Financial Aid Resources

Florida Poly is here to support you every step of the way when it comes to paying for college.

This page provides the essential policies, guidelines, and tools you need to understand your financial aid and make the most of available funding. From eligibility requirements to award conditions, we’ll help you navigate it all.

Financial Aid Policies

Federal Student Aid

Student Aid

Institutional Aid

Tuition & Fees

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Financial aid recipients must comply with Florida Polytechnic University’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) requirement for federal aid. GPA, completion ratio, and maximum time frame are reviewed each semester.

GPA

Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

Completion Ratio

A student must complete 67 percent of all attempted credit hours, including transfer hours. The calculation used to determine successful SAP completion is: Total Cumulative Credit Hours Successfully Completed ÷ Total Cumulative Hours Attempted = Percentage of Completed Courses Result.

Maximum Time Frame

The maximum time frame for a student to complete his/her degree is 150 percent of the required number of credit hours needed to graduate.

The Office of Financial Aid will review a student’s SAP at the end of each semester to determine if the student has met the minimum requirements to remain eligible for Federal Student Aid.

Please refer to the FPU 5.00742 Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for additional information on SAP, including Warning, Appeal and Probation.

Disbursement of Financial Aid

Disbursement of financial aid is the process in which financial aid awards (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) are posted to the student’s ledger.

More Information

Timely processing of a student’s financial aid disbursement is contingent upon the student being actively enrolled in the semester and meeting all eligibility requirements for their awarded financial aid.
Disbursement for each semester occurs after the add/drop period for that semester. Disbursement processing continues on a weekly basis after the add/drop period until the end of the semester.
After the add/drop period, the Office of Financial Aid will adjust a student’s financial aid award based on the student’s finalized enrollment for the semester. Students enrolled less than full time may have their financial aid award(s) reduced and/or canceled for not meeting the required enrolled hours to receive their aid.
When disbursements have been posted to the student’s ledger, charges on the student account will be deducted from the student’s disbursed financial aid. If a student has additional financial aid in excess of the charges on their ledger, they may receive a financial aid refund for that excess amount.
Any charges that remain on the student account after financial aid has been disbursed or any charges posted to the student account after disbursements have been made will be the student’s responsibility to pay. Students may view any outstanding balances on their student account by clicking the “My Ledger” section on their student portal.
Students who have not had their awards disbursed after the add/drop period and have questions concerning the status of their financial aid awards are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid to discuss their award eligibility.

Financial Aid Refunds

Student Refunds

Florida Poly delivers financial aid and other school refunds to students through BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc.

Servicer Contract Information

Review the terms and conditions of the Universities contract with BMTX, Inc. and related fee disclosures.
Review the terms and conditions of the Universities contract with Blackboard, the previous refund servicer.

Financial Aid Refund to Housing

Financial Aid applies toward tuition, fees, and your meal plan first. Any remaining amount of aid on your account can be used toward your housing costs. Because our Phase 1 housing is owned by a third party, authorization is required in order to send financial aid funds. No authorization is needed for Phase 2 housing. Phase 2 housing will be automatically charged on your University ledger.

If you would like us to send your financial directly to Student Living (for Phase 1 housing only), please complete the Authorization to Apply Financial Aid to Housing Charges form and return to financialaid@floridapoly.edu.

Disclosure Information

Review the 2018-19 award year Student Financial Account Fee Data and Contract Monetary/Non-Monetary Considerations with BlackBoard, the previous refund provider.

Information concerning the mean and median costs incurred by student account holders, the total monetary consideration paid or received by parties under the contract, and total non-monetary consider paid or received by the parties under the contract for the most recently completed award year is available online.

Related Forms:

Financial Aid Appeals

Students attending Florida Poly may appeal decisions related to the awarding, reinstatement or repayment of their financial aid. All appeal information and/or forms for financial aid must be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid located in the Admissions Center or emailed.

Types of Appeals

Appeal of Financial Aid Decision or Administrative Error

Students may appeal a decision of the Office of Financial Aid, or the award or disbursement of financial aid, if they believe an administrative error has occurred. Per the Florida Polytechnic University Academic Calendar, appeals may be submitted until the last day of classes during the semester for which the financial aid award decision or error occurred.

For this appeal, students are required to submit the following documents:

The Appeal of Financial Aid Decision or Administrative Error form
A signed, typed letter that describes the purpose of the appeal
Additional documentation supporting the issue and appeal

Prior to submitting an Appeal of Financial Aid Decision or Administrative Error form, students are encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid directly for assistance, as some issues may be resolved without an appeal.

Appeal for Reinstatement of Financial Aid Due to Extenuating Circumstances

A student may appeal for reinstatement of federal, state and/or University scholarship if circumstances beyond the student’s control prevented the student from meeting minimum eligibility requirements. Appeals for reinstatement of aid must be submitted by the student within 30 days of receiving notice of ineligibility for the award.

For this appeal, students are required to submit the following documents:

The Appeal for Reinstatement of Financial Aid or Repayment of Bright Futures Due to Extenuating Circumstances form
A signed, typed letter that describes the extenuating circumstances
Additional documentation that supports the events described in the appeal letter
An academic plan that has been completed and signed by a program coordinator or academic advisor

Appeal of Repayment of Bright Futures

A student may appeal the return of their Bright Futures Scholarship funds if extenuating circumstances beyond their control prevented them from completing the classes that they withdrew from. Appeals for repayment of Bright Futures funds must be submitted within 30 days of receiving a returned funds/scholarship adjustment notice from the Bursar’s Office.

For this appeal students are required to submit the following documents:

The Appeal for Reinstatement of Financial Aid or Repayment of Bright Futures Due to Extenuating Circumstances form
A signed, typewritten, letter that describes the extenuating circumstances
Additional documentation that supports the events described in the appeal letter

Appeal Review Timeline and Communication

Appeals submitted to the Office of Financial Aid will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee within 15 business days. The committee may accept, deny or request additional documentation for the appeal. If additional documentation is requested, the student’s appeal will be placed in a pending status. The student will be given 30 days to submit additional documentation. If no additional documentation is provided within 30 days, the student’s appeal will be denied.

All information concerning a student’s appeal status and appeal decisions are communicated directly to the student through the student’s Florida Poly email account. All decisions made by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee are final.

For questions regarding the appeal process, students may contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Exceptions to Florida Poly Scholarship Requirements

Per official University policies, students are required to be enrolled full-time in both the Fall and Spring semesters (Undergraduate 12+ credit hours; Graduate 9+ credit hours). Students unable to meet these minimum eligibility requirements may lose their Florida Poly Scholarship.

Exceptions can be made for students that are less than full-time under the following conditions:

The student was unable to go full-time due to the lack of courses available from the University.
The student was granted a reduced course load by the University’s Counseling and Disability Services.
Students are unable to meet full-time due to military orders such as deployment, training, or relocation.
Upon the student’s request, the Provost or designee has the discretion to waive the minimum credit hour requirement per semester or Financial Aid Year.

For additional information, please see: FPU-7.0027P Financial Aid Accommodations for Students Needing Reduced Course Loads.

Students may receive the scholarship as a less than full time student if they have an approved Scholarship Credit Requirement Exception form on file. The Office of Financial Aid will reduce the award amount at a prorated rate. The prorated rate will result in an adjusted and decreased award due to less than full time enrollment status. In addition, students who are in their final semester and graduating will not need to complete the Scholarship Credit Requirement Exception form. The awarded scholarship will automatically pay at a reduced rate if the student is within the 4 year scholarship eligibility guideline.

Financial Aid & Late Payment Fee Waivers

Florida Department of Children & Families Waiver

For any student for whom the state is paying foster care, is a ward of the state or who is adopted from the Department of Children and Family Services after 12/31/1997, certain tuition and related fees shall be waived. The waiver can be used until the student is 28 years of age for qualified undergraduate and graduate level courses. Students who are eligible should contact their state agency to get the DCF waiver form. Provide this form to the Office of Financial Aid.

Grandparent Waivers

Beginning with out-of-state undergraduate first-year students admitted for the 2022-23 academic year, students with grandparents residing in Florida may be eligible for a waiver of the Non-Resident (out-of-state) fee. These waivers are limited and first-come, first-served.

Grandparent Waiver Application Process
Policies for the Grandparent Waiver are and maintained by the Board of Governors of the State University System. Freshman applicants may request a waiver application after submitting the application for admission. Students who qualify for Florida residency should not seek this waiver.

Student Eligibility

Students must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the grandparent waiver.

Have a grandparent who is a legal resident of Florida
- The term “grandparent” means a person who has a legal relationship to a student’s parent as the natural or adopted parent or legal guardian of the student’s parent.
- Students must submit the Florida Poly Grandparent Waiver Application, and supporting documents, to provide proof of grandparent’s residency and to certify the relationship to the student.
Earn a high school diploma comparable to a Florida standard high school diploma, or its equivalent, or complete a home education program.
Have an SAT combined score (or ACT equivalent) no lower than the 89th national percentile.
Enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the summer or fall term immediately following high school graduation and continuously enroll full-time every fall and spring term until the requirements for the bachelor’s degree have been completed.
- The student must be enrolled full-time as of the census date in each term to maintain eligibility.
- Summer enrollment is not required.
- If a student enrolls part-time, grandparent waiver eligibility will be lost
It is the student’s responsibility to apply for this waiver and submit all necessary documentation in accordance with university deadlines.
Students should be enrolled continuously to maintain eligibility for the waiver. Otherwise, a student must reapply upon returning to the institution.
If a student transfers to another institution, they must apply for the waiver at the new institution for consideration.
Students who receive the grandparent waiver will be treated as Florida residents and will only be charged fees to resident students.
The grandparent waiver is applicable for up to 110 percent of the number of required credit hours (i.e., total degree hours) of the degree program for which the student is enrolled.

Grandparent Waiver Application

Complete the Florida Poly Grandparent Waiver Application and provide required documentation referenced in the form.

Awarding

The grandparent waiver will be awarded according to the following guidance.

Florida Poly has been allocated 5 grandparent waivers for the 2024-2025 incoming first-year class.
Grandparent waivers will be considered for those admitted on a first-come, first-served basis as determined by the date the student has submitted all necessary documentation.
Email the completed application and supporting documents to admissions@floridapoly.edu.
Once considered for a grandparent waiver, grandparent waivers will be granted (awarded) on a first-come, first-served basis up to the maximum allocation of 5 based on the date a student pays the $200 Admissions deposit.
The waiver may not be applied retroactively.

Homeless Tuition Waiver

In order to qualify for a tuition exemption as a result of homelessness, the student must meet the criteria outlined in Florida Statute 1009.25(1)(f).

Documentation is required from a school district homeless liaison, case manager, or FL Poly CARE services indicating that the student-

Lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; or
Primary nighttime residence is a public or private shelter designed to provide temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
A public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.

Late Payment Fee Waiver

Upon the student’s request, the Bursar will waive the late payment fee, if the Bursar determines that the student was unable to make payment on time due to exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control. The student will need to submit the Late Payment Fee Waiver Request Form for review, and may request a waiver only for one or more of the following reasons:

The student’s illness which was of such severity or duration, as confirmed in writing by a physician, to preclude timely payment of the tuition and fees;
A death in the student’s immediate family (parent, spouse, child, sibling, or grandparent) that precluded timely payment of tuition and fees, as confirmed by documentation indicating the death and the student’s relationship to the deceased;
Student’s active military duty or return from active duty that precluded timely payment of tuition and fees, as confirmed by military orders;
University error which precluded the student’s timely payment of tuition and fees, as confirmed in writing on University letterhead signed by an appropriate University official or confirmed by appropriate University documents;
Other documented exceptional circumstances (whether the circumstances are indeed “exceptional” will be determined by the Bursar) beyond the student’s control that precluded timely payment of tuition and fees, accompanied by a letter of explanation and appropriate documentation.

Programs of Strategic Emphasis Waiver (STEM Waiver)

Available to resident undergraduate students who completed at least 60 semester credit hours towards a baccalaureate degree within two academic years after initial first time enrollment at a Florida public postsecondary institution and were enrolled in upper-division (3000-4000) courses required for these eligible academic programs at Florida Poly:

Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering (*24-25 year and after)

Eligible courses will receive a 50% discount under this waiver.

Limitations

This waiver cannot be combined with any other state mandatory waiver.
The STEM waiver can only be applied towards a first bachelor’s degree.
The waiver cannot be applied retroactively to a
prior academic year.
Students receiving discretionary waivers from the University and/or institutional scholarships used toward tuition and fees will have their award replaced by the amount of the STEM waiver up to the amount of the STEM waiver’s value.

Additional Waivers

Additional tuition waivers may be available. See Fl Board of Governors 7.008 for more information.

Forms

Student Financial Responsibility

Completed by each student by 5:00 p.m. on Add/Drop as per the Academic Calendar.

FAFSA Verification

If your FAFSA was selected for the verification process, your verification can be completed here.

Federal Student Aid Authorization

Federal financial aid is automatically authorized to pay for tuition, required fees and contracted room and board, but you must submit a one-time authorization if you plan to use federal financial aid to pay for your books, supplies and other charges at Florida Poly. If you do not grant authorization to pay non-allowable charges with your federal financial aid, the Office of Financial Aid will release your aid to your student account and pay only allowable charges for the current academic year. You may receive a refund and may be sent a bill for any charges that could not be paid with your federal financial aid.

Federal Student Loans

Students who wish to borrow direct loans must complete the following at studentaid.gov using your FSA ID and password (the same login information from FAFSA):

Complete entrance counseling to ensure you understand the responsibilities and obligations you are assuming (approx. 20-30 minutes).
Complete loan agreement for Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loan (MPN), a legal document in which you promise to repay your federal student loans and any interest that accrues (approx. 20-30 minutes).

Students who withdraw, graduate, or fall below half time status must complete exit counseling.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Once a student reaches 18 years of age or attends a postsecondary institution, he or she becomes an “eligible student,” and all rights formerly given to parents under FERPA transfer to the student. The eligible student has the right to have access to his or her education records, the right to seek to have the records amended, the right to have control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from the records (except in certain circumstances specified in the FERPA regulations).

The Office of Financial Aid cannot release information about a student’s financial aid records to anyone other than the student, unless the student identifies that person on their FERPA form as authorized.

To submit or revoke an Authorization to Release Information, complete the Student Information Release Authorization form and submit it to the Office of the Registrar.

Contact Us
863-874-4774 | financialaid@floridapoly.edu