Birmingham-Southern College feels
strongly that worthy, qualified students should have an
opportunity for a college
education regardless of their economic circumstances. Although
we feel that the principal responsibility of financing a
college education lies with the student’s family, the
College is willing to join the family in providing monetary
assistance for all eligible students when the financial need
is demonstrated. The student should also be prepared to assume
a measure of responsibility through limited work and through
borrowing a reasonable portion of any financial need. All
students meeting admission requirements at Birmingham-Southern
and applying for need-based financial aid through the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are considered
for assistance without regard to race, sex, sexual preference,
creed, color, or national origin provided they meet the U.S.
citizenship requirements. Foreign students who are not “eligible
non-citizens” are not eligible for federal, state,
or institutional need-based financial aid.
Based on the statement of philosophy above, and with an
understanding that aid resources at the College are limited,
the following principles have been adopted by the Financial
Aid Office:
(1) The primary purpose of the financial aid program is
to provide assistance to students who, without such aid,
would be unable to attend Birmingham-Southern College.
(2) Financial assistance consists of grants, scholarships,
loans, and employment which may be offered to students singularly
or in various combinations.
(3) The family of a student is expected to make a maximum
effort to assist the student with college expenses. Financial
assistance from the Financial Aid Office is viewed only as
a supplement to the student and the family contribution.
(4) Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
(5) The total amount of need-based financial
assistance offered a student by the Financial Aid Office
shall not exceed
the student’s demonstrated eligibility. Non need-based
institutional aid (i.e. merit scholarships) with the
exception of the McWane Honors Scholarship, the Thomas
E. Jernigan
Scholarship, and the Vesta Insurance Group Scholarship
shall not exceed the cost of regular tuition as published
by the College.
(6) In determining the amount of
other resources available to the student, the Financial
Aid Office shall take into
account the financial support which can be reasonably
expected from income, assets, and other resources available
to the
parent and the student. The Federal Methodology (FM)
analysis established by Congress shall be the mechanism
used to determine
the family’s contribution.
(7) Self-help is awarded to most students applying for need-based
financial aid.
(8) In determining a student’s
financial aid award, outside resources (including scholarships,
grants, and loans)
will be taken into consideration to ensure equitable
distribution of funds and adherence to federal regulations.
(9) International students are eligible only for institutional
merit aid and with that, only on a case-by-case basis as
approved by the Financial Aid Committee of the College.
(10) All financial aid recipients are informed of the conditions
under which aid is granted at the time the offer is made.
NOTE: Financial aid is not automatically renewable. Students
must apply for financial aid each year. Financial aid packages
may vary in content as well as total amounts from year to
year, and the Financial Aid Office reserves the right to
change packaging policies annually.
New students should explore local financial aid sources
with high school, community, and church representatives.
Local libraries have resources listing national organization
scholarships as well. In addition, the Birmingham-Southern
Financial Aid Web site contains links to outside financial
aid sources.
New students must first apply for admission to Birmingham-Southern
College. Thereafter, the procedure is the same for all students
interested in applying for need-based financial aid. This
procedure is outlined below:
(1) Complete the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA and mail
to the FAFSA processor
in the envelope provided as soon as possible after January
1. The FAFSA may be obtained from high school guidance
counselors, from Birmingham-Southern or from the Department
of Education’s Web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Returning
students who completed and mailed an original FAFSA for
the prior academic year should receive a Renewal FAFSA
at home in November or December from the Department of
Education. It is imperative that the Birmingham Southern
College Title IV code, 001012, be placed in the appropriate
space indicated on the FAFSA so that Birmingham Southern
will receive your processed information in a timely fashion.
If you do not place Birmingham-Southern’s Title
IV code on the FAFSA, you will need to submit your Student
Aid Report (SAR) to our office. The SAR is a document
you
will receive after mailing your FAFSA to the processor.
Please note that you need to submit the original or renewal
FAFSA early enough for the College to receive your processed
information by our priority date, March 1. It takes three
to four weeks for the FAFSA to be processed, so plan
accordingly. Please note also that you and your parents
should complete
your income tax returns before completing the FAFSA,
and remember to make a copy of your completed FAFSA for
your
records.
(2) Submit additional financial documents
if requested by Birmingham-Southern College. Your financial
aid application
may be selected for verification by the Department of
Education or by Birmingham-Southern. If this occurs, we
will ask for
additional financial documents to be submitted to our
office. Such requested documents will include tax returns
of the
student and the parents (if a dependent student) or the
student and the student’s spouse (if an independent
student), your W-2s, and/or any other documents that will
be necessary
to verify the accuracy of the information provided on
the FAFSA. Verification can take a while to complete, so
it is
important that you reply to our requests for documents
and/or clarification of issues as soon as possible. You
cannot be
awarded until your file is accurate and verified.
(3) Students who wish to be considered for Ministerial Student
Tuition Assistance and/or the Ministerial Family Tuition
Assistance should contact the Financial Aid Office for the
required application form(s).
(4) Students who are members of the United Methodist Church
and who wish to be considered for the United Methodist Church
Scholarship ($500-$2,000, based on demonstrated need) or
for the United Methodist Church and College Partnership Scholarship,
should contact the Financial Aid Office for information about
applying for these scholarships. Students from other denominations
should inquire about Church and College Partnership Scholarships
as well.
(5) The Alabama Student Grant may be available if you are
a student who is a resident of Alabama (and has been for
the past twelve months). This non-need-based grant is available
to students who meet the following criteria: are Alabama
residents attending a private college in Alabama, are not
religion majors, are not preparing for a full-time religious
vocation, and have not received a baccalaureate degree. New
students who have confirmed that they will be members of
the first-year class by June will be mailed an application
in their financial aid packets (mailed upon acceptance to
the College). Returning students will be mailed an application
in January for the next academic year.
In order to qualify for, or to maintain,
an institutional scholarship or need-based grant, a student
must take at least
three full-unit courses or the equivalent per term and must
maintain a designated overall grade point average as specified
in the student’s scholarship notification letter sent
from the Office of Admission. To qualify for a federal or
state grant, loan, or work, a student must take at least
1.50 full-unit courses or the equivalent per term and must
be making measurable progress toward a degree.
Title IV federal financial aid recipients
must maintain certain standards of academic progress toward
graduation.
This “Satisfactory Academic Progress” is regulated
by Title IV federal regulations, and the College is required
to evaluate federal aid recipients’ progress toward
graduation. Please note that the standards below apply to
Title IV federal financial aid recipients only. Students
who attend Birmingham-Southern College without receiving
federal financial aid are not held to the standards below.
However, all students, federal and non-federal aid recipients,
are required to abide by the standards of progress as outlined
in the “Academic Policy” section of this catalog.
To be eligible for federal financial
aid awards, students must make satisfactory academic progress
(SAP) toward graduation
and be in good standing. SAP is evaluated qualitatively and
quantitatively at the end of each academic year. Quantitatively,
a student who receives federal financial aid funding must
complete his or her program of study within 150% of the normal
published time frame. All of the policies below allow flexibility
for students’ incompletes, repeated courses, remedial
courses, withdrawals, changes in major, etc. Thus, the maximum
time frame is not extended for such cases. However, periods
of non-enrollment will not count against the 150% of the
normal published time frame.
Should the Financial Aid Office determine
that a student is not making satisfactory academic progress
toward his or
her degree, the student will be notified in writing of this
fact, and Title IV aid will be suspended (known as Title
IV suspension) until the student resumes making satisfactory
academic progress. Again, the maximum time frame for completing
a course of study is not extended due to the student’s
Title IV suspension. Should the student wish to appeal his
or her Title IV suspension, he or she must do so in writing
to the Director of Financial Aid. This appeal letter should
include the circumstances surrounding the lack of SAP and
a plan of action detailing the student’s efforts to
meet SAP.
For full-time students (at least 3 units per regular semester),
all college work must be completed in twelve regular semesters.
The schedule below is cumulative from a student’s
first year of work at Birmingham-Southern, regardless of
when he or she first received Title IV aid at Birmingham-Southern.
One unit of completed work is equal to four semester hours.
Transfer credit is evaluated by the Provost, Dean of Records
and Research, and Vice President for Admission and Financial
Aid Services prior to the student enrolling at the College.
Although summer terms may be used to assist students in
consistent SAP according to the policies outlined below,
summer terms will not be considered a regular term in calculating
percentages of a completed program. The term “regular
semester” denotes fall and spring terms only. Quantitative
requirements are as follows:
25% of a student’s program
or nine units of work must be completed within three
consecutive regular semesters.
50% of a student’s program
or eighteen units of work must be completed within
six consecutive regular semesters.
75% of a student’s program
or twenty-seven units of work must be completed within
nine consecutive regular semesters.
100% of a student’s program
or thirty-six units of work must be completed within
twelve consecutive regular
semesters.
For less-than-full-time students (less than 3 units per
regular semester), all college work must be completed in
24 regular semesters.
25% of a student’s program
or nine units of work must be completed within six
consecutive regular semesters.
50% of a student’s program
or eighteen units of work must be completed within
twelve consecutive regular semesters.
75% of a student’s program
or twenty-seven units of work must be completed within
eighteen consecutive regular
semesters.
100% of a student’s program
or thirty-six units of work must be completed within
twenty-four consecutive regular
semesters.
Qualitative (GPA) requirements for all Title IV recipients
are as follows:
1.50 cumulative GPA after nine units of completed work
1.80 cumulative GPA after eighteen units of completed work
2.00 cumulative GPA after twenty-seven units of completed
work
To be eligible to receive need based
financial aid other than the Federal Pell Grant, a student
must be enrolled at
least half time in a program leading to the receipt of a
degree or certificate. A student who is enrolled less than
half time may be eligible to receive a Pell Grant as long
as the student is seeking a degree. A student’s financial
aid award may be adjusted up through the last day for tuition
adjustment due to enrollment changes.
Students who register
for classes but do not attend at least one class session
are not eligible to receive federal,
state, or institutional funds. Students who attend at
least one class, cease attending all classes, and do not
officially
withdraw from the College, are considered to have unofficially
withdrawn and are subject to proration even if the school
becomes aware of the lack of attendance at the end of
the term or after the term has concluded. The date of withdrawal
will be the last day the student attended at least one
class.
For those students who withdraw and
are receiving federal funding, such as a Pell Grant, Student
Loan, etc., the refund
policy of Title IV funds (back to the federal programs) is
dictated by federal regulations governing Title IV financial
aid programs. This policy utilizes prescribed federal regulations
based on the date of withdrawal and percentage of time enrolled.
For the purposes of Title IV refund policy, the withdrawal
date is the date the student came into any administrative
office and stated his or her intention to withdraw. The withdrawal
date for a student who otherwise provides official notification
to the College of his or her intent to withdraw is the date
of the student’s notification. For example, if on October
13 a student informs an administrative office (i.e., Registrar,
Comptroller, Financial Aid, Provost) of his or her intent
to withdraw on October 16, the withdrawal date is October
13. All administrative offices will notify the Financial
Aid Office regarding the student’s intent to withdraw.
Financial Aid will be prorated based on the date of notification–not
the date the forms are returned to the appropriate office,
such as the Registrar.
The U.S. Federal Government determines
the amount of Title IV funds a student has earned as of
the date he or she notifies
any administrative office of his or her intent to withdraw.
The amount of the Title IV program assistance earned is based
on the amount of time the student spent in academic attendance;
it has no relationship to the student’s incurred institutional
charges.
Up through the sixty percent point in each payment period
(each term) or period of enrollment, a pro rata schedule
is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student
has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the sixty percent
point in the payment period of enrollment, a student has
earned one-hundred percent of the Title IV funds.
Earned financial aid is therefore determined by counting
the number of days the student has attended during a specific
period of enrollment and then dividing this sum by the total
number of days in the term. For example, if a period of enrollment
has eighty days of instruction and the student attends only
thirty days, then: 30/80=38%. All Title IV funds would be
based on the above formula and only thirty-eight percent
of original eligibility would be earned.
Refund Distribution Order
(1) Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan Program
(2) Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan Program
(3) Federal PLUS Loan Program
(4) Federal Perkins Loan Program
(5) Federal Pell Grant Program
(6) Federal SEOG Program
(7) Other Title IV Programs
(8) Other federal, state, private, and institutional programs
(9) Student
For students who receive Title IV
funds and discontinue attendance at Birmingham-Southern
College without withdrawing
officially, a determination must be made regarding last date
of attendance. Each student’s instructor will be notified
regarding the need for a documented last date of attendance,
i.e., last exam, last paper, etc. This date will be used
to determine eligibility for Title IV funds.
For students who receive either all failures or incomplete
grades, a determination must be made regarding attendance.
Each instructor will be contacted regarding a documented
last date of attendance.
Where no official date is determined,
students will receive only fifty percent of eligible funds.
If a student never
attended and never withdrew, no Title IV funds can be applied
to the student’s account.
(1) Federal Perkins Loan Program
(2) Federal Pell Grant Program
(3) Federal SEOG Program
(4) Other Title IV Programs
(5) Other federal, state, private, or institutional programs
Birmingham-Southern College is approved by the State Approving
Agency to certify students who are eligible for Veterans
Educational Benefits. For further information on this program
or to see if you qualify, please contact the Department of
Veterans Affairs at 1-800-827-1000. The campus representative
is the Financial Aid Office.
Pell Grant. This grant is available to undergraduate students
who have not received a baccalaureate degree. Eligibility
is determined by the EFC as calculated using information
provided on the FAFSA.
Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant (SEOG). This grant is available to undergraduate
students who have not
received a baccalaureate degree. Eligibility is based on
the student’s EFC and the availability of funds, and
is determined by the Financial Aid Office using the information
from the student’s FAFSA.
Subsidized Stafford Loan. This is
a low interest loan that enters repayment six months after
the student ceases to be
enrolled at least half time. The term “subsidized” means
that the government pays the interest on the loan while the
student is enrolled in school and during the six-month grace
period after a student ceases to be enrolled at least half
time. First-year students may be eligible to borrow up to
$2,625, sophomores up to $3,500, and juniors and seniors
up to $5,500.
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. This
loan program provides financial assistance to all students
regardless of income. It is similar
to the Subsidized Stafford Loan in that the repayment terms
and loan limits by class standing are the same. The difference
is that the student, rather than the federal government,
is responsible for paying the interest on the Unsubsidized
loan while he or she is enrolled. The total amount of both
the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans must not be
more than the annual loan limits set for the student’s
class standing.
Perkins Loan. This loan is made to
the student from the school rather than an outside lender.
It is awarded based
on the student’s EFC and the availability of funds.
This is a long term, low interest (5%) loan which enters
repayment nine months after the student ceases to be enrolled
at least half time.
College Work Study. This program provides part-time employment
for eligible students. Students usually work seven to eleven
hours per week at $6 per hour, and receive a paycheck twice
each month (except in September when students receive only
one paycheck). The paycheck is made out to the student, and
the student chooses how to use the money. Eligibility for
this program is determined by the Financial Aid Office and
is based on demonstrated need and the availability of funds.
Parent Loan For Undergraduate Students
(PLUS). This is a
long term, low interest loan available to parents of dependent
students regardless of income level. The annual loan limit
equals the cost of attending Birmingham-Southern, less any
financial assistance the student is receiving. This loan
enters repayment 60 days after the last disbursement of each
academic year.
Alabama Student Assistance Program
(ASAP). This grant is awarded to Alabama residents and
is based on the student’s
EFC. Eligibility is determined by the Financial Aid Office
using the results from the FAFSA, and the amount awarded
is based on the student’s demonstrated need and the
availability of funds.
Alabama Student Grant. This non-need-based grant is available
to students who meet the following criteria: are Alabama
residents attending a private college, are not religion majors
and/or are not preparing for full-time religious vocation,
and have not received a baccalaureate degree. Students must
prove residency of the State of Alabama for the last twelve
months. The evidence required to prove residency is listed
on the Alabama Student Grant application form.
Birmingham-Southern College has loan
funds for eligible students who need assistance in meeting
their expenses. Applicants
must have a “C” average or better in their coursework
to be eligible for a loan. Application for all loans should
be made to the financial aid office.
The Daisy S. and James Herren Adair
Loan Fund. This fund
was established as a memorial to her parents through a bequest
from Margaret Adair McGraw of Birmingham. Funds are to be
used for a loan fund for deserving students with no interest
to be charged on loans from the fund. The payment is to be
made on such terms and conditions as determined by Birmingham-Southern.
The Brewster Byrd Loan Fund. This fund was established in
1979 at First Methodist Church of Birmingham by Robert L.
Byrd, Sr., and his wife, Alice Brewster Byrd. Other contributors
have included Mobile residents Judge Robert L. Byrd, Jr.,
and his wife, Mary W. Byrd. The fund was transferred to Birmingham-Southern
College in 1990. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial
assistance for direct educational expenses of students who
are deserving and of good character. The fund provides a
maximum loan of $3,000, a minimum of five percent (5%) interest,
and a period of up to ten years for repayment. Complete details
may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid.
The Dr. A.M. Freeman Loan Fund. This loan fund is for African-American
students and is provided by a gift from Dr. A.M. Freeman.
The Pickett and Hatcher Education
Loan Fund. This loan is
available to men and women whose interest is primarily in
the liberal arts.
The Rueben
Fletcher Monette and John Caller James Memorial Fund. This fund was established in memory of Rueben Fletcher
Monette, M.D., and John Caller James, D.D. Income from
this endowment fund is available for awards to students
preparing for the pastoral ministry of the United Methodist
Church only. Awards shall be based upon need as determined
by the College, and no loan in any year shall exceed actual
need or $1,000, whichever sum is smaller. Awards will be
made as interest free loans secured by a promissory note.
After the recipient has served twenty years as an active
pastor in the United Methodist Church, the total loan will
be forgiven. If at any time the recipient withdraws from
the pastoral ministry of the United Methodist Church or
leaves the United Methodist Ministry to become a minister
of any other denomination or religious sect, the total
amount of the loan shall become due and payable at once
and shall bear interest at the rate of five percent (5%)
per annum.
The Lucille Ryals Thompson Loan
Endowment. This endowment
was created in 1991 by the Hall W. Thompson Family of Shoal
Creek. In honoring Mrs. Thompson it pays tribute to her role
as partner of more than fifty years in the success of Mr.
Thompson, one of Birmingham's and Alabama's most successful
businessmen and influential citizens. Very much her own person,
Lucy Thompson's greatest sense of fulfillment has been found
in family as wife, mother, and grandmother. That nurturing
role and interest in young people finds expression in this
loan fund to assist students in covering the cost of their
college education. Details about qualifications for a loan,
as well as repayment requirements, are on file in the Office
of Financial Aid.
The United Methodist Student Loan
Fund. Loans are available
to Methodist students at four percent (4%) interest.
The Leland G. Waldrop Endowed Loan
Fund. This fund is available
each year for helping some student continue an education.
This loan, without interest, is to be repaid by the student
as soon as possible after graduation, within a limit of five
years.
The Laura C. Webb Student Loan
Fund was created in her memory
in 2001 from a bequest by Earline L. Goodwin. The purpose
of this fund is to provide non discriminatory financial assistance
up to $5,000 to those students who have completed one year
of college work at Birmingham Southern College, are making
satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, and who demonstrate
a reasonable financial need. Information about other conditions
which apply to this fund are available from the Office of
Financial Aid.
Zonta Club Loan Fund. In honor of Minnie McNeill Carr, the
Zonta Club of Birmingham sponsors a revolving loan fund for
music students.
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