Important Information about PHEAA’s Distance Learning Policy
Students with a Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance (PHEAA) Agency Grant are required by PHEAA to take no more than 50% of the credits needed to graduate from a Penn College program via distance learning. In addition, students enrolled in a distance learning program, indicated by program codes PDA/BDA, BAM, PDD/BDD, BHI, NRB/BSN, BDT, and BWM, are ineligible for PHEAA Grants.
Beginning summer 2013, PHEAA’s Distance Learning policy will require colleges to measure the 50% calculation on a semester basis. (Previously, the College calculated on a program basis.) At least 50% of a student’s credits each semester must be ‘in the classroom’ to remain eligible for a PHEAA Grant assuming all other eligibility requirements are met.
Semester examples
| Classroom Credits | Distance Credits | Eligible for PHEAA? | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar | 7 | 7 | Yes* |
| Shawn | 8 | 7 | Yes* |
| Amy | 7 | 8 | No |
*If Lamar or Shawn drops below seven classroom credits before those credits are 20% complete or before Penn College receives an official disbursement roster from PHEAA, they will become ineligible.
Developmental credits, in most cases, cannot be used toward the calculation. Only when a student has been granted a Remedial Exception for a semester can (some) developmental credits be included in the calculation. PHEAA policy permits Remedial Exceptions when:
- A full-time student has 6-11 non-developmental credits.
- A part-time student has 3-5 non-developmental credits.
- A student’s prior number of Remedial Exceptions** is not greater than .50 for full-time students or .75 for part-time students.
Examples with developmental credits
| Total Credits | Developmental Credits | Remedial Exception? | Classroom Credits | Distance Credits | Eligible for PHEAA? | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Courtney | 15 | 3 | No (full-time with 12 non-developmental) |
6 | 6 | Yes |
| Jon | 15 | 3 | No (full-time with 12 non-developmental) |
5 | 7 | No |
| Marissa | 12 | 6 | Yes (full-time with 6 non-developmental) |
6 | 6 | Yes |
**0.50 = 1 full-time semester exception. Students with prior Remedial Exceptions can view the cumulative total of exceptions from the ‘PHEAA Breakdown’ section of the ‘View Financial Aid Information’ page of SIS.
Hybrid Courses
Hybrid courses combine classroom and distance learning and are identified by Penn College course section numbers of 98 or 99. As long as a hybrid course consists of 50% or more classroom instruction, it is considered (by PHEAA) as a classroom course. Hybrid courses that consist of 50% or more distance learning instruction are considered as distance learning courses. Refer to the instruction breakdown provided for hybrids on the College 'Course Offerings' information provided on the Registrar's Web page and my PCT Portal page.
If you have questions about the coming change in PHEAA’s Distance Learning policy and/or how it might impact your eligibility for future PHEAA Grants, don’t hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Office.
