Renewal Requirements

Once I have financial aid, how do I keep it?

Each type of financial aid has its own requirements. Below is information we hope will help, but the financial aid team is always here when you have questions. This information focuses on how you keep the financial aid you have. There may be different requirements to initially receive aid (particularly Tennessee Promise and HOPE).

FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid

The one thing that’s common to every type of financial aid is that you must complete a financial aid application, called the FAFSA, every year. The application opens Oct. 1 for the following academic year. Some types of financial aid require that you file the FAFSA by a certain date, so file as soon after Oct. 1 as possible.

Course Program of Study (CPOS)

Also common to all types of aid is that financial aid will only pay toward classes required for your degree or certificate (your program of study). If you register for classes not required for your program, you may have to pay out of pocket.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Other than Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, all other types of aid require that you meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. The two main standards require that you:

• Maintain a college GPA of 2.0 or higher (GPA standard)
• Complete at least 67% of the courses you take (pace standard)

In addition, you must complete your program of study within 150% of the required hours. For example, if you are in an associate degree program that requires 60 credits, you may receive financial aid for up to 90 credits (60 x 1.5). This is referred to as the maximum timeframe standard.

There is an appeal process for students who fail to meet these standards.

Federal Pell Grants

• Your Pell Grant eligibility can change from one year to another based on changes in income, assets, household size, or federal rules. The FAFSA determines whether you qualify each year.
• The amount of Pell Grant you receive is based on the number of credits you take.
• You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, see above.
• Pell Grants are available in the fall, spring and summer semesters.
• You may receive the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters of Pell Grant in your lifetime. If you are getting close to your lifetime limit you will be notified when you complete the FAFSA.
• Learn about the Federal Pell Grant.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

• You must be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.
• Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, see above.
• Funding is limited, so awards are made to those who file the FAFSA early. The FAFSA filing cutoff date changes each academic year based on the number of students who qualify and funding levels.
• SEOG is available in the fall and spring semesters, as well as summer if funds are available.

Federal Work-Study (FWS)

• Demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA.
• Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, see above.
• Learn detailed information about Federal Work-Study.

Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA)

• Complete the FAFSA by April 15
• Meet financial need requirements
• Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester
• Maintain SAP
• Available in fall and spring only
• Limited to four semesters for associate degree students

HOPE Scholarship

• Complete your FAFSA by the following dates, depending on the semester you will begin:
  • Fall: Sept. 1
  • Spring: March 1
  • Summer: May 1
• Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester (certain exceptions apply).
• Maintain continuous enrollment each semester (summer enrollment is optional).
• Meet GPA* (*Please note: Your HOPE GPA may be different than your institutional GPA.) requirements at certain credit hour benchmarks:
  • At 24 and 48 credit hours: 2.75 GPA
  • 72 or more credit hours: 3.0 GPA
• HOPE is available in the fall, spring and summer semesters.
• The amount of HOPE you receive is based on the number of credits you take.
• You may receive HOPE for five years from the date you initially enroll in college.
• Learn HOPE information on exceptions, appeals and more.

Tennessee Promise

• Complete the FAFSA no later than April 15 prior to the start of the academic year.
• Enroll in at least 12 credit hours per semester in the fall and spring (certain exceptions apply). TN Promise may pay for any number of credit hours in the summer semester.
• Maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester (summer enrollment is optional).
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA* at the end of each academic year. *Please note: Your TN Promise GPA may be different than your institutional GPA.
• TN Promise is available in the fall, spring, and summer semesters.
• TN Promise will pay for tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Pell Grant, HOPE Scholarship, or TN Student Assistance Award. It will not pay for specialized course fees or books.
• The amount of TN Promise you receive is based on the number of credits you take.
• You may receive TN Promise for up to five full-time semesters. You will cease to be eligible once you complete the requirements for any certificate or associate degree. If you complete a certificate you may enroll in a sequential associate degree program to continue receiving TN Promise.
• Learn TN Promise information on exceptions, appeals and more.

Tennessee Reconnect

• Complete your FAFSA by the following dates, depending on the semester you will begin:
  • Fall: Sept. 1
  • Spring: March 1
  • Summer: May 1
• Enroll in at least six credit hours per semester to receive an award in the fall and spring (certain exceptions apply). TN Reconnect may pay for any number of credit hours in the summer semester.
• Maintain continuous full-time enrollment each semester (summer enrollment is optional).
• Maintain a 2.0 GPA* at the end of each academic year. *Please note: Your TN Reconnect GPA may be different than your institutional GPA.
• TN Reconnect is available in the fall, spring and summer semesters.
• TN Reconnect will pay for tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the Pell Grant, HOPE Scholarship, or TN Student Assistance Award. It will not pay for specialized fees or books.
• The amount of TN Reconnect you receive is based on the number of credits you take.
• You may receive TN Reconnect for up to five years from the date you first receive it. You will cease to be eligible once you complete the requirements for any certificate or associate degree. If you complete a certificate you may enroll in a sequential associate degree program to continue receiving TN Reconnect.
• Learn TN Reconnect information on exceptions, appeals and more.

Northeast State Foundation Scholarships

The Northeast State Foundation administers scholarships developed through generous donations by community members and agencies. The award criteria are determined by the donor and vary by fund.

External Scholarships

External scholarships are those received from an organization or agency outside of Northeast State. The criteria for external scholarships are set by the donor or organization providing you with the scholarship. Please contact your donor directly with questions about renewal criteria.

Contact Us

Questions? Call us at 423.323.0252, email FinancialAid@NortheastState.edu, or stop by the office. We are here to help!