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How to Apply | Returning Undergraduates

You must reapply for financial aid each year. Your aid package covers one academic year, and funds are not automatically renewed. You must submit a complete application each year. Instructions for applying for the upcoming academic year are distributed to current freshman, sophomore, and junior aid recipients in December. The deadline for a complete application (including all documents) for returning students is May 1, with notification in late June.

If you are studying abroad or on a leave of absence, it is your responsibility to obtain the application forms and submit them by the May 1 deadline.

If you are a returning student who has not received grant aid in previous years and are applying for financial aid, please note that institutional grant aid is limited. There is no guarantee of Johns Hopkins University funding for students who do not receive funding in their freshman year.

If you are making satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the Office of Academic Advising, you may expect a similar amount of grant aid for eight semesters if:
    
      • Your family's financial situation remains the same
      • The number of dependents in college does not decrease or increase
      • Your application is completed by the deadline

The financial aid calendar lists the deadlines. These deadlines normally do not vary much from year to year. If your application is completed late, we cannot guarantee the availability of funding for that year. Late applicants may lose a percentage of grant funding (5% for each month the application is delayed).

Financial Aid Documents (Top)

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Hopkins code is E00473. The FAFSA may be filed on the web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. You may complete the 2011-2012 FAFSA on or after January 1st.

• The College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile form. The CSS PROFILE code for Hopkins is 5332. The PROFILE for 2011-2012 may be accessed online only at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com.

Although registration for the 2011-2012 CSS Profile is available beginning on October 1, 2010, we recommend that returning students complete the Profile at the same time they complete the FAFSA. Every student must register on http://www.collegeboard.com to complete the PROFILE. Upon registering you will be able to complete and submit the PROFILE. You will be charged a $25 fee by the College Board to process and report your information to Johns Hopkins. The fee is based on the number of schools you list to receive the data ($9 plus $16 for each school listed.) The College Scholarship Service offers fee waivers to eligible students at the time of registration. Hopkins receives profile data electronically, so you do not need to send a paper copy.

• Signed copies of all pages of parents' 2010 year federal income tax return, including W-2 forms. JHU uses the College Board's Institutional Documentation Service (IDOC) to collect copies of parent and student federal income tax returns. After you register for the CSS Profile (see bullet above), you will receive a notice from the College Board's IDOC service listing all documents required to complete your application.

At a minimum, we require signed copies of both parents' and student's 2010 federal income tax returns, all schedules and attachments and W-2 forms. Students who do not file a federal income tax return should complete the non-filing statement. All required documents must be submitted to the College Board's IDOC Service in a single packet with the required IDOC cover sheet by the postmark date of May 1. The IDOC website is: https://idoc.collegeboard.com/. The College Board has provided answers to some Frequently Asked Questions.

*NOTE: Please do not send tax returns or other documents to the Johns Hopkins University Office of Student Financial Services. Send all required documents to IDOC in a single packet.

In addition, the following items may be required:

• If your parents are separated or divorced, your non-custodial parent must complete the Non-Custodial PROFILE online. The PROFILE must be completed in accordance with the financial aid deadlines. The non-custodial parent may access the PROFILE online after the student has registered with the CSS PROFILE. An email reminder will be sent to the non-custodial parent to complete the requirement once the student has submitted and completed the PROFILE online with the custodial parent. There is a $25 fee to complete this form.

The non-custodial parent must submit to the College Board's IDOC service a signed copy of his or her 2010 federal income tax return and W-2 forms. Non-custodial parent information may be submitted in a separate packet to IDOC. We realize that issues of college support may be complicated in divorce and separated families. We evaluate each situation individually. If you believe special circumstances exist in your family, contact your financial aid advisor.

• If either parent is self-employed and/or owns a business, the CSS PROFILE Business/Farm Supplement is also required to be completed for each business. This document should be submitted to the College Board's IDOC.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirements (Top)

Students who receive Federal Student Financial Aid must, in accordance with federal, state, and institutional requirements, be in good standing and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) toward obtaining their degree or certificate. Under Federal Title IV law, the college's SAP requirements must meet certain minimum requirements, and be at least as strict and the college's standards for Good Academic Standing. This policy applys to students applying for financial aid for semesters/period of enrollment that begin with the fall 2011 semester.

Johns Hopkins Unversity Scholarship and Grant funds are also contingent upon achieving SAP as defined by the following policy. However, these funds are awarded for a maximum of eight semesters. Under some circumstances, a ninth semester may be awarded upon appeal.

What is our Financial Aid SAP Policy?
To be able to receive financial aid at The Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences & Engineering, undergraduate students must demonstrate satisfactory progress toward their academic objectives, as measured by:

Minimum cumulative grade-point average (GPA) - Qualitatively, on a scale of 4.0, undergraduate students must maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.  Grades from all coursework attempted at Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences & Engineering are included in the GPA calculation.  Students must also earn a 2.0 semester GPA.

Minimum cumulative completion rate/Pace - Quantitatively, financial aid recipients must maintain a cumulative completion rate of earned credits equal to or exceeding 67% of the credits attempted. Students must also earn 12 credits each semester.

Maximum timeframe to completion of degree or certificate - The maximum timeframe is the maximum timeframe under law to complete the degree or certificate. Students must complete the required course work within 150% of the published program length (e.g., 180 credits attempted for a 120 credit program).

Treatment of W, I, AU, F, S, P and X Grades, No Grade Reported and Repeated Coursework

1. Course withdrawals (W grade) are not included in the GPA calculation, but are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework.
2. Incomplete courses and I-grades are included in the GPA calculation as no credit earned (0 quality points earned towards the GPA) and are considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the coursework is completed and graded with a permanent grade.
3. Audited courses (AU grade) and other noncredit coursework is not considered attempted coursework or included within the GPA calculation, nor is the coursework considered for financial aid eligibility.
4. A satisfactory (S) grade or a passing (P) grade is treated as attempted credits which are earned, but is not included in calculation of GPA.
5. F grades are treated as attempted credits that were not earned and are included both in the calculation of GPA and minimum completion rate.
6. If no grade is reported or a grade of X, the coursework is not included in the GPA calculation but is considered a non-completion of attempted coursework until the coursework is completed and graded with a permanent grade.
7. The highest grade earned in a course that is repeated will count in the GPA computation, but every repeated attempt will be included in the completion rate determinations.

How do classes taken at another institution and transferred to our schools affect a student's SAP? 
All credits accepted for transfer to the student’s program of study by The Johns Hopkins University Schools of Arts & Sciences and Engineering are taken into consideration under the quantitative measurement component of SAP as both attempted and earned credits. Grades earned at other institutions are not counted when computing the student's GPA.

How does a change of major impact a student's SAP evaluation?  
For students who change majors within their degree program, only those credits attempted which apply to their new major are included in evaluation of pace for SAP status.  All coursework is included in the calculation of GPA as required under federal law.

How does remedial coursework and ESL coursework impact a student’s SAP evaluation? 
Grades earned for remedial coursework and ESL coursework is included in the calculation of the GPA as required by federal law but is not included in the determination of the student’s completion rate.

How often is a student's SAP reviewed and how are students notified?  Financial aid recipients are reviewed for SAP at the end of each traditional semester of enrollment (Fall, Spring, Summer).  Student Financial Services will contact students (in writing) who do not meet the SAP standards and are placed either in a warning status or lose eligibility.

Financial Aid Warning Status
Students who fail to meet the minimum cumulative and semester grade-point average standard (2.0) or fail to meet the minimum standards for Pace (complete at least two-thirds of cumulative credits attempted and complete 12 credits each semester) will be placed on Financial Aid Warning for the subsequent semester/period of enrollment.  Students are still eligible for financial aid during the "Warning" semester. 

Students receiving financial aid for the first time will be placed on Financial Aid Warning as applicable if they did not meet the minimum grade point average or course completion standards as noted in this policy based the previous period of enrollment prior to applying for financial aid.

Financial Aid Suspension – Losing Title IV Eligibility
Students who, while on Financial Aid Warning, fail to maintain the minimum standards for Pace and/or fail to maintain the minimum cumulative and semester GPA requirement will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension status for subsequent semesters/periods of enrollment. No financial aid will be disbursed during subsequent semesters/periods of enrollment until the student regains financial aid eligibility.

Students who do not complete their program within the Maximum Timeframe lose eligibility for financial aid and are placed on Financial Aid Suspension status.

Financial Aid Probation and Reinstatement of Aid After Financial Aid Suspended Status
Reinstatement of financial aid after a student is placed in Financial Aid Suspended status is achieved in one of the following ways:

1. The student submits a written letter of appeal and the Appeals Committee grants the appeal. The student is then placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next semester/period of enrollment and is eligible for aid during the Financial Aid Probation semester. If the appeal is approved but the Committee has determined that the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards within one semester/period of enrollment, then the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation with an Academic Plan which if followed will ensure the student is able to meet the SAP standards by a specific point in time. 
2. The student registers for coursework while on Financial Aid Suspension status, pays for tuition and fees without the help of student financial aid, and does well enough in the coursework to satisfy all the satisfactory academic progress standards at the end of the subsequent semester(s)/period(s) of enrollment.

*Students who are beyond the maximum timeframe to completion may regain financial aid eligibility on a semester-by-semester basis through the appeal process.

Appeal Process
The student must submit an appeal of Financial Aid Suspended status in writing to the appropriate academic advising office by the date specified in the Financial Aid Suspended notification letter. The committee will review the appeal and notify the student in writing of their decision within 14 working days after the Appeals Committee meets and makes its determination. Appeals should include:

• The grounds for appeal (i.e., working too many hours, etc.)
• Demonstration that the student understands the reason behind failure to meet the SAP requirements
• Specific plans to rectify the student's current academic status

The committee will review the appeal and consult with academic advisers and other involved parties as warranted. If it is determined that the student will not be able to meet the SAP standards by the end of the next semester/period of enrollment but the Committee is in agreement that the student’s grounds for appeal are reasonable and the student has a reasonable chance to succeed and graduate, then if the appeal is approved the student will also be placed on an Academic Plan.   Students will receive written notification of the decision. All decisions on such appeals are final.  Students who lose eligibility for financial aid due to not meeting the minimum SAP standards more than one time during their program may submit an appeal each time.

Academic Plan
Students who lose eligibility and submit an appeal may be placed on an Academic Plan if the appeal is approved.  The purpose of an academic plan is to support the student in bringing himself or herself back into compliance with the financial aid SAP standards by a specific point in time in order to ensure that the student will be able to successfully complete the degree or certificate program.  The academic plan will be specifically tailored to the student and may include milestones and specific requirements such as a reduced course load, specific courses or tutoring.   Students on an academic plan are still responsible to meet the SAP requirements in the subsequent semester/period of enrollment, will lose eligibility if the SAP standards are not met, and need to go through the appeal process in order to regain eligibility.  The student’s progress in the academic plan will be taken into account in any subsequent appeal process of financial aid eligibility.

Is financial aid probation the same as academic probation?  

Citizenship Documentation (Top)

You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to apply for Johns Hopkins need-based grant and federal student financial aid.

When an applicant completes the FAFSA, the processor matches the student's name, social security number, and date of birth with the Social Security Administration database (for U.S. citizens) and with the Department of Homeland Security database (for eligible non-citizens). If the match with either database confirms citizenship or permanent resident status, no further documentation is required. However, if the match does not confirm the student's status, the applicant will be required to provide documentation.

One of the following is required to document U.S. citizenship:

• A copy of a birth certificate showing that the student was born in the United States
• A copy of a U.S. passport
• A State Department document showing birth of a U.S. citizen abroad (FS240, FS545, DS1350)
• A certificate of citizenship through a U.S. parent (N560, N561)
• A certificate of naturalization (N550, N570)

One of the following is required to document status as a U.S. permanent resident:

• A Permanent Resident Card (formerly Resident Alien Card) - I-551 (older version I-151 should have been replaced with I-551 but may be accepted)
• An I-94 document that has been stamped "processed for I-551" and has an expiration date valid through the academic year