Students seeking financial aid from any source must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available via the web at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. This application determines a student’s eligibility for all federal aid programs, for grants from the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC), and for LeMoyne-Owen Scholarships. Students applying for a LeMoyne-Owen Scholarship must also complete a separate College Scholarship application.
All students are encouraged to apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN serves as your identifier to let you access your personal information in various U.S. Department of Education systems. Because your PIN serves as your electronic signature, you should not give it to anyone.
You can use your PIN at these U.S. Department of Education websites:
• FAFSA on the Web: Access and complete your Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit corrections to your processed FAFSA. You may also use your PIN to your submitted FAFSA or obtain a copy of your processed FAFSA information.
• National Student Loan Data System: View a history of the federal student financial aid you have received.
• Direct Loan Servicing: Use your PIN to access Direct Loan Counseling and Entrance Counseling. Use your PIN to get up-to-date account information, loan balances, and payoff information. Use our online repayment calculator to help you forecast repayment of your loan and contact our customer service staff by e-mail.
• Direct Loan Consolidation: Your PIN will enable you to track the processing status of your online Consolidation Loan application throughout the entire consolidation process from application receipt to booking with Direct Loan Servicing.
Parents and first-time financial aid applicants may also apply for PIN. When applying for the first time you and/or parent will need date-of-birth, and Social Security Number. (If the information you provide does not match with the SSA, you will not be able to receive a PIN.)
Since funds are limited, priority will be given to students whose complete applications have been received in the Office of Student Financial Services by:
April 1 – for the following academic year (fall and Who is eligible to apply?
Parents and first-time financial aid applicants may also apply for PIN. When applying for the first time you and/or parent will need date-of-birth, and Social Security Number. (If the information you provide does not match with the SSA, you will not be able to receive a PIN.)
Deadlines
Since funds are limited, priority will be given to students whose complete applications have been received in the Office of Student Financial Services by:
April 1 – for the following academic year (fall and spring semesters)
November 1 – for the spring semester
April 16 – for the summer semester
Renewal of financial aid is not automatic. All students, including scholarship recipients, must each year complete and mail the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the renewal FAFSA, if they are to be considered for financial aid.
Eligibility for financial aid depends on whether a student is making satisfactory academic progress. This is defined by the number of credit hours attempted and earned as well as cumulative GPA at the end of each year. The number of course credit hours attempted includes all courses for which a grade of A, B, C, D, F or P was received, plus courses where the result was a designation of WA, WD, WF or I. Repeated courses are counted as attempted each time taken; however, only the most recent quality points earned are included in the calculation of the GPA. Students who have not made satisfactory academic progress are placed on financial aid probation for two consecutive semesters, during which time they may continue to receive federal and state financial aid. Federal and state aid are only available for the first 180 credit hours attempted by a student. Students who become part- time (fewer than 12 credit hours) as a result of dropping courses should be aware that their financial aid may be adjusted. Any student receiving state and federal financial aid must also earn at least 70% of all attempted hours. Consequently, a student could be on probation academically but not be eligible for state and federal financial aid.
To be eligible for federal Direct Loan programs (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and Parent-plus), part- time students must be enrolled for at least 6 credit hours each semester and must earn 10 credit hours during an academic year. A part-time student’s cumulative GPA may be no lower than 2.0 after the first four semesters. After the second year (fourth semester), a part-time student must have achieved and must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
The College’s Financial Aid Program is administered through the Office of Student Financial Services. The office aims to make it possible for any qualified student to attend LeMoyne-Owen. Since funds are limited, it is important for students to meet the application deadlines described below.
IRS Data Retrieval (available at the FAFSA website) is now available two weeks after filing your 2016 income taxes electronically. Use this helpful tool to avoid having to manually load your income tax information on your
If you are selected for the “verification” process, you must submit a copy of you and/or your parents’ 2016 IRS Tax Return Transcript. To obtain a copy, call toll free 1-800-908- 9946, or go on-line to irs.gov. Click on “Order a Return or Account Transcript”, and then click on “Tax Return Transcript”. (NOTE: Financial Aid Offices can NO LONGER ACCEPT copies of tax returns – IT MUST BE AN OFFICIAL IRS TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT).
Financial aid recipients must meet NEW federal guidelines to continue to qualify for aid.
Effective July 1, 2011, there is a rule change regarding federal financial aid and payment of repeated coursework. Student can only repeat a passed course once and receive financial aid. A passed course is defined as grade designation of A, B, C, or D.
Receiving a Federal Pell grant greater than 100% of the annual award is no longer an option with the 2011-2012 Award Year.
Effective for the 2012-2013 Award Year, the duration of a student’s Federal Pell Grant eligibility will be limited to 12 semesters, or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever comes first. This new amendment to the Higher Education Act, Section 401 (c)(5) is a federal mandate and not subject to appeal.
This new provision eliminates the interest subsidy provided during the 6-month grace period for Direct Subsidized Loans first disbursed after July 1, 2012, and before July 1, 2013. Students receiving a subsidized loan during this limited timeframe will be responsible for the interest that accrues on the loan during the grace period. If a student does not pay the interest accrued on these particular loans, the interest will be added (capitalized) to the principal amount when the grace period ends.
Effective July 1, 2013, the law limits the benefits of the Direct Loan subsidy to an aggregated period to 150% of program length for new borrowers. Once that limit has been exceeded, a student may borrow through the unsubsidized loan program and will begin to incur interest charges on outstanding subsidized loans. Thus, if a new borrower enrolls in a 4-year program, the new borrower may receive subsidized loans for the equivalent of six academic years.
Effective July 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of Education began using a database to flag applicants for Federal Pell Grants who have an “unusual enrollment history” – having received aid for three or more schools within a year. This policy is being used in an effort to identify students who go from school to school maximizing their financial aid eligibility with no successful academic record to match.
LeMoyne-Owen College has partnered with BankMobile to deliver your financial aid refund. For more information about BankMobile, visit BankMobile’s website
To view our institution’s contract with BankMobile, a Division of Customers Bank, click here
The amount of Title IV financial aid that you have earned is determined on a pro-rata basis. That is, if you withdraw after completing 40 percent of the enrollment period, you have earned 40 percent of the amount of federal aid for which you were entitled. The school takes all or a portion of your tuition assistance earned to pay any outstanding charges that remain on your school account.
Once you have completed more than 60 percent of the enrollment period, you earn all of your tuition assistance for which you were entitled.
To comply with the new Department of Defense policy, LeMoyne-Owen College will return any unearned TA funds on a prorate basis through at least the 60% portion of the period for which the funds were provided. TA funds are earned proportionally during an enrollment period, with unearned funds returned based upon when a student stops attending. These funds are returned to the military Service branch. Instances when a Service member stops attending due to a military service obligation, the educational institution will work with the affected Service member to identify solutions that will not result in student debt for the returned portion.
LeMoyne-Owen students must pursue and complete courses at a rate that will allow them to earn their degree in a reasonable amount of time. Many students are able to complete the requirements for the degree in four years by earning an average of 15 credit hours in each of their eight semesters. However, some students will require more than four years to earn their degree. The College has established standards that define a minimum rate of progress toward the degree. They define the minimum number of course credit hours that must be attempted, the number that must be completed, and the cumulative grade point average that must be achieved as credit hours are accumulated. A course and its credit hours are considered to be completed if a grade of A, B, C, D or P is earned. The number of course credit hours attempted includes all courses for which one of those grades was received, plus courses where the result was a designation of WA, WD, WF, F or I. Repeated courses are counted as attempted and completed (or not), for each attempt. However, only the most recent grade and credit hours are included when calculating the GPA.
A student is considered to be in good academic standing if he or she has earned at least 70% of all attempted credit hours and has a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0 at the end of the spring semester.
**LOC students must be aware of the major differences in our Academic Policies versus their eligibility to receive financial aid funds. The College has established standards that define a minimum rate of progress toward a degree. This rate also requires students to achieve a certain grade point average at the end of each year. Any student receiving state and federal financial aid must also earn at least 70% of all attempted hours. Consequently, a student could be on probation academically but not be eligible for state and federal financial aid. Students are reviewed at the end of the academic year (after spring semester). Students who do not earn at least 70% of all attempted hours will automatically be suspended and ineligible to receive federal financial aid. The student can appeal this decision through the Academic Standards Committee.
Full-time students who meet these standards are said to be in academic good standing, having made satisfactory academic progress in their time at the College. They remain eligible for state and federal financial aid.
Part-time students are those attempting fewer than 12 credit hours in a regular semester. Part-time students lose eligibility for state and federal financial aid if they fail to maintain progress as defined under Financial Aid.
Note: State and federal financial aid are only available for support of the first 180 credit hours attempted by a student. These credit hours include all accepted transfer credit hours from all previously attended institutions, even those in which a student did not receive state/federal aid. As a further restriction, part-time students may receive state or federal financial aid for a maximum of twelve years.
Students who are suspended from the College are required to spend a defined period of time, usually two regular semesters, away from the College. During this period they may be required to successfully complete activities defined by the Academic Standards, Honors and Selection Committee if they are to be considered for readmission to LeMoyne-Owen. A student who is readmitted to the College following a period of academic suspension, and who subsequently fails to achieve a C (2.0) GPA in any semester, will be dismissed from the College.
An appeal can be made by a student who has been suspended or dismissed. The appeal must be presented in writing to the Academic Standards Committee and should fully describe the extenuating circumstances on which the appeal is based. The appeal should be supported by documentation. An appeal should be made as soon as possible, but no later than one month, before registration for the next semester. A meeting is scheduled for the student to meet with the committee. After the meeting, the student will be notified in writing of the committee’s decision.
Note: There is no appeal process for students who have reached their maximum aggregate hours of 180.
Students should refer to the Academic Regulations within the undergraduate and graduate catalogs as related to how repeats are counted in the GPA calculation.
For the purpose of this policy, all attempted undergraduate and graduate attempted college level credit hours are included in both the Pace and Maximum Timeframe measurements, inclusive of credit hours associated with all repeated coursework. Additionally, all attempted undergraduate remedial / developmental (R&D) coursework is included in the R&D 30 attempted credit hour limitation, inclusive of credit hours associated with all repeated R&D coursework.
When determining a student’s enrollment status for Federal Title IV purposes, LOC may pay for repeated coursework through the above specified financial aid programs. However, LOC cannot pay for more than one repetition of a previously passed course. The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program has additional rules as related to repeated coursework.
Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree but are working on another undergraduate degree may be eligible to receive Federal Stafford Loans at the undergraduate limit. Students must submit a written request to the Financial Aid Office.
A Financial Aid Counselor will allow 150% of the additional hours needed to complete an additional bachelor’s degree to the existing “overall” credit hours previously attempted for the first bachelor’s degree. This new value will establish the new Maximum Timeframe that the student can receive financial aid.
Students who have completed an undergraduate degree and are enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program, for the sole purpose of attaining teacher licensure, may be eligible to receive Federal Stafford Loans at the undergraduate limit. Students must be enrolled at least half-time in required teacher certification coursework. Students must submit a written request and a signed copy of their Program of Study to the Financial Aid Office.
Financial Aid will allow 150% of the additional hours needed to complete the teacher licensure to the existing “overall” credit hours previously attempted for the first bachelor’s degree. This new value will establish the new Maximum Timeframe that the student can receive financial aid.
The Records Office reviews the GPA at the end of the spring semester. Students who are academically suspended from financial aid may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee. The decision of the Academic Standards Committee is final as related to this measurement.
The Financial Aid Office reviews the completion rate at the end of the spring semester. Students who are suspended from financial aid as related to this measurement may appeal to the Academic Standards Committee.
The Financial Aid Office reviews the maximum time frame limitation at the end of each semester (fall, spring, summer).
A. Pace Standard
1. Suspension: Undergraduate students suspended from financial aid will be sent an e- mail/letter from the Financial Aid Office. The e-mail/letter will include guidance regarding the appeal process.
2. Probation: Undergraduate students for whom an appeal has been approved will be notified by the Academic Standards Committee regarding the resulting status of Probation. Students who maintain eligibility for financial aid by meeting the requirements of their academic plan but whose cumulative “overall combined” Pace is less than 70% at the end of the subsequent semester(s) will be sent an e-mail/letter by the Financial Aid Office notifying them of their continued probationary status.
B. Maximum Timeframe Standard:
1. Undergraduate students who have 30 or less college level credit hours of remaining financial aid eligibility will be sent an e-mail/letter from the Financial Aid Office reminding them of the credit hour limitation.
Undergraduate students who have reached maximum timeframe will be sent an e-mail/letter from the Financial Aid Office notifying them of their status.
Students may attempt up to 150% of a program’s length. Most programs require 120 hours; therefore, the maximum number of attempted hours for most degree programs is 180 hours. (120 X 1.5 = 180). Once a student exceeds the 180 hours rule, they are no longer eligible for federal financial aid (Pell, SEOG, Perkins, Federal Loans, Plus Loans).
Students working on a second bachelor’s degree will need to work with their academic advisor to complete a program of study form. After the form is completed, it should be sent to the Financial Aid Office to determine a student’s eligibility. For questions concerning your remaining eligibility, contact the Financial Aid Office.
Changes in enrollment status and/or withdrawing from the College can result in a balance owed to the College and a loss of eligibility for all types of financial aid. Below is a schedule on how aid will be adjusted based on changes in a student’s enrollment status.
• Student’s who drop classes during the first 14 days will have their aid adjusted based on their enrollment status. All types of financial aid are subject to this rule.
• Any student who drops below 6 undergraduate or 5 graduate hours during the first 14 days will have their loan awards cancelled for that term.
• Students must be in attendance at least 61% of the semester to earn 100% of their aid. Any student who withdraws prior to 61% of the semester will have their aid adjusted for the semester. This may result in a balance owed to the College. Please check with Records Office for the 61% date.
• Any student who is reported by their instructors as “stopped attending” or “never attended” in all classes will be classified as an unofficial withdrawal from the College. Students will have their financial aid adjusted and/or may lose future eligibility for all types of financial aid.
• Students who withdraw from the College or earn zero hours for the current term will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for the next term enrolled.
IMPORTANT: Any student who withdraws from the College and is currently on Financial Aid Probation will be suspended from aid for future semesters!
• Any first-time freshman who withdraws from the College during the first 14 days will have their Lottery Scholarship(s) cancelled for that semester. However, students will not lose future eligibility for the Lottery Scholarship if they re-enroll within 16 months from their high school graduation date.
• Any continuing or transfer student who withdraws from the College before or after the first 14 days of a semester will lose future eligibility for their Lottery Scholarship(s).
• Any student who is enrolled as a full-time student, 12 or more hours, and drops below 12 hours after the first 14 days of a semester will not have adjustments made to their Lottery award(s) for the current semester, unless a tuition credit is granted by the College. The student will, however, lose future eligibility for their Lottery Scholarship(s).
• Contact your counselor in the Financial Aid Office to discuss specific details regarding your Lottery Scholarship.
Always contact your counselor in the Financial Aid Office by phone at 901-435-1550 or via your counselor’s email address before you make any decisions to drop classes or withdraw from the College!
Students convicted of a federal or state offense of selling or possessing illegal drugs may not be eligible for federal student aid (grants, loans, and work-study). Students who answer “Yes” to question 23 on the FAFSA, you will be sent a worksheet by the federal processing center to determine if the conviction affects eligibility for aid. Also, if the Financial Aid Office is notified that a student has been convicted of possession or sale of illegal drugs during the academic year, all federal student aid may be suspended immediately.
Convictions only count if they were for an offense that occurred during a period of enrollment for which the student was receiving federal student aid. Also, a conviction that was reversed, set aside, or removed from the student’s record does not count.
The following chart illustrates the period of ineligibility for federal student aid funds, depending on whether the conviction was for sale or possession and whether the student had previous offenses. (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
2nd offense 2 years from date of conviction
3+ offenses Indefinite period
2 years from date of conviction
Indefinite period
Students regain eligibility the day after the period of ineligibility ends or when they successfully complete a qualified drug rehabilitation program. Further drug convictions will make them ineligible again. Students denied eligibility for an indefinite period can regain it only after successfully completing a rehabilitation program or if a conviction is reversed, set aside, or removed for the student’s record so that fewer than two convictions for sale or three convictions for possession remain on the record. In such cases, the nature and dates of the remaining convictions will determine when the student regains eligibility.
It is the student’s responsibility to certify to the Financial Aid Office the date of the conviction and if he/she has completed a drug rehabilitation program.
LeMoyne-Owen College administers the federal and state aid programs listed below:
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
Federal College Work-Study
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loans (subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS)
Tennessee Student Assistance Grants
ROTC scholarship programs (through the University of Memphis)
Veteran’s Educational Benefits
Federal Pell Grants are the foundation of most financial aid packages. The amount of each Pell grant is determined by a federal formula, which measures the ability of the student and the student’s family to meet educational expenses.
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are available to students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Applicants who are recipients of a Pell grant are given priority for these grants. Only Pell eligible students are eligible. Graduate students are not eligible
Federal College Work-Study funds are made available to the College to provide part-time employment for students with financial need. Students in this program are paid the national minimum wage.
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Programs are the subsidized, unsubsidized and parent loan programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. They are administered through the Department of Education to provide loans for college expenses.
Reserve Officer Training Corp (ROTC) Scholarships are available to students who participate in either the United States Air Force, Army or Navy “Crosstown” programs based at the University of Memphis. Students admitted to these programs are committed to a period of service after graduation and compete for scholarships meeting most of the costs of their education.
These awards are need-based grants to Tennessee residents who are enrolled at least halftime as undergraduates in eligible Tennessee colleges and universities. Funds are limited and students are urged to apply as early as possible after January 1, and well before the deadline of May 1. Student’s eligibility is determined in the same manner as is eligibility for a federal Pell Grant.
Veteran’s Educational Benefits are maintained in the Veterans Affairs Office, which is currently housed in the Office of Student Records. The designated “certifying official” of the College cooperates with the Veterans Administration in providing educational opportunities for veterans and eligible persons under the appropriate laws. The office is responsible for maintaining veterans’ needs related to educational benefits, providing information for counseling and tutorial assistance to eligible persons on campus. Upon accepting veterans’ educational assistance, the student assumes responsibility for all rules and regulations of the Veterans Administration.
Veterans wishing to apply for educational benefits (except for students who transfer from regionally accredited schools) must submit high school/GED transcripts and/or transcripts from accredited colleges attended. All veterans and Guard/Reserve recipients must submit a DD-214 copy to the Records Office for transfer credit evaluation. These documents must be submitted within the first semester of attendance or further registration for courses will not be permitted.
The VA Form 22-1990 and 22-1999, Veterans Application for Program of Education or Training and Enrollment Certification, must be completed. Reserve and Guard benefit recipients must submit DD Form 2384 (NOBE) and a DD-214 form. Proper application forms for disabled veterans or sons/daughters, widows/widowers, wives/husbands of veterans are available in the Veterans Affairs Office. Most benefits and regulations also apply to eligible dependents.
VA regulations forbid a veteran from repeating a course that has been transferred from another school. Veteran students should not take a course that is not listed in the catalog or program of study under the major curriculum even though they are not counting it for VA benefits. Veterans may not be certified for a course for which they have received an “I” grade unless the “I” converts to a quality letter grade. Veterans may repeat courses with pay only if the previous grade was an “F.” Veterans should consult with the Veterans Affairs Office certifying official prior to changing course load or majors and then verify the actual change.
Regular attendance is required to receive veterans benefit pay. Instructors are required to report non-attendance of veterans to the Veterans Affairs Office, which reports non-attendance to the Veterans Administration regional office. Payments are adjusted or canceled if attendance is not regular.
The Veterans Administration regional may be contacted toll-free by calling 1-800-827-1000. Veteran benefits recipients may also use the Department of Veteran Affairs web site to address benefits concerns or to find current regulation information. The web address is not case specific: www.va.gov/educational/mail.atl.htm.
Current students must complete a brief application form. All students who hope to receive a scholarship award for the next year must apply. These applications allow the Scholarship Committee to update addresses and to be certain each student has completed the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
Applications for LeMoyne-Owen scholarships are available in the Financial Aid Office, Records Office and Office of Student Development (Jean Saulsberry).
Students who have completed the application and the FAFSA by March 15, 2018 will be considered for a scholarship award for 2018-2019. No late applications will be accepted.
Awards are made by the Scholarship Committee on the basis of recommendations from:
The Director of the W.E.B. DuBois Honors Society
The Director of Athletics
The Music Department Faculty
Each of these areas has a separate budget for awards and makes awards based on clearly stated qualifications.
In addition, the Scholarship Committee makes General Academic awards based on a student’s GPA (3.0 minimum) and recommendations from Division Chairs (some divisions have special categories of awards such as journalism).
New Students: The admissions office recommends scholarship awards for incoming students, both first time and transfer.
Pell, SEOG and TSAC grants are made on the basis of information in the FAFSA. Tennessee residents are eligible for TSAC (Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation) grants. It is extremely important that Tennessee students complete the FAFSA as soon as possible since TSAC awards are based on FAFSA data. When the Tennessee State TSAC budget runs out no more TSAC grants are made. This year many LeMoyne-Owen students were eligible for TSAC grants of up to $4,644 but received little or nothing because their FAFSAs were filed late or incomplete.
Many students believe that their FAFSA is complete when in fact some item is missing or incomplete. This then puts them at the end of the line for a TSAC grant. Note that family income can be estimated on the FAFSA.
LeMoyne-Owen is a member of UNCF-The College Fund. Our students are eligible for scholarships administered by the UNCF. For information about these scholarships go to www.uncf.org and click on scholarships.
This site will also allow you to submit your profile. UNCF will then supply a list of scholarships that fit your profile. The scholarship office can also be contacted for information on other scholarship sources.
The Endowed Scholarship eligibility process is governed by the stated wishes of the donor, i.e., major area, grade point average, class, etc. Once the appropriate offices have verified the eligibility requirements, the names of eligible students with supporting documentation are submitted to the Scholarship Committee. More than fifty (50) endowed funds have been established by graduates and friends of the College to provide scholarship support for future generations of LeMoyne-Owen students. Please review the Lemoyne-Owen College Catalog for more details.