Academic Fitness Program for Financial Aid Reinstatement

The Academic Fitness Program (AFP) is an individualized program designed for Madison College students on Financial Aid suspension who are requesting an appeal of their suspension status. In order to quialify for the Academic Fitness Program you must meet the following criteria (AFP Checklist):

1. You have applied for financial aid prior to application deadline.
2. You must not have a records or financial hold (including past due tution) on your account.
3. You must be enrolled in 6 or more credits for the current academic term.
4. You must be accepted into a Madson College financial aid-eligible program with all the necessary applications, transcripts and fees submitted to Madison College.
5. You must have money to purchase textbooks and supplies (average of $500) for the semester.

**Students will be notified via their Madison College student email if required to complete the AFP. Students who have previously been on financial aid suspension, been suspended due to maintaining a completion rate of below 51%, and/or maintaining a cumulative GPA of below 1.5, may be required to complete the Academic Fitness Program.**

Although students must be formally referred by the Madison College Financial Aid Office to be considered for Financial Aid Reinstatement, any student who is struggling academically may participate in this program. The main purpose of this program is to:

• Assist you in assessing what obstacles have led to your poor academic performance in the past
• Help determine your academic strengths and weaknesses
• Develop a personal educational plan for your success
• Provide documentation of your progress and problem-solving throughout the semester

Prior to the start of the semester you will need to complete the Financial Literacy Workshop. This self-paced course is designed to provide you with a basic understanding of personal financial management to help you meet life's challenges and opportunities in college and in life. Major topics covered include: financial planning; budgeting; information on the various sources of financial aid; credit use; standards of progress for financial aid eligibility; affording the loan debt that you have borrowed; using your maximum credit wisely; and retirement planning. Students will be provided with information that will enhance their knowledge and skills to assist them with making more informed decisions that are related to various practices as they pursue their education at Madison College.

1. Review Financial Literacy Workshop and resource links

2. Take the quiz and print out the email confirmation

3. Bring confirmation printout to your Counselor meeting

Make an appointment to meet with a counselor before the start of the semester and also 4-6 weeks into the semester. Your first appointment must be scheduled prior to the appeal deadline: August 26, 2011 for Fall; January 20, 2012 for Spring; and June 15, 2012 for Summer. Additional appointments may be required by your Counselor and can be scheduled on an as-needed basis throughout the semester.

The following forms must be completed, printed and brought to your first appointment. The information from the forms will be discussed and used to help set goals and develop an Academic Plan for the semester.

Form 1: Beginning of the Year Self-Evaluation (PDF, 188KB)
Determine what obstacles contributed to your academic difficulties.

Form 2: Setting Personal & Academic Goals (PDF, 159KB)
Identify three personal goals and three academic goals.

Form 3: Developing Your Academic Plan (PDF, 205KB)
Develop an Academic Plan with the help of your Counselor.

Finalized Step 2: After the appointment with your Counselor, you will need to submit the completed forms with signatures, your Academic Plan and Planner and any other required documentation to the Financial Aid Office. Once received, the Financial Aid Office will review all documents and make a determination about your appeal within 2-4 weeks. If your financial aid is not reinstated, you are responsible for any tuition or fees until you meet the Standards of Progress. It is strongly advised that you continue the Academic Fitness Program and complete step 3.

Four to six weeks into the semester you will need to meet with each of your instructors to complete an Instructor Progress Assessment (Form 4) and work with each to identify two success strategies for the class. Complete and print the Mindset Self-Evaluation (Form 5). This meeting will review your current progress and determine if changes need to be made to your Academic Plan or in other areas of your life and if any problems have arisen that need to be addressed.

Form 4: Instructor Progress Assessment (PDF, 138KB)
This is completed by your instructor(s) for each class you taking.

Form 5: Mindset Self-Evaluation (PDF, 150KB)
A quick assessment of your mindset in different areas of your life to help identify what issues may be contributing to any current academic difficulties so you can work with your Counselor to resolve them.

Form 6: Counselor Check-in (PDF, 182KB)
This form will be completed during your meeting with your Counselor.

Finalize Step 3: After the appointment with your Counselor, you will need to submit all completed forms with signatures and Counselor report to the Financial Aid Office for review. You are responsible for submitting all completed AFP documentation. If you have any questions related to this program, please contact Counseling at (608) 243-4102 or counseling[at] matcmadison [dot] edu.

Conclusion

At the conclusion of each semester, your financial aid progress will be reviewed to determine that you have met all of the following requirements:

1. Achieved and maintained a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher

2. Completed at least 67% of the cumulative credits attempted

3. Completed all the required steps in the Academic Fitness Program, including those recommended by your Counselor. Failure to follow through with all steps will result in denial of additional financial aid.

If you fail to complete all the steps in the Academic Fitness Program that you agreed upon when you met with your Counselor and you do not meet the Standards of Progress at the end of your next term of enrollment, your financial aid will be placed back in suspension status.

Students who do not meet the cumulative standards but have met all of the requirements of the program and have made satisfactory progress towards their degree will be asked to meet with their Counselor and complete another Counselor Check-in (Step 6). This Counselor Check-in will allow the student to remain eligible for an additional semester of funding. These students will be notified of this requirement through their student e-mail once grades are official for the semester.