students who register during early registration are the same as for those registering in August and January. Students who register early must officially withdraw and must not have attended any classes or resided on campus to qualify for a 100% credit of all charges. Otherwise, credit for tuition and room charges as listed in the paragraph above will apply. Withdrawal obligations for the Adult Degree Program and Lifetime Learning are as follows:

Adult Degree Program: A 90% tuition refund will be made if the student withdraws before the second class meeting. A 45% tuition refund will be made if the student withdraws before the third class meeting. There will be no refund for withdrawals beyond the third class meeting.

Online Courses: A 90% tuition refund will be made if the student withdraws before the end of the first week of the online session. A 45% tuition refund will be made if the student withdraws before the end of the second week of the online session. There will be no refund for withdrawals beyond the second week of the online session.

Lifetime Learning: If a student feels he or she will be unable to meet the requirements of the course, he or she may withdraw from the course without penalty by September 15 (fall semester), February 1 (spring semester), or June 1 (summer session). No credit or refund will be given beyond those dates. The withdrawal should be submitted in writing to be received in this office on or before the required date.

Any dormitory student who voluntarily decides to be a commuter (off-campus) student (must be approved in writing by the Dean of Students) will be subject to the room credit or refund schedule above.

Note: This does not apply to courses dropped while remaining in school. A student must properly drop the course during drop/add week to avoid payment of tuition. Students who properly drop classes after drop/add week must still pay full tuition for these classes. Upon written recommendation of the choral director, some students associated with traveling groups may be given through the Monday following the drop/add date to make adjustments in their schedules without penalty.

Credit or refunds for meals (board) will be effective the week of withdrawal. No credit is given for meals missed, since the semester rate is based on the assumption that students miss some meals (and would be higher if the rate were calculated on a per-meal basis). Also, takeout meals are available for those whose work conflicts with normal dining hours.

No refunds are given for unofficial withdrawal from courses/college.

The monthly payment schedule does not reflect in any way the student’s financial obligation upon withdrawal. Also, financial aid will be adversely affected.

Official transcripts are provided to students (current or alumni) or to a designated agency only upon receipt of a request or approved facsimile signed by the student. No telephone, email, or verbal requests will be processed. Unofficial transcripts and degree audits may be provided to currently enrolled students as requested. Release of information forms may be printed from our website at http://welch.edu/transcript. Please address all correspondence regarding transcripts to the Registrar or his or her designee. Allow at least five working days for transcripts to be processed.

Until all financial obligations are satisfied, no transcript of credit or diploma may be issued, no semester examinations taken, and no graduation participation permitted.

All students must carry minimal accident insurance through a school-sponsored plan. Welch College assumes no liability for accidents or illnesses that require medical attention, but expects all students to carry adequate coverage.

The College provides this minimal student accident insurance for each on-campus student for the academic year through a nationally recognized student accident insurance company. New students in the spring semester are added to the coverage.

This coverage is intended to be a secondary policy to the student’s major medical health insurance. This coverage pays after any other insurance available to the student pays, picking up any deductibles, co-pay, or any remaining expense from an event incurring injury as a result of an accident on campus property.

Claim forms must be submitted to the carrier and are available in the Business Office. Any claim must be filed within one year of the accident.

A $100 room reservation deposit will be charged to all dormitory students. This is not part of the student account charges but is held in reserve to offset costs for room preparation/reservation, room damage upon vacating, and ultimately for any unpaid financial obligation such as student account, student loan account, etc. Allow six weeks for issuance of room reservation deposit refund.

This deposit must be paid by July 1 for the fall semester or December 1 for the spring semester. It will be refunded only if requested in writing up until five days before registration for the fall or spring semesters. It is not refundable, for example, if a fall semester student does not give written notice that he or she will not return for the spring semester at least five business days before the spring registration date.

Campus Guests

Breakfast..............................................................................................................$6.00

Lunch/Sunday Dinner.......................................................................................$6.50

Dinner/Sunday noon.........................................................................................$7.00

Dormitory guest overnight...................................................................................$15.00 Students arriving on campus earlier than the day before registration will be charged $35 per night.

Note: Welch College reserves the right to adjust these costs at any time without notice.

Welch College has established a Financial Aid Office for the purpose of helping eligible students meet the financial needs of attending college. Financial aid may take the form of grants, loans, on-campus employment, or scholarships. Two basic types are described in the following paragraphs: (1) aid backed by funds from the federal government, and (2) aid from funds administered by the College and/or other sources.

Note: All students should carefully review the required standards of academic progress described at the end of this section of the Catalog.

Procedures: For all forms of government aid listed below, the student must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This may be submitted online using the address: https://fafsa.ed.gov/. Welch College's school code is 030018.

In order to be eligible for aid, students must apply for admission to Welch College and be approved by the Admissions Committee. New and transfer students will receive a Financial Aid Award Letter. Returning students will be awarded when their financial aid file is complete. Students are awarded on a rolling basis as files are completed. Note:

Those who desire aid should apply early (October-March) in the year before aid is needed. Since some programs have specific deadlines, the College will give priority to early applicants. The FAFSA should be filed no later than March 15 to meet the priority date of April 15. The student must also be approved for admission by the Admissions Committee by the April 15 priority date.

Grants: Federal Pell Grants: These are federally-funded gift aids that range annually from $661 to $6,495, depending on the need as determined by family income, number, etc.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): These partially federally-funded grants are available to students with even more extreme financial needs. Students must be enrolled at least half-time and must demonstrate academic or creative promise. Students are eligible only for the duration of the period required for the completion of the first bachelor’s degree. Awards range from $200 to $1,000 each year. These grants are considered gift aid. FSEOG funds are limited.

Loans: Subsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program: Need-based loans are available to eligible students through the Department of Education. The student must apply for federal aid to determine his or her eligibility for the loan.

Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program (FSL): Non-need based loans are also available for students. Student eligibility for the FSL must first be determined.

Federal PLUS Direct Loan Program: Federal PLUS loans are available to parents of students. Specific information about loan terms, sample repayment schedules, necessity of loan repayment, exit counseling, and terms and conditions of need-based

employment is available, from the Student Financial Aid Office upon request.

Employment: Federal Work-Study Program (FWS): Welch College provides limited federal funds to assist students who have established they need part-time employment in order to pursue college studies. FWS jobs are available on campus. Employment is determined by students' needs, skills, availability of funds, job vacancies,

and willingness to work. Note: Students are required to apply 75% of campus payroll toward past-due student accounts.

Scholarships are available from donors in amounts ranging from $300 to $2,000 per year. These scholarships are granted to students selected by Welch College administration. Need, academic achievement, and character are considered in selecting the recipients. Please note that not all scholarships are funded each year.

William E. and Dixie M. Atkinson Scholarship Beacon FWB Church Scholarship Berkeley Free Will Baptist Church Scholarship Louis and Thelma Brautigan Scholarship Fund Pat Burttram Memorial Scholarship L. D. Carlisle Scholarship Christian Business Leaders Association Scholarship Christian Education Scholarship Thomas B. Collins Business Scholarship Marvin Z. and Agnes M. Cobb Scholarship Cornerstone Free Will Baptist Church Scholarship Mary Wilkerson Covington Memorial Scholarship Reverend Robert Crawford Scholarship Reverend Ronald and Mary Belle Creech Schlsp. Reverend O. L. and Lois Fields Scholarship Fund Riley Giddons Scholarship Goen Family Scholarship Jewel Sutton Hagewood Memorial Scholarship Will Hall Memorial Scholarship Ralph C. and Lucille Hampton Academic Schlsp. Billy D. Hanna Pastoral Scholarship Carlisle and Marie Hanna Missions Scholarship Hubert and Norva Hart Scholarship Dot Harvey Memorial Scholarship Elba Baxter Harwell Family Scholarship Fund Head Family Adult Degree Business Scholarship Heritage Scholarship Mrs. Ada C. Hollis Memorial Scholarship L. C. Johnson Scholarship Paul J. Ketteman Memorial Scholarship Fund Lakeview (NC) Free Will Baptist Church Schlsp. Leckrone/Bethel Scholarship Lowdermilk Scholarship William H. Lowe Memorial Scholarship Charles McNeese Memorial Scholarship Jesse Meade Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Gertrude Reese Montgomery Memorial

Scholarship John and Vivian Mouser Scholarship Dr. W. Stanley Outlaw Biblical Studies Scholarship Tilden and Rosalie Parks Scholarship Henry and Imogene Patterson Memorial Schlsp. Emila Patton Memorial Scholarship Yvonne Philpot Memorial Music Scholarship Reverend and Mrs. L. V. Pinson Scholarship Reverend Henry L. “Roy” Player Memorial Missions

Scholarship Fannie L. Polston Scholarship Ashlee Powelka Missionary Scholarship Price/Kicklighter Memorial Scholarship Ken and Carolyn Riggs Memorial Scholarship Ada Rice Memorial Scholarship Helen Sanders Memorial Fund Sherwood Forest Free Will Baptist Church Scholarship Fund Linda Shipley Music Scholarship Judy Aycock Simpson Scholarship Simpson-Frazier Scholarship Reverend and Mrs. Ralph Staten Scholarship Rebecca Stewart Scholarship Sturgill Family Business Administration Schlsp. Texas Student Scholarship J. A. Thigpen Scholarship Dr. Jonathan Thigpen Scholarship Frankie Tomblin Hardship Scholarship Ours/Davis Scholarship Owen Thomas Scholarship Fund Oliver Family Scholarship Victory (NC) Free Will Baptist Church Scholarship Leah Waddell Memorial Scholarship Fund Webb’s Prarie Fund Lee and Ethel Whaley Scholarship Minnie S. Wilkinson Memorial Scholarship Homer Willis Music Scholarship Herbert Winchester Memorial Scholarship Dr. Mary R. Wisehart Scholarship Dr. Robert E. Woodard Pastoral Min. Scholarship

The completed scholarship application, which gives more detailed information about each scholarship, is due in the Student Financial Aid Office no later than May 15. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, the applicant must have a completed admissions file in the Enrollment Management Office no later than May 15. Applicants must also apply for Federal Aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Only applicants whose FAFSAs have a process date of May 15 or earlier will be considered for institutional scholarships. The applicant should file for federal aid as soon as possible after October 1. If these criteria are not met, the student’s application will be discarded. Recipients of scholarships must enroll for no less than 12 credit hours to retain the awarded scholarship. Scholarship opportunities may found at http://welch.edu/scholarships.

Welch College offers merit-based scholarships based on ACT/SAT scores for first-time-in-college students as follows:

Presidential Honors^ 31+ 1420+ 94+ $40,000 $10,000 3.1

Provost’s Honors 28-30

Academic Honors 25-27 13101410

12001300

Leadership Award 21-24

10601190 ^ Applicable only for first time in college student. * Includes passing Chapel and Christian Service † Assumes 4-year program

90-93 $32,000 $8,000 2.8

78-93 $16,000 $4,000 2.6

68-77 $10,000 $2,500 2.3

For transfer students, Welch College also offers merit scholarships based on the student’s transfer GPA as follows:

Level III 3.60 and up $6,000 $18,000

Level II 3.10 to 3.59 $4,000 $12,000 3.10

2.80

Level I 2.60 to 3.00 $2,000 $6,000 Note: The transfer scholarship originally awarded cannot increase after enrollment *Based on GPA earned at institution from which student is transferring **Includes passing Chapel and Christian Service † Assumes 3-year completion of program

2.30

Legacy

Spouse

Christian School and Homeschool $2500 annual (renewable) Dependent children of full-time Free Will Baptist pastors and career Free Will Baptist missionaries

Variable 12 + semester-hrs. at full-tuition; spouse may register at half-tuition up to equal number of semester-hrs.

$2,000 annual (renewable) Christian school and homeschool graduates

Truth & Peace, E-Team, NYC Winner $1,000 annual (one per year) Eligible participants

Recipients must achieve the GPA required for renewal and pass both Chapel and Christian Service each semester. Scholarship amounts will be reduced by 15% for each subsequent semester after a student fails to achieve the required GPA or does not pass both Chapel and Christian Service. Scholarship may be reinstated when the student achieves the minimum required GPA and passes both Chapel and Christian Service. Reinstatement will occur in the subsequent semester. Residential student recipients of institutionally-funded scholarships must enroll in at least 12 semester-hours per semester and meet requirements for satisfactory progress. Aid may be suspended.

Welch College-administered scholarships are applied to student account balances at the conclusion of each semester, and will be applied to student account balances up to the maximum annual award for an academic year and cannot create credit balances. The above merit scholarships are not applicable to non-traditional students.

Campus Employment: A limited amount of college funds is available for the employment of students who have established need and do not otherwise qualify for the FWS (above). Campus employment is determined by a student’s skills, availability of funds, job vacancies, and willingness to work. Campus work applications are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Off-campus Employment: The College maintains a log of employment opportunities in the Nashville area for the use of all students.

Vocational Rehabilitation: Students who may qualify for aid under this program should contact their local Vocational Rehabilitation Office.

Financial Aid recipients must demonstrate through their scholastic records that they are making satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their program(s) of study in order to maintain eligibility for enrolling in classes and receiving any form of federal, state, or College financial assistance. Academic progress for financial aid is measured at the end of each term utilizing qualitative and quantitative standards.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress

The College’s policy requires that in order to remain fully eligible for aid the student must show satisfactory progress in the following three ways: 1. Grade Point Average • Undergraduate students who have not yet completed twenty four credit hours must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 1.5. Students who fail to meet this standard will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and will have a conditional period of one regular semester during which they may con tinue to receive aid. • Undergraduate students who have completed twenty four or more credit hours but less than forty eight credit hours must have a minimum cumul ative GPA of 1.5. • Undergraduate students who have completed forty eight or more credit ho urs must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. • Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA as required by their program of study. • These GPA requirements do not include remedial or developmental courses. 2. Pace of Completion • Undergraduate and graduate students must successfully complete a minim um of 67% of credit hours attempted. To successfully complete means to receive a final grade of A, B, C, D, or P. The calculated percentage of comple tion can be rounded up. • Pace of Completion is calculated by dividing the cumulative number of hours completed by the cumulative number of hours attempted. • Transfer credits accepted by Welch College count as both attempted and hours completed. Coursed dropped after the last day of drop/add week count as hours attempted. Audited classes and credits earned through test ing are not counted. • Undergraduate students who have not yet completed twenty four credit hours and do not meet the 67% Pace of Completion requirement will be placed on Financial Aid Warning and will have a conditional period of one regular semester during which they may continue to receive aid. 3. Maximum Time Frame • Undergraduate and graduate students must complete their degree program within 150% of the published length of their degree program. For example, if a degree required 128 credit hours to graduate, a student could not rec eive aid beyond 192 credit hours attempted whether or not financial aid was received for these credit hours. • Transfer credits and credits for coursed repeated are included in hours

attempted. Audited classes, and credits earned through testing are not counted. • Students starting a second bachelor’s degree program at Welch College should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine their SAP status under their new program of study. The maximum time frame of 150% includes the pursuit of a second degree.

Satisfactory Academic Progress will be evaluated at the end of fall, spring, and summer semesters. After grades are posted at the end of each semester, the Student Financial Aid Office will notify students who are not meeting satisfactory academic progress standards by letter.

A grade of “incomplete” will not be factored into calculating satisfactory academic progress until the grade is changed to a completed grade. This may result in failure to achieve satisfactory academic progress and denial of aid until a final grade is earned. A student should contact the Financial Aid Office when an incomplete grade is changed to a final grade for recalculation of satisfactory academic progress.

Repeated courses affect satisfactory academic progress as follows: • Grade Point Average: Only the most recent grade counts in students' g.p.a. • Pace of Completion (POC) and Maximum Time Frame (MTF): Each time a course is repeated it will be counted as attempted hours

Once a student has begun attendance in a semester, if he/she then drops a class or withdraws from the semester after the last day to drop without academic record for the enrollment period, those credit hours will be counted as credit hours attempted in calculating Pace of Completion and Maximum Time Frame.

A student who withdraws from a semester and returns the following semester must meet the SAP requirements in order to be eligible for federal aid.

Transfer hours accepted by Welch College are counted as both hours attempted and hours completed for calculating Pace of Completion, and are counted towards the student’s overall Maximum Time Frame. Transfer credits do affect a student’s GPA.

New transfer students will be eligible for federal aid their first semester at Welch College unless they have already exceeded their Maximum Time Frame.

Transfer students who previously were enrolled at Welch will have their eligibility determined by evaluating past credits/grades earned at Welch college combined with transfer credits accepted.

A student who does not meet satisfactory academic progress standards is placed

on Financial Aid Warning for one term, during which the student is eligible to receive financial aid. If the student meets the standards at the end of the probationary term, the student is removed from Financial Aid Warning status and maintains financial aid eligibility. If the student does not meet the standards at the end of the probationary term, the student is placed on Financial Aid Suspension.

A student on Financial Aid Suspension is not eligible for any form of federal, state, or College financial assistance and remains ineligible until satisfactory academic progress standards in Welch College courses are met.

Students who have lost eligibility for aid due to GPA or Pace of Completion may appeal based on extraordinary circumstances which were unexpected and beyond the student’s control. A student can only appeal one time. Depending on the circumstances, the student may be required to submit documentation to support the appeal. Appeal is made by submitting a letter, within 21 business days of receiving notification of the suspension status, along with any supporting documentation to the Financial Aid Coordinator explaining: • why the student failed to make satisfactory academic progress. • what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow him/her to make satis factory academic progress at the next evaluation.

The Financial Aid Advisory Committee will hold a hearing in a timely manner to hear the appeal. The committee is chaired by the Coordinator of Financial Aid as a non-voting member except in the eventuality of a tie. Other members are the Provost, Registrar, Vice President for Financial Affairs, and Vice President for Student Affairs.

If a student’s appeal is approved by the Financial Aid Advisory Committee, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation and will be eligible to receive aid for at least one semester if: • It is determined that he/she should be able to meet the standards after the subsequent semester; or • the student is placed on an Academic Plan that when followed will ensure the student will meet the standards by a specific time.

The student who fails to meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements at the end of a semester of Financial Aid Probation, or is not adhering to the requirements of an Academic Plan, will be put on Financial Aid Suspension and will not be eligible to receive aid until eligibility has been reinstated. If the student’s appeal is not approved the student has no additional recourse. A student is limited to one appeal of financial aid suspension.

Students who have lost eligibility for aid due to exceeding the 150% maximum time frame may appeal if they have changed their major since beginning attendance at Welch College. Appeal should be made in writing to the Financial Aid Coordinator and accompanied by documentation from their Academic Advisor showing the student’s new major and the credit hours which will apply toward the new major. The student will be allowed to appeal on the basis of a change in major one time.