SUNY Orange

Did you know you may be in Danger of losing your
Financial Aid if you do not consider the following:

When planning your schedule

Consider this:

  • Both Federal and State law mandate the courses you take must apply toward your degree program.
  • Federal and State aid programs do not allow for payment on repeated passed courses. The only exceptions are for required courses with a grade requirement prerequisite from a prior course taken. An example of such a prerequisite requirement would be: Mat 121 which has a perquisite of C- or higher in Mat 102 and the student achieved a grade of D. The student would be funded by both State and Federal aid for the repeated Mat 102 class as long as Mat 121 was required by the Student’s program. Another example would be: a student fails or withdraws from a course; the student would be allowed to repeat the course in an upcoming semester.
  • First-time New York State Grant and Scholarship (TAP, WTC, etc.) recipients must be registered full-time. However, at least three credits must be college-level class work. Second-time New York State Grant and Scholarship recipients or Transfer students who received New York State Grants and Scholarships at another college must be registered full-time and be taking at least 6 credits of college-level course work. If a student has been registered for more than 2 semesters of college and is taking developmental coursework, they should check with a financial aid counselor in order to see how many college-level classes they need to take in order to receive TAP and other NYS Grants and Scholarships.

Before You Drop a Class, Withdraw from College, or Simply Stop Attending

Consider this:

  • You could lose your financial aid eligibility for this semester and for future semesters: TAP and other New York State, Pell and other Federal Grants, Loansand Scholarships can be impacted drastically.
  • If you have attempted 30 credits of developmental course work, you will not be eligible for any additional federal aid if the course work is developmental. Once you have attempted 30 credits of developmental course work, you will no longer be eligible to receive financial aid for developmental courses.
  • Your financial aid could be reduced and you may have to repay part or all of your tuition and/or financial aid.
  • Should you drop below full-time student status, you may become ineligible for coverage under your parents’ health insurance.
  • You will or may have a “W” (withdrawal) grade on your permanent SUNY Orange academic transcript.
  • If you participate in intercollegiate athletics and you drop to part-time status, you may become ineligible to play, and could jeopardize the team.
  • You will have to pay the tuition again to take the same course(s) in the future if the course(s) you drop are required for graduation.
  • Should your enrollment status/attendance drop below 6 credits, your current aid may be affected and you may become ineligible for certain aid programs such as Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans or a Pell Grant.

Important

  • If you drop a course and are receiving a grant, loan, or scholarship, please check with a Financial Aid counselor for a review on the impact this may have with your future aid and with the Business Office for a review on the impact this may have on your current aid.
  • All state grant and scholarship programs can be affected if you drop classes or withdraw from college. These grants and programs include, but are not limited to: TAP, Child of a Veteran, Memorial Scholarship for families of Deceased Firefighters, Volunteer Firefighters, Police Officers and Emergency Medical Service Workers, WTC, Flight 587, Military Service Recognition, Volunteer Recruitment Service, Aid to Native Americans, Vietnam Veterans, Academic Excellence, Regents, NY Lottery, and Robert Byrd.
  • All federal grant and scholarship programs can be affected if you drop classes or withdraw from college. These grants and programs include, but are not limited to: Pell, SEOG, ACG, Federal Work Study, Perkins Loans, and Stafford Loans.

Attendance is important. Instructors may withdraw students from courses for excessive absences. If illness, accident or similar circumstances make it impossible for a student to attend classes for three or more consecutive days, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Records and Registration Office immediately. Financial Aid may be impacted.

You do have alternatives to consider:

  • Ask the instructor for help and a realistic assessment of your performance in the class. Your instructor can help you, and you may be doing better than you think.
  • Contact Learning Assistance Services in the Library, or your academic department’s lab, or utilize a private supplemental instructor or tutor.
  • Talk to your academic advisor, or seek assistance at the Advising and Counseling Office.
  • Drop back to an easier course. If you do drop back to an easier course, check with the Financial Aid Office to see if it will impact your current aid.

Effect of Drug Conviction

Persons convicted of drug trafficking or possession under federal or state law may be ineligible to receive federal student aid including grants, loans and work-study programs.

When completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, question 23 asks if the student has ever been convicted of a drug related offense. Failure to answer the question will automatically disqualify the student from receiving federal aid. Answering the question falsely, if discovered, could result in fines, imprisonment or both.

Convictions count only if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal aid. A conviction does not count if it was reversed, set aside or removed from the student’s record or if the conviction occurred when the student was a juvenile (before age 18) unless the student was tried as an adult.

According to the law, the following chart indicates the period of ineligibility for federal student aid. (A conviction for sale of drugs includes convictions for conspiring to sell drugs.)

 
Possession of Illegal Drugs
Sale of Illegal Drugs
1st offense
1 year from date of conviction 2 years from date of conviction
2nd offense
2 years from date of conviction Indefinite period
3+ offenses
Indefinite period  

A student regains eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when he or she successfully completes a qualified drug rehabilitation program. Further convictions will make the student ineligible again. Students denied eligibility for an indefinite period can regain it only after successfully completing a rehabilitation program as described below.

A qualified drug rehabilitation program must include at least two unannounced drug tests and must satisfy at least one of the following requirements:

  • Be qualified to receive funds directly or indirectly from a federal, state or local government program or federally or state-licensed insurance company.
  • Be administered or recognized by a federal, state, or local government agency or court.
  • Be administered or recognized by a federally or state-licensed hospital, health clinic or medical doctor.

It is the student’s responsibility to certify to the Financial Aid Administrator that he/she has successfully completed a qualified rehabilitation program.

Middletown

SUNY Orange
Office of Financial Aid
115 South Street 
3rd floor
Middletown NY 10940

Telephone: 
845-341-4190

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8am to 5pm
Wed Evening: to 8pm

Newburgh

SUNY Orange
Office of Financial Aid
One Washington Ctr
Newburgh NY 12550

Telephone: 
845-562-2454

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri: 8am to 5pm
Tue Evening:to 8 pm