Student Financial Aid COVID-19 FAQs as of April 9, 2020

Can I use my financial aid for on-line courses?

Financial aid eligibility does not change due to the conversion of in-person to on-line courses. Aid has already been disbursed and credited to your account for Spring 2020 courses. If you didn’t start attending any of your courses, or decide to withdraw from any courses, please contact your campus financial aid office right away for information on how your aid may be affected.

If I take one or more of my courses on a CR/NC basis, what happens to my financial aid?

If you receive CR for any of your courses, the course counts as satisfactory completion for financial aid purposes. However, students who are on an approved Financial Aid Academic Appeal status who are following an Individual Academic Plan may need to meet a certain GPA to be in good standing and continue according to their Individual Academic Plan. Students are encouraged to review the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Policy at their home campus for more specific information regarding financial aid and academic progress requirements:

• UH Manoa: https://www.hawaii.edu/fas/policies/sap.php
• UH Hilo: https://hilo.hawaii.edu/financialaid/SatisfactoryAcademicProgress.php
• UH Maui College: http://maui.hawaii.edu/financial/sap-satisfactory-academic-progress/
• UH West O‘ahu: https://westoahu.hawaii.edu/policies/satisfactory-academic-progress/
• Hawaii Community College: http://hawaii.hawaii.edu/financialaid/sappolicy
• Honolulu Community College: https://www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/sites/www.honolulu.hawaii.edu/files/fina...
• Leeward Community College: http://www.leeward.hawaii.edu/finaid-sap
• Kapi‘olani Community College: https://www.kapiolani.hawaii.edu/paying-for-college/financial-aid/financ...
• Kaua‘i Community College: https://www.kauai.hawaii.edu/satisfactory-academic-progress-requirements
• Windward Community College: https://catalog.windward.hawaii.edu/financial-aid-satisfactory-academic-...

Can I take an Incomplete Grade in a course and finish up the work later, instead of getting a bad grade or a NC grade?

That depends on your campus policy regarding Incomplete Grades and your individual course and professor. You should contact the faculty teaching your course for more information.

If I withdraw from all of my courses, what happens to my financial aid?

It depends. You should provide documentation of the reason for your withdrawal to the campus financial aid office. If your reason for withdrawing is because of COVID-19, any Pell Grant and Federal Direct Loan funds you received for the semester will not count toward your overall eligibility limits. However, you will still have to repay the loan funds you borrowed for the semester.

How do I fulfill my scholarship requirements if I take a class CR/NC instead of a grade?

In most cases, if you receive CR for a course, it will not impact your GPA or your requirements for scholarship eligibility. If you have questions about a specific scholarship, you should contact your financial aid office for more information on your individual situation.

Does COVID-19 change how I submit verification (or other requested) documents to the financial aid office?

Emergency provisions for COVID-19 allow campus financial aid offices to accept certain documents electronically through UH File Drop at https://www.hawaii.edu/filedrop or other secure electronic methods. You should contact your financial aid office for more information about the preferred method for submitting documents at your home campus.

I am not currently a financial aid recipient. Can I still apply for financial aid for this semester?

Yes, but you should do so as soon as possible because it takes time to process your FAFSA information. You may complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

I have extra expenses or have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can I receive additional financial aid due to my unexpected situation?

Maybe, you can apply for possible assistance a couple of ways:

1. You can apply for funds from the UH Urgent Student Relief Fund: https://www.hawaii.edu/offices/student-affairs/urgent-student-relief-fund/.
2. You may also request consideration for additional aid by notifying the financial aid office at your home campus in order for your extenuating circumstances to be evaluated by a financial aid professional. Extraordinary circumstances such as a significant loss of income, unexpected medical expenses, required purchase of a computer to take online courses, and other extenuating situations associated with COVID-19 are examples of situations that may be considered at the discretion of the financial aid administrator at your home campus. Please note that all situations do not automatically qualify you for additional aid, and per Federal regulations and campus policy, you may need to complete additional forms and/or be required to provide documentation/proof of your situation.

I heard UH Campuses are going to get money from the CARES ACT. Will I be eligible for any more financial aid from the CARES ACT?

College and universities have been notified that the CARES Act will be providing additional funding, but details have not yet been provided. Once details are known about the timeline of the funding and the eligibility criteria for students, we will make that information available.

What is happening with Student and Parent Loans during the COVID-19 situation?

Student and parent Federal loan payments will automatically stop from March 13, 2020 through September 30, 2020 as part of an administrative forbearance. This applies to both defaulted and non-defaulted Direct Loans and Perkins Loans. The US Dept. of Education will automatically adjust loan accounts so the interest doesn’t accrue effective March 13, 2020. Borrowers who choose to make any payments during the administrative forbearance time will have all payments credited toward the principal of the loan. Contact your loan servicer online or by phone to determine if your loans are eligible. Your servicer is the entity to which you make your monthly payment. If you do not know who your servicer is or how to contact them, visit StudentAid.gov/login or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243; TTY for the deaf or hearing-impaired 1-800-730-8913) for assistance.

Will I still be able to get financial aid for summer sessions because of COVID-19?

Nothing has changed regarding students’ eligibility for summer session financial aid. If you have any questions about your eligibility for summer aid, please contact your home campus financial aid office.