Aid Retention Policy

  1. All full time students are expected to register and enroll in twelve 1/3 unit classes per academic year. The more classes a student successfully completes (up to a maximum of 12 courses) during terms A-D, the more the student’s grant/scholarship eligibility is maintained for the next academic year.

    Attempting but not successfully completing courses and project work will reduce financial aid. Please note that advanced placement, transfer credit, incompletes, or extensions cannot be counted in the determination of units completed. The student is responsible for resolution of incompletes with the faculty member assigning the grade.

    WPI Financial Need Scholarships/Grants

    WPI scholarships and grants awarded to students will not increase in future academic years; regardless of changes in a student’s financial need. Conversely, students’ WPI need based scholarships and grants can decrease based on a lower financial need and/or poor academic performance (from the prior academic year). Once a student’s scholarship or grant has been decreased, it will not be increased in future academic years. Because of this, it is extremely important that students monitor the number of classes they pass each academic year.

    WPI Merit Scholarships

    WPI merit scholarships will not increase or decrease based on changes to a student's financial need. However, a student's merit scholarship will decrease or be eliminated if a student does not meet the renewal criteria to maintain these scholarships. This renewal criteria has recently changed. Please refer to this page [PDF] for more information.

  2. Eligibility for consideration for all types of financial aid for the following academic year is lost is a student is placed on Academic Probation (end of B or D term).

    Financial Aid Petitions

    Students placed on Academic Probation may, in cases which involve unusual and extenuating circumstances such as documented medical problems, file a financial aid petition with the WPI Office of Financial Aid*. The petition will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee which is comprised of academic administrators and not members of the Office of Financial Aid. Determination on financial aid petitions will be made on a case by case basis.
    *Financial Aid Petitions can be obtained in the WPI Office of Financial Aid (2nd floor Bartlett Center) or online. [PDF]

  3. Regardless of academic progress status, eligibility for financial assistance (with the exception of the Federal Stafford Loan) is available for the shorter of the two following periods; 16 terms (4 years) of enrollment at WPI** or completion of your Bachelor Degree requirements at WPI.
    **16 terms (4 years) of enrollment and not 16 terms (4 years) of receiving financial aid.

  4. If you receive scholarships/grants, loans of all forms and/or federal work study, you must be registered as a full-time student. You are charged tuition and fees based upon full-time status and that serves as the basis for annual financial aid eligibility determinations.

    You are responsible for knowing your enrollment and academic status and working with an academic advisor to register and enroll for the necessary units to maintain eligibility for financial aid.

Please Note: With the exception of the Federal Stafford Loan, financial aid is not available for enrollment during term E (Summer School) at WPI. This includes all forms of assistance including WPI Merit Scholarships. If you enroll during term E and borrow a Federal Stafford Loan, the amount you borrow will be reduced from your Federal Stafford Loan eligibility for the next academic year (terms A-D).

Maintained by webmaster@wpi.edu
Last modified: May 22, 2008 15:50:42