Mission Statement: Garden City Community College exists to produce positive contributors to the economic and social well-being of society.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

Federal Regulations require students receiving Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Iraq & Afghanistan Service Grant, Federal Work Study or Federal Direct Loans to be making "satisfactory academic progress". This progress is measured at the end of each semester according to three factors: cumulative grade point average (GPA), completion of credit hours (pace) and the time frame allowed for completing a certificate or degree.

Satisfactory Progress:

Students maintaining the following criteria will be considered to be meeting satisfactory progress for federal aid purposes.

GPA: A minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA

A grade of F, XF, I, W, IP and courses not yet graded are considered attempted but not completed in calculating the completion rate for Satisfactory Progress. Audit hours are not counted in the student's GPA.

Pace (Completion Rate): A minimum 67% cumulative completion rate (calculated using all financial aid hours completed divided by all hours attempted). Audit hours are not counted as completed or attempted.

Transfer credits: All previous college attempted and completed coursework (as stated in the college academic catalog) will be counted when determining a student's GPA, minimum completion rate and maximum time frame. Per federal regulations, all hours must be included whether the student received financial aid for those hours or not.

Remedial hours: Developmental course hours are included as hours attempted, completed and in the GPA for the federal financial aid satisfactory academic progress evaluation.

Repeated coursework: Previously completed courses (with a grade of D or better) may be repeated only once for federal financial aid eligibility.

Maximum Time Frame: Students at GCCC are expected to complete course work for an associate degree within a maximum of 96 hours of enrollment. (64 hrs. x 150%). Students pursuing certificate programs must complete their programs within 150% of normal enrollment.

Degree completion: Students who have completed an Associate or Bachelor Degree or beyond are no longer eligible for federal financial aid at GCCC. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis when additional hours are required to establish, maintain, or renew professional certification or for other unusual circumstances.

Warning: Students who do not meet the minimum requirements for Satisfactory Progress will be placed on Warning for the following semester but will continue to receive federal financial aid. At the end of the Warning semester students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a completion rate of 67% to regain satisfactory status.

There is no Warning status for students who have exceeded Maximum Time Frame or for students who earn zero (0) hours during a semester of enrollment.

Transfer students as well as students with prior college credit hours at GCCC that received no federal financial aid and who fail to meet the Satisfactory Progress standards as outlined above will be placed on Warning for the first semester that they apply for financial aid at Garden City Community College.

Denial: Financial Aid Denial means that a student's eligibility for federal aid has been suspended due to not making Satisfactory Academic Progress. Denial of federal student aid will occur if a student on Warning or Probation does not meet Satisfactory Progress requirements. Denial will also occur if a student has exceeded Maximum Time Frame (150% completion rate) or for students who pass -0- credit hours during the semester being evaluated.

Notification: All students will be notified of any change in their Satisfactory Academic Progress status. Communication regarding Warning, Denial, exceeding Maximum Time Frame as well as the result of any appeal will be sent to the student's GC3 email account.

Reinstatement: Students who are denied federal financial aid may be reinstated in the following manners:

Appeal: Students who have been placed on Financial Aid Denial have the right to appeal if they have documented extenuating circumstances that warrant an exception to the SAP Policy. Extenuating circumstances that may be considered include: personal illness or accident, serious illness or death within immediate family, or other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the student. As defined by the Department of Education, a student may not appeal multiple semesters citing the same reasons and be considered for reinstatement.

The appeal form and appropriate documentation must be submitted with the initial appeal.

Self-reinstatement: A student who has lost financial aid eligibility may be reinstated after they have taken classes to meet minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress standards of a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a cumulative completion rate of 67%.

Students who do not appeal or whose appeal is denied must complete a minimum of (12) twelve credit hours (half-time students or less-than-half-time students must complete a minimum of (6) credit hours) at their own expense and attain a minimum 2.0 GPA for those hours. Students who meet this requirement may submit a written request/appeal to have their eligibility for federal aid reinstated.

Probation: Probation, as defined by the Department of Education, occurs when a student on Financial Aid Denial at GCCC submits an appeal to the Financial Aid office and the appeal is granted. Probationary students will be eligible for federal aid for one additional semester. After the probationary semester, students meeting the required SAP standards will be placed back in satisfactory status. Students not meeting the required standards will once again be placed on Financial Aid Denial. A status of Probation for one semester can only be assigned to students for whom it is mathematically possible to be meeting the minimum SAP standards within one semester.

Academic Plans: Academic Plans, as defined by the Department of Education, may be used for students who appeal their Financial Aid Denial and it is not mathematically possible for them to be meeting SAP standards within one semester. Academic Plans are individualized and are at the discretion of the Financial Aid Office. If a student is granted an appeal based on an Academic Plan they will be eligible for federal aid on a term-by-term basis. Students must follow their Academic Plan exactly in order to continue to receive federal aid. If an Academic Plan is not followed, their financial aid status will revert to Financial Aid Denial. Once a student is again meeting the minimum SAP standards, their Academic Plan will be removed.

Maximum Time Frame: Students who have exceeded the 150% maximum time frame will need to submit a Maximum Time Frame appeal form. The appeal must include a review by the student's academic advisor or the Advising & Counseling Center to determine the hours and courses needed for degree completion. Students will be funded only for the specific courses required to finish their program of study at GCCC.

Preparatory Coursework Contract: A written, formal contract between the student and the institution that allows the student who is not pursuing a degree or certificate to attend Garden City Community College and receive a Direct Loan for a maximum of one consecutive 12-month period to take pre-arranged program coursework required for admission to another college or university. A student may only have one 12-month preparatory coursework loan over the course of his/her college attendance.

Return of Title IV Funds: All students receiving Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid are subject to a "Return of Title IV Funds" calculation. This calculation is required for students who completely withdraw (officially or unofficially) from all of their classes during the payment period. The "Return of Title IV Funds" calculation involves only the federal financial aid portion of funds received by the student. It determines the amount of federal funds the student and GCCC are entitled to keep, based on how long the student was enrolled during the semester. It is possible that GCCC and/or the student will owe federal funds back to the Department of Education.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Process

The appeal process is available to any student being denied financial aid at GCCC. During the appeal process, a student is allowed to enroll at GCCC if he or she meets all requirements for admission or re-admission. However, the student is responsible for paying all direct costs (tuition, fees, books, residence hall charges). Appeals should be submitted as soon as possible to facilitate informed decisions regarding enrollment and associated financial obligations.

All appeals must be made in writing and submitted in compliance with the requirements shown below.

1. PRIORITY DEADLINE: Appeals should be submitted as soon as possible to facilitate informed decisions regarding enrollment and associated financial obligations. Students should submit a "Financial Aid Denial Appeal Form" (available at the Financial Aid Office or the GCCC website www.gcccks.edu) by the first day of classes for the semester of enrollment for which they wish to be considered. The appeal should explain specific mitigating circumstances including supporting statements and documentation from appropriate sources (i.e. physician, academic advisor, employer). The appeal should also include steps taken to insure that the circumstances will not be repeated. The Director of Financial Aid will notify the student of the outcome of the appeal.
   
   If the appeal is granted the student's eligibility for federal financial aid will be reinstated and the student may be placed on financial aid Probation and/or required to develop an Academic Plan.
   
   
2. UPWARD APPEAL: If the appeal is denied by the Director of Financial Aid, the student may continue the appeal process by filing a written appeal with the Vice President of Student Services within one week of notification of denial of appeal by the Director of Financial Aid. The VP of Student Services will render a decision and notify the student within one week. The Vice President of Student Services at Garden City Community College shall have final jurisdiction on appeals for financial aid recipients.
   
   
3. DENIED APPEALS: If the appeal is denied the student remains on Financial Aid Denial and must satisfactorily complete a minimum of twelve (12) credit hours without the benefit of federal financial aid with a minimum 2.0 GPA for those credits before they will be allowed to submit a subsequent SAP appeal or request reinstatement. If the student received a Satisfactory Academic Progress denial notification for a semester in which they were enrolled half-time or less, a minimum of six (6) credit hours with a minimum 2.0 GPA for those credit hours must be completed without the benefit of federal financial aid before the student may submit a subsequent appeal or request reinstatement. The required hours do not all need to be completed in the same enrollment period.

Denial Of Student Loan Eligibility Appeal Process

The appeal process is available to any student being denied a student loan at GCCC. During the appeal process, a student is allowed to enroll at GCCC if he or she meets all requirements for admission or re-admission. However, the student is responsible for paying all direct costs (tuition, fees, books, residence hall charges). All appeals must be made in writing and submitted in compliance with the requirements shown below.

To make an appeal the student must take the following steps:

1. File a Financial Aid "Denial of Stafford Student Funds" Appeal form (available at the Financial Aid Office) within two (2) weeks of written notification of being denied a student loan at GCCC. The appeal should explain extenuating circumstances including supporting information and documentation from appropriate sources (i.e. credit worthiness, character references, educational goals, academic standing) along with any other pertinent information relevant to the appeal. The Director of Financial Aid will make a decision regarding the appeal and notify the student.
   
   If the appeal is approved the student's eligibility to borrow student loans at GCCC will be granted. The student needs to follow the process of accepting the student loan, complete Entrance Counseling and have a valid Master Promissory Note on file with the Department of Education.
2. UPWARD APPEAL: If the appeal is denied by the Director of Financial Aid, the student may continue the appeal process by filing a written appeal with the Vice President of Student Services within one week of notification of denial of appeal by the Director of Financial Aid. The VP of Student Services will render a decision and notify the student within one week. The Vice President of Student Services at Garden City Community College shall have final jurisdiction on appeals for financial aid recipients.
3. DENIED APPEALS: If the appeal is denied to borrow a student loan, the student remains eligible for any other federal aid that they qualify to receive and any institutional scholarships that they may have been awarded as well as outside scholarships that have been sent to GCCC on their behalf.

Refund Policies

Institutional Refund

Tuition And Fee Refunds

• Students may be eligible for refunds upon filing a "Change of Schedule" form in the Registrar's Office within the refund periods outlined below.
• Students who enroll during the early enrollment period and fail to make the required (fee) payment by the publicized date will be dropped from their class(es).
• Refunds are calculated based on the day the official withdrawal is filed in the Registrar's Office (in person, by fax or by postmark date), not when the student stopped attending class. (Failure to attend or ceasing to attend a class does not constitute an official withdrawal.)
• If the college cancels a class, enrolled students will receive a full refund of tuition and fees for that class regardless of date.
• If a student withdraws from a class after the refund period and simultaneously adds a class, including section and/or level changes, no refund will be given for the withdrawn (dropped) class. Full tuition and fees will be charged for the added class.
• If an enrolled student is called to active military duty, full tuition will be refunded. Fees are not refundable if the activated date is beyond the published refund date.
• Students receiving Federal Financial Aid who completely withdraw from Garden City Community College are also subject to a Pro-rata or Federal refund calculation as applicable. Examples of each refund are available upon request form the Financial Aid Office.

100% Refund Periods
(also applies to Evening and Outreach classes):

• 12-16 Week Classes
  Students who officially withdraw are entitled to a full refund of tuition and fees through the second Friday after the start of class. No refund on tuition and/or fees is given after this date and the student is responsible for the total tuition and fees incurred.
• 8 -11 Week Classes
  The 100% refund period for 8-week classes is the second Friday after the start of class.
• 6 - 7 Week Classes
  The 100% refund period for a 6-7 week class is prior to the fifth calendar day after the start of the class.
• 2 - 5 Week Classes
  The 100% refund period for a 2-5 week class is prior to the third calendar day after the start of the class.
• 1 Week Classes
  The 100% refund period for a 1 week class is prior to the start of the class.
• EduKan Classes
  For 100% refund period for EduKan classes, please refer to www.edukan.org for exact dates.
• Workshops and Seminar Refunds
  For Business and Industry Institute (B&I), Continuing Education and Community services (CECS) classes and American Management Association Extension Institute (AMA) classes, refer to brochures for refund policy and time periods.

Refund Appeal Procedure

• Students wishing to appeal their refund must complete a "Refund Appeal Request" form and return it with appropriate documentation to the Business Office within one week of the official withdrawal being filed in the Registrar's Office (in person, by fax or by postmark date).
• Ruling on the appeal will be determined by a committee consisting of representatives from the Business Office, Student Services and Learning Services.
• The Business Office will notify the student, in writing, of the committee's decision.

In addition to GCCC's refund policy, all students receiving Federal (Title IV) Financial Aid are subject to a "Return of Title IV Funds" calculation. This calculation is required for students who completely withdraw on or before the 60% point of the semester. The "Return of Title IV Funds" calculation involves only the Federal Financial Aid portion of funds received by the student. It determines the amount of federal funds the student and GCCC are entitled to keep, based on how long the student was enrolled during the semester. It is possible that GCCC and/or the student will owe federal funds back to the Department of Education regardless of the outcome of the GCCC institutional refund policy.

Return of Title IV Funds

If the student and/or GCCC are required to repay Title IV Funds received, the repayment must be made in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
3. Federal PLUS Loan
4. Federal Pell Grant
5. Federal SEOG
6. A copy of the calculation worksheet is available to all students upon request in the Financial Aid Office.

Indebtedness

Students must clear all indebtedness to the college before diplomas or academic transcripts can be issued.

Students who owe a repayment on grants or are in default on any student loan will have a hold placed on their records at the college. No student will be eligible for Financial Aid until any excess payment or default has been settled.

Student Rights And Responsibilities

Students have the right to know: the financial aid programs that are available; the deadline for submitting applications for each financial aid program; how financial aid will be distributed; how financial need was determined; what resources were considered in the calculation of the need; how most of the financial need as determined has been met; Garden City Community College's refund policy; what portion is grant aid; how the school determines whether students are making satisfactory progress and what happens if they are not making satisfactory progress.

Students have the responsibility: to complete forms accurately and submit them on time; to provide correct and complete information; to return all additional documentation, correction or new information requested by the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which the applications were submitted; to read and understand all forms they are asked to sign and to keep copies; to perform the work that is agreed upon in accepting a work study award; to be aware of the school's refund procedure; to repay all loans in accordance with the repayment schedule; and to inform the Financial Aid Office of any changes in enrollment, name, address, and marital status.

Academic Programs And Faculty

Descriptions of the academic and technical programs offered at Garden City Community College, the list of the administration and faculty and the college accrediting agencies may be found in the current issue of the college catalog.

Physical Accessibility

The Garden City Community College campus, buildings, classrooms, east residence hall and apartments are designed to be accessible to disabled students. Some special programs or classes are provided for the disabled student. Special classes are available for the disadvantaged student.

Non-Discrimination Policy

According to the requirements of Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, the Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act, and Executive Order 11246, Garden City Community College does not discriminate against applicants, employees or students on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, height, weight, marital status or handicap, nor will sexual harassment be tolerated in its employment practices and/or educational programs or activities. Those concerned about the above should contact the Equal Opportunity Compliance Officer, Garden City Community College, 801 Campus Drive, Garden City, Kansas 67846.

Student's Right-To-Know/Campus Security Act

GCCC adheres to the Student's Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act (Public Law 101-542). Current statistics are available upon request through the Admissions Office and Athletic Director's office.

Scholarship Distribution Policies

Scholarships are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis and are available for fall and spring semesters only. Grade point averages or GED scores*, financial need, and majors are taken into consideration. Scholarship criteria vary, so students are matched as closely as possible with the scholarship standards. Activity scholarships and Grant-In-Aid scholarships are awarded by respective departments. Tuition and books scholarships are awarded only once each semester. A student athlete may receive additional scholarships and/or Grant in Aid scholarship funding as long as it doesn’t exceed the maximum amount as defined in the NJCAA Eligibility Pamphlet (paragraph B.1.a.i) if such are awarded either on the basis of need, as verified by the colleges office of financial aid or outstanding academic achievement, with criteria including maintaining a cumulative 3.0 GPA (paragraph B.2). As a member of the Athletic Conference, GCCC adheres to these regulations.

Activity scholarships and Grant-In-Aid scholarships are awarded by respective departments. Tuition and books scholarships are awarded only once each semester. Students receiving tuition scholarships/grant-in-aid awards are limited to a maximum of 16 hours per semester. The tuition awards will pay only the number of hours that the student is enrolled in on the 20th day of classes (certification date). The Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference By-Laws control the amount of aid a student can receive if he/she participates in athletics. As a member of the Athletic Conference, GCCC adheres to these regulations.

Many scholarships are renewable, provided the student meets the requirements (grade point average and credit hour requirements). Students must re-apply by March 1 of each year for scholarships (including renewals). The goal for distributing scholarships is that awards should be made to as many students as possible, versus over-awarding any particular student.

GED score of: Grade Point Average

450 - 549.99...................................2.00 - 2.99

550 - 649.99...................................3.00 - 3.49

650 - 749.99...................................3.50 - 3.99

750+......................................................4.00