One and five dollar bills breaking up and flying away against black background

5 Things That Could Jeopardize Your Financial Aid

There are things that could jeopardize the amount of money you're offered in your aid package. Be aware of these five things to avoid to get more money.

Getting financial aid to cover your college costs is both easy and not so easy. On the one hand, completing and submitting the FAFSA is fairly simple and straightforward, and getting scholarships is simply a matter of finding the ones for which you’ll likely qualify and then proactively applying for them. On the other hand, there are several mistakes you can make that could put your precious financial aid dollars in jeopardy. Fortunately, it’s easy to avoid these missteps, as long as you know what they are.

1. Letting your grades slip

Every school specifies a minimum GPA that you must maintain in order to progress through college and to graduate. If you fall below that GPA, you could be put on academic probation and, in turn, you could lose your eligibility for financial aid. If you’ve received any merit scholarships, you may have to maintain an even higher GPA than the school’s minimum requirement in order to continue receiving those funds. Long story short: keep you grades up if you want to keep your financial aid.

Related: 10 Tips to Improve Your High School GPA

2. Not taking enough credits

In order to be eligible for most types of financial aid, you’re required to be a full-time student. At most schools on a semester system, that means taking about 12 or more credits per term. Failing to register for a full course load could jeopardize your financial aid package. Make sure you’re aware of your school’s policies, and speak with your academic advisor if taking the minimum number of credits to qualify as “full-time” is overwhelming for you.

3. Dropping too many classes

On the same note, dropping too many classes can also put your financial aid in limbo. Making what is known as “satisfactory academic progress” means keeping your GPA up and completing enough credits to show that you are on the path to graduation. Dropping classes mid-semester can derail your progress—and your financial aid.

Related: 5 Big Signs You Should Drop a College Class

4. Not submitting your FAFSA

This one is a no-brainer. If you want to continue receiving federal financial aid, you have to submit the FAFSA every single year. It might be kind of a pain to gather all those numbers and get your application submitted on time, especially when you have so many other things going on during the school year, but it’s worth it in the long run.

5. Breaking the law

Getting in trouble with the law can limit or even eliminate your eligibility for federal student aid, depending on the type of crime you’ve committed. If you commit a drug-related offense while receiving federal aid, you’ll be required to submit a worksheet that will be used to determine whether your conviction will affect your eligibility. Certain violent crimes will also negate your eligibility. And if you’re incarcerated in a federal or state institution, you can’t get Pell Grants or federal student loans.

Related: Colleges for Students Who Have Not Made the Best Life Choices

This list is by no means comprehensive. Every school has its own rules and requirements, so there are plenty of other things that could cost you your financial aid. The best thing to do is to make sure you’re aware of them so you can safeguard your hard-earned dollars.

Arm yourself with knowledge and conquer the FAFSA with the expert articles and advice in our Financial Aid section.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Stephanie Farah

Stephanie Farah

Stephanie Farah is a former writer and senior editor for Carnegie and CollegeXpress. She holds a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas. At various times, she has been an uncertain undergrad, a financial aid recipient, a transfer applicant, and a grad student with an assistantship and a full ride. Stephanie is an avid writer, traveler, cook, and dog owner. 

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

University of Vermont

Burlington, VT


Maya Ingraham

Maya Ingraham

October 2021 Mini Scholarship Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has given me more confidence in my college process. With easy-to-access resources and guidance such as the CX Weekly Roundup, I have been able to find the best colleges for me. Most importantly, there’s a surplus of scholarship opportunities for every student to support their education.