Unusual Enrollment History

The U.S. Department of Education has established regulations to prevent fraud and abuse in the Federal Pell Grant and/or Direct Loan Programs by identifying students with unusual enrollment histories. The U.S. Department of Education will be placing an unusual enrollment flag on some of the Free Applications for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which indicates that the student has an unusual enrollment history with regard to receiving Federal Pell Grant and/or Federal Direct Loan funds at multiple institutions. The Student Financial Services Department is required to review the student's enrollment and financial aid record to determine if, during the past four award years, the student had legitimate reasons for the unusual enrollment history. Our Student Financial Services Office will identify and contact the students who will be required to resolve this before determining Federal Student Aid eligibility. Students will be required to complete the Enrollment History Review form found at http://studentservices.southtexascollege.edu/finaid/forms.html.

How to resolve this

The student will be required to provide academic transcripts from all colleges and universities attended during the review period, to South Texas College. The institution will determine whether academic credit was earned at each of the previously attended institutions during the past four award years. Academic credit earned is considered to have been earned if the academic records show that the student received a grade of "A", "B", "C", or "D" as listed in the Grading System Section of the South Texas College Catalog. If the student did not earn academic credit at each of the previously attended institutions during the past four award years, the student may be ineligible for further Federal Student Aid. The South Texas College Student Financial Services Department has the authority to require official or unofficial transcripts from the colleges and universities attended during the review period if the documents submitted are unclear.

How to appeal a determination

The student will be asked to contact our Student Financial Services Department so that the student may provide a statement explaining why he/she failed to earn academic credit and any additional supporting documentation.

If eligibility is approved, the student must not drop or withdraw (officially nor unofficially) from any courses after the term begins and must maintain FA Satisfactory Academic Progress.

If the student did not earn academic credit at each of the previously attended institutions during the past four award years and student is not able to provide acceptable explanation and documentation for the unusual enrollment history, the student is ineligible for further Federal Student Aid. All decisions made by the South Texas College Student Financial Services Department are final.