Graduate Policies

Students must report outside assistance to the Office of Financial Aid. This includes employer tuition benefits. These resources must be included when eligibility for financial aid is determined and evaluated.

Eligibility for grant assistance is determined by GSSWSR Admissions. You must reapply for the Social Work Grant and loan assistance each academic year. If awarded a Social Work Grant, Master of Social Service students may receive a grant for a maximum of 18 billing units. Ph.D. students may receive grant for required coursework tuition only. Grant funding is not provided for transfer credit or courses that are waived. Generally, grant funds are not awarded for repeat courses.

Financial aid is credited to the student’s account by term. Bryn Mawr Grants and Scholarships will be credited prior to billing. Federal loans are scheduled for disbursement on the first day of classes for each term. Students must accept, reduce, or decline their loans as well as complete the necessary requirements. Financial aid applications must be completed before funds can be disbursed to the student account.

The Department of Education may send notification that the student’s FAFSA was selected for verification by the federal processor. Verification confirms the accuracy of the information submitted on the FAFSA. The College is required to complete verification for selected students and to resolve any conflicting information. To comply with these regulations, follow the instructions on the verification worksheet provided by the College Board/IDOC. Be sure the worksheet contains all required signatures before returning the form to the Office of Financial Aid.

IRS Data Retrieval: The Office of Financial Aid encourages students to complete their FAFSA online at www.studentaid.gov, using IRS Data Retrieval; an easier, faster way to enter federal income tax information on the FAFSA. The process allows electronically submitted tax information to complete specific elements of the FAFSA, simplifying the verification process. Data successfully transferred through the IRS Data Retrieval tool cannot be modified. Students and parents may not be able to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool if:

• Tax filing status is “married filing separately”
• Tax status is “head of household”
• Filed a foreign tax return
• Filed paper taxes within the last 8 weeks

Until verification is complete, Bryn Mawr cannot credit a federal grant or loan to the student’s account; the student cannot be employed under the Federal Work- Study Program; and the Office of Financial Aid will not certify a Federal Direct Loan application.

Withdrawing from a class or classes may affect the amount of financial aid you are entitled to receive. Financial aid awards are based on the cost and number of units in which you are enrolled per semester, so a change to your enrollment could change your financial aid award. If you intend to completely withdraw, you must submit written notice to your Dean.

Bryn Mawr’s refund policy will be applied if you receive institutional funds and withdraw completely from your courses. This policy requires the Office of Financial Aid to determine if a portion of your institutional funds should be returned to the awarding program. College fees are non-refundable.

Federal financial aid refund and repayment policies will be applied if you receive federal financial aid funds and withdraw completely from your classes. These federal policies require the Office of Financial Aid to determine if a portion of your financial aid must be returned and/or repaid to the Title IV programs. Per federal regulations, the Return of Title IV Funds Policy will be applied to all students who receive federal financial aid funds and completely withdraw from classes at or before the 60% point of the semester. Students must “earn” the financial aid that is received. The amount of aid earned is determined by the length of time you are enrolled. If you withdraw during the 60% period, you should expect that a portion of your financial aid funds will need to be returned. If you withdraw after the 60% point of the semester, you will have earned 100% of your financial aid funds. If a refund or repayment is required, federal funds will be returned to the programs in the following order: Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Direct PLUS, other Title IV programs.

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES FINANCIAL AID SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

Bryn Mawr College is required to monitor academic progress as it relates to the renewal of financial assistance. To remain eligible for Federal financial aid, students must meet minimum academic requirements at the conclusion of each semester. Academic progress for students in the Graduate School of Arts &Sciences is measured by The Dean of Graduate Studies and Office of Financial Aid at the end of every term.

The satisfactory academic progress policy for the continuation of financial aid includes the maximum timeframe when a program must be completed as well as the pace at which a student must progress to ensure completion of the program within the maximum timeframe (quantitative measure) and an academic standard of work (qualitative measure) that is consistent with graduation.

Maximum Timeframe and Pace: To receive and remain eligible for Federal Title IV financial aid, students must not exceed a 150% maximum time-frame for degree completion. To ensure timely completion, students are expected to complete a minimum of 67% of the credits they attempt each semester.

• Master of GSAS:
  • Standard Program Length: 2 years
  • 150% Program Length: 3 years
• Ph.D. GSAS:
  • Standard Program Length: 7 years
  • 150% Program Length: 10 years

 All periods of enrollment at Bryn Mawr College are considered whether the student received aid. Courses in which a student earned the following grades for any reason, including nonattendance, will count as units attempted, but not completed:

• Unsatisfactory
• Withdrawal
• Incomplete

Courses with a grade of AUD (audit) and non-credit/no fee courses will not count as attempted nor completed.

For repeated courses, students may still apply for and receive federal funds as long as they are meeting other satisfactory academic progress standards. Only one repetition of a previously failed course will be eligible for federal funds and counted toward enrollment for the term when the course is repeated.

Coursework approved for transfer credit will count towards both attempted and completed courses.

Students in the Bryn Mawr A.B./M.A program complete the same MA requirements and are subject to all the same rules and regulations as all other MA students.

Qualitative: Because students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences do not receive letter grades and therefore do not have a calculated GPA, students must pass 67% of all attempted courses.

Notification and Right to Appeal: A student who fails to meet the requirements as outlined above will be placed on a financial aid warning for the subsequent semester. Students will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid that they are on a SAP warning, and may continue to receive Federal and State financial aid during this warning semester. A student who fails to meet SAP for a second consecutive semester will be placed on SAP Suspension and lose Federal and State financial aid eligibility. These students who lose federal and state aid eligibility will be notified in writing, by email by the Office of Financial Aid.  Students on suspension have the right to appeal. Students must submit a written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. General criteria for appeals may include student’s injury or illness, death of a close relative, or other special circumstances (which may include personal or family emergencies, natural disaster, etc.).

Appeals: 

Students should submit a written statement with the following items to account for their circumstances that are leading them to appeal their SAP suspension:

• Why the student failed to make SAP
• What has changed that will allow the student to make SAP going forward
• Steps the student will take to make SAP going forward

Appeals will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on a semester of SAP Probation and continue to be eligible for Federal financial aid.  In addition, the student must meet with their Dean to prepare an academic plan that will satisfy the SAP requirements, with the Dean agreeing to monitor the student’s progress in accordance with the plan. If more than one payment period is required to meet progress standards, the student and the Dean will make this clear in the Academic Plan that is created, including what must be required in each payment period, or term.

Regaining eligibility:  Students may regain eligibility without an Academic Plan by achieving the SAP standards as indicated.

Dismissal or Withdrawal: Students who are dismissed or withdrawn from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences are not making satisfactory academic progress and are not eligible to receive financial aid.

More information about the institutional GSAS SAP policy (which differs from the Financial aid SAP policy outlined above) can be found in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Catalog and Handbook.

SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK GRADUATE FINANCIAL AID SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY

The Office of Financial Aid reviews federal aid applicants at the close of each payment period (term) to determine if Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is being met in accordance with Federal academic standards and Federal policies.  This process is independent from standards set forth by Dean of the Social Work School and the Committee for Academic Progress and Support.  Students who do not maintain SAP as outlined below will become ineligible for Federal and State financial aid.

General Requirements

Each student is responsible for meeting all degree requirements as outlined by their individual programs and departments. Federal regulations require institutions to check the academic progress each payment period (term). At Bryn Mawr, students must meet the quantitative and qualitative measures as outlined below to maintain eligibility for federal and state financial aid.

Quantitative (pace)

At the close of the semester, students will be reviewed by the Dean’s Office and the Office of Financial Aid. Students must meet the following requirements to maintain eligibility for Federal Title IV financial aid.

Students’ academic progress is reviewed by comparing the number of attempted courses with the courses successfully completed to date. At the end of each grading period, a student must have successfully completed a minimum of 67% of the courses they have attempted in that grading period.

To receive and remain eligible for Federal Title IV financial aid, students must not exceed a 150% maximum time-frame for degree completion. The program completion rate standards listed below differ between the Master of Social Service (MSS), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs, due to the different requirements for each of those programs:

• Master of Social Work
  • Standard Program Length: 2 years
  • 150% Program Length: 3 years
• Ph.D. Social Work
  • ​​​​​​​Standard Program Length: 7 years
  • 150% Program Length: 10 years

Courses will be considered attempted or completed as follows:

• Attempted and completed: Courses with a grade of S (Satisfactory) equivalent to a B or better; courses with a grade of S- (Marginal Satisfactory) equivalent to a B-.
• Attempted but not completed: Courses with a grade of U (Unsatisfactory), INC (Permanent Incomplete), WD (Withdrawal). Temporary incomplete grades (I) change to S, S-, U, or INC.
• Not attempted and not completed: Courses with a grade of AUD (audit) and non-credit/no fee courses.

Courses approved for transfer credit will count towards both attempted and completed courses.

Students in the Bryn Mawr A.B./M.S.S program and the M.S.S./M.P.H. with Thomas Jefferson University complete the same MSS requirements and are subject to all the same rules and regulations as all other MSS students.  

The student must successfully repeat a required course they have not successfully completed. The maximum number of times that a student may repeat a course is two. Students do not receive GSSWSR scholarship funds for repeated courses, for audited courses, or for elective courses taken in excess of the number required for the degree; however, they may still apply for and receive federal funds as long as they are meeting other satisfactory academic progress standards. Only one repetition of a previously failed course will be eligible for federal funds and counted toward enrollment for the term when the course is repeated.

Qualitative: Because students in the Social Work school do not receive letter grades and therefore do not have a calculated GPA, students must pass 67% of all attempted courses.

Notification and Right to Appeal: A student who fails to meet the requirements as outlined above will be placed on a financial aid warning for the subsequent semester. Students will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid that they are on a SAP warning, and may continue to receive Federal and State financial aid during this warning semester. A student who fails to meet SAP for a second consecutive semester will be placed on SAP Suspension and lose Federal and State financial aid eligibility. These students who lose federal and state aid eligibility will be notified in writing, by email by the Office of Financial Aid.  Students on suspension have the right to appeal. Students must submit a written appeal to the Director of Financial Aid. General criteria for appeals may include student’s injury or illness, death of a close relative, or other special circumstances (which may include personal or family emergencies, natural disaster, etc.).

Appeals: 

Students should submit a written statement with the following items to account for their circumstances that are leading them to appeal their SAP suspension:

• Why the student failed to make SAP
• What has changed that will allow the student to make SAP going forward
• Steps the student will take to make SAP going forward

Appeals will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on a semester of SAP Probation and continue to be eligible for Federal financial aid.  In addition, the student must meet with their Dean to prepare an academic plan that will satisfy the SAP requirements, with the Dean agreeing to monitor the student’s progress in accordance with the plan. If more than one payment period is required to meet progress standards, the student and the Dean will make this clear in the Academic Plan that is created, including what must be required in each payment period, or term.

Regaining eligibility:  Students may regain eligibility without an Academic Plan by achieving the SAP standards as indicated.

Dismissal or Withdrawal: Students who are dismissed or withdrawn from the GSSWSR are not making satisfactory academic progress and are not eligible to receive financial aid.

More information about the institutional School of Social work SAP policy (which differs from the Financial aid SAP policy outlined above) can be found in the Graduate School of Social Work Handbook and Catalog.

Tuition and fee increases are customary and are used in determining the renewal award amounts. Tuition and fees for the next year are typically released in late Spring by the Board of Trustees.

A federal over-award occurs when a student’s awards exceed their cost of attendance. If a federal over-award occurs, the federal awards will be reduced first.

Financial aid awards are based on the cost and number of units in which you are enrolled per semester. A change to your enrollment could change your financial aid.

Information about aggregate limits for the Federal Unsubsidized Loan and the Graduate PLUS Loan can be found online.

International students are not eligible for Federal Loan funds. However, some bank or credit unions lend to international students. Interested students may borrow from the lender of their choice.

Incoming student requests for reconsideration for social work grant eligibility are sent to Graduate Admissions. Returning student requests for reconsideration are submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. These requests should be submitted in writing along with supporting documentation.

Bryn Mawr College requires all students to be covered by health insurance. The College does provide a student health insurance plan.

All international students are required to be enrolled in the College's International Student Insurance plan.

Please visit the Office of Student Accounts for more information.

Students have the right to know:

• The Office of Financial Aid’s location, hours, and counseling procedures.
• The financial aid programs available at Bryn Mawr College. 
• The application procedures and deadlines.
• The criteria for selecting financial aid recipients.
• The criteria for determining need.
• The method for determining the amounts and types of aid awarded.
• The costs that were considered in determining eligibility for aid.
• The method and timing of financial aid payments.
• The basis for determining satisfactory academic progress to continue to receive financial aid and what happens when progress is not made.
• The portion of aid that must be repaid, the portion that is grant, and the portion that must be earned through employment.
• If offered a Federal Work-Study award, the nature of the job, the required number of work hours, job duties, the pay, and the method and timing of payments.

Financial aid applications are confidential. Information concerning financial aid applicants will be released only to agencies that require the information for scholarship consideration and only when authorized by the student and family.

Students are responsible for:

• Completing all application forms accurately and submitting them on time to the appropriate location.
• Providing all documentation, verification, corrections, and/or other scholarship information requested by the Office of Financial Aid or other scholarship agencies.
• Reporting any changes in enrollment and housing to the Office of Financial Aid.
• Reading and understanding all forms that are distributed and retaining student copies.
• Performing the work that is agreed upon in accepting a work-study position.
• Reporting name and address changes directly to the Registrar and lenders of all education loans that have been received.
• When filing U.S. taxes, include as taxable income all grant aid that exceeds the cost of tuition, fees, books, and supplies.

The Selective Service System (SSS) is a government agency that maintains information on those potentially subject to military conscription, commonly known as the draft. Most male U.S. citizens and male immigrant non-citizens ages of 18-25 are required by law to have registered within 30 days of their 18th birthdays. Any man required to register with Selective Service must have done so to receive federal student aid. Male students may register by answering the question on the FAFSA; online at the Selective Service website; or by filling out a form available at the post office. Students who cannot confirm registration must either register or provide proof of exemption.

Students who have questions about Selective Service registration may contact the Selective Service at 1-847-688-6888 or at www.sss.gov.