Palmer College of Chiropractic assists students and their families as fully as possible to finance their educational expenses. All degree-seeking students may apply for financial aid. All student financial aid is administered by and coordinated through the Financial Planning Office.
Students applying for financial aid must be officially accepted for admission before any financial aid can be awarded. Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to retain federal and institutional financial aid eligibility.
Federal Financial Aid
U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year they seek federal financial aid. The information provided is used to create an analysis of each student’s financial ability to contribute toward his or her educational costs. Students may complete the FAFSA application at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. Palmer’s school code is 012300. The Office of Financial Planning may require other information in addition to the FAFSA to determine financial aid eligibility.
There is no deadline to apply for financial aid, and students can apply throughout the academic year, however some resources are limited and awarded on a first come-first served basis. Students are encouraged to apply and complete their financial aid documents as soon as possible upon admission to the College.
Prior to beginning enrollment at the College, and each award year (July 1-June 30) following, students will receive notification from the Office of Financial Planning disclosing the student’s direct and indirect expenses for the upcoming year, and an offer of financial aid to assist in covering expenses. Palmer utilizes a passive acceptance model for financial aid. If there are no modifications or cancellations requested by the student the financial aid offer is considered accepted and will be disbursed accordingly.
Federal Financial Aid Eligibility
To be eligible for federal aid a student must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
- Complete the FAFSA
- Have a valid Social Security number (unless you are from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia or the Republic of Palau);
- Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate or pass an exam approved by the U.S. Department of Education;
- Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree;
- Demonstrate financial need (except for certain loans);
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the College;
- Not be in default on any loan or owe a refund on any grant made to you under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 at this or any other institution; and
- Certify that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes.
Some financial aid programs, including Federal Work-Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (undergraduate students only) and Direct Subsidized loans are need-based student financial aid programs. Under each program, the College must determine whether or not a student has financial “need”. The College determines a student’s financial need by subtracting their Student Aid Index (SAI) which is the amount the student may reasonably be expected to contribute toward the student’s educational cost from the student’s cost of attendance budget. The Financial Planning Office also considers outside sources of aid or benefits (such as scholarships, fee waivers and tuition reimbursement) in determining the student’s financial need. Eligibility is determined by completion of the FAFSA.
Annual loan limits are awarded over an academic year (nine months or three quarters for our quarter-based curriculum, and eight months or two trimesters for our trimester-based curriculums on our Davenport, Iowa and Port Orange, Florida campuses) while campus-based programs are awarded on a fiscal year/annual basis.
Federal Financial Aid Application Process
New Applicants: Prospective students should complete the steps to apply for financial aid before they are officially admitted to the College, however, financial aid will not be awarded until the student is officially admitted.
Renewal: All continuing students must reapply for financial aid annually. Renewable financial aid is conditionally based on a student’s ability to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and financial aid eligibility. For continuing students, the act of not requesting a modification to the financial aid offered is interpreted as acceptance on the student’s part. Offers of financial aid are emailed to a current student email account.
FAFSA: To apply for federal financial aid, complete the steps below:
Step 1: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by using “FAFSA on the Web” at https://studentaid.gov. The information submitted on the FAFSA is used to evaluate a student’s ability to contribute towards their cost of attendance. When you enter a school code of 012300 a copy of the results will be sent to the College.
Step 2: Complete Federal Student Aid Entrance Counseling. This process informs the student of aid terms, rights and responsibilities and repayment information. Borrowing a student loan is a serious financial obligation, and the entrance counseling will provide you with the important information you need to know to be able to make an informed decision about student loan borrowing.
Step 3: Complete and sign the electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN) at https://studentaid.gov.
The MPN is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s).
FAFSA Results:
After the federal processor has processed a student’s FAFSA, the student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). This summarizes the information on the student’s FAFSA and indicates the Student Aid Index (SAI) the amount the family is expected to contribute towards the student’s educational expenses for the year. The Office of Financial Planning will receive the FAFSA results a long as the student has listed the College on the FAFSA with school code 012300.
Submitting Documents to the Office of Financial Planning
Financial aid cannot be disbursed until a student’s financial aid file is complete. During the financial aid process, the student may be asked to submit additional information in order to process financial aid. Failure to turn in all requested documents to the Office of Financial Planning by the specified deadline in the request may result in the loss of financial aid for which the student may otherwise have been eligible.
Verification
A student may be selected for verification. Verification is an additional level of scrutiny required by the federal government and provides specific documents verifying income, family size, or other data. When this occurs, the student will be notified via the SAR and the Office of Financial Planning will contact the student to obtain the necessary documentation.
Types of Financial Aid
Direct Unsubsidized Loans
The student borrower is required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for the award and must complete additional federal and institutional requirements prior to disbursement of the award. This loan is not based on financial need and is available to all eligible students.
The U.S. Department of Education limits the amount of funds a student can borrow annually and over a lifetime. The limit is based on the student borrower’s degree program, amount of credits earned toward the degree and dependency status.
The interest rate varies annually, but once the loan is disbursed, the interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan. There is also a loan origination fee. The student borrower is responsible for the interest that accrues from the time the funds are disbursed until the loan is paid in full. There is a six-month grace period before repayment (after the borrower graduates, leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment).
Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate Professional Students (GradPLUS)
GradPLUS loans are provided by the U.S. Department of Education to graduate/professional students to pay for educational expenses in excess of what is provided by the Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The student borrower is required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for the award and must complete additional federal and institutional requirements prior to disbursement of the award.
The interest rate varies annually but once the loan is disbursed the interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan. There is also a loan origination fee. The student borrower is subject to a credit check and the credit check must not result in an adverse credit decision. If declined, borrowers may appeal the credit decision or obtain a credit worthy endorser (i.e. cosigner). There is no grace period. In-school deferment is available to postpone payments for borrowers who are enrolled at least half-time.
Student Employment Program
The Student Employment Program is designed to provide employment opportunities for eligible students to help finance their College expenses. Job openings are advertised on campus and students may apply if they are enrolled in classes at least half-time and are making satisfactory academic progress. The maximum yearly work-study award is determined by the Financial Planning Office.
Scholarships
Palmer College of Chiropractic scholarships and grants recognize students with outstanding academic performance, exceptional financial need, extracurricular contributions to the College, and chiropractic community and/or other criteria.
Scholarships are made available to students annually through donations or internally generated funds. Descriptions, applications and deadlines for available scholarships are advertised each term by the Financial Planning Office. Palmer College students are encouraged to apply. All scholarships and grants are considered to be part of a student’s financial aid award package.
Federal Financial Aid Programs – Undergraduate Students Only
Federal Pell Grant – Undergraduate Students Only
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. The award amount depends on the student’s financial need, costs to attend school, status as a full-time or part-time student, and plans to attend school for a full fiscal year or less. Students holding a bachelor’s degree are not eligible.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSE0G)
A FSEOG award is reserved for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Federal Pell Grant recipients with the lowest Student Aid Index (SAI will be considered first for a FSEOG award. Similar to the Pell grant, the FSEOG does not have to be repaid.
Direct Subsidized Loans – Undergraduate Students Only
The student borrower is required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to qualify for the award and must complete additional federal and institutional requirements prior to disbursement of the award. Eligibility is based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA.
The U.S. Department of Education limits the amount of funds a student can borrow annually and over a lifetime. The limit is based on the student borrower’s degree program, amount of credits earned toward the degree and dependency status.
The interest rate varies annually but once the loan is disbursed the interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan. There is also a loan origination fee. The student borrower does not pay interest that accrues while the student is in school at least half-time. Interest begins accruing and is the student borrower’s responsibility to pay once the student drops below half-time status, withdraws from classes or graduates. There is a six-month grace period before repayment (after the borrower graduates, leaves school or drops below half- time enrollment).
Direct Plus Loans for Parents of Undergraduates (Parent Plus)
Parent PLUS loans are provided by the U.S. Department of Education to parents of dependent students to cover educational costs. Parent PLUS loans may be borrowed in addition to or instead of the federal subsidized and federal unsubsidized loans.
The interest rate varies annually but once the loan is disbursed the interest rate is fixed for the life of the loan. There is also a loan origination fee. The parent borrower is subject to a credit check and the credit check must not result in an adverse credit decision. There is no grace period. Repayment begins 60 days after the loan funds are fully disbursed.
There may be forbearance options available to postpone repayment while the student for whom the loan was borrowed is enrolled at least half-time. Borrowers should contact their loan servicer for details.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The Financial Planning Office is required by federal regulations to monitor that all enrolled students are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) towards completion of their degree. All students are monitored for SAP regardless of their eligibility or intent to receive financial aid. A student who does not meet the SAP requirements may lose eligibility to receive Federal Title IV aid including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Direct Loans (subsidized or unsubsidized), Federal Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Work-Study and all sources of institutional aid including endowed and gift scholarships.
A new student is considered to be meeting SAP requirements upon admission into a degree program. The academic records of all students are reviewed at the end of every term to determine if SAP requirements are being met. All periods of a student’s enrollment, whether or not the student received aid, are included in the SAP review. A student who does not meet any one of the eligibility criteria (stated below) is determined to not be making SAP towards completion of their degree.
Students may continue to receive financial aid by meeting all of the following criteria which have been established as the minimum standards for making SAP.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Eligibility Criteria
Minimum cumulative grade point average requirement: A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) to retain financial aid eligibility. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be earned for all undergraduate students and students in the Doctor of Chiropractic Program. Transfer: A transfer student’s GPA earned on classes accepted for transfer credit toward degree requirements is not included in the calculation of cumulative GPA.
Minimum cumulative pace requirement (credit hour completion rate): The cumulative rate of credit hours successfully completed as a percentage of cumulative credit hours attempted is a measure of the pace at which a student is progressing toward a degree. A student must successfully complete at least 67% of cumulative attempted hours by the end of each term. A student is deemed to have successfully completed a course in which a grade of A, B, C or P is earned. Credits attempted will be the total of those credits for which a student is registered at the conclusion of the add/drop period as defined by the College.
Transfer: Credits accepted by Palmer toward degree requirements are included as both credit hours successfully completed, and credit hours attempted in the calculation of pace.
Maximum time frame requirement: The maximum number of credit hours allowable to complete a degree is 150% of the credit hours normally required to complete the degree program. Transfer: Credits accepted by Palmer toward degree requirements are included in the computation of maximum time frame.
Academic Standing
A student who meets the above criteria but is placed on Academic Warning, Academic Probation or Academic Management Contract by the Academic Standing Committee does not meet the SAP requirements.
Treatment of Course Withdrawals, Incompletes, Repeated Courses and Electives
Withdrawals (W or AW): Courses dropped before the conclusion of the add/drop period that no longer appear on the student’s transcript will not count as a course attempted. Courses dropped after the add/drop period for which the student receives a “W” or “AW” grade, will count as a course attempted.
Incompletes (I): If a student has an incomplete grade in a course at the time of SAP review and the outcome of the grade in that course will affect whether or not a student meets the SAP eligibility criteria, the student record will not be reviewed for SAP, and financial aid will be on hold until the incomplete grade has been processed into a final grade.
Repeated courses: For courses repeated, only the most recent grade is included in the cumulative GPA. All repeated courses will be included in attempted hours.
Electives: Elective classes that are not counted towards a student’s degree program are not included in the SAP review. This includes bachelor classes taken while enrolled in the Doctor of Chiropractic Program. If an elective is a part of the degree program requirements, it will be included in the SAP review.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Statuses
Financial Aid Eligible: This status is assigned to a student who meets the SAP eligibility criteria. A student with this assigned status is eligible to receive financial aid.
Financial Aid Warning: A student that does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria is placed on Financial Aid Warning for the term following the deficiency. A student is eligible to receive financial aid during the warning period. At the end of the warning period, a student’s performance will be reviewed against the SAP eligibility criteria and if found to be in compliance will be assigned the Financial Aid Eligible status. If a student again does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria (including the repetition of an Academic Warning status) the student will have the opportunity to appeal. See the section titled “Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals.”
Financial Aid Probation: A student who has been placed on Financial Aid Warning status and does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria at the end of that term, but who submits a SAP appeal that is granted by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee, is considered to be on Financial Aid Probation for the following term. A student is eligible to receive financial aid during the probation period. At the end of the probation period, a student’s performance will be reviewed against the SAP eligibility criteria and if found to be in compliance will be assigned the Financial Aid Eligible status. If a student does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria, the student will be placed on the Financial Aid Termination status.
Financial Aid Termination: A student who does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria at the conclusion of the Financial Aid Warning period and who either fails to appeal or has the appeal denied will be placed on Financial Aid Termination. Additionally, a student who does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria at the conclusion of the Financial Aid Probation period will be placed on Financial Aid Termination. Financial aid cannot be received while on this status. In order to return to Financial Aid Eligible status, the student must correct the identified deficiencies.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeals
A student who does not meet the SAP eligibility criteria at the conclusion of the term in which the student was put on a Financial Aid Warning status may file a written appeal. The student must clearly explain the extenuating circumstances as to why the SAP eligibility criteria was not met and provide proper documentation to support the extenuating circumstances. Circumstances may include (but are not limited to) significant medical issues or death of an immediate family member. The appeal must also include an explanation of what has changed in the student’s situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation.
Students will have the option of attending/enrolling in classes when an appeal is necessary. However, financial aid eligibility will not be calculated and released unless the appeal is approved. If the appeal is denied, the student is responsible for any balance owed to the College. The appeal must be submitted to the Financial Planning Office by the deadline specified by the department. The Financial Aid Appeals Committee will evaluate the merits of the appeal by reviewing the documentation submitted as well as the student’s previous academic performance at Palmer. The Committee may request additional information or documentation as needed and will advise the student of the final determination.
An appeal will only be granted if it can be determined that the student will be able to meet SAP eligibility criteria after the subsequent period. If it is determined that circumstances beyond the student’s control prohibit the student from making SAP, at the Committee’s discretion, an academic plan may be developed with the student to ensure that the student is able to meet SAP eligibility criteria by a specific point in time.
Special Circumstances
Academic Program Change: After a student begins enrollment in an academic program, the student may switch to another academic program offered by the College. Any credits accepted towards the new academic program degree requirements will be included in the calculation of cumulative pace and maximum time frame and excluded from the calculation of cumulative GPA.
Re-Entry after Withdrawal: A student requesting re-entry into the College will return with the SAP status calculated at the time of withdrawal.
Notification
Only students not meeting all satisfactory academic progress eligibility criteria will be notified by the Financial Planning Office.
Students’ Financial Aid/Scholarship Responsibilities
Students have the following responsibilities regarding financial aid/scholarship programs:
- To review and consider all information about financial aid programs before enrollment.
- To complete all application forms accurately and submit them on time to the Financial Planning Office as well as to student loan servicers. Errors can result in delays in receipt of financial aid. Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of the law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
- To return all additional documentation, verification, corrections and new information requested by either the Financial Planning Office or the agency to which the application was submitted.
- To read and understand all forms required for financial aid and keep copies of same.
- To notify both the lender and the Financial Planning Office of changes in names, address or school status that would affect the student loan.
- To inform the Financial Planning Office of any and all outside scholarships or resources available to assist you in attending the College.
- To be in good academic standing with the College as well as maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.
- To apply for aid each school year, since aid programs do not continue from one year to the next.
Employment
Opportunities for employment may exist at the College outside of the Student Employment Program. Job offerings are listed through the Human Resources Office at https://www.palmer.edu/work-for-palmer/.
The College is an EEO AA M/F/Vet/Disabled employer. Applicants who may require access accommodations are encouraged to contact the Human Resources Office.
Transfer Students
Transfer students who would like to receive financial aid should request financial aid information from the Financial Planning Office and complete the required documents. Once documentation is complete and advance standing has been determined, the amount of your award can be determined.
Veterans Benefits
Veterans who have applied for and been approved to use Veteran educational benefits should contact the Student Administrative Services Office for information on the general features of the V.A. program under which they could receive benefits as students at the College. For further information on Veterans benefit eligibility, how to apply for benefits, or to resolve specific problems, veterans should contact the Department of Veteran Affairs at 888-GIBILL-1 888-442-4551 or visit http://www.va.gov/education/.
For Post 9/11 GI Bill (Ch 33) students and VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Ch 31) students, our tuition policy complies with 38 USC 3679(e) which means Post 9/11 and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment students will not be charged or otherwise penalized due to a delay in VA tuition and fee payments. For eligibility consideration, a Post 9/11 GI Bill student must submit a VA Certificate of Eligibility (COE) and a Vocational Rehabilitation Student must provide a VAF 28-1905 form. Please list all additional requirements your school will ask a student to satisfy which are permitted under 38 USC 3679(e). Please see 38 USC 3679(e) for complete details.
GI Bill is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.
Veterans Refund Policy
Palmer has and maintains a policy for the refund of the unused portion of veterans’ educational benefits of tuition, fees and other charges in the event the veteran or eligible person fails to enter the course or withdraws or is discontinued from, at any time prior to the completion of his/her course(s). If a student receives title IV funds and veterans’ educational benefits for tuition in a given term and a course is dropped or the student withdraws in full and a reduction of tuition occurs, the college will report to the Veteran’s Affairs the change in course status. Funds may be required to be returned to the VA which may result in a balance owed to the school.
