Bradley is committed to fair and consistent management of its financial assistance program and full compliance with all applicable federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures. Detailed here is information we believe is most important for you to review and understand.

• General Eligibility for Bradley University Undergraduate Grants and Scholarships
• General Appeal for Student Financial Aid Recipients
• Enrollment Requirements and Financial Assistance
• Financial Assistance and Minimum Grade Point Requirements
• Policy for Packaging Financial Assistance
• Policy and Procedure for Standard of Academic Progress
• Policy and Procedure for Packaging External Assistance

General Eligibility for Bradley University Undergraduate Grants and Scholarships

Accounting Scholarship • Achiever Scholarship • Achievement Grant • Bradley Grant • Bradley-Carus Partnership • Caterpillar Dependents Scholarship • Deans Scholarship • Fine Arts Awards • Garrett-Provost Scholarship • Indiana Grant • Legacy Scholarship • Missouri Guarantee • Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship • Presidential Scholarship • Transfer Scholarship • Transfer Excellence Scholarship • University Scholarship • Wisconsin Tuition Grant Match

Bradley University offers a broad menu of need-based grants, merit scholarships, and special criteria awards. While each program may have unique selection and renewal requirements, the following eligibility criteria apply universally:

• With the exception of the Achiever Scholarship, all Bradley University undergraduate financial assistance programs require full-time enrollment (12 or more hours per semester) through the third week of each regular semester.
   
• All Bradley University undergraduate financial assistance programs are limited to the first Bachelor's degree. Students in graduate or 2nd degree undergraduate programs are not eligible for these programs.
   
• With the exception of summer school, Bradley-directed Off-Campus programs, and approved Leaves-of-Absences , eligibility for these programs requires continuous enrollment at Bradley University . Students who reenter the university as classified readmits do not retain their previous eligibility for these programs.
   
• These programs are not available during Summer Sessions, January, or May Interim enrollment periods.

- Back to Top -

General Appeal for Student Financial Aid Recipients

The Office of Financial Assistance provides all students who have applied for financial aid the right to pursue an appeal under a recognized procedure. Students covered by this policy are all regular full and part-time students who have applied for financial aid at Bradley University.

Financial aid recipients will take the following steps:

Step #1
A student aid applicant who has cause for appeal shall first visit with the Director of Financial Assistance and/or another member of the Financial Assistance Professional Staff stating the nature of the appeal. Every possible effort will be made to resolve the appeal at this point.

Step #2
If the action taken by the Office of Financial Assistance is not satisfactory to the student, the student shall have the right to final appeal to the Associate Provost for Student Affairs.

- Back to Top -

Enrollment Requirements and Financial Assistance

Partial Reductions
The University and federal regulations require financial assistance recipients to maintain their initial full or part time registration through the second full week of each semester, otherwise, a reduction in financial assistance may occur. A partial drop in credit hour load after the second full week of the fall or spring terms will not result in reduction of aid because full costs of tuition and related fees have been incurred by this date.

All University funded programs require continuous enrollment of at least 12 credit hours through the second full week of the fall and spring terms. Therefore, a drop below 12 credit hours before the end of the second full week will result in a 100% reduction in Bradley financial assistance programs.

Federal regulations stipulate a schedule of reduction for government-funded financial assistance when a partial drop in credit hours occurs before the end of the second full week of the fall or spring terms for the following federal programs:

• Federal College Work-Study Program
• Federal Perkins Student Loan
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
• Federal Pell Grant

Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP Grant)
Click Here to use the online calculator to determine your MAP Grant amount at a reduced number of credit hours. The MAP Grant amount is fixed at the end of the second full week and a partial drop in credit hours after the second full week will have no effect on the award amount.

COMPLETE WITHDRAWAL
If a student finds it necessary to withdraw from all classes after completing registration but before classes begin, there will be a complete refund of all fees to their original sources - family and/or financial assistance programs. In all cases, the student will be required to pay a registration fee of $15 from resources other than financial assistance credits.

Students who totally withdraw from the University and/or cease attending all classes after classes begin will have their charges and financial resources adjusted proportional to the duration of their enrollment up to the 60% point in each semester after which 100% of charges are incurred and full assistance is credited.

- Back to Top -

Financial Assistance and Minimum Grade Point Requirements

Recipients of financial assistance are expected to meet the same all-university academic standards (cumulative grade point average) as required of all other students. Recipients of university-funded scholarships are held to higher standards of academic performance.

Evaluation of cumulative grade point average will be performed no less than once per year at the conclusion of the Spring Semester. Depending on individual situations, the Office of Financial Assistance reserves the prerogative to evaluate cumulative grade point average more frequently.

The following chart indicates the cumulative grade point average requirement by types of financial assistance:

Federal Title IV Programs (FWSP, FSEOG, Perkins Loan, Stafford Loan, Pell Grant):
2.0 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of two years of college.

State of Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP Grant):
2.0 cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of two years of college.

Bradley University: Bradley Grant; Achievement Grant:
2.0 cumulative grade point average.

Bradley University: Garrett-Provost, Transfer, and University Scholarships:
2.5 cumulative grade point average.

Bradley University: Deans, Valedictorian, Presidential, Phi Theta Kappa, Transfer Excellence, Endowed, and Annual Scholarships:
3.0 cumulative grade point average.

- Back to Top -

Policy for Packaging Financial Assistance

Bradley University attempts to meet the demonstrated financial need of all qualified applicants in an equitable manner. It is the University's policy to maintain consistency in award packaging through the completion of the student's program of study. However, changes in federal, state, and institutional assistance may occur due to changes in family circumstances or reduction of funding sources.

The amount or total need met and the composition of the total aid award (gift aid versus student loans and employment) is established at the point of initial enrollment by assigning applicants to a packaging model. All applicants meeting the criteria specified by the model receive similar award packages. The criteria used for the packaging assignment include class rank, grade point average, standardized test score results, level of financial need, and geographic origins.

- Back to Top -

Policy and Procedure for Standard of Academic Progress (Undergraduates)

Federal and state regulations require educational institutions to determine that all students who receive state and federal financial aid are in good academic standing and are making reasonable progress toward completion of their academic programs.

Bradley University's standard stipulates that undergraduate recipients of financial aid must meet the following conditions:

1. Academic Progress: Students must make measurable progress toward completion of their academic program. Students who enroll "full-time" (12 or more credit hours) must complete at least twelve credit hours in that semester or must have a minimum number of hours which, when averaged, total at least twelve per semester. The policy gives reasonable latitude to students who may encounter personal or academic difficulties by allowing them to be within six credit hours (termed leeway) of the minimum total number of hours. All students enrolling for less than a full-time credit hour load must complete six hours. Students who fail to meet this progress standard will be denied any further financial assistance.

2. Time Frame (Duration of Eligibility): The policy permits financial aid eligibility up to a maximum of six full-time years (or part-time equivalent) of enrollment. Summer or interim sessions of six hours or less will not count toward the six year time frame. A separate statute limits the receipt of the Illinois MAP Grant to 135 credit hours. In accordance with federal and state regulations, once a student meets the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, eligibility ceases. Enrollment at other schools will be counted toward the required time frame based on a full-time equivalency of twelve hours. However, the Office of Financial Assistance may use discretion when determining the countable semesters of enrollment.

3. Grade Point Requirements: Financial aid recipients must meet the same all-University academic standards as required of all other students. That is, the recipient must have a 2.00 GPA to be considered in good academic standing. Recipients of academic-based scholarships have higher grade point renewal requirements. Renewal of University and special scholarships/grants require a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. All other scholarship programs require a 3.0 grade point average.

Appeal Procedure: Students who are denied financial aid because they failed to make measurable progress or have reached the end of their duration of eligibility may appeal the decision. All appeals must be made in writing to the Director of Financial Assistance. They must fully explain the extraordinary circumstances which prevented minimum progress.

General Information: The Bradley University Office of Financial Assistance is responsible for evaluating the academic progress policy. Any questions must be addressed to that office.

The academic progress of recipients of financial aid will be evaluated at least annually and usually (but not always) at the conclusion of spring semester. Students not making progress will be notified by mail prior to the first day of classes of the next semester.

In determining progress, the Office of Financial Assistance derives a completed credit hour in the same manner as the Registrar's Office. Therefore, students should refer to the Bradley University Academic Handbook and Catalog for clarification of University policy regarding course withdrawal, incomplete courses, courses in progress, and repeated courses.

The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy for graduate students is available on request at the Office of Financial Assistance.

- Back to Top -

Policy and Procedure for Packaging External Assistance

Consistent with Title IV regulations, in cases where federal aid recipients receive additional assistance from sources outside of the University after an initial award has been made, the external aid will be packaged in the following manner:

1. When an unmet need exists, the outside assistance will be used to fill the gap.

2. If the gap is filled (or no gap exists) the remaining external aid will result in a reduction of the Federal Direct Stafford Loan or a shift from a subsidized to an unsubsidized loan.

3. When no gap or Federal Direct Stafford exists, then reductions will be made to the following programs in the order listed: Federal Perkins Loan, Federal College Work Study or Federal SEOG/Pell Grant.

4. If the scholarship or stipend is reported on an IRS 1099 or W-2, it will be considered taxable income and not a resource against other assistance.

5. If a "scholarship" has a repayment or employment obligation it will be considered a replacement of expected family contribution.

- Back to Top -