Financial Aid & Scholarship Updates

Staying Eligible for Financial Aid

A student who is receiving financial aid from MTSU, such as grants, loans, and most types of scholarships, must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements:

GPA: Your GPA must meet the minimum requirements established by MTSU, as indicated in the Undergraduate and Graduate online catalogs.
Completion Rate: You must pass at least 67% of your attempted hours. Failure to meet this requirement will result in a financial aid warning, followed by suspension and the loss of financial aid eligibility for one or more semesters.
Time Limits: You may attempt up to 150% of the hours required for your degree program. Generally, this means that you will not receive aid after you have attempted 180 hours.
Notification: You can view your SAP status in the financial aid section of RaiderNet. For some types of ineligibility factors, you will also be notified of the status via your MTSU email address.

If I lose eligibility for financial aid, can I get it back?

A student may appeal if he or she didn’t meet the Completion Rate requirement because of extenuating circumstances; visit here for more information. You may be able to receive an extension on the time limit in certain cases. If you lose eligibility for aid, please read any ineligibility notification emails carefully. You can contact the MT One Stop for additional information about your options; contact information is available.

Important Lottery Scholarship Reminders

Do you have a Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS)? You will need to meet the enrollment and GPA requirements each semester to continue to receive the award:

Continuous Enrollment: You must be enrolled in at least one class every Fall and Spring semester.
Enrollment Status: You must maintain your enrollment status each semester. If you are enrolled full-time as of the Census Date (two weeks after the start of the semester), you must finish the semester with 12 hours or more. Dropping classes or changing them to audits after the Census Date will affect your eligibility.
GPA: You must have a TELS GPA of at least 2.75 after 24 and 48 TELS attempted hours, and at least a 3.00 GPA for each 24-hour bracket after that. You can retain provisional eligibility with a 2.75 GPA as long as you have a semester GPA of at least 3.00 and enroll full-time every Fall and Spring.

Please visit our website for more information about how the TELS GPA and attempted hours are calculated, how a student can regain GPA eligibility, what types of appeals are allowed, and other important information. If you are receiving a lottery scholarship, you will receive an email in mid-December with reminders of the continuing eligibility requirements and information about how to view your lottery scholarship status after the Fall 2016 semester. Please remember to check your MTSU email account after Fall 2016 grades are posted.

6 Facts You Need To Know About Financial Aid

Have a question? Go to the MT OneStop! The MT OneStop is located on the 2nd floor of the Student Services and Admissions Center (SSAC), and can answer questions regarding scheduling and course registration, transcripts, and financial aid and scholarships. Tuition and Billing Hours of operation during the semester are Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please visit the MT OneStop webpage.
Have you filed your FAFSA yet for the Fall semester? It’s not too late! If you and/or your student have not yet filled the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), there’s still time to do so. This federal form is required to borrow student or parent loans and/or receive federal and state financial aid assistance. Please go to the FAFSA website to start the process. Please contact the MT OneStop if you have further questions.
Encourage your student to attend all of their classes and avoid dropping classes. It could cost them their financial aid! If your student stops attending even one class during the semester, he or she may have to repay thousands of dollars in financial aid. If your student drops a class after the second week of the semester and drops below 12 hours, he or she will lose the lottery scholarship forever. If your student fails to maintain Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, he or she will lose all financial aid and scholarships for one or more semesters. Caution your student to be careful about dropping classes or stopping attendance since both actions can have very serious financial consequences!
Encourage your student to read what they sign, and to keep a copy! When your student fills out and signs a financial aid form, they should read it carefully. If your student doesn’t understand any information on the form, they should contact the MT OneStop. Your student should keep a copy of any form they sign or submit. It is important for your student to know and understand the rules so they don’t lose eligibility for financial aid and scholarships!
Encourage your student to look for private scholarships! Private scholarships can be a great resource for your student, but finding scholarships that they qualify for can sometimes be a challenge. Please visit our Private Scholarships webpage for more information.
Encourage your student to check his or her MTSU email account and RaiderNet account every day! Please encourage your student to check his or her MT Mail account daily throughout the semester. This is the primary way that MTSU offices and departments communicate with students. Likewise, the Financial Aid tab on his or her RaiderNet account can provide helpful information about any outstanding requirements, eligibility for financial aid and scholarships, and messages about his or her status.

Middle Tennessee State University Page